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Autumn Inspired Handmade Beauties
The cooler temperatures of autumn have arrived here in our area of the Desert Southwest. It still gets into the high 80’s or low 90’s during the day but drops down into the high 60’s at night. The monsoon season has pretty much ended, the horrid humidity mostly gone, and our drier air has been welcomed back by everyone. It is so nice to turn off the air conditioner (at least until early afternoon) and open windows and doors to allow fresh desert air to blow through. While I don’t see any trees changing colors yet, the desert is extremely green after the above average rainfall we received the last two months. Maximillian sunflowers can be found all over, as well as masses of small yellow, purple and terracotta colored wildflowers that I don't know the name of but enjoy immensely nonetheless. My favorite time of the year!
Second Category, Third Item - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade
The Franciscan Festival of Fine Arts at the Holy Cross Retreat Center is this Labor Day weekend, Saturday and Sunday. The Retreat Center has been operational for 60 years. However, some of the buildings in the compound are over 100 years old. It's so peaceful there and feels like you step back in time, especially when you see Father Tom walking around in his full cassock with a large, wooden rosary tied around his waist, chatting with as many people as he can. The juried festival itself has been held yearly for almost 20 years and is a “go to” festival for local people and the many who might drive from Tucson, Albuquerque or beyond to buy beautiful artisan handcrafted items. If you are in the Las Cruces, NM or El Paso, TX area, please stop by - I will be selling my jewelry there. For more information, here is a link: Franciscan Festival of Fine Arts.
First Artisan Item, Second Page - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade
The week since my last Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade blog post just flew by. Here is is Tuesday evening and I suddenly realized I hadn’t even thought about the post for tomorrow. Heck, I forgot it was even Tuesday! Not to fear though . . . there are so many beautiful handmade items in the shops of Indiemade artist friends, that I have a wide range of beauties to choose from. I decided this week’s post would feature the First Artisan Item, Second Page (as of my typing this). Even though the picks are widely diverse in style and materials, they all fit beautifully together since they all are handmade from the heart.
Make it a Handmade Summer! - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade
Do you love unique handmade items such as jewelry, dog bandanas, hand painted tags, copper components and hand knitted tops? You can find a wide variety of of artisan beauties, imaginative pieces that were created from the heart, in this new blog. Browse the items and then browse the shops of the artists featured here. Believe me, you won’t be disappointed. Let’s make it a handmade summer!!!
Summer Heat - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade
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With the summer solstice rapidly approaching, I decided it was time to feature hot, hot, HOT colored artisan handmade items in oranges, reds and yellow. But before I do, (since I am a huge science geek), I thought I’d share a bit of about sunrises, sunsets and the summer solstice. The solstice here in the Texas Borderlands will take place on Tuesday, June 20, 2017 at 10:24 pm MDT. Most people think that, because the solstice signifies the longest day of the year (or the shortest, in the southern hemisphere), the earliest sunrise and the latest sunset happens on that day. But that is not true. The exact date of earliest sunrises and latest sunsets varies with latitude. At mid-northern latitudes (say Philadelphia at 40 degrees north latitude), the earliest sunrises of the year happens on June 14 and the latest sunset on June 27. The farther south you go in latitude, the earlier the earliest sunrises become and the later the latest sunset are. For instance, the earliest sunrise here in El Paso has already passed - on June 11 - and the latest sunset isn’t until June 30.
The Ocean Stirs the Heart - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade
The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination and brings eternal joy to the soul - Robert Wyland (marine life artist)
This past week, I was able to reconnect with the ocean when visiting the Coos Bay / Bandon, Oregon area. While my husband golfed, I explored the amazing land that is southwest Oregon. From huge trees to craggy cliffs by the sea; from the multitudes of birds to the fog interlaced with sunshine, I was taken with the landscape . . . and the very friendly people. And I was actually able to meet a long-time artist friend face-to-face for the first time. What a lovely person Sue is!
Peaceful - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade
Peaceful: untroubled by conflict, agitation, or commotion. Synonyms: tranquil, calm, restful, quiet, still, relaxing, soothing, undisturbed, untroubled
I have to admit: I am a news and political junkie. And what is coming out in the news these days just makes my head spin, whether it is local, state, national or international. Because of being constantly bombarded with unending news alerts, I really am appreciative of what I have learned in my three-day a week yoga class: how to breathe, how to control the monkey mind (or at least calm it to a dull roar), how to be in the moment, how to be mindful and, above all, to add more empathy, compassion, love and peace to each day.
Star Stuff Harvesting Star Light - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade
Dr. Carl Sagan is a major hero of mine. As Wikipedia explains he “was an American astronomer, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, science popularizer, and science communicator in astronomy and other natural sciences.” he was often called "the astronomer for the people." Quite the Renaissance man! I remember being glued to the TV when the groundbreaking TV series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage was first aired. Dr. Sagan was able to explain complex ideas in a simple way that a layperson could understand. Being a science geek, especially when it comes to space, my mind sailed on its own voyage of personal discovery each week (and with the reruns that I always managed to watch). I still remember vividly and muse over certain parts of certain episodes that particularly touched me. Unfortunately Dr. Sagan died in 1996 at the young age of 62. I still miss him and all he had to offer. He returned to the star dust he so loved.
Countdown to Mother's Day - Handmade Gifts - Week 6
Week 6 of the Countdown to Mother's Day 2017, hosted by Julie and Blu of Blue Morning Expressions on their The Blu Print blog, flew right on by. Where are the weeks going? Fifty-four artisan handmade items from eighteen artists were left in its wake. Mother’s Day is fast approaching! Now is the perfect time to start browsing gift ideas and buying that perfect gift(s) for your Mum. Any one of the mostly one of a kind handmade items shared this week are perfect for even the pickiest Mom. Visit the shops of the artists featured and buy Mom something that was handmade from the heart.
Happy Easter! - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade
Modern-day Easter is derived from two ancient traditions: one pagan and the other Judeo-Christian. Both pagans and Christians have celebrated death and resurrection themes following the spring equinox for millennia. A majority of religious historians believe that many elements of the Christian observance of Easter were derived from earlier pagan celebrations. The name “Easter” itself originated with the names of an ancient goddess. The Venerable Bede, (672-735 CE), a Christian scholar, first mentioned in his book De Ratione Temporum that Easter was named after Eostre (a.k.a. Eastre). She was the Great Mother Goddess of the Saxon people in Northern Europe. The "Teutonic dawn goddess of fertility was also known as Ostare, Ostara, Ostern, Eostra, Eostre, Eastra and others.
