Blog entry

Christian Cross Jewelry - Artisan Handmade by Shadow Dog Designs

To a Christian, crosses are a symbol of atonement and reminds them of God's love in sacrificing his own son for humanity.  Despite being associated primarily with Christianity, many cross symbols were used as religious symbols pre-Christianity, especially in Europe and western Asia.  Crosses can be found carved on rocks and in caves dating back to the Upper Paleolithic period, approximately 50,000 to 12,000 years ago.  During the European Bronze Age (app. 3200 - 600 B.C), cross symbols seemed to carry a religious meaning, possibly a symbol of consecration especially during burials.  For at least two centuries after the crucifixion of Christ, the symbol of Christianity (when it was depicted) was a headless T-shaped Tau cross.  Gradually over time, the Tau cross was replaced by the Greek cross, with arms of equal length, then by the Latin cross (or Roman cross) with a longer descending arm, which is the most common cross used today.  Crosses come in many different variants, all having a religious meaning.  If you are interested in seeing some of the variants and what they mean, I find these two links to be especially helpful:  Christian Cross Variants and Kinds of Crosses--What the Different Designs Mean.

Pretty Pinks for Valentines Day - Three for Thursday - January 14, 2021

Valentine’s Day will soon be here, just a month from now, with the color pink, along with red, seen everywhere in stores.  Pink is considered the color of universal love of oneself and of others and represents friendship, affection, harmony, inner peace, and femininity.  There’s no wonder that it’s a color that is closely associated with the romance of Valentine’s Day!  In this week’s “Three for Thursday,” titled "Pretty Pinks for Valentine's Day," three mainly pink items from three handmade artists are featured.  The artists are:  Linda of VictorianStyleTreasures;  Charlotte of Covergirlbeads; and me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs.   I hope you enjoy these pink beauties, each a perfect gif for your Valentine's sweetie.

Red, Green and White For Christmas! - Three for Thursday - December 3, 2020

According to the ever ticking Christmas clock, there’s only 21 days until Christmas arrives.  If you haven’t already started your holiday shopping, now’s definitely the time!  To help you select gifts, I pulled together three handmade beauties from three artists in the christmas colors of red, green and white.  These are gifts that are guaranteed to please.  The handmade artists are:  Linda of VictorianStyleTreasures;  Charlotte of Covergirlbeads; and me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs.  I hope you enjoy these selections and will visit the artists’ shops for more gift ideas.  There will be something there for even the hardest to buy for Mom or aunt!  Remember:  SHOP SMALL and BUY HANDMADE!!!

Red, Roja, Rossa, Rouge! - Artisan Handmade - Three for Thursday

Anyone who knows me well, knows that red is my favorite color . . . a color I have always adored, even as a small girl who only wanted to wear her “pretty red dress.”  If my Mom would have let me, I would have worn that “pretty red dress” until it disintegrated on me.  Red makes my soul sing.

An artist friend, Jacki of Christie Cottage, listed a beautiful red felted wool pouch recently in her shop, which got me thinking about a new blog featuring the color red.  So, here it is:  Red, Roja, Rossa, Rouge!    The new Red, Roja, Rossa, Rouge (English, Spanish, Italian and French for "red) Three for Thursday post features three items from three artists that feature a hefty dose of red in their handmade designs.  The three artists are:  Jacki of Christie Cottage; Charlotte of Covergirlbeads; and, me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs.  I hope you enjoy all these unique handmade designs with blazing red!