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Flora and Fauna - Artisan Handmade

 

 

The Earth is such a beautiful place to live on, if we just take the time to look and observe.  No matter where we go, unique plants and animals can be found, two very important parts of any ecosystem.  I’ve been lucky to have lived in many places and many different ecosystems, from Central Texas to North Carolina, from near Georgian Bay in Canada to a forest in Northern Virginia, from North Texas to an island in South Carolina.  Now I live in the gorgeous Desert Southwest.  The flora and fauna of each place was awe-inspiring - some the same but, most often, very different.  Since I love what Mother Nature has to offer, I find it all VERY, VERY interesting and want to keep on learning about how our wonderful Earth functions . . . and what we need to do to heal it.   

 

 

 

Shades of Purple - Artisan Handmade - Three for Thursday

 

Up until the 1850’s, the color purple was most often associated with nobility.  Cyrus, a Persian king, wore a purple tunic, adopting it as his royal uniform. Some Roman emperors even forbade their citizens from wearing purple clothing - under penalty of death. During the Byzantine Empire, rulers wore long purple robes, used purple ink to sign their orders, and their children were described as being “born in the purple.”  Why? The reason was that a pound of purple wool cost more than most people earned in a year! The color purple was produced from a species of rare sea snail, centered in the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre. It took as many as 250,000 of the snails, which produced a purple staining mucus, to yield just one ounce of usable dye. After the fall of the Byzantine empire in the 15th century, the upper class monopoly of purple fabric waned - but it was still expensive.  It wasn’t until the 1850’s with the creation of the first synthetic dyes that the color purple became more widely available.  

 

I, for one, am glad that the color purple is now easily attainable.  With that in mind, this week’s edition of the Three for Thursday blog is titled “Shades of Purple.”  Three items from three handmade artists are featured. The artists are: Cathy of Crafting Memories; Roxanne of watercolorsNmore; and me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs.  I hope you enjoy all the different shades of purple found in the beauties shared.

An Artisan Handmade Christmas - Gift Ideas - Week 11

 

 

It's hard to believe that Week 11 of the Countdown to Christmas 2019 has come and gone . . . . and there is only one more week left!  When the Countdown starts, the end of the twelve weeks seems a looooong way off. The - BAM! - here it is! And Christmas is approximately three weeks away.  Where does the time go? The ever ticking Christmas clock doesn’t let up.  Those seconds just keep ticking down until the jolly man in red and white leaves wonderful gifts or lumps of coal under the tree.  What is the Countdown? It’s a place for handmade artists to share three of their beautiful (often one of a kind) creations. Need a perfect start to your Christmas shopping?  Shop the Countdown to Christmas: browse and purchase that special piece for that special person! An excellent motto to follow this holiday season: SHOP EARLY, SHOP OFTEN! And, most of all, SHOP HANDMADE

 

 

 

Pink and Black Miyuki Seed Bead and Leather Boho Cuff Bracelet Handmade by Kathy of KatsAllThat

An Artisan Handmade Christmas - Gift Ideas - Week 10

 

 

 

Wow!  Christmas will be here in a little less than a month!  And there are only two more weeks left in the Countdown to Christmas 2019!  Where does the time go? The ever ticking Christmas clock doesn’t let up and keeps ticking down those seconds until Santa and his herd of reindeer make a nighttime visit to leave gifts or lumps of coal. The Countdown is the place for handmade artists to share three of their beautiful (often one of a kind) creations. Need a perfect start to your Christmas shopping?  Shop the Countdown to Christmas: browse and purchase that special piece for that special person! An excellent motto to follow this holiday season: SHOP EARLY, SHOP OFTEN! And, most of all, SHOP HANDMADE

 

 

 

Red Cardinal Crochet Tapestry Holiday Decor Handmade by Ruth of RSS Designs In Fiber

An Artisan Handmade Christmas - Gift Ideas - Week 9

 

 

Christmas is barreling down on us - it will soon be here!  Week 9 of the Countdown to Christmas has come and gone.  The ever ticking Christmas clock doesn’t let up - according to what it says today, Santa will start his journey in only 35 days, just barely a month from now!  The Countdown is a place for handmade artists to share three of their beautiful (often one of a kind) creations. Need a perfect start to your Christmas shopping?  Shop the Countdown to Christmas: browse and purchase that special piece!  An excellent motto to follow this holiday season: SHOP EARLY, SHOP OFTEN!  And, most of all, SHOP HANDMADE! 

 

 

 

Make it an Artisan Handmade Mothers Day - Week 9

 

 

Watch out!  Mother’s Day will be here very soon, on Sunday May 12!  It’s not too late to order a handmade gift from the beauties shared this week on the Mother’s Day Countdown 2019, hosted again this year by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their The Blu Print blog.  Week 9, the last week, came and went and 12 handmade artisans shared a total of 36 wonderfully unique items. Browse the wide range of eye catching shares for this week - many of them one of a kind designs - visit the shops of the artists featured and buy your Mom something that was HANDMADE from the heart!

Make it an Artisan Handmade Mothers Day - Week 3

 

 

Week 3 of the Countdown to Mother’s Day 2019 blew right on by.  Hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their The Blu Print blog, this is the perfect time to start thinking about and buying a unique, handmade gift(s) for your Mom!  This week, a total of 42 artisan items were shared on the Countdown - each one a delight for Mom - from 14 handmade artists. Browse all the wonderful handmade shares for Week 3, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy your Mom a beauty that was handmade from the heart.

 

Keeping Warm with Artisan Handmade - Three for Thursday

 

 

As everyone knows, winter definitely arrived last week with extreme bone chilling, record breaking temperatures in a huge swath of the United States.  Except . . . (I almost hate to say this) . . . in the Desert Southwest. I won’t even mention the weather we got to enjoy while watching news features of people bundled up head to toe while trying to find and dig out their cards from under several inches of snow.  My husband and I lived in Canada for a few years and got to experience those sub-Arctic temperatures first hand . and . all . the . shovelling . of . snow. Been there, done that! I’ll take our sunny desert winters anytime these days.

Handmade Valentines Day Gift Ideas

 

 

On February 14 each year, candy, flowers cards and gifts are exchanged between loved ones not only here in the United States but also in other countries all around the world to celebrate Valentine's Day.  The Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately 1 billion Valentine's Day cards are exchanged each year, the second most popular card-sending holiday after Christmas (about 2.6 billion cards).  How did Valentine's Day develop?  Here's a short history:

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