Blog entry
Make It An Artisan Handmade Valentines Day!
Posted January 10, 2021
Before we know it, Valentine’s Day on February 14, will be here with hearts, cupids and items in pink and red assailing us everywhere. Across the United States and in many other countries around the world, candy, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. Although the history of Valentine’s Day and its patron saint is shrouded in mystery, February has long been celebrated as a month of romance. St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman traditions.
» 9 Comments
Awesome Animals - Artisan Handmade - Three for Thursday
Posted July 30, 2020
Anyone who knows me knows I love animals, always have and always will. No-footed, two-footed, four-footed, six footed or more (except, to tell the truth, female mosquitoes and ticks - uck!). I love animals of all sizes, from huge ones to wee, tiny ones - from blue whales, the largest mammal on earth, to Kitti's hog-nosed bat (or bumblebee bat) the world's smallest mammal at just over 1” long. And I’m always amazed at how animals have evolved to survive. Just think of the Griffon’s vulture which is recorded as the highest flying bird at 37,000 feet to deep sea creatures which live in harsh conditions thousands of feet in the ocean where light doesn’t reach. Amazing!
When I was mulling around what the theme of this week's Three for Thursday blog, I decided on animals. Three animal related items from three handmade artists are featured. The artists are: Linda of VictorianStyleTreasures; Roxanne of watercolorsNmore; and me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs. I hope you enjoy this collection of animal themed items. Be sure to visit the shops to find even more beauties.
The Many Faces of Green - Artisan Handmade
Posted July 12, 2020
GREEN is a favorite color of many people because of it being the predominant terrestrial color of Mother Earth. It is considered by many to be the most restful color (green being a favorite color choice for bedrooms). But the color green wears many faces, both in its numerous beautiful shades and its interesting historical context. I found the history and symbolism of green to be fascinating and decided to share some of what I found:
Hot Summer Reds, Oranges and Yellows - Artisan Handmade
Posted June 11, 2020
Even though summer hasn’t officially arrived - that will happen on June 20 - it has been summer here in the Borderlands for several weeks now. And it looks quite warm in many areas in the U.S. So I made a call to artist friends to share some “hot” handmade items with me to be included in this blog. You’ll find LOTS of fiery colored items in red, yellows and oranges, beauties that can be worn all summer long. If something catches your eye and you want more information, please click on the item photo or the link below the picture to be taken to the artist’s shop. I hope you enjoy all the sizzling hot items!
Summer Flowers - Artisan Handmade - Three for Thursday
Posted June 4, 2020
Summer will soon be here. Despite the (expected) triple digit heat that has set in here in the Desert Southwest, the water wise flowers I planted last year and in the cool of this spring are blooming up a storm. Everyone who knows me really well knows I love to work in my flower beds . . . and am ecstatic at the resulting blooms. So my beautiful flowers are the inspiration for this week’s Three for Thursday where I feature three items from three artists. This week the artists are: Roxanne of watercolorsNmore; Jacki of Christie Cottage; and me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs. Enjoy the wide range of floral art. Hopefully one or more of the items will soon be on the way to you!
Make It a Handmade Mothers Day - Week 5
Posted April 7, 2020
Another week of the Mother’s Day Countdown 2020 has come and gone - Week 5 already!!! Hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their Blu Print blog, Thirty-three unique handmade items were shared from 11 artists. Each one will make a memorable gift for Mom on Mother’s Day. Since Mother's Day will be here before you know it, this is the perfect time to start thinking about and buying a gift(s) for your Mom (and, perhaps, for yourself). Browse all the wonderful handmade shares for Week 5, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy your Mom a beautiful gift that was handmade from the heart.
Make It a Handmade Mothers Day - Week 4
Posted March 31, 2020
Week 4 of the Mother’s Day Countdown 2020 steamed right on by. Hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their the Blu Print blog, 36 unique handmade items were shared from 12 artists - each one a wonderful gift for Mother’s Day. Since the big day will be here before you know it, this is the perfect time to start thinking about and buying a gift(s) for your Mom (and, perhaps, for yourself). Browse all the wonderful handmade shares for Week 4, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy your Mom a beautiful gift that was handmade from the heart.
Flaunting Flowers - Artisan Handmade Three for Thursday
Posted March 26, 2020
"If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change" – Buddha
Spring is in full swing here in the Desert Southwest. Since there was more rain than normal during the winter and on into spring, the flowering trees and the wildflowers, especially the poppies in the Franklin Mountains, have been spectacular. The various cacti and succulents haven’t started blooming yet with all their sometimes garish colors, but they should be extra pretty, as well. This time of the year, my thoughts always turn to working in the flower beds, trying to decide where to put “just one more” plant. Watching plants reawaken and start their flowering is indeed a miracle . . . and does change my life for the better.
With flowers in mind, I decided this week’s Artisan Handmade Three for Thursday would feature flowers. Three floral inspired handmade pieces, which turned out featuring mostly pink flowers, were chosen from the shops of handmade artisan friends. The artisans are: Jacki of Christie Cottage; Roxanne of watercolorsNmore; and me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs. I hope you enjoy the handmade beauties. And be sure to visit the shops of the artists for even more gift ideas - for someone you love or for yourself.
Make it an Artisans Handmade Valentines Day!
Posted January 14, 2020
Valentine’s Day, February 14th, will be here before we know it with cupids, hearts, pink and red found everywhere. Across the United States and in many other countries around the world, candy, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. While there was a St. Valentine (the Catholic Church actually recognizes three saints named Valentine or Valentinus), the “day of love” was declared the day before the pagan celebration of Lupercalia, celebrated at the ides of February or February 15. Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. Valentines Day was officially declared on February 14th by Pope Gelasius at the end of the 5th century in an effort to Christianize the Roman celebration, declaring Lupercalia as “un-Christian.”
Shades of Purple - Artisan Handmade - Three for Thursday
Posted January 2, 2020
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.
