Blog entry
Artisan Handmade Jewelry by Shadow Dog Designs
Since the autumn arts festival season is in full swing, I have been thinking a lot about handmade items, especially since I mostly make one of a kind jewelry. People always ask me, “How do you come up with the design.” I reply something like this, “To tell the truth, I’m not sure. Most of the time it just happens.” Or, “The Muses were good to me.” I’m sure a LOT of artists give some semblance of those answer since the “creative idea” is often elusive. But the answers definitely don’t take into account all the years and years of working to perfect your art through taking classes, people giving their opinions, selling (or not) at shows and by trial and error . . . and more trial and error . . . and more trial and error. Then, suddenly, it just happens.
I found this poster at WalchaHandmade that pretty much sums up the process:
Happy Halloween and Day of the Dead at Shadow Dog Designs
Halloween and Day of the Dead / Dia de los Muertos will soon be here. The hunt for that perfect piece of handmade jewelry to show off your fun and/or spooky side has begun. To help with that search, I’m sharing the earrings and necklaces in my Shadow Dog Designs shop that are impeccable accessories for you pre-Halloween and Day of the Dead wear and the festivities that happen on those individual days. All one of a kind handmade designs, I hope these (un)lucky 13 pieces of jewelry catch your eye. If so, please click on the photograph or the link below each picture to be taken to the item for more information and photos. I hope you enjoy these unique pieces.
New Artisan Handmade Jewelry at Shadow Dog Designs
I love this quote by J. Donald Walters:
When you buy something handmade by a person, there is something special there, and you do feel it. The consciousness with which the thing is made is often more important than the thing itself.
Happy Halloween!
A Spooky Halloween / Samhain! - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade
Halloween will soon be here, a time for pumpkin carvings, dressing in costumes, trick or treating and parties Halloween has been around for over 200 years - how did it evolve? To answer those questions (and refresh my memory), I decided to share a short history of Halloween, dealing more with its ancient traditions.
Halloween dates back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts lived about 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France and celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest. It also marked the beginning of the dark, cold winter, the time of year that was most associated with death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, Samhain was celebrated when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.
The Sky is Already Purple - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade
"The sky is already purple; the first few stars have appeared, suddenly, as if someone had thrown a handful of silver across the edge of the world."
I have always loved this quote from Alice Hoffman’s novel, Here on Earth. It is so very evocative of watching the sky turn dark here in the Desert Southwest during this glorious time of the year. When the sky is transformed for a few minutes into a magical velvety bluish-purple color, a multitude of stars come out to to play, twinkling away. Then the sky will finally slip into a depthless black and even more stars will appear . . . and, hopefully, a shooting star will streak across the sky. Another reason autumn is my favorite time of the year.
Happy Halloween and Day of the Dead! - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade
There is magic in the night
When pumpkins glow by
Moonlight
Anonymous
New Jewelry at Shadow Dog Designs - Handmade Beauties
Seven new handmade jewelry creations have been listed in my Shadow Dog Designs shop: four new necklaces and three new pairs of earrings. All are very different in design, ranging from fun and funky boho to classic meditative designs. The seven new beauties, perfect gift ideas for women who love one of a kind, artisan jewelry, are featured below. To round out the count to an even ten pieces, two pairs of earrings and one necklace that are still looking for a new home are also included. If a piece of jewelry catches your eye, either click on the photo or the live link below the photo to be taken to the item for more information and photographs.
Spooky Halloween and Day of the Dead Skull Earrings by Shadow Dog Designs
Halloween and Day of the Dead festivities will soon be upon us. To help you celebrate, I have been stocking my Shadow Dog designs Indiemade shop with spooky handmade skull earrings of various types. Recently, glass sugar skull beads from the Czech Republic have appeared in a myriad of colors - such fun to work with! And I'm always on the lookout for new, fun skull designs to make into one of a kind jewelry, perfect to enhance your costume . . . or everyday wear!
Handmade Jewelry - New at Shadow Dog Designs
The past few weeks have been very busy creating handmade jewelry, mostly earrings and necklaces. I'm trying get my Shadow Dog Designs online store stocked up well before the show season starts again on Labor Day and the start of the Christmas buying season. Shared below are six new pairs of earrings and two new necklaces. Two "oldies but goodies" round out everything to make an even ten. If something catches your eye, be sure to click on the link below the photo to be taken to the listing for more information. I hope you enjoy these one of a kind handmade beauties!
