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Make It an Artisan Handmade Christmas - Favorites - Week 4, 2023

 

 

Who would have believed how quickly Week 4 of the Countdown to Christmas 2023 went by . . . but here we are!  Left in its wake is a wide variety of gorgeous artisan handmade items.  According to the ever ticking Your Christmas Countdown Clock, there are only 67 days until St. Nick pays a visit to let you know of you have been naughty or nice.  With the rapidly approaching gift giving season in mind, Julie and her faithful sidekick, Harry, are hosting a twelve-week Countdown to Christmas 2023 of artisan handmade items on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog, part of their Blue Morning Expressions Shopify shop.  This week, there were 33 shares by 11 artists featuring a wide range of gifts:  unique jewelry designs, photographic and digital art, home decor, note cards, Christmas stickers,lampwork  beads, crocheted gifts, coffee mugs and a host of other beauties.  If you need a perfect start (or ending) to your Christmas shopping, the Countdown is the place to do just that!  An excellent motto to follow is: SHOP EARLY, SHOP OFTEN.  And, most of all, SHOP HANDMADE to support small indie businesses!


Each week during the 12 week Countdown, I pick a favorite item from each artist (hard to do!) and feature them here on my blog.  These are my favorites for Week 4:  

 

 

 

Make It an Artisan Handmade Christmas - 2022 - Week 3

 

 

It's amazing how quickly Week 3 of the Countdown to Christmas 2022 flew right on by.  In its wake, a wide variety of gorgeous artisan handmade / designed gifts were shared.  According to the ever ticking Christmas clock, there are only 81 days until Christmas is here . . . once again. 

 

With the rapidly approaching gift giving season, Julie of Blue Morning Expressions along with her handsome sidekick, Hurricane Harry, are hosting a twelve-week Countdown to Christmas 2022 of artisan handmade items on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog.  The twelve week time period was chosen to correspond with the pervasive holiday carol, "The Twelve Days of Christmas''. This week, there were 36 shares by 12 artists.  The shared gifts include:  jewelry of all sorts, polymer clay beads, lampwork beads, party stickers / tags, christmas ornaments, photographic art and digital art.  Shopping the Countdown to Christmas is the perfect place to start your holiday gift gathering!  An excellent motto to follow is: SHOP EARLY, SHOP OFTEN.  And, most of all, SHOP HANDMADE to support small indie businesses!

 

 

 

Every Flower - Artisan Jewelry by Shadow Dog Designs

 

 

EVERY FLOWER IS A SOUL BLOSSOMING IN NATURE

Gerard de Nerval

 

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I love growing flowers.  Since moving to the Desert Southwest, it has been a long experiment to see what survives and what doesn’t.  Not only does the summer heat make some plants struggle, but we had an unexpected deep freeze this past winter.  But since the monsoon season has arrived early this year with much needed rain (yay!) and cooler temperatures (yay!), my flower beds are thriving.  The zinnias that were grown from seed have just started to bloom - they are an experiment so we’ll see how they do.  Grandpa Otts morning glories and sunflowers are aso blooming, along with the yellow and native lantana (which started back in March) and cheerful moss-rose purslane.  And, of course, the bright fuchsia pink Knockout roses keep chugging right along.  An all-time favorite flower, hollyhocks, are just about bloomed out.  I've been taking photos and hope to share some in a blog later on.  I revel in the beauty of flowers!

There are Always Flowers - Artisan Handmade - May 27, 2021

 

 

There are always flowers for those who want to see them - 

Henri Matisse

 

 

Henri Matisse is absolutely right.  There are ALWAYS flowers.  Even when it's winter and no flowers are found (except a few succulents that bloom inside during the winter), I have them in my heart, impatiently waiting for spring to see the hollyhocks, roses, geraniums, bottle brush, mimosa, lantana, Russian sage and other fine petaled friends again.  And they are beautiful right now, blooming away before the desert heat sets in.  To add even more floral beauty to this spring, I decided a colorful flower blog was needed.  Artist friends shared two of their handmade items with a flower theme.  If something catches your eye, be sure to click on the photo or the link below the photo to be taken to the item in the shop.  I hope you love these cheerful beauties.      

 

 

Miracle of a Single Flower - Artisan Handmade - Three for Thursday

 

 

If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly our whole life would change. – Siddhartha Gautama Buddha

 

 

Flowers are one of my favorite things.  I wander the yard several times each day, visiting all the flowers I’ve planted and feel at peace and happy (even when I see the leafcutter bee has been at work).  The types of flowers are varied.  Knockout roses, verbena, gold columbine, geraniums, hollyhocks, sunflowers, zinnias, larkspur and more have all been planted (some from seed, some from bought plants) and are in various stages of growing / blooming.  I'm also enjoying the mimosa tree which has just started to bloom with it's wispy pink flowers that are visited by countless pollinators and hummingbirds.  And the bottlebrush tree survived the deep freeze we had here this winter, and even though it lost some limbs, there are a few blooms on it!  Flowers are definiey miracles.

 

So, with all this blooming beauty (or blooms to be anticipated), I decided this week’s Artisan Handmade - Three for Thursday would be about flowers.  I’ve chosen three floral items from three handmade artists: notecards, baby items and jewelry.  The artists are:  Roxanne of watercolorsNmore; Pamela of MagdaleneKnits; and, me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs.  I hope you find joy in these picks!

Beautiful Flowers - Artisan Handmade for Spring

                                                         Photo by James J. Shaw

 

 

I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,

Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,

Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,

With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine.

William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream

 

 

Let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair . . . 

Susan Polis Schutz

Make It a Handmade Mothers Day - Week 6

 

 

Where did Week 6 of the Mother’s Day Countdown 2020 go?  It was here . . . and then was gone.  The Countdown is hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their Blu Print blog.  This week, 36 handmade items from 12 artists were shared.  Each unique tem will make a memorable gift for Mom on her 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!  These items go quick, and, since many are one of a kind, don't miss out.  Browse all the wonderful handmade shares for Week 6, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy your Mom a beautiful gift that was handmade from the heart.

 

 

 

Follow Your Heart - Handmade Valentines Day Gifts

 

Love is something eternal; the aspect may change, but not the essence. - Vincent van Gogh

 

 

By now, everyone is aware that Valentine’s Day (or St. Valentine’s Day) is rapidly approaching; it will be here in less than a month, on February 14th.  Many stores have been decked out in hearts, cards, red roses, candy and cupids since the day after Christmas so it’s a day that’s hard to miss.  

 

Since the most common Valentine's Day symbol is the heart, the new "Follow Your HeartThree for Thursday blog is dedicated hearts.  Three beautifully unique heart items are shared from three handmade artist friends. Some of the items are more traditional and some are not - but all will make a perfect Valentine’s Gift for your loved one.  The artists featured are: Julie from Blue Morning Expressons; Heather from BluKatDesign; and, me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs. If something catches your eye, click on the photo or the description and you’ll be taken to the item in the shop.  I hope you enjoy each and every heart.

 


 All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt. - Charles M. Schulz

New Jewelry - Handmade Earrings and Necklaces by Shadow Dog Designs

 

It has been quite a while since I shared new, one of a kind necklace and earrings designs.  The autumn show season has started and it seems I’m making new items, setting up at shows, selling at shows and packing up from shows.  So my Shadow Dog Designs online shop hasn’t seen a whole lot of new handmade items posted lately - and many that were posted have sold. But I wanted to share the five newest pieces, plus three that are fairly new and one Halloween and one Christmas design.  To see more information about individual items, either click on the photograph or the link under the photo - both will take you to the item in the shop. I hope you enjoy looking . . . and maybe buying!

Handmade Valentines Day Jewelry Gift Ideas - Three for Thursday

 

 

Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.  

-- Maya Angelou



 

Valentine’s Day will be here before we know - a day filled with pink and red, hearts, candy, cards and other tokens of love.  Speaking of tokens of love, I thought I’d pull together some charming artisan handmade jewelry from three different artists in this new post of Three for Thursday.  The first two jewelry selections are heart themed, but with a difference. Just in case, however, hearts aren’t your thing or your loved ones “thing,” then I also included a third item that would make a superb gift but that isn’t overtly Valentines-y.

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