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Blog entry
Halloween and Day of the Dead
Posted September 6, 2022
Halloween and Day of the Dead will be here before we know it! To get the word out about all of the spooky goodies in our shops, please share two Halloween inspired items. They don't have to be actuall Halloween items but can be the colors of orange, black and brown usually associated with Halloween, Dia de los Muertos and autumn. The InLinkz is open now and will close this Saturday, September 10, at 12:00 p.m. MDT. I hope to have the blog out by Monday morning.
If you participate, please share each item and the blog on at least two social media sites (I'll be tweeting and sharing on several Pinterest boards both from the linkup and from the actual blog). Please use the hashtag #Halloween2022 for tweeting so the items are easily found.
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Fall Fun - Artisan Handmade
Posted September 11, 2021
“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been
saving up all year for the grand finale.”
Lauren DeStefano
For many, many people, fall is a favorite time of the year, when the heat of summer dissipates into the coolness of autumn and the deciduous trees are a riot of color. Here in the Desert Southwest, the temperatures are still reaching the mid-90’s during the day. But the temps in the morning are dipping into the mid-60’s, a glorious reminder that the first cool front will blow through any day now. A perfect time for gardening. And just to sit and watch the grand finale . . . and to just be . . .
Handmade Heart Jewelry for Valentines Day and Beyond
Posted January 19, 2021
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Valentine’s Day is less than a month away. It’s time to start thinking about what to get for your sweetie. One of a kind, handmade heart jewelry is always the best! And especially when the heart earrings and necklaces don’t scream just “Valentine’s Day" but can be worn year round. I chose an even dozen of heart designs from my SHADOW DOG DESIGNS shop. You’ll find heart jewelry for dog and cat lovers, women who adore flowers, cross earrings and many more. To see the full line of hearts, click here: Artisan Valentine's Jewelry or click here: Artisan Heart Jewelry. I hope you enjoy this unique selection of jewelry gifts.
Make It a Handmade Christmas 2020 - Week 6
Posted October 27, 2020
It’s hard to realize that we’re half-way finished with the twelve week Countdown to Christmas 2020! Yikes! That means Christmas is bearing down on us and will soon be here, just a bit less than 2 months! According to the ever ticking Christmas clock, there are only 58 days until ho-ho-ho-ing Santa and his merry band of clattering reindeer arrive once again. Now is the perfect time to start your holiday shopping and the Countdown is the perfect place! Remember this motto: SHOP EARLY, SHOP OFTEN! And, most of all, SHOP ARTISAN HANDMADE!
Autumn Beauties - Artisan Handmade
Posted September 3, 2020
"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." — Albert Camus
I don’t know about you, but autumn is my favorite time of the year, although it’s somewhat bittersweet since winter follows. It’s a time where the temperatures (at least here in the Desert Southwest) are moderating and thankfully, the gates of the blast furnace of Hell for this extreme heat summer have closed. It’s a time for rethinking and replacing plants that didn’t make it through this summer. Many people start fall gardens and farmers bring in their harvest. Fall is part of that ongoing cycle of loss, rest, regeneration and, ultimately, regrowth. The Autumn Equinox is a balance between light and dark, a balance between the season that happens again in the spring. And who doesn’t love the trees and some shrubs with their gorgeous leaf displays as they prepare for their winter sleep.
Flora and Fauna - Artisan Handmade
Posted June 25, 2020
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.
Colors for Autumn - Artisan Handmade - Three for Thursday
Posted September 5, 2019
Despite the days still being in the mid- to high-90’s here in the Borderlands (unusual here for this time of the year), the last few mornings have had a tinge of autumn in the air. I’m definitely ready for the cooler breezes and being able to leave the windows open. Purple asters will bloom and the cottonwoods will turn a glorious golden yellow. Fall will soon be here (I hope!).
With autumn in mind, I decided to choose handmade beauties in fall colors for this Three for Thursday titles, appropriately enough, Colors for Autumn. The artists today are: Kathy of KatsAllThat; Pamela of MagdaleneKnits; and me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs. I hope you enjoy my autumn inspired picks and will visit the shops of the artists for more wondrous handmade fall elegance.
Autumn Artisan Handmade Gift Ideas - Three for Thursday
Posted November 8, 2018
According to the calendar, we're about ½ way through autumn, the favorite time of year for many people. I live in the Desert Southwest and most people don’t associate the desert with fall color. But we have it! Granted not as eye catching as the forests in along the East Coast or the aspens in many places in the Rockies. Color is here, nonetheless: glowing yellows and reds and purples of the deciduous trees. And my amazing cosmos are looming up a storm with carmine reds, pale pinks and glowing white. The hummingbirds left about a month ago (always sad to see them go) but new migrant birds are showing up, especially the cheerful little juncos. Am waiting for the beautiful blue scrub jays with their raucous calls and jaunty attitudes to show up under the bird feeders.
Autumn Inspired Handmade Beauties
Posted September 7, 2017
The cooler temperatures of autumn have arrived here in our area of the Desert Southwest. It still gets into the high 80’s or low 90’s during the day but drops down into the high 60’s at night. The monsoon season has pretty much ended, the horrid humidity mostly gone, and our drier air has been welcomed back by everyone. It is so nice to turn off the air conditioner (at least until early afternoon) and open windows and doors to allow fresh desert air to blow through. While I don’t see any trees changing colors yet, the desert is extremely green after the above average rainfall we received the last two months. Maximillian sunflowers can be found all over, as well as masses of small yellow, purple and terracotta colored wildflowers that I don't know the name of but enjoy immensely nonetheless. My favorite time of the year!
Earthy Browns Abound - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade
Posted November 15, 2016
Despite the grass in our back yard staying an amazing green so far into the year, I can see the slide of winter colors beginning to show up. Pretty soon our back yard, the arroyo behind the house and the desert over all will be clothed in the many varied shades of warm earthy browns with tinges of other subtle colors. Waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . . . for the brilliance of spring.
“Earthy Browns Abound” is the theme of this week’s “Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade. I hope you enjoy the beautifully earthy artisan creations featured here. And, please, support handmade artisan this holiday season.
