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Make It a Handmade Mothers Day - Artisan Gifts - Week 3

 

 

Week 3 of the Countdown to Mother’s Day 2024 seem to have blown right on by (where do the days go???).  Hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their Buy Handmade from Makes blog, 36 unique handmade items from 12 artists were shared on the Countdown - each beauty a wonderful gift for Mom in her bug day.  Since Mother's Day will be here before you know it - on May 12 - this is the perfect time to start thinking about and buying a gift(s) for your mom, grandmother, favorite auntie or other much loved woman.  Browse all the wonderful handmade shares for Week 3, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy your mom a unique gift that was artisan handmade from the heart.  Be sure to buy handmade this Mother's Day and support a small indie business!

 

 

Make It an Artisan Handmade Christmas - Favorites - Week 8, 2023

 

 

It’s all going so, so fast!  Week 8 of the Countdown to Christmas 2023 has already come and gone, with only four more weeks remaining!  The ever ticking Your Christmas Countdown Clock doesn’t let up - according to it, Santa and his flying reindeer will start their journey in only 39 days!  Yikes!!!!  Need a perfect place to start / finish your Christmas shopping? The Countdown - a chance for artists to come together and share three of their unique gift ideas - is the just the place to do that holiday shopping!  Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions are hosting the twelve-week Countdown to Christmas 2023 of artisan handmade items on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog (where you can also see the first seven Countdowns).  This week, 39 items, many which are one of a kind designs, from 13 artists are featured.  The artists shared a wide range of handmade gift ideas: jewelry of all sorts, Christmas gift tags, sweatshirts, limited edition prints, photographic prints, lampwork beads, coffee mugs and much, much more.  A wonderful motto to follow: SHOP EARLY, SHOP OFTEN!  And, most of all, SHOP HANDMADE to support hard working indie artists! 

 

In addition to promoting each handmade item from the Countdown collection to my "Countdown to a Handmade Christmas 2023" Pinterest board and on my Twitter feed, I decided to share one item from each of the artists who participated this week.  Here are my "favorites" picks of the items, in an order determined by drawing numbers from my trusty numbers bowl.  I hope you enjoy these unique items! 

 

 

 

New Handmade Earrings and Necklaces - Jewelry by Shadow Dog Designs

 

 

Since the heat wave that set in about a week ago has not let up, I find it too hot to go outside and photograph new jewelry (which I normally do around noonish).  Photographing is something I really need to do, but I'll wait until it cools down a bit.  So I decided to pull together a blog that features the eleven newest jewelry designs in my SHADOW DOG DESIGNS jewelry shop,  three new necklace and eight pairs of earrings.  Each piece was designed and handmade by me and they are all one of a kind designs.  If something catches your eye and you would like to look at more photos and read more about the piece, please click on the picture or the description underneath to be taken to the item listing.  I hope you enjoy each and every piece as much as I love creating them!

Buy Artisan Handmade for Mothers Day 2023 - Week 3

 

 

Week 3 of the Mother’s Day Countdown 2023 seem to have blown right on by (where do the days go???).  Hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their Buy Handmade from Makes blog, 36 unique handmade items from 12 artists were shared on the Countdown - each one a wonderful gift for Mother’s Day.  Since the big day will be here before you know it - on May 14 - this is the perfect time to start thinking about and buying a gift(s) for your mom, grandmother, favorite auntie or other much loved woman.  Browse all the wonderful handmade shares for Week 3, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy your mom a unique beauty that was artisan handmade from the heart.  Be sure to buy handmade this Mother's Day and support a small indie business!

 

 

 

Buy Artisan Handmade for Mothers Day 2023 - Week 1

 

 

 

Julie and the ever Handsome Harry Florida Dog of Blue Morning Expressions are once again hosting the wildly popular Countdown to Mother’s Day 2023 Week 1 on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog.   Last year's Mother's Day Countdown 2022 was a resounding success . . . so the 2023 version is up and running. Since Mother's Day will be here before you know it - on May 14 - this is the perfect time to start thinking about buying a gift(s) for your mom, grandmom, aunts and/ or other beloved women.  Browse all the wonderful handmade shares, visit the shops of the artists featured in this week's Countdown and buy your mother a beauty that was handmade / designed from the heart.  When you do so, you support a small, independent business (which makes us do a happy dance)!

 

 

 

Make It an Artisan Handmade Christmas - 2022 - Week 7

 

 

 

 

It is so hard to believe (at least to me - how about you?) that this is the first day of November . . . . and that we have only 5 more weeks of the Countdown to Christmas 2022!  It’s also hard to believe that Christmas will be here before we know it.  According to the ever ticking Christmas clock, there are only 53 days until jolly Santa Claus drops down that chimney and either leaves wonderful gifts or lumps of coal for deserving or not-so-deserving boys and girls.  Since Christmas is less than two months away, 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, please BUY HANDMADE from small indie business owners!  Since everything is handmade from the heart, we truly appreciate each and every order!

 

 

 

Hot Summer Fun - Artisan Handmade Gifts

 

 

It’s hard to believe that we are already through a good part of the first week of June with most of the scorching summer still ahead of us - even though it’s not yet “officially” summer (June 21 at 3:14 a.m. MDT this year).  Up until the last few days, summer here in the Desert Southwest has been relatively mild.  BUT the triple digits have finally set in and the AC seems to run continuously.  As everyone says:  at least it’s a dry heat!  June is usually our hottest month.  And then the monsoon season sets in where we get most of the 9” of rain that is normal for this part of the desert.  Everyone is praying that the rains do start soon on schedule, normally at the end of June.  For the past several years, a big storm has shown up on the 4th of July where we can enjoy Mother Nature’s fireworks - and then the scheduled fireworks once the storm blows through, all from the comfort of our upstairs porch.  Hope that happens again this year since it’s quite spectacular.

 

 

 

Make It A Handmade Mothers Day 2022 - Week 6

 

 

Where did Week 6 of the Countdown to Mother's Day 2022 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, 27 handmade items from 9 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.  And you'll be supporting an independent artist!

 

 

 

Animalia - Handmade Animal Inspired Gifts

 

 

As most of my friends know, I adore animals - always have and always will - in all their glorious shapes and sizes and colors life story.  Well, ttruthfully, I’m not too fond of mosquitos and ticks, despite their important role on this earth.  Besides dogs and horses, it’s hard for me to pick out a favorite animal.  I'm fascinated by all of them.  How about you?  

 

But just what is the term “animalia?”  ANIMALIAa taxonomic kingdom comprising all multicellular living and extinct animals - also called “metazoa.”

 

According to the Animal Diversity Web, it estimated that around 9 to 10 million species of animals inhabit the earth.  Metazoa range in size from no more than a few cells - such as the parasitic orthonectids - to organisms weighing many tons - such as blue whales and giant squid.  By far, insects make up the most species in animalia, with approximately 5.5 million species. 

 

Having such a life-long love of (most) animals, I decided that a blog based on “Animalia” would be fun to pull together.  I invited artist friends to share two handmade items that were based on animals.  What a wide variety of beauties were shared, many one of a kind designs.  If something catches your eye, please make sure to either click the photo or the link below the picture for more information.  I hope you enjoy this showcase of animal art!

 

 

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!

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