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Countdown to Christmas - Artisan Gift Favorites - Week 5, 2026
Posted October 20, 2026
Where does the time go? It seems to go by more and more quickly each week! Case in point is that week 5 of the Countdown to Christmas has already come and gone! According to the ever ticking Your Christmas Countdown Clock, there are only 65 days before the the jolly, reindeer driving man clothed in red and white arrives once again. With the quickly approaching holiday season, Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions are hosting once again a twelve-week Countdown to Christmas 2026 of artisan handmade items on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog. Now is the perfect time to start your holiday shopping and the Countdown is the perfect place to begin / end that! This week, 10 artists left a total of 28 handmade / designed items. The collection is wide-ranging gift collection: different styles of jewelry, journals, photography, Christmas ornaments, Christmas stickers, watercolor prints, lampwork beads and much more. Remember this motto: SHOP EARLY and SHOP OFTEN! And, most of all, SHOP HANDMADE to support a small indie business. We thank you when you do that!
Each week of the 12 week Countdown, I pick a favorite item from each artist (hard to do!) and feature them here on my blog. My favorites for Week 5 are:
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Countdown to Christmas - Artisan Gift Favorites - Week 4, 2026
Posted October 13, 2026
Who would have believed how quickly Week 4 of the Countdown to Christmas 2026 flew right on by . . . but here we are! Left in its wake is a wide variety of wonderful artisan handmade / designed items. According to the ever ticking Your Christmas Countdown Clock, there are only 72 days until jolly St. Nick pays a visit to inform you if you have been naughty or nice. With the rapidly approaching gift giving season, Julie and her faithful four-footed sidekick, Handsome Harry, are hosting a twelve-week Countdown to Christmas 2026 of artisan handmade / designed items on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog, part of their Blue Morning Expressions Shopify shop. This week, there were 30 shares from 10 artists featuring a wide range of gifts: unique jewelry designs, journals, holiday gift tags, resin flowers, prints, lampwork beads, table linens and a slew of other beauties. If you need a perfect start (or ending) to your Christmas holiday 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 gift item from each artist (hard to do!) and feature it on my "Artisan Gift Favorites" blog. Here are my picks for Week 4:
Countdown to Christmas - Artisan Gift Favorites - Week 3, 2026
Posted October 6, 2026
It's amazing just how quickly Week 3 of the Countdown to Christmas 2026 flew by with October already here! According to the ever ticking Your Christmas Countdown Clock, there are only 79 days until jolly Santa Claus and his merry band of reindeer are delivering packages (or lumps of coal) once again. With the rapidly approaching gift giving season in mind, Julie and her handsome four-footed sidekick, Harry, are hosting a twelve-week Countdown to Christmas 2026 filled with artisan handmade items on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog, part of their Blue Morning Expressions Shopify shop. This week, there were 30 shares by 10 artists featuring a wide range of truly unique gift ideas: jewelry of all types, holiday gift tags, notebooks, ornaments, lampwork beads and many other beauties. If you need a perfect start to your Christmas shopping experience, the Countdown is the place to do just that! An excellent motto to follow is: SHOP EARLY, SHOP OFTEN. And, most of all, SHOP SMALL to support 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. Here are my favorites for Week 3:
Countdown to Christmas - Artisan Gift Favorites - Week 2, 2026
Posted September 29, 2026
Week 2 of the Countdown to Christmas 2026 has already come . . . and gone! No worries, however, because many unique artisan handmade / designed items were left in its wake. According to the ever ticking Your Christmas Countdown Clock, there are only 86 days (as of the day this blog posted) until Christmas is here. With the rapidly approaching gift giving season in mind, Julie and her wonderful four-footed sidekick, Harry, are hosting a twelve-week Countdown to Christmas of artisan handmade items on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog, part of their Blue Morning Expressions Shopify shop. The twelve week time period was chosen to correspond with the ubiquitous Christmas carol, "The Twelve Days of Christmas''. This week, there were 24 shares by 8 artists featuring a wide range of gift ideas: unique jewelry, lampwork beads, art prints, garden banners, journals, table linens and a host of other beauties. If you need a perfect start 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 SMALL and SHOP HANDMADE to support indie businesses! We will absolutely thank you!
Each week during the Countdown, I pick a favorite item from each artist (hard to do!) and feature them here on my blog. Here are my favorites for Week 2:
Christmas in July 2026 - Artisan Handmade Gifts - Week 1
Posted July 8, 2026
Every year, Christmas seems to arrive earlier and earlier. Because of this, it’s never too early to start shopping for those perfect holiday gifts! Believe it or not, the jolly man in red and his reindeer will show up in a little less than 6 months - actually 169 days (from when this blog was posted) according to the ever ticking CHRISTMAS CLOCK.
Christmas in July has become a big thing in brick and mortar stores, with on line stores and all over social media. So I decided to host a social media promotion: Christmas In July 2026 - Artisan Handmade Gifts here in my Shadow Dog Designs - Jewelry shop. Artist friends were asked to share four items - one that is “Christmasy” (in design or colors, etc.) and three others that don’t have to be / or can be, their decision. Each week, one item will be showcased in a new blog. This is the first blog post featuring a Christmasy item from each artist. Since many of these beauties are one of a kind, be sure to shop early (and often) so you don’t miss out. And please visit the shops of the featured artisans for even more wonderful creations that are handmade / designed from the heart. Hopefully one or more items featured here, on the next three blogs or in the artisans’ shops will make it onto your shopping basket. Buy for a loved one . . . and treat yourself! Remember this year: SHOP SMALL and SHOP HANDMADE!
Here is a great selection of Christmasy items created very talented artisans:
Make It an Artisans Mothers Day - Week 9 Gifts - 2026
Posted May 5, 2026
Watch out! Mother’s Day is looming - less than a week from now on Sunday, May 10. Order artisan handmade / designed gifts NOW from all the beauties shared on the Mother's Day Countdown 2026 Week 9. The Countdown was hosted again this year by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog. Hard to believe this is the last week of the Countdown - time sure flies by! Despite that, 8 artisans shared a total of 24 wonderfully unique items, some of them one of a kind designs. Browse the wide range of eye-catching shares for this week, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy your Mom, Grandmother, aunties (or yourself!) something that was handmade / designed from the heart! By shopping small, you'll also support a small indie business (and for that, we are eternally grateful!). Remember: SHOP SMALL!
Featured below are my favorites from this last Mother’s Day Countdown of 2026:
Make It an Artisans Mothers Day - Week 8 Gifts - 2026
Posted April 28, 2026
Just a warning: if you haven't started shopping for Mother's Day gifts, you're quickly running out of time!!! Just a little less than three weeks from now, the big day for Mom will be here. To help you in your search for the perfect gift item, check out the Countdown to Mother's Day 2026 - Week 8. It's a collection chock ful of unique artisan items, 30 beauties from 9 artists, all handmade or designed from the heart. As an added bonus, many of the designs are one of a kind designs. Hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog, each of the unique items will make a memorable gift for Mom on her day. This is the perfect time to start buying a gift(s) for your Mom - and, perhaps, add something for yourself! Items on the Countdown go quick so don't miss out. Browse all the wonderful handmade shares for Week 8, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy your Mom a beautiful gift that was artisan created. Also you'll be supporting a grateful indie artist - and for that, we THANK YOU!
Here are my favorites:
Make It an Artisans Mothers Day - Week 5 Gifts - 2026
Posted April 7, 2026
Another week of the Countdown to Mother's Day 2026 has come and gone. Hard to believe we're over 1/2 way through the nine week promotion! Week 5 of the Countdown was hosted again by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog. Twenty-seven unique handmade / designed items were shared from eight artists. Many are one of a kind and each will make a memorable gift for Mom on her big day. Since Mother's Day will be here before you know it, on May 10, this year this is the perfect time to think about and start buying a gift(s) for your Mom, grandmom, aunts . . . and, perhaps, for yourself. Browse all the wonderful handmade shares on the Countdown - Week 5, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy your Mom a beautiful gift that was handmade / designed from the heart. For this year's Mother's Day: PLEASE BUY HANDMADE and support a small, indie business!
Here are my "favorite" picks from all the wonderful items shared:
Make It an Artisans Mothers Day - Week 4 Gifts - 2026
Posted March 31, 2026
It's hard to believe that Week 4 of the Mother's Day Countdown 2026 Week 4 has come . . . and gone so quickly! We're at the tail end of April, but the Mother's Day Countdown doesn't take a break! The fun Countdown, hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog, is the place where artisans come together and share three of their unique items. This week 10 artists shared a total of 30 lovely items - each one a perfect gift for Mother’s Day. Since Mom's big day will be here before you know it, on May 10, this is the perfect time to purchase a gift(s) for your Mom, grandmother, aunties and other much loved women in your life. Be sure to browse all the wonderful handmade / designed shares on Week 4, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy a unique beauty that was artisan made from the heart. This year, definitely Make it a Handmade Mother's Day and Shop Small!!!
Here are my "favorite" picks from all the wonderful items shared:
Make It an Artisans Mothers Day - Week 3 Gifts - 2026
Posted March 24, 2026
Where did Week 3 of the Countdown to Mother's Day 2026 go??? The weekend was here . . . and then, too quickly, it was gone. The Countdown is hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog. This week, 30 handmade / designed items from 10 artists were shared. Each unique item will make a memorable gift for Mom on her day. Since Mother's Day is quickly approaching, on May 10 this year, this is the perfect time to start thinking about and buying a gift(s) for your Mom . . . and, perhaps, for other much loved women in your life. Pssssttt, by the way, don't forget about a gift for yourself! These items go quickly, and, since many are one of a kind, don't miss out! Browse all the wonderful handmade / designed shares for Week 3, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy your Mom a beautiful gift that was handmade from the heart. Since you'll be supporting a small indie artist, the purchase will be GREATLY appreciated! Remember: Shop Small for Mother's Day this year!
Here are my "favorite" picks (hard to pick a favorite from each artist!) from all the wonderful items shared:
