Blog entry

Artisan Favorites - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade

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.  J. Donald Walters

I just love browsing through the shops of handmade artist friends.  Who knows what new beauties - or old beauties you suddenly see in a brand new light - you will find!   Two items from five artists are featured below (myself, included). I hope you enjoy these picks.

Terrific Turquoise - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade

Since I live in the Desert Southwest, turquoise is a definite favorite of people, both the gemstone itself and the color.  Turquoise is a shade of blue that lies on the color scale between blue and green. It has psychological characteristics associated with both of those colors:  the calmness of blue and the growth that is represented in green. Turquoise is said to be a color that balances blue, green and yellow, linking it to emotional balance. It is a color promotes a feeling of serenity and stability.  I don’t know about you, but whenever I work with turquoise, I do feel a great sense of peace and calmness.

Terrific Turquoise is the theme of today’s Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade blog.  Each artisan handmade item selected uses the color turquoise (or even the gemstone itself) as a major part of the design or as a beautiful accent.  Most of these beauties are one of a kind designs and all are made from the heart.  I hope you enjoy these handmade creations using the color turquoise.

Winter White - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade

Tomorrow officially ushers in the Winter Solstice, first day of winter, at 9:28 a.m. here in Central Mountain Time.  Wintery weather has already frigid cold, ice and snow to many parts of the United States, with more predicted that will probably affect some Christmas travel.  We actually had an unexpected snowfall here in the Desert Southwest on December 7!  What started out as light rain turned into big, beautiful snowflakes falling out of the sky.  But by the late afternoon, most of the snow had already melted with the exception of the highest peaks of the Franklin Mountains.

Happy Independence Day! - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade

Independence Day will soon be here, in less than a week.  It was quite an interesting time, a time populated by giants of U. S. history:  George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Richard Henry Lee and many others.  The 4th of July has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870 (and a paid holiday to all federal employees since 1941).  But the tradition of celebrating Independance Day dates back to the late 1700’s at the time of the American Revolution.  On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence from Great Britain.  Two days later, delegates from the thirteen colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document largely drafted by Thomas Jefferson of Virginia but with help from John Adams of Massachusetts, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania and Robert R. Livingston of New York.