Blog entry

Powerful Pink - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade

To most people, the color pink is a “sweet” color:  charming, playful, cute, feminine, romantic and so on.  But in the past few years, it also represents struggles and the need to warrior on.  Think of all the pink worn, especially ribbons, signifying breast cancer awareness.  And the pink hats, shirts, and other articles of clothing worn by millions during the recent women’s marches.  Thinking on this, pink is not just feminine and sweet, a bubblegum / cotton candy color.  It has come to signify power, rising up and demanding equal rights.  

The Number 3 for Good Fortune - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade

From time immemorial, the number 3 has played an important part in everyday human life.  Three is considered the fundamental number, a synthesis of 1 and 2 representing the unity of heaven and earth.  Number 3 points to the intellectual and spiritual order, the divine qualities in the cosmos and in people. It is often viewed as a number of good fortune. In numerology, people with a number 3 personality are optimistic, creative curious, good-natured and helpful.  But they may also be naive and proud, with a tendency to exaggerate and give promises easily.

Perfectly Pink for Valentines Day! - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade

Last week’s Wonderful Handmade Wednesday blog focused on artisan made creations using the color red.  This week the focus is on the color pink.  Pink is another color that has deep associations with Valentine’s Day, often paired with the more emotionally intense red on cards and candies and other Valentine’s items.  Although both red and pink represent love, the color red represents heat and passion, while the color pink represents romance and charm.  Hot pink is used to communicate playfulness, while light pink is used to communicate tenderness. It is the color of universal love, of others and of oneself.  It symbolizes friendship, affection, harmony, inner peace, and approachability (which is why I often will wear a pink top when selling my jewelry at an arts festival).

Think Green for Artisan Christmas Gifts - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade

Red and green are colors that are closely associated with Christmas.  Last week I shared how red became a Christmas color.  You can read that post here:  Think Red for Artisan Christmas Gifts.  This week, green, the other Christmas color, is explored mainly through the symbolism of holly, mistletoe and evergreen trees.

The color green and its association with the time around Christmas has a pre-Christian origin, more specifically tied to the Winter Solstice.  Evergreen plants, like holly, mistletoe and pine, spruce or fir trees have been used for thousands of years to decorate and brighten up buildings during the long, dark, cold winter when life could be very tenuous.  Ancient peoples were scared of the short days and freezing nights and mistakenly believed that the Sun might disappear altogether. Evergreens reminded people that spring would come and that winter wouldn't last forever.  Historical records show that the Romans wove wreaths of holly to hang on their walls and doors to celebrate the winter solstice / Saturnalia. They also exchanged evergreen branches as a sign of good luck. The ancient Egyptians would bring green date palm branches into their homes during their mid- winter festivals as a symbol of "life triumphant over death." To the ancient people, the color green represented life, nature, peace, eternity and the hope of the future.