Blog entry
Shades of Purple - Artisan Handmade - Three for Thursday
Posted January 2, 2020
Up until the 1850’s, the color purple was most often associated with nobility. Cyrus, a Persian king, wore a purple tunic, adopting it as his royal uniform. Some Roman emperors even forbade their citizens from wearing purple clothing - under penalty of death. During the Byzantine Empire, rulers wore long purple robes, used purple ink to sign their orders, and their children were described as being “born in the purple.” Why? The reason was that a pound of purple wool cost more than most people earned in a year! The color purple was produced from a species of rare sea snail, centered in the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre. It took as many as 250,000 of the snails, which produced a purple staining mucus, to yield just one ounce of usable dye. After the fall of the Byzantine empire in the 15th century, the upper class monopoly of purple fabric waned - but it was still expensive. It wasn’t until the 1850’s with the creation of the first synthetic dyes that the color purple became more widely available.
I, for one, am glad that the color purple is now easily attainable. With that in mind, this week’s edition of the Three for Thursday blog is titled “Shades of Purple.” Three items from three handmade artists are featured. The artists are: Cathy of Crafting Memories; Roxanne of watercolorsNmore; and me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs. I hope you enjoy all the different shades of purple found in the beauties shared.
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Handmade Jewelry - New Necklaces and Earrings by Shadow Dog Designs
Posted May 30, 2019
Spring is pretty much behind us here in the Desert Southwest. Although it has been a very mild spring (YAY!) with below average heat with morning still cool enough that a light jacket is sometimes needed. But all of us who live here know that summer is just around the corner bringing some triple digit temperatures in June. The the summer monsoons arrive (hopefully) in July, August and September bringing cooler temperatures again (but also the dreaded humidity) and a sense of rejuvenation.
So many of my new jewelry designs deal with summer-y type things, whether the designs feature flowers, summer colors, the sun or other beauties. And don’t forget your dogs or cats! I hope you enjoy the newest earrings (and one necklace) designs that can be found in my Shadow Dog Designs jewelry shop:
Radiant Roses for Julia
Posted May 18, 2019
My good friend, Julia, LOVES roses. She has planted the most amazing rose garden in her backyard, mostly lining the rock wall separating her yard from the large arroyo on the other side of the wall. Each year, Julia spends three months in Bolivia visiting with family and friends. Unfortunately, that is also when her roses are at the peak of their bloom. Because I hate that she misses the showy display from her rose babies, I went to her house to take photos of the roses so I could share them on a blog post and then email her the link. Looking at the photos is not the same, of course, but at least Julia can see how much beauty her roses are bringing to me and to her neighbors who water her plants. It's just too bad there's not the ability to attach a scratch and sniff thingy for each photo so she can enjoy the heavenly perfume! Happily, some of the roses rebloom in late summer, so she gets to enjoy some of the beauty then.
Delicate Easter Colors - Artisan Handmade Three for Thursday
Posted March 7, 2019
Easter is a symbol of hope, renewal, and new life.
Janine di Giovanni
Since yesterday was Ash Wednesday - and Easter is approximately six weeks away - I started thinking about Easters past, always large gatherings of family and friends. But, before everyone showed up at our house, we went to Easter Sunrise mass, the only time my father was ever cajoled into going to church. As a child, I always remember getting a new Easter dress, usually with a matching headband, socks and gloves(!) to wear to church on Easter Sunday. And if my sister and I were lucky, a small purse would be included. Very stylish, indeed, and usually VERY itchy! The clothes were always spring pastel in color: pinks, pale yellows, pale greens, pale blues and such. A preview of all the pastel colored Easter eggs that were waiting to be found!
This week’s Three for Thursday features three items from three handmade artists that definitely are filled with the renewal of Easter springtime colors. The artists are: jewelry artist Mary of PrettyGonzo; crochet artist Pamela of MagdaleneKnits; and, me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs, also a jewelry artist. I hope you enjoy my choices. And be sure to visit the artists’ shops for more splendiferous designs!
New Handmade Earrings - Jewelry Gift Ideas for Women
Posted December 28, 2018
It’s hard to believe that 2018 is drawing to a close and that a new year will dawn in just a matter of days. 2018 was a very creative year for me as I found items from new artists (to me) to incorporate into my work - and continued working with pieces from old artist friends. Playing with unique color combinations was also fun. My creative spirits have been active lately as you will see with the newest handmade earrings below, great gift ideas for a favorite woman on her birthday, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day . . . or just because. I hope you enjoy these new handmade creations found in my Shadow Dog Designs jewelry shop. Click on either the photo or the link below the photo to be taken to the item for more information and pictures.
Artisan Handmade Beauties - Three for Thursday
Posted March 15, 2018
Today’s Three for Thursday blog, featuring three items from three handmade artists, is a feast for the eyes - a wide range of colorful beauties. The three artists are: Jo of Umeboshi Jewelry Designs who creates glittering, eye catching dichroic glass jewelry; Sharon of RavensBendFolkArt who hand paints whimsical folk art designs; and Colleen of Colleen Cornelius who loves to take photographs of “rust, dust and nature.” I hope you enjoy each and every one of the unique selections below.
Christmas Stocking Stuffer Gift Ideas - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade
Posted December 13, 2017
Christmas will soon be here, less than two weeks away. The ever ticking Christmas clock says there are only 11 days left! But fear not! If you have waited to the last minute to buy stocking stuffers and/or gifts, I have pulled together a collection of wonderful artisan handmade ideas, any of which Santa would be proud to deliver. Please browse the items below.
Make it a HANDMADE CHRISTMAS this year!
Easter Perfection! - Wonderful Handmade Wednesday on Indiemade
Posted March 29, 2017
Easter will be here before we know it, on Sunday, April 16. It was a family tradion, a week or so before Easter, that my Mom would take my sister, my brother and me to the local dry goods store to shop for a new Easter outfit to wear to church. My sister and I always ended up with frilly dresses in pastel shades, new white shoes, lace edged socks (sometimes in colors matching our dress), white gloves and a new mantilla or flower headband. My brother, always with not much choices, ended up with khakis, a white shirt and new brown shoes (and sometimes a new plastic dinosaur for this extensive collection). Were we ever Easter styling! Hopefully all photos of us kids decked out in our Easter finery have been lost.
