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Make It an Artisan Handmade Christmas - Favorites - Week 5, 2023

 

 

Time seems to go by more and more quickly each week - week 5 of the Countdown to Christmas has already come and gone!  According to the ever ticking Your Christmas Countdown Clock, there are only 60 days (2 months!!!) before the ho-ho-ho'ing, reindeer driving man clothes in red and white arrives once again. With the rapidly approaching holiday season in mind, Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions comtimue to host a twelve-week Countdown to Christmas 2023 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 that!  This week, 36 handmade/designed items from 12 artists were shared in the wide-ranging gift collection: jewelry of different styles, Christmas ornaments, throw pillows,nurse hoodie, a wire kippah. lampwork beadsand more.  Remember this motto: SHOP EARLY and SHOP OFTEN!  And, most of all, SHOP HANDMADE to support small 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.  These are my favorites for Week 5:  

 

 

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 5

 

 

Time seems to go by more and more quickly each week - week 5 of the Countdown to Christmas has already come and gone!  According to the ever ticking Christmas clock, there are only 67 days (barely over 2 months) before Jolly Ol’ Santa and his roof-clattering reindeer arrive once again. With the rapidly approaching holiday gift giving season in mind, Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions comtimue to host a twelve-week Countdown to Christmas 2022 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!   This week, 33 handmade items from 11 artists were left in the wide-ranging gift collection: jewelry of all different styles, hand crocheted baby items, notecards, jigsaw puzzle, Christmas apron, sticker labels, lampwork beads, Christmas ornaments and more.  Remember this motto: SHOP EARLY and SHOP OFTEN! And, most of all, SHOP HANDMADE to support small indie businesses.

 

 

 

Make It A Handmade Mothers Day 2022 - Week 3

 

 

Week 3 of the Mother’s Day Countdown 2022 seemed to blow right on by (where do the days go???).  Hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their the Blu Print blog, 27 unique handmade items  from 9 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 - about 7 weeks from now - this is the perfect time to start thinking about and buying a gift(s) for your Mom.  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!

 

 

 

Unique Handmade Jewelry by Shadow Dog Designs

 

 

It has been almost two months since I last shared the newest handmade jewelry pieces found  in my SHADOW DOG DESIGNS shop.  Definitely not sure where the time goes!  Guess I was so busy creating, photographing and listing new jewelry pieces - which is a good thing!  Ten of the newest pieces are being shared:  seven pairs of handmade earrings, two necklaces and one bracelet.  As always, many have a wonderful boho look but some have a more classic design.  Even better, they are all one of a kind designs!  If something catches your eye, be sure to click the photo or the live link below the picture to be taken to the item listing.  I hope you enjoy the new jewelry. 

 

 

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!

 

 

Mimosas, Bumblebees and Hummingbirds

 

 

When we first moved into the house we now own, a scraggly “weed” started growing in a shrub bed on the southeast side of the house.  Being of a mind set where a “weed is just a misplaced plant,” I often let something grow until I can identify it, I left the scraggly plant. And I’m sure glad I did!  It turned out to be a mimosa tree (Albizia julibrissin), a tree I’ve seen quite  often and admired greatly in more tropical areas,  like Florida where it can be very invasive, but never thought it would grow here in an arid desert climate.  I don't remember seeing one anywhere near the house so am not sure how the seed that ended up in the shrub bed.  Since it sprouted fairly close to an irrigation mister head, it grew fairly quickly and is now, almost 9 years later, a beautifully arching tree that attracts a wide variety of pollinators.  An added bonus is that the mimosa smells heavenly, especially in the cool of the morning.  I know sometime in the not too distant future, we'll have to cut it down because we don't want the roots to mess with the house's foundation and sidewalk.  But for now, I'll definitely enjoy it.     

Make It a Handmade Mothers Day - Week 2

 

 

Week 2 of the Mother’s Day Countdown 2020, hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their the Blu Print blog, quickly came and went.  A total of 48 unique items were shared - each one a perfect Mother’s Day gift - from 16 handmade artists. Since Mother's Day will be here before you know it - about 9 weeks from now - this is the perfect time to start thinking about and buying a gift(s) for your Mom.  Browse all the wonderful handmade shares for Week 2, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy your Mom a beauty that was handmade from the heart.

 

 

An Artisan Handmade Christmas - Gift Ideas - Week 7

 

 

Wow!  We are already more than half-way through the Countdown to Christmas 2019 - only 5 more weeks to go!  It’s hard to imagine that Christmas will soon be here! According to the ever ticking Christmas clock, there are only 49 days (when this bog was posted) until Santa Claus drops down that chimney and either leaves gifts or lumps of coal for deserving (or not-so-deserving) boys and girls.  Since Christmas is looming, 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, PURCHASE HANDMADE!

 

 

 

Crocheted Amigurumi Unicorn Stuffed Animal Toy Handmade by Nancy of Wyvern Designs

Flower Gardening in the Desert

 

 

My husband and I have been living in our cosy little house in the Desert Southwest for 7 ½ years now, 5 years as renters and 2 ½  years as owners. As I always say, “The house is OK, but it’s the yard I love.” At the time we moved, we had three large dogs so needed a larger backyard, unlike most of the postage stamp size yards that seem so prevalent now.  We have only one large dog now and the backyard is his kingdom.

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