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Three for Thursday - Artisan Handmade - September 16, 2021

 

 

It has been quite a while since I posted a new Three for Thursday . . . and for that please, accept my apologies.  It seems the days / weeks / months just fly by.  As with all Three for Thursday posts, three items from three handmade artists are featured.  This week, a fun combination of items were chosen:  upcycled Starbucks coffee bag purses from Sandra of SandraLeesHandbags; hand knit fingerless gloves by Jacki of Christe Cottage; and colorful lampwork glass earrings by me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs.  If something catches your eye and you want more information and photos, please click the item picture or live link to be taken to the item in the artist’s shop.  Enjoy these wonderful picks!

 

 

 

Florence, Italy, Baby Clothes and Flower Earrings - Three for Thursday - February 18, 2021

 

 

How do all of the diverse items in the title of this week's Three for Thursday blog come together?  The answer:  three artisans are featured with three totally different artistic styles!  That’s exactly what you’re getting:  gigitally enhanced original photos of Florence, Italy; hand crocheted baby clothes; and, handmade flower earrings.  The artists included today are Giacomo of JagoDesigns2, Pamela of MagdaleneKnitsand me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs.  If one of these gorgeous item catches your eye and you want more information and photos, please click the photo or the live link to be taken to the item in the artist’s shop.  I hope you enjoy these picks for this week.  And, remember, SUPPORT HANDMADE ARTISTS.

Handmade Fingerless Gloves, Note Cards and Earrings - Three for Thursday - January 7, 2021

 

 

Usually my Three for Thursday blogs have a theme, such as “flowers”, “animals,” “Valentine's Day” or “blue.”   But today I decided that three items from three artist friends would be a theme within the theme:  fingerless gloves, note cards and jewelry.  From Jacki of Christie Cottage are three pairs of hand knit / crocheted fingerless gloves; three notecards from original watercolor prints are featured from Roxanne of watercolorNmore; and three pairs of handmade earrings from me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs, are shared.  To see more of what each artist has in their handmade studios, be sure to click on the links above, the item photos or links below the photos to be taken to the shop.  I hope you enjoy these selections.  

Red, Roja, Rossa, Rouge! - Artisan Handmade - Three for Thursday

 

 

Anyone who knows me well, knows that red is my favorite color . . . a color I have always adored, even as a small girl who only wanted to wear her “pretty red dress.”  If my Mom would have let me, I would have worn that “pretty red dress” until it disintegrated on me.  Red makes my soul sing.

 

An artist friend, Jacki of Christie Cottage, listed a beautiful red felted wool pouch recently in her shop, which got me thinking about a new blog featuring the color red.  So, here it is:  Red, Roja, Rossa, Rouge!    The new Red, Roja, Rossa, Rouge (English, Spanish, Italian and French for "red) Three for Thursday post features three items from three artists that feature a hefty dose of red in their handmade designs.  The three artists are:  Jacki of Christie Cottage; Charlotte of Covergirlbeads; and, me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs.  I hope you enjoy all these unique handmade designs with blazing red!

A Mixed Bag - Artisan Handmade - Three for Thursday

 

 

 

This week’s Artisan Handmade  - Three for Thursday is a mixed bag of fun items, three items from three artists.  I checked my thesaurus for synonyms for “mixed bag” and picked out some of my favorites words, some I’ve never seen before :  admixture, anthology, collectanea, farrago, gallimaufry, medley, mingle-manglepotpourri, salmagundi and smorgasbord.  What a fun selection of words!  And you’ll find this week’s Three for Thursday an equally fun mélange of artisan handmade beauties.  The three artists featured are Julie and Harry of Blue Morning ExpressionsJacki of Christie Cottage;  and me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs.  Enjoy this mixed bag of handmade gifts for a loved one or for yourself.

Awesome Animals - Artisan Handmade - Three for Thursday

 

 

Anyone who knows me knows I love animals, always have and always will.  No-footed, two-footed, four-footed, six footed or more (except, to tell the truth, female mosquitoes and ticks - uck!).  I love animals of all sizes, from huge ones to wee, tiny ones - from blue whales, the largest mammal on earth, to Kitti's hog-nosed bat (or bumblebee bat) the world's smallest mammal at just over 1” long.  And I’m always amazed at how animals have evolved to survive. Just think of the Griffon’s vulture which is recorded as the highest flying bird at 37,000 feet to deep sea creatures which live in harsh conditions thousands of feet in the ocean where light doesn’t reach.  Amazing!

 

When I was mulling around what the theme of this week's Three for Thursday blog, I decided on animals.  Three animal related items from three handmade artists are featured.  The artists are:  Linda of VictorianStyleTreasures; Roxanne of watercolorsNmore; and me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs.  I hope you enjoy this collection of animal themed items.  Be sure to visit the shops to find even more beauties.

Flaunting Flowers - Artisan Handmade Three for Thursday

 

 

"If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change" – Buddha


 

Spring is in full swing here in the Desert Southwest.  Since there was more rain than normal during the winter and on into spring, the flowering trees and the wildflowers, especially the poppies in the Franklin Mountains, have been spectacular.  The various cacti and succulents haven’t started blooming yet with all their sometimes garish colors, but they should be extra pretty, as well. This time of the year, my thoughts always turn to working in the flower beds, trying to decide where to put “just one more” plant.  Watching plants reawaken and start their flowering is indeed a miracle . . . and does change my life for the better.

 

With flowers in mind, I decided this week’s Artisan Handmade Three for Thursday would feature flowers.  Three floral inspired handmade pieces, which turned out featuring mostly pink flowers, were chosen from the shops of handmade artisan friends.  The artisans are: Jacki of Christie Cottage; Roxanne of watercolorsNmore; and me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs. I hope you enjoy the handmade beauties.  And be sure to visit the shops of the artists for even more gift ideas - for someone you love or for yourself.

 

 

 

 

A Lot of Boho, a LOT of Fun - Artisan Handmade Three for Thursday

 

 

The term “boho” gets thrown around a lot these days, but what exactly does the word actually mean?  Short for “bohemian,” boho as a style is most closely associated with the free spirits and hippies of the ‘60s and ‘70s - but also the pre-Raphaelite women of the late 19th century.  It embraces the carefree, the relaxed, and the unique.  But, truth be told, it borrows from the fashions of many cultures and time periods through the ages that almost anything can be "boho" if it’s styled right.  

 

With that in mind, I decided this week’s Three for Thursday would embrace boho,” specifically with fun, unique necklaces.  Featured in the A LOT of Boho, a LOT Of Fun are three necklaces from three handmade three artists.  The artists are:  Mary of PrettyGonzo, Jacki of Christie Cottage; and me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs.  I hope one of these catches your eye!  Be sure to visit the shops of the artists for more amazing jewelry.

Shades of Purple - Artisan Handmade - Three for Thursday

 

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.

A Little of This, A Little of That - Artisan Handmade Three for Thursday

 

 

This week’s Three for Thursday blog, featuring three items from three handmade artisans, is “A Little of This, A Little of That.”  As the title indicates, I picked out a wide variety of unique items, from fractal art counted cross stitch patterns / refrigerator magnets / polymer clay beads to hand sewn jewelry / favor bags to one of a kind jewelry.  The artists included are: Julie (and her four legged sidekick, Harry) of Blue Morning Expressions; Ani of readytoshipproducts; and me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs. If something catches your eye and you want to see more, please click the photo or link to be taken to the artist’s shop.  I hope you enjoy browsing the items.  

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