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Make It an Artisans Mothers Day - Week 3 Gifts - 2025
Posted April 22, 2025
Where did Week 3 of the Countdown to Mother's Day 2025 go? It was here . . . and then, quite quickly, it was gone. The Countdown is hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog. This week, 27 handmade / designed items from 9 artists were shared. Each unique item will make a memorable gift for Mom on her day. Since Mother's Day is quickly approaching, on May 11 this year, this is the perfect time to start thinking about and buying a gift(s) for your Mom . . . and, perhaps, for other much loved women in your life . . . and don't forget yourself! These items go quickly, and, since many are one of a kind, don't miss out! Browse all the wonderful handmade shares for Week 3, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy your Mom a beautiful gift that was handmade from the heart. You'll be supporting an indie artist and the purchase will be GREATLY appreciated! Shop Small this year for Mother's Day!
Here are my picks from all the wonderful items left for Week 3:
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Make It an Artisans Mothers Day - Week 1 Gifts - 2025
Posted April 8, 2025
Julie and the Handsome Harry Florida Dog of Blue Morning Expressions are again hosting the wildly popular “Mother's Day Countdown.” Last year's Countdown was a resounding success . . . so the 2025 version is up and running. Check out the Mother’s Day Countdown 2025 Week 1 on Julie and Harry's Buy Handmade from Makers blog. Since Mother's Day will be here before you know it - on May 11 - 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 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)! #ShopSmall for Mother's Day this year! Here is a favorite from each artist who shared their work on the Countdown this past weekend:
Make It an Artisan Handmade Christmas - Week 4 Favorites - 2024
Posted October 15, 2024
Who would have believed how quickly Week 4 of the Countdown to Christmas 2024 went by . . . but here we are! Left in its wake is a wide variety of wonderful artisan handmade / designed items. According to the ever ticking Your Christmas Countdown Clock, there are only 70 days until St. Nick pays a visit to let you know of you have been naughty or nice. With the rapidly approaching gift giving season, Julie and her faithful sidekick, Handsome Harry, are hosting a twelve-week Countdown to Christmas 2024 of artisan handmade items on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog, part of their Blue Morning Expressions Shopify shop. This week, there were 36 shares from 12 artists featuring a wide range of gifts: unique jewelry designs, custom dog portraits, photographic and digital art, home decor, gift tags and stickers, tote bags, t-shirts and a host of other beauties. If you need a perfect start (or ending) to your Christmas shopping, the Countdown is the place to do just that! An excellent motto to follow is: SHOP EARLY, 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 4:
Make It an Artisan Handmade Christmas - Week 3 Favorites - 2024
Posted October 8, 2024
It's amazing just how quickly Week 3 of the Countdown to Christmas 2024 sped right on by . . . with a wide variety of gorgeous artisan handmade / designed items left in its wake. According to the ever ticking Your Christmas Countdown Clock, there are only 77 days until jolly Santa Claus and his merry band of reindeer are delivering packages once again. With the rapidly approaching gift giving season in mind, Julie and her wonderful four-footed sidekick, Harry, are hosting a twelve-week Countdown to Christmas 2024 of artisan handmade items on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog, part of their Blue Morning Expressions Shopify shop. This week, there were 36 shares by 12 artists featuring a wide range of truly unique gift ideas: jewelry of all types, coffee mugs, party tags, photographic and digital art, baby gifts, watercolors prints, and a host of other beauties. If you need a perfect start to your Christmas shopping, the Countdown is the place to do just that! An excellent motto to follow is: SHOP EARLY, 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. Here are my favorites for Week 3:
Christmas in July 2024 - Artisan Handmade Gifts - Week 4
Posted July 18, 2024
Well, here we are a bit more than halfway through July and Week 4 of the Christmas in July 2024 is posted. It’s never too early to start shopping for unique holiday gifts for a loved one since Santa and his reindeer will be here sooner than we think right now. There are only 159 days to the big day (from when this blog was posted) according to the ever ticking CHRISTMAS CLOCK.
Artist friends were asked to participate in a “Christmas in July” promotion, sharing three of their favorite items - one that was “Christmasy” (in design or colors, etc.) and two others that didn’t have to be. The first week was only Christmas items - the weeks since have been a mixture. There is only one more week to go, Week 5. Since many of these beauties are one of a kind, be sure to shop early (and often) so you don’t miss out. And please visit the shops of the artists for even more wonderful items that are handmade or designed from the heart. Hopefully items featured here or in the shops will make it into your shopping basket. Buy for a loved one . . . and be sure to treat yourself! Remember: SHOP SMALL and SHOP HANDMADE!
Make It a Handmade Mothers Day 2024 - Artisan Gifts - Week 9
Posted April 30, 2024
Watch out! Mother’s Day will be here very, very soon - in fact, in less than 2 weeks, on Sunday, May 12. It’s still not too late to order a handmade gift (do it now!) from the beauties shared this week on the Countdown to Mother's Day 2024 Week 9. The Countdown was hosted again this year by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog. Hard to believe this is the last week of the Countdown - time sure flies by! Despite that, 11 handmade artisans shared a total of 33 wonderfully unique items, some of them one of a kind designs. Browse the wide range of eye catching shares for this week, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy your Mom, Grandmother, aunties (or yourself!) something that was HANDMADE from the heart! By shopping small, you'll also support a small indie business (and for that, we are eternally grateful!). Featured below are my favorites from the Countdown:
Make It a Handmade Mothers Day 2024 - Artisan Gifts - Week 8
Posted April 23, 2024
Just a warning: if you haven't started shopping for Mother's Day gifts, you're quickly running out of time!!! Just a little less than three weeks from now, the big day for Mom will be here. To help you in your search for the perfect gift item, check out the Countdown to Mother's Day 2024 - Week 8. It's a collection filled with unique artisan items, 33 beauties from 11 artists, all handmade / designed from the heart. As an added bonus, many of them are one of a kind designs. Hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog, each of the unique items will make a memorable gift for Mom on her day. This is the perfect time to start buying a gift(s) for your Mom - and, perhaps, add something for yourself! Items on the Countdown go quick so don't miss out. Browse all the wonderful handmade shares for Week 8, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy your Mom a beautiful gift that was HANDMADE. Also you'll be supporting a grateful indie artist.
Make It a Handmade Mothers Day 2024 - Artisan Gifts - Week 6
Posted April 9, 2024
Where did Week 6 of the Countdown to Mother's Day 2024 go? It was here . . . and then, quitre quickly, was gone. The Countdown is hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog. This week, 33 handmade / designed items from 11 artists were shared. Each unique item will make a memorable gift for Mom on her day. Since Mother's Day is quickly approaching, on May 12 this year, this is the perfect time to start thinking about and buying a gift(s) for your Mom - and, perhaps, for other much loved women . . . and for yourself! These items go quickly, and, since many are one of a kind, don't miss out! Browse all the wonderful handmade shares for Week 6, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy your Mom a beautiful gift that was handmade from the heart. You'll be supporting an indie artist and the purchase will be GREATLY appreciated! Here are my favorites for this week:
A Fantasia of Flowers - Artisan Handmade Floral Gifts
Posted February 27, 2024
Here in the Desert Southwest, you can feel that spring is not far off. The days are getting longer and warmer, the winds are getting . . . . well . . . . windier, and, despite not having much rain in the last several months, flowers are beginning to stir and put on buds, a prelude to their much anticipated appearance before the heat sets in. I saw the first swallows of the season yesterday, soaring and dipping through the arroyo that butts up against our back yard. Other bird migrants will soon be here - some will pass on through and some will stay to nest. Hummingbirds are greatly anticipated as are the butterflies, bees and wasps, all of which I hope will make good use of the new pollinator flower bed that has been a long, slow process in the making. Life is good.
Thinking about flowers reminds me of a favorite floral quote by the Impressionist painter, Claude Monet, who painted many amazing floral landscapes and cultivated large flower gardens at Giverny:
“I MUST HAVE FLOWERS, ALWAYS, AND ALWAYS”
I TOTALLY agree with him!
The flowers shared below blossomed in the creative minds, hearts and souls of each artist featured. I hope you enjoy browsing all these cheerful artisan handmade / designed spring beauties. And be sure to visit the shops of the artisans featured for even more to choose from. After all, Easter and Mother’s Day will quickly be here!
Gorgeous Gifts - Artisan Handmade for Valentines Day!
Posted January 7, 2024
Valentine’s Day, February 14, will be here before we know it. When you walk into most stores shortly after Christmas (or even sometimes before!), hearts, cupids and other items in pink and red will assail you from every direction. Flowers, candy and gifts are exchanged between loved ones throughout the United States and in many other countries around the world . . . all in the name of St. Valentine. Although the exact history of St. Valentine (or Valentinus) is shrouded in mystery (there are actually three St. Valentines recognized by the Catholic Church to consider!), February has long been celebrated as a month of romance. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both ancient Roman (Lupercalia) and Christian traditions, with a few other influences thrown in for good measure.
This year for Valentine's Day, don't think abour buying mass produced from large companies. Think, instead of supporting a small, indie business, people who actually make or design the items themselves. Scroll down and you'll see 26 items, many are one of a kind and handmade from the heart! Any of items highlighted will make a wonderful gift for a loved one. Remember: SHOP SMALL and support a small indie artist!
