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Blog entry
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 5 Favorites - 2024
Posted October 22, 2024
Where does hte time go? It 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 63 days (a bit more than 2 months!!!) before the the reindeer driving man clothed in red and white arrives once again. With the rapidly approaching holiday season, Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions comtimue to host a twelve-week Countdown to Christmas 2024 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, 33 handmade / designed items from 11 artists were shared in the wide-ranging gift collection: jewelry of all different styles, photo albums, art prinrs, note cards, throw pillows, keychains, decal sets, lampwork beads, baby gifts and more. Remember this motto: SHOP EARLY and SHOP OFTEN! And, most of all, SHOP HANDMADE to support a small indie business.
Each week during the 12 week Countdown, I will pick a favorite item from each artist (hard to do!) and feature them here on my blog. Here are my favorites for Week 5:
New Handmade Jewelry by Shadow Dog Designs
Posted June 18, 2024
The summer heat has settled on the land here in the Desert Southwest with lots of sun and a big blue sky with rarely any clouds. That means there is more creative time in my jewelry studio as opposed to creative time outside in the flower beds. So I wanted to share with you eleven of my newest creations, four necklaces and seven pairs of earrings, found in my SHADOW DOG DESIGNS jewelry shop The handmade necklaces and earrings are one of a kind designs and will make unique gifts for a loved one . . . or, of course, yourself! If something catches your eye and you want to see more photos and details, please click either on the photo or on the short description under the photo. Thanks for looking. And remember to SHOP SMALL and to SHOP HANDMADE!
Hot Fun Under the Summer Sun - Artisan Handmade Gifts - 2024
Posted June 6, 2024
The official start of summer will soon be here. It takes place here in El Paso on June 20 at 2:50 p.m, Officially June 20 will have 12 hours, 8 minutes and 59 seconds of sunlight, about 4 hours and 9 minutes longer than on the shortest day in December. To celebrate the hot, hot summer days, I asked artist friends to share two items that represent “hot summer fun” - something with hot colors, a sun, beach or tropical theme, sunflowers and the like. Some items shared are more on the blazing summer side and some represent a more mellow, cool summer. However, ALL are artisan handmade / designed and many are one of a kind pieces. So if something catches your eye on this Hot Fun Under the Summer Sun - Artisan Handmade Gifts - 2024 blog, please click the photo or the link below the photo for more information and pictures of the individual item. Hopefully one or more will make it into your shopping basket - treat yourself or someone else to a unique artisan beauty! And remember: SHOP SMALL and SHOP HANDMADE! Small artisan shops will THANK YOU!
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 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:
Make It a Handmade Mothers Day - Artisan Gifts - Week 3
Posted March 19, 2024
Week 3 of the Countdown to Mother’s Day 2024 seem to have blown right on by (where do the days go???). Hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their Buy Handmade from Makes blog, 36 unique handmade items from 12 artists were shared on the Countdown - each beauty a wonderful gift for Mom in her bug day. Since Mother's Day will be here before you know it - on May 12 - this is the perfect time to start thinking about and buying a gift(s) for your mom, grandmother, favorite auntie or other much loved woman. Browse all the wonderful handmade shares for Week 3, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy your mom a unique gift that was artisan handmade from the heart. Be sure to buy handmade this Mother's Day and support a small indie business!
Make It a Handmade Mothers Day - Artisan Gifts - Week 2
Posted March 12, 2024
It's hard to believe that week 2 of the Countdown to Mother's Day 2024, hosted by Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions on their Buy Handmade from Makers blog came and went so quickly. A total of 30 unique items were shared from 10 talented artists - each beauty a perfect Mother’s Day gift! Since Mother's Day will be here before you know it - on May 12th, about 8 weeks from now - this is the perfect time to start thinking about and buying a gift(s) for your mom, grandmother, aunties and other loves ones. Browse all the wonderful handmade shares for Week 2 of the Countdown, visit the shops of the artists featured and buy your Mom a beauty that was handmade / designed from the heart. Many of the items are one of a kind designs. This year, please support small indie shops! When you do so, you make us VERY happy!
Here are my favorites from Week 2:
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!
