Blog entry

Make It a Handmade Christmas 2020 - Week 10

Wow!  Christmas Eve will be here in 30 days!  And there are only two more weeks left in the Countdown to Christmas 2020!  Where does the time go? The ever ticking Christmas clock doesn’t let up and keeps ticking down those seconds until Santa and his herd of reindeer make a nighttime visit to leave gifts or lumps of coal. The Countdown is the place for handmade artists to share three of their beautiful (often one of a kind) creations. Need a perfect start to your Christmas shopping?  Shop the Countdown to Christmas: browse and purchase that special piece for that special person! An excellent motto to follow this holiday season: SHOP EARLY, SHOP OFTEN! And, most of all, SHOP HANDMADE from small artisan shops! 

Autumn Beauties - Artisan Handmade

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." — Albert Camus

I don’t know about you, but autumn is my favorite time of the year, although it’s somewhat bittersweet since winter follows.  It’s a time where the temperatures (at least here in the Desert Southwest) are moderating and thankfully, the gates of the blast furnace of Hell for this extreme heat summer have closed.  It’s a time for rethinking and replacing plants that didn’t make it through this summer.  Many people start fall gardens and farmers bring in their harvest.  Fall is part of that ongoing cycle of loss, rest, regeneration and, ultimately, regrowth.  The Autumn Equinox is a balance between light and dark, a balance between the season that happens again in the spring.  And who doesn’t love the trees and some shrubs with their gorgeous leaf displays as they prepare for their winter sleep.   

Got the Blues! - Artisan Handmade Jewelry

Research shows that the most popular color in the world is blue.  A survey conducted in 10 countries across four continents shows that one color – blue – is the most popular across the board, 8-18 points ahead of any other color.  This includes gender.  Men picked it as their favorite color more often than women, but blue was still picked as a favorite by more women than any other color.  Blue is also a favorite across racial groups, age groups and - even in the U.S. - political groups.

Blue is also very popular as a major design color when making necklaces, earrings and bracelets, as you can see in the nine pieces of jewelry chosen to feature in “Got the Blues! - Artisan Handmade”  The handmade artists who created the jewelry are:  Julie and Harry of Blue Morning Expressions; Kathy of KatsAllThat; and, me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs.  I hope you enjoy these selections of blue.  Please be sure to visit the shops of the artists featured for more handmade jewelry in many glorious colors, not just blue.   

Red, White and Blue, Happy 4th of July to You - Artisan Handmade

It’s hard to believe that it’s already the first day of July (when I wrote this) with the 4th of July just around the corner.  When you mostly are self-isolating, one day looks pretty much like the next.  But July 4th will be here this Saturday and I’m looking forward to sitting on the upstairs back porch and watching at least three fireworks shows from the comfort of our own house.  Seamus the Moose Dog will sit out there with us - fortunately he is not bothered by the booming noises fireworks can make.  

Since the 4th will be here very soon, I wanted to feature three red, white and blue items from three artist friends.  The artists are;  Charlotte of Covergirlbeads; Pamela of MagdaleneKnits; and me, Catherine of Shadow Dog Designs.  I hope you enjoy this selection of patriotic colored items and will visit the shops (and hopefully purchase) a beauty there.