Blog entry
Halloween - Spooky Artisan Handmade Goodies - 2022
Posted September 11, 2022
Halloween will soon be here, a little more than six weeks away! It’s a favorite day / evening for many with a steady stream of trick or treaters in creepy or cute costumes, grinning skulls, Jack O’ Lantern pumpkins, spooky ghosts and other notorious beasts. During the weeks before October 31, it’s fun to wear spooky accessories or decorate the home for Halloween. With that in mind, handmade artist friends were invited to share two Halloween-type items - whether symbolic or filled with the traditional colors or both. You’ll see a wide variety of spine-tingling jewelry, eye-catching photography, fun party items, a cute baby gift set, an orange cat print, unique lampwork glass beads and your choice of sugar skull pincushions. Each one of these handmade beauties, many of which are one of a kind pieces, are perfect to help celebrate that supernatural day of the year. I hope you enjoy these choices and will visit the shops of the talented artists featured for more amazing handmade beauties, some shuddersome and some not!
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Halloween and Day of the Dead
Posted September 6, 2022
Halloween and Day of the Dead will be here before we know it! To get the word out about all of the spooky goodies in our shops, please share two Halloween inspired items. They don't have to be actuall Halloween items but can be the colors of orange, black and brown usually associated with Halloween, Dia de los Muertos and autumn. The InLinkz is open now and will close this Saturday, September 10, at 12:00 p.m. MDT. I hope to have the blog out by Monday morning.
If you participate, please share each item and the blog on at least two social media sites (I'll be tweeting and sharing on several Pinterest boards both from the linkup and from the actual blog). Please use the hashtag #Halloween2022 for tweeting so the items are easily found.
Oldies But Goodies - Unique Artisan Handmade Gifts
Posted July 5, 2022
Whenever someone says “Oldies But Goodies,” most people think of old songs (especially from a jukebox - remember those?), vintage cars, lots of items on the Antiques Roadshow or, possibly, themselves (after . . . *ahem* . . . a certain age). However the term, “Oldies But Goodies,” also refers to items in our artisan handmade shops that have been around for longer than the artist who made it would like. Whenever something is created and then listed in our shops, we always think it will sell right away. Some do. But, for whatever reason, some beauties sit there . . . and sit there . . . and sit there some more. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that particular item - not at all!!! It just hasn’t found that forever person to give it a forever home.
I asked artisan friends to share two items from their handmade shops that they considered “oldies but goodies.” Many of the items are one of a kind creations and would make a perfect gift for a birthday, an anniversary, for Christmas, or just because . . . I hope something catches your eye and that you visit the shops of the artists below. And that many of the “oldie” items find a loving home.
New Handmade Earrings and Necklaces - Shadow Dog Designs
Posted June 16, 2022
The heat of summer has set in here in the Desert Southwest. Which means planting more flowers in the flower beds is pretty much a done deal until the monsoon season sets in shortly (hopefully - we really need some rain!). More time is being spent inside during the day until the temps cool down when the sun starts to set, so I'm making good use of the extra time inside creating and listing new jewelry. And I'm looking further down the road to the Labor Day weekend when the Franciscan Festival of Fine Arts is being held - my first big show of the season and my favorite. Five new pairs of earrings and two new necklaces have been recently added to my SHADOW DOG DESIGNS handmade jewelry shop. I also added three older pieces to make an even ten. If something catches your eye and you want to look at more photos or need more information, please either click the picture or the description under the pic to be taken to the item listing. I hope you enjoy these new necklace sand earrings, all of which are one of a kind designs.
Hot Summer Fun - Artisan Handmade Gifts
Posted June 9, 2022
It’s hard to believe that we are already through a good part of the first week of June with most of the scorching summer still ahead of us - even though it’s not yet “officially” summer (June 21 at 3:14 a.m. MDT this year). Up until the last few days, summer here in the Desert Southwest has been relatively mild. BUT the triple digits have finally set in and the AC seems to run continuously. As everyone says: at least it’s a dry heat! June is usually our hottest month. And then the monsoon season sets in where we get most of the 9” of rain that is normal for this part of the desert. Everyone is praying that the rains do start soon on schedule, normally at the end of June. For the past several years, a big storm has shown up on the 4th of July where we can enjoy Mother Nature’s fireworks - and then the scheduled fireworks once the storm blows through, all from the comfort of our upstairs porch. Hope that happens again this year since it’s quite spectacular.
One of a Kind Handmade Earrings and Necklaces by Shadow Dog Designs
Posted April 7, 2022
Here it is already a week into the month of April, with Easter being celebrated soon (on April 17) and Mother's Day shortly afterwards (May 8). With that in mind, I want to share eleven of the newest earrings and necklaces in my SHADOW DOG DESIGNS jewelry shop. Each piece is designed and handmade by me mainly using components from individual artists located all over the world - making these beauties all one of a kind designs. Why wear mass produced when you can wear something that only you have!?! So, please, take a look. You'll find styles for the woman with a boho flair, a wide variety of earrings for the animal lover, yoga jewelry and more. If something catches your eye and you want more information or to look at more pictures, click on the photo or the description beneath the picture and you'll be taken to the item in my shop. I also want to point out that for anything in my shop, there is now free shipping (U.S. only) running through Mother's Day. I hope you truly enjoy the unique necklaces and earrings featured.
Make It a Handmade Christmas 2021 - Week 3
Posted October 5, 2021
It's amazing how quickly Week 3 of the Countdown to Christmas sped right on by . . . and a wide variety of gorgeous artisan handmade items have been left in its wake. According to the ever ticking Christmas clock, there are only 80 days until Christmas is here . . . once again. Shopping the Countdown to Christmas is the perfect place to start your holiday gift gathering. A good motto to follow: SHOP EARLY, SHOP OFTEN! And, most of all, SHOP HANDMADE to support small indie businesses!
Fall Fun - Artisan Handmade
Posted September 11, 2021
“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been
saving up all year for the grand finale.”
Lauren DeStefano
For many, many people, fall is a favorite time of the year, when the heat of summer dissipates into the coolness of autumn and the deciduous trees are a riot of color. Here in the Desert Southwest, the temperatures are still reaching the mid-90’s during the day. But the temps in the morning are dipping into the mid-60’s, a glorious reminder that the first cool front will blow through any day now. A perfect time for gardening. And just to sit and watch the grand finale . . . and to just be . . .
Necklaces and Earrings - New Handmade Jewelry by Shadow Dog Designs
Posted August 12, 2021
I've been working hard these past several weeks crating and adding new jewelry into my SHADOW DOG DESIGNS shop. Below are the latest necklaces and earrings that have been listed, an even dozen, all unique and all one of a kind designs. You’ll find a wide variety of styles, from boho to elegant . . . with some designs combining both! Also you'll find two new pieces from my "dog / cat rescue jewelry" line, where, when purchased, one half (1/2) of the purchase price is donated to an animal rescue group. If something catches your eye and you want to see more photos and information, please click the item photo or the link below a picture to be taken to the listing. I hope you enjoy each piece. And remember . . . Christmas is only 134 days away! It's never to early to stary holiday shopping. Yikes!
Handmade Hot Summer Fun
Posted August 5, 2021
Here it is, already August and a good part of scorching summer heat is behind us. Summer here in the Desert Southwest, so far, has actually been pretty mild - at least for here. Other places haven’t been so lucky, unfortunately. With the days of summer rapidly waning, I asked artist friends to share two items that represent “hot summer fun” in shades of red, oranges and yellows. Some items are more on the hot, hot hot summer side and some are more on the mellow cool summer side. But all are artisan handmade / designed and many are one of a kind. So if something catches your eye on the Handmade Hot Summer Fun blog, please click the photo or the link below the photo for more information. I hope you enjoy all these beauties. And remember: SHOP SMALL and SHOP HANDMADE!
