Friday Featured Artist - Thunder Rose Leather

It's time to head out west...to Arizona, there we'll find John and Debbie from ThunderRoseLeather.

Here's what they have to say about themselves...

"Hi. We are Debbie and John, buckskin and beadwork artists living outside Sedona, Arizona in a little community called Cornville. 

We do old style leather work and bead work, one piece at a time, by hand, with attention to detail.You may order one of our standard items or ask for something special.We develop our own designs and can work with your ideas. All of our work is handmade in Arizona and guaranteed by us. Most of our work reflects the styles of the old west, western, mountain man and native american cultures. We are always moving forward and so the needs of contemporary lifestyles become a part of our designs. At the end of the day we think each piece we make is unique, practical and made to use and enjoy for many years. Elkskin is our primary choice of leather. Buffalo, deerskin, deer tanned cowhide and other leathers are available. All bead work is done by us and is available on most items, just ask. We never use production beadwork. Everything you can think of is not always possible although we will do our best to accommodate your needs. Everything in our shop is made to order. You will not receive the piece you see in the photos,we will make one similar for you. All of the hides we use are unique and one of a kind .The color and texture of each hide will vary. Elkhides are a product of nature, blemishes and imperfections are a natural character of the leather. From time to time a particular color may become temporarily unavailable. Because each hide is different and unique the lids and overlays on the handbags and shoulder bags will not be exactly the same as you see in the made to order picture. If you see something you would like in a different color, size or style please contact us.
Thanks for buying Handmade! "

Now, let's go shopping!

Check out the beadwork on this black leather tote...amazing.

I love hummingbirds, and I'm lucky enough to have 3 that come to visit every summer.  So to have this bag with a beaded butterfly AND awesome fringe???

Yes, please.

Here's something new (to me), leather smartphone bags.  What a great place to keep your phone (besides your back pocket).  A perfect accessory for your casual outfit.  And the beaded turtle and more fringe?  

Yes, please. 

heehee

Here is my favorite item in their shop, baby moccasins.  Such delicate beadwork.  And they look so soft.  Hmmmm, maybe I need to get a baby so I can get them?

No, thank you.

LOL

But don't let that stop you from getting everything you ever wanted...just in time for Christmas!

:0)

Now you can find ThunderRoseLeather here...

Handmade Artists / Zibbet / Facebook / Blog / Website

Be blessed,

Debbi

What's new with handmade

It's been a while since I've checked out some other sites to see what's new "with the competition". hahaha.  Not really, the best part of being part of the handmade community is the support we give to each other. :0)

Over at Handmade Artists, I found this really cool feather mask.

It's made of papier mache and beautiful turkey feathers. 

 I found this in the shop of Dara Gallery.

I love things that speak to our nations Native American history, (plus hubby is part Cherokee) so when I saw this handpainted gourd bowl, I knew I had to share it with you.  Done in a traditional pattern, you can find many more pieces in the shop of bjsgourtartetc. 

Over on Etsy, I found this beautiful watercolor painting of feathers.  This is an original painting, not a print and you really need to visit the shop to see the colors...very bright and vivid!  The artist is Rakla, and her talent is amazing. 

After Etsy, I popped over to Artfire.  I haven't been there in ages!  

I love this embroidered terry hand towel and if it was mine, and I caught some one actually put their wet hands on it????  Well, let me tell you, it would be ON! lol.  There are tons of other beautiful items in the shop of Velvet Hearts.

And to end this post, I had to visit my new haunt, The Craft Star.

Just lookie at what I found!!!!  The cutest baby cowboy boots, I need these for Quintin!

 You can find the sweetest baby stuff in the shop of 

Handmade Gifts by Barb.

Did you realize that Christmas is just around the corner?  AGHHHHH. lol.

You can get a jumpstart on your decorating with this gorgeous handpainted ornament for your tree.  It's a wooden egg, so you won't have to worry about it falling and breaking, if you're like me and keep your tree up until it's almost bald. :0)

Stop by Bryn and Jeremiah's shop to see this, and many more handmade decorations.  And it's not just for Christmas.

Well, that's my shopping spree for today.  Pick a link, any link, and have fun shopping for yourself.

Be blessed,

Debbi

Handmade Artists feature....Wyndwalker

This weeks artist feature from Handmade Artists is all about Wyndwalker Creations.  Karen and Dakota are the artists behind Wyndwalker Creations and they create the most awesome handmade leather bags, jewelry, bead work, antler and bone items.  Take a look...

In their Handmade Artists shop I found this really cool carved hairpipe cross key ring. It measures 2.5" x 4".  And your 4 legged best friend would look amazing this summer strolling down the street with this red, white, and blue woven leash.  Lookin good!

Now here's an interesting fact about Karen and Dakota, about 10 years ago they started to participate in pre-1840's living history events.  As they learned about that period in history, they started demonstrating, creating, and selling items from that time period.  So you can be sure that any product you purchase from these artists is true to the actual items used back then.  Now on to their Etsy shop.

I love this antler ring with the turtle in the middle.  This would look great hanging in your window, or as a pendant, or anywhere you want to add a touch of the southwest.  And back to our "babies", how about this granny square dog sweater? It would look great with the above leash, (hint hint).

You can also like Wyndwalker Creations on facebook, follow them on twitter, check out a board or two on pinterest, and bookmark their blog for great reading.

Now that you're done here, click on any link to visit them, and let them know you heard about them here.  And have a wonderful weekend!

Be blessed,

Debbi

 

HA artists feature - Thunder Rose Leather

There is a shop on Handmadeartists that I simple adore...Thunder Rose Leather.  I have always been partial to the Southwest country theme, and Chuck is from Indian descent, so the items you'll find here fit my taste perfectly. 

 

Look at this Black Fringed handbag...I have a black fringed leather purse, but the beading on this is wonderful.  And the beaded trim, well, just perfect.  Read what they say about this bag.  "This black fringed tote measures 14" x 14" x 4" and has a pocket divider inside and a comfortable flat strap for wearing crossbody. The strap measures 38". This is a made to order handbag so if you would like the strap longer or shorter just email us and we would be happy to help you. The leather is deer tanned cowhide. The beaded sunflower is beaded by me with glass seed beads and I decorated with glass crow beads."  Now this bag is custom made, so please expect 3-4 weeks to ship, so order your Christmas gifts now.

Debbie and John are the artists behind ThunderRoseLeather, and they live outside Sedona, Arizona.  Take a look at the view in their banner....beautiful!   

 

Here we have a leather clutch that's a perfect size for a wallet, your cell phone, or even your checkbook.  Created with elkskin, and accented with great beadwork attached directly to the skin, this looks so soft to the touch.  And if you look close, that button closure is an antler button.  A perfect finishing touch.  John and Debbie have been working with leather and beads for more than 20 years, and the quality of their work shows in their items. My very favorite items from their shop are the baby moccasins.  At only 4" long...imagine the work given to the detail of these booties.  Ah, Amanda, time for another baby so Gramma can go shopping!

 

You can find Thunder Rose Leather not only on Handmadeartist but also on Etsy, Facebook, blogger, and they even have their own website.  So go and start your holiday shopping now, and don't forget to get something just for you too. :0)

 

Be blessed,

Debbi

HAF artist spotlight....Thunder Rose

There is a really cool shop at Handmadeartists.com with some really cool items in it.  It's the shop of Thunder Rose Leather.

Debbie and John are the artists behind the really cool items, and they are having a sale right now.  20% off at checkout with the coupon code THUNDERROSE.  Here's just a few of their amazing items.

Isn't this Black Fringed Tote Beaded Leather Bag wonderful? This would look great with my leather chaps and jacket when I'm on the road with Chuck.  It measures 14" x 14" x 4" with a divider inside, lots of room for all the essentials.  And for us women, we have a lot of essentials.  :~)     Everything at Thunder Rose is custom made to order, so if you would like the strap shorter, or perhaps a different color leather or beads, Debbie and John would be more than happy to try and meet your every need.  And because each piece is custom, remember that there is a 3 - 4 week lead time, from the time of your order to shipping.  But all good things are worth the wait.  Plus Debbie and John have been creating beautiful leather items for over 20 years, so the craftsmanship is superb. 

Here is a smaller bag, a Beaded Drawstring Medicine Bag.  This bag measures only 4" x 3", perfect for your small essentials, like jewelry.  It could also be used as that unique gift bag.  It's made of soft elk skin with teeny tiny seed beads for decoration.  Because they use natural hides, you should expect variances in each piece they make, due to blemishes and scars the animals may acquire during their lifetime.  And that is the absolute beauty of working with nature.  Debbie and John live and work in Arizona, so they are surrounded by the Southwest.  Which is good for those of us that love and enjoy the Southwest but don't live there.  My Chuck has Indian blood running through his veins, and we both really love the cowboys and indians decor in our home.

Check out these adorable Beaded Baby Moccasins.  They are made of soft elk skin and sized to fit from infant to 6 months.  They measure a scant 4" from toe to heel, and I can't imagine attaching beads to something that small.  So, if like me, you enjoy the feel of soft leather and the look of the Southwest, hurry on over the to shop of Thunder Rose Leather and take advantage of their 20% off sale.  You can also find Debbie and John here...                                  WEBSITE / HA SHOP / ETSY / BLOG / FACEBOOK

Be blessed,

Debbi

our cherokee weekend

This past weekend Chuck and I ran away from home.   Now, being foster parents, running away is not as easy as it sounds...but we did it!  Once we decided to take some time for ourselves, and had the kid weekend arrangements all made, the question became...where to go?  We thought of the beach, we really love the Outer Banks of North Carolina, in fact Amanda and Brandon got married on the beach at Nags Head.  But with the temperature here in the foothills already hitting the lower 90's, the beach was just going to be waaaaay too hot, so we opted for the mountains, to Cherokee North Carolina.  What a wonderful time we had there...I highly recommend this to everyone.  We went thru the museum, and then thru the Oconaluftee Indian Village.  This is a guided tour thru a recreated Indian village, and amazing.  No matter how old you get, there is always something new to learn :)

Our tour guide, (the one with the pony tail) was so very knowledgeable, and passionate, about his people.  And this tour really got my mind in a whirl of ideas for our shop.  So today I decided to do a little window shopping on Etsy and would like to share what I found.  First, some art...

 I picked this first one because of the vibrant colors and theme.  The Cherokee were a peaceful tribe, and preferred to stay home then go to war.  They had several festivals during the year which included the corn dance.  You can find this Feather, Gourds, and Indian Corn in oil in the Etsy shop of JoEllenArt.

And what is an Indian without a horse?  Just look into the eyes of this painted pony.  He's staring at you, lol.  This is an ACEO card OOAK original by Rosalie Rushing.  You can find this Indian Horse named Cherokee in the Etsy shop of biggirl4664.

Then there is the pottery.  Watching how the woman in the village made her pots was very interesting.  Did you know that the Cherokee did not spin their clay?  It was all done slowly with nothing but their hands shaping the clay.

 The colors of this Cherokee Pottery Mug are very vibrant and bright.  This is in the Etsy shop Purplevelvet711.

This vase is hand painted with a beautiful Indian maiden and her wolf.  This vase measures 11" high.  You can find Cherokee Indian Woman with Wolf at the Etsy shop TheMichelleK.

And last, but certainly not least, my latest favorite craft, beads and jewelry.

 Nothing says Indian like the color turquoise and beads.  These Beaded Native American white buffalo earrings were designed and hand crafted by a registered Native American, and you'll find them in the Etsy shop Tribalimpressions.

Now this bracelet is name "The Digusdi" which means cousins in Cherokee.  Our tour guide tried to teach us a few phrases in Cherokee, but boy was that difficult.  You can find this at the Etsy shop jstinson.

I hope you enjoyed my trip, and that you find something Indian to get for yourself.

Debbi