Treasures, Treasuries, and Thoughts

I swore I would never do a blog! So much for swearing. I didn't think that I would have much to say or share. I was wrong! I have been so blessed with a wonderful family, loyal friends, sharing colleagues, and the support from so many that I will never run out of topics to write about.

I have opened an on-line store at a place called Etsy (rhymes with Betsy). The items on the left are available for purchase there. These will change from week to week to show you my latest creations. The link to the store is in the upper left corner of this page.

I also have items for sale listed on Art Fire. The link to my Art Fire Studio is http://www.jstinson.artfire.com/

I hope you will visit this blog, my Flickr page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jstinson/2500402289/) and my Etsy and/or Art Fire stores often. (http://www.jstinson.etsy.com/ http://www.jstinson.artfire.com


So come along on my Trail of Treasures! It will be a Spirit Journey for me and I invite you to join me on the trip.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

This About Says It All!


This photo was sent to me by one of my Etsy friends, Claudia.  Yesterday I announced on our Native American Forum Thread that I had to do some cleaning but would rather bead.  Since Claudia is also a beader she related to my words.

Claudia recently posted a bracelet on Etsy that I loved and shared with my friends on Face Book.  Everyone thought I had made the bracelet....they missed that it belonged to Claudia.   I had to post a clarification that it was not mine and was done by Claudia. 

Later she sent me the instructions for the bracelet and I did do one in different colors.  I appreciate her willingness to share.  Her is Claudia's bracelet:

 

And here is mine done from the same pattern with different beads:

It is amazing how different two braclets made just alike can be.

To see more of Claudia's wonderful work, please go to:

Thanks Claudia for sharing my thoughts on cleaning versus beading, for your willingness
to share techniques, and being my "Beading Buddy"!  

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Coincidence or Something Else?


Amanda and Aunt Joni At The Zoo

On Monday of this week, my older son, Scott, dropped by our house for a visit.  He, Patrick and I started discussing the "good old days".  I am not sure what triggered a conversation about a trip we made to the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo in their younger years. But we had a nostalgic discussion about a zoo trip when my niece, Amanda, was here visiting us.

Amanda is my sister's daughter.  She lived in New York. She loved visiting our local zoo and we usually went each time she came to visit. When she was younger, she called the animals “aminals” and she was never through looking at them when time came to leave. She would announce in a persuasive tone that she wasn’t through seeing the "aminals"!   I can still hear that sweet little voice pleading to stay longer!

The trip we were discussing on Monday was an especially memorable one as it was an "X" rated trip. It seems mating season was on for about every cage. Amanda was full of questions and her mother, Marilyn, had to be creative and quick in her explanations as to why the “aminals” were behaving that way.

Being creative and quick was never difficult for Marilyn. She had some great explanations!

Of course we always took a few pictures of our zoo trips. It is fun to look back on those visits. Sweet Marilyn left us several years ago and I still miss her everyday.   Amanda is now a grown and beautiful woman with a husband, Rob, and a new home in Stamford, Connecticut.  As you can see, I have aged a bit….but the memories are still fresh.

After Scott left, I came downstairs to check my e-mails. I opened one from Paul, my brother in law and Amanda’s father. I nearly fell out of my chair.

Guess what it contained?

This photo of Amanda and me at the zoo the year of the “X” rated visit.

Now Paul has had this photo for 25 years or more!
I had never seen it before.
Why did it surface in New York on that day?
What motivated him to share it at that time on that day?
Marilyn, have you moved from feathers to relaying messages?

Was it coincidence or something else?

I wonder………………