What Are The Odds?

There we were, minding our own business, when Patrick spied a man and a woman with birds just off the Santa Fe Plaza. Patrick loves birds so of course he had to go over for a closer look. After looking the birds over and talking to the people who were from the Wild Life Federation, he asked if he could take some pictures.

I was standing back next to a lady who was also intent in watching and asking questions. You can see her (to the right of the bird’s talons and up) in this photo.

Patrick took his shots and left a donation in the pail. At that point, the lady lamented that she did not have a camera with her and asked if Patrick would e-mail his shots to her if she gave him her e-mail address. He agreed and she started across the street to get him her business card.

Since we were going the same direction, we followed her. It turned out that she was an artist who had a booth just outside a large hotel. As we approached, she said to Patrick, “I’m going to give you a gift.” We both assumed that it would be a small print of one of her works or note cards. But she put out two full size prints and told him to take his pick. He made his selection and she signed the print “To Patrick, Amy Stein.

 Patrick's Selection:  Angel of The Roses

Amy Stein’s bio from her web site is as follows:
AMY STEIN, an award-winning Santa Fe artist, well-known for her beautiful prints of the southwest, has been profiled in the nationally published American Artist magazine. She has conducted self-imagery workshops "Healing the Self Through Self- Portraits" for the California-based American Institute of Medical Education, the Institute for Integral Development in Colorado Springs and the Santa Fe public schools. She holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the City University of New York and is a licensed New Mexico art teacher. Ms. Stein has been an Artist-in-Residence in New Mexico and accepts artistic portraits commissions.

After a nice visit, we left with her card, Patrick’s new piece of art and a promise to send her the photos as soon as we returned home.

We continued our exploring of the Plaza, had a delightful chicken, green chili, pinon nut and asiago cheese pizza at one of our annual stops, Roof Top Pizza, and returned to our hotel.

We were each sitting on our bed chatting about the day and planning for the next one. Patrick got a strange look on his face and said, “What was that artist’s name?” I responded Amy Stein. He said, “That’s what I thought but I’m not believing this”. I couldn’t imagine what he was talking about other than her generosity in having gifted him with a wonderful print. I asked what he meant and he told me to look behind me. I did.

Can you imagine our amazement to find the work of an artist we chanced to meet on the street, promised photos, and was gifted by on our hotel room wall? There it was. As plain as day. What are the odds?

Little Yellow Flower 

We took this picture of her work on our wall and determined we had to share the story with her.

The next day, we went back to Amy’s booth to share this “against all odds story” with her.

She was as amazed as we had been. I asked if she had prints like the one in our hotel available as I wanted a copy to complete the story of this amazing encounter. She did and I purchased one.

We plan to frame and hang the two works side by side not only because she is a gifted artists doing wonderful work but as a reminder of that special day and how people are brought together in the most mysterious ways.

I AM

I AM lucky!  Once in a while as one travels through life, you are afforded a priviledge that makes you know you are truly blessed.  That is how I feel about the good fortune of my path crossing that of my dear friend Van Bevil.  On Etsy and Artfire, Van is known as Kicking Bear and/or his nemesis, Coastal Artist. 

He is a renaissance man.  A man for all seasons. 

He is one of a dying breed that speaks fluent Tsalagi (Cherokee) as well as many other languages.

He is an accomplished wild life artist.  I am posting one of my favorites from his work here.  It is entitled, "Going Home".  More of his fine art wild life pieces can be viewed at www.coastalartist.etsy.com

He is a Cherokee Elder who is vastly respected.  He grows many of our sacred plants in the "old way" and creates many forms of Native American arts and crafts.  I have selected one of his Ulinawi Tsola Pouches (Turtle Tobacco) to share with you.

His Native Art can also be viewed in his Etsy store.  www.etsy.kickingbear.com

Van is in the process of writing a book.  He sent this passage to me yesterday and I asked for permission to share these beautiful words with you.  He graciously gave me permission to do so.

I AM

by Kicking Bear

I am the stillness of the receding night, I am the touch of the morning dew on the green corn. I am the sound of the Katydid singing to the rising sun, I am the buzz of the Honey Bee dancing across the face of the Sun Flower. I am the warmth of the early morning rays of Grandfather Sun warming the People’s lodges.

I am the breeze that makes the leaves of the Standing People sing, I am the breath of the grass as it dances to and fro. I am the heart beat of Mother Earth as she gives the rythum to life. I am the quiet murmer of the People as they awake. I am the soft voices of the women at work. I am the laughter of children at play.

I am the snap of a bowstring as young men hone their skills, I am the silence of the Elders as they meditate, speaking with the Ancestors. I am the smoke from the Sacred Fire carrying prayers up to the Creator. I am the soft song sung by a Grandmother as she weaves a reed basket.

I am the rythmic sound of women grinding corn, I am the gentle rocking of a Grandmother as she comforts a child. I am the Anisahoni clan making medicines to keep the children well. I am the swishing sound of the Anigilohi clan as they strut through the camp with their long hair flowing.

I am the Anitsiskwa clan repairing their bird snares and practicing with their blowguns. I am the Eagle catcher as he prepares to hunt the mighty Eagle. I am the Aniwodi clan as they sit making medicine for the People. I am the Anikawi clan as they stalk through the woods hunting the deer.

I am the Anigatogewi clan as the walk the swamps and streams seeking wild potatoes and roots for the People. I am the Aniwayah clan as they prepare to track the Wolf. I am the War Chiefs and the Peace Chiefs that defend and keep order in the village. I am the crackling of the fire as meals are prepared.

I am the flash of lightening followed by the distant voice of Thunder. I am the freshness of a shower and the smell of fresh moist dirt. I am the Sunset as Grandfather Sun begins to give up his light and warmth.. I am the “In Between Time” that sacred time between light and dark when the Ancestors return to sing and dance.

I am the brightness of Grandmother moon as she shares her healing energy as she searches the Great Sky Vault for her lost love. I am the voice of the story teller as he tells of the joys and sadnesses of the People. I am the stories told around the campfire, a living history of the Peoples. I am that which never dies ….. I am the spirit of the People.

© 2011 from the unpublished works of KickingBear

 

Kicking Bear is the Spirit of His People.

 

I AM..... lucky that our paths on the Red Road crossed.  I admire his many talents, laugh at his humerous jokes, reflect on his words of wisdom, and share his love of fry bread.  He is a true Native Renaissance Man.

 

I AM...... pleased to call him my brother!

 

Kicking Bear....Witsatologi nihi,aisv gvdodi utiyvhi ale nvwatohiyadv

(Many prayers and blessings to you,Walk with balance and harmony)

Saquu

People Of The Sun Treasury

People of The Sun is a delightful treasury curated by Rejoice The Sun during National Native American Month. I am humbled to have my earrings (second row, middle item) among these beautiful items created by both Native American artists and artists inspired by Native American arts and crafts.

Rejoice The Hands is an Etsy store owned by Ana Saldana. Rejoice the Hands makes one of a kind jewelry thats inspired by not only nature but different cultures around the world including Native American. Using semi precious stones, metals and anything that inspires her. Rejoice tries to be as eco- friendly as possible, using recycled chains and also adding vintage elements, giving character to each piece. Each piece is designed and made by Ana herself, and just like there's only one of her, all the jewelry is one of a kind. You can visit Ana's store here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/RejoiceTheHands

Mvto and Wado (Thank you in Creek and Cherokee) Ana for this tribute!

2009 Lincoln Indian Club Pow Wow

On July 31, August 1 & 2, 2009, Patrick and I vended at the 33rd annual Lincoln Indian Club Pow Wow in Lincoln, Nebrasa.

It was a very successful event despite the high winds on Sunday. We were forced to leave the sides of our tent down to avoid chasing our product around the arena. By so doing, we created our very own "sweat lodge".

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It was great to see old friends and make new ones. One that I was especially glad to see was a very young "old friend". Her name is Nevaeh Horse, Ponca and Lakota. She is now six years old.

Last year, her Uncle purchased one of my barrettes to add to her lime green regalia. I blogged about her in my August 8, 2008 blog. If you would like to check back, you can see photos of her there.

Nevaeh is not only a year older but has achieved the title of "Little Miss Ponca". This year it was her Father who purchased one of my items for Nevaeh's new jingle dress regalia.

A new friend is pictured here. She is Angelina Nockai. All of this wonderful beadwork on her regalia was done by Angelina herself . She is such a delightful young lady, a college student and an excellent beader. In fact, we loved her work so much that we gave Angelina two baseball caps and commissioned her to bead them for us. When she finishes them, I will post a blog about them as well.

It is always such a pleasure for me to make something that someone wants to add to their regalia! There is no greater honor for me. Here is a young lady wearing one of my feathered hair clips that her Mother purchased for this event.

As you can see, it is the children and young people who fascinate me most. They are the future of our culture. It makes me proud to see them curious about our products, building their regalia and learning to be dance proudly. Here is Patrick discussing beadwork with a young Native "Diva".

I have posted more photos of this event on my Flickr. If you care to take a peek go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jstinson/sets/72157621809601647/

Our next Pow Wow is the Sac and Fox of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska. We look forward to seeing more friends at this event.

Custom Pendant

Not long ago, I was contacted by a very nice lady who had a pair of native american earrings. She wanted a pendant to match them. After several e-mails, we determined that the best way to approach the situation was for her to send me one of the earrings.

It is often difficult to match the work done by someone else even if you are able to locate the beads. Exact matches are usually not possible. Even dye lots from one batch of the same beads differ from one another. So, I had no idea what I problems that I would face.

She also wanted the pendant to be larger than the earrings. This gets into another set of problems. How do you replicate the original design but enlarge it?

She did not want a necklace, only the pendant. She will be able to change the necklace portion with leather, ribbon, or cord depending on her mood and her apparell.

Next problem. A pair of earrings that one has had for several years will be dulled somewhat due to sunlight, wear, etc. New beads will be brighter.

The pendant is finished and is about as close as I could make it. I just sent the photo off to her and am waiting to hear back. I hope she likes it!

Treasuries: Do They Generate Sales?

Treasuries are a collection of favorite items selected by an Etsy member who is then known as the "curator". Treasuries are usually (but not always) centered around a theme. They are limited in number and one has to be stealthy to snag one. Once you "snag" one, you can only feature 12 items and 4 alternates.

When one is featured in a treasury, it feels real good! I think it is an honor to be selected. One always feels great when another likes one of their pieces well enough to select it for thier treasury! I was especially flattered by this one as two of my pieces were selected. They are the last item in row 1 and the last item in row 4.

Now, the question is: "Do they generate sales?"

I think that the answer is "yes" for the treasury above. Or, I suppose it could be coincidence. Shortly after this treasury done by my Etsy friend, Toni, of www.RCTees.etsy.com my Sky Is The Limit Serenity Bracelet (last item, first row above) sold.

You may remember Toni and her talented husband, Mark, from a previous blog I did bragging about the new Tee that they made for me. You can read that blog item here: http://jstinson-trailoftreasures.blogspot.com/2009/03/heres-to-new-friends.html They continue to add new items to their wonderful store. Please check them out!

Treasuries are fun, flattering, and promote Etsians. I have one ready to go with a really neat theme. Now, if only I can snag it soon.

I do believe that treasuries can lead to sales. Toni, thanks for the friendship, the treasury, and probably the sale!

Treasures in Textiles and Beads

There is nothing more thrilling to a beadweaver than for someone to think you can bead their wishes!

This all started when Susan, one of my valued return customers, purchased one of these beautiful shawls for each of her two daughters-in-law. She then wished that she had coordinating earrings and necklaces for the two of them as well. Susan sent me the photo above and asked if I could do it.

Always up for a challenge, I agreed to try.

Susan wanted to be sure that the colors were just right so she insisted on purchasing the beads herself. She placed the bead order and had the beads shipped directly to me.

Trial and Error

Once I received the beads, I studied the shawl pattern and waded right in. The photo above was the first effort.

I was unhappy with the design and quickly determined that another try was needed to be satisfactory to both Susan and me. I wish things always worked out on the first pass, but such is not usually the case! "Trial and Error" are frequent companions on my Trail of Treasures!

Back To The Beading Board
With the photo at my beading station and all the beads laid out, I began my second effort. I shared it with Susan and after getting her approval, I started on the earrings and two pendants for the necklaces.


The tops of all six pieces are now completed!


The fringe has been added to all six.



Necklaces
Now for the necklaces. Delica beads were used in this project. For those of you who aren't familar with beads, Delicas are very small cylindrical beads as opposed to regular seed beads which are round. Simply stringing them did not provide enough substance to the design in my opinion so I did the necklaces in peyote stitch. This is more time consuming but the result was far better than just simple strings of beads.

Finale

The last step was to photograph the two pairs of earrings and two necklaces with the original inspirational piece.

Translating textile patterns into beads can be fun and challenging. I thank Susan for her confidence and trust in my ability to create these for her.

I hope I have made her wishes into a reality that pleases her.

But more importantly, I hope her Daughters-In-Law enjoy them and will be reminded how lucky they are to have a Mother-In-Law like Susan each time they wear their textile and bead ensembles!

Mvto and Wa-do (Thank you in Creek and Cherokee) Susan for choosing me to do this! I am deeply honored.

Here's To New Friends

I am blessed with a new friend who is making new friends! As some of you may know, Kokopelli is one of my favorite Native American characters. I don't think it has much to do with the various legends and I'm certainly way past the need or desire for fertility symbols, it is the simple design of this little whimsical muscian that has always intrigued me.

I was surfing around on Etsy and found this shirt. I thought it would ideal to wear while vending at Pow Wows. The only problem is that most of Pow Wows are in the summer months and I would die in long sleeved black clothing! I contacted Toni. She and her husband, Mark, are new to Etsy. Their store is named RCTees.

I have learned that Mark does the art work and screen printing while Toni attends to the business side of life. They live in Decatur, Alabama and collaborate on ideas.

After a few convo's, they have agreed to make this shirt for me in "Earth Moss" and with short sleeves. As often happens in the Etsy community, we have become fast friends.

This morning, Toni made a treasury as a tribute to her new friends on Etsy and included the print "Native American Painted Ponies" by Donel Keeler, a member of my collective. You can see it here. It is the first item in the third row.

The title is Here's To New Friends. Toni added....and you can't have too many of them! I agree and wish Toni and Mark great success on Etsy. I can't wait to get my RCTee! There may be just the one you need in their shop. Check it out at http://www.rctee.etsy.com/

I Am Elinor Dashwood. Who Are You?

Take the Quiz here!

This morning I was notified that the designer of my new banner, avatar, letterhead and business card had featured me on her blog. If you would like to see the feature, please go to: http://swiekysiggies.blogspot.com/

While viewing her blog, I noticed this fun quiz. If you are fan of Jane Austen, you may like to see how you relate to one of her wonderful characters. Take the quiz and leave your character's name in the comments. We will be curious to see who you are!

My Store's New Look!

My New Banner

My New Avatar

My Beautiful Cousin



For months I went without a banner in my Etsy store and used a photo of myself as an avatar. Then my Bbest Etsy friend, Brett, took pity on me and developed the banner I have used and loved for the past year. I have kept it on file and will continue to use it again in the future. Mvto and Wa-do (Thank you in Creek and Cherokee) Brett.

While surfing on the net, I saw a banner and avatar in a shop on Etsy owned by Erin. One look and I knew that with minor alterations that I had to have it! You see, I was almost certain that my wonderful cousin, pictured above, could have posed for it back in the days of our youth.

I will not use her name as she is a private person and I wouldn't identify her without her permission. She has been undergoing rigorous chemo for the past year. Just this week she had a wonderful report from her oncologist. I found this artwork about the same time that I received this good news. I knew it was more than coincidence! I had to act on it!

Erin was wonderful to work with and I am so very pleased with her graphic designs. She made the changes requested and went the extra mile to be sure I was pleased. Should you need a new look for your store as well, I highly recommend her. Here is her site: www.swiekysiggies.etsy.com

Also check out Brett's wonderful art at www.vanfleetstreetdesign.etsy.com. She does wonderful nicho's, ACEO's, and great artwork with a Southwest flair.

I do hope you like the "New Look" as well as I do! And to you, dear cousin, may the news continue to be so glorius! I HAVE FAITH!

Navidad....An Endangered Specie

This morning I found that my "Navidad", a Native American Folk Art Doll, was featured on Etsy in Night Sky Jewelry's wonderful Green Me Up Scottie Treasury.

I was excited! I was delighted! Navidad (you can see her smiling there in the second row) has a spotlight for what could be her final days. It saddens me to know that come February, 2009 her life could well come to end when CPSIA goes into effect.


Thank you Sharon for giving Navidad what could well be her final curtain call.


Navidad has many sisters. They are made entirely by hand by Wolf Clan Seneca and Mohawk doll artist, Peggy MacKenzie. There are no buttons or moving parts that could create choking issues. They are merely fabric, polyester fiberfill, ribbon, non-toxic paint and are filled with Peggy's love and tribal history.


Peggy's dolls have been sold by us on the Pow Wow trail and on Etsy to the delight of our customers. They are historic, sweet and could in no way compromise the health and well being of anyone. But we can not afford to the testing required by CPSIA. So Navidad and her sisters may well be at the end of their run.


Doll making is a part of all cultures. These crafts should be preserved, protected, and perpetuated rather than being endangered by a government who is blind to the value of the arts and crafts to a country and its culture. Shame on you Congressman and Senators if you allow Navidad and her sisters to become endangered species!

Front Page At Art Fire

Art Fire is a new selling venue that I am learning to use. This morning, I'm on the front page. Those heart earrings in the middle of the third row are mine.

Now on Etsy, my other selling venue, when you make the Front Page it is considered to be very special. On Art Fire, newly listed items are featured on the front page. Since mine were new, there they are!

I have been selling on Etsy for one year this month. It is time to set new goals and try new things. My only fear at this point is over-extending my computer time. This would encroach on my beading time and I can't let that happen. So, here I go...off to try a new venue!