This Medicine Bag was made, by my dear friend in Montana, of old weathered Buffalo Hide from the 1920"s! It was designed in the Northern Plains style & the fringe is repurposed braintan hide with yellow ochre natural clay paint, authentically made in the Cheyenne tradition. The leather is crisp & stiff in texture. The interior contains a tuft of Buffalo fur to bestow the wearer with Good Fortune, Strength & Protection!
~ Sacred Ways & Native Souls ~
Silver Ponies, Iridescent Labradorite & Aqua Quartz, make this Kinship Necklace unique & special with beautiful words of inspiration engraved on the back:
"Be Mindful, Aware, Courageous & Full of Love!"
~ From the unexpected gift of connection...and the immense joy from correspondence...and the sheer surprise from presents...comes the healing grace of Kindness. And a lasting friendship!
Thank you Andrea & Adele, my heart is full. ~
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Wishing you a bright, healthy & prosperous New Year filled with much Love & Adventure!
This is the Year of the Horse: the 7th animal in the Chinese zodiac!
It embodies a fiery, independent spirit & a "can-do" attitude that encourages overcoming
obstacles through perseverance. 2026 is specifically the Year of the Fire Horse!
Occurring once every 60 years, this element of fire intensifies the horse's natural traits, leading to a year of intense passion, high energy, and potential for dramatic, transformative change!
Key themes:
Action & Momentum
Success & Strength
Adventure & Passion
Social & Emotional Traits
You will see me crafting many projects this year...including works with Horse Hair Tassels!
Leona Caldwell was a wife & mother when she returned to Arizona State Teacher's College in Tempe to study art. In 1954, she expanded her ceramic studio located in Phoenix which lead her to open Leona Caldwell Originals in the Scottsdale Kiva Craft Center shortly thereafter. There, alongside fellow atisans: Paolo Soleri, Charles Loloma & Lloyd Kiva, she crafted her ceramic jewelry and designed silkscreened fabrics & clothing. Leona's love of the beautiful southwest was captured in her work. Inspired by the Hohokam, her original designs feature animals, symbols, and plants of the southwestern desert. Her obituary states that she retired in 1978 to enjoy her home, garden & family.
These lovely ceramic pendants are signed by the artist: Leona Caldwell and include their leather straps! All original, vintage & lovingly cared for from the Estate of Leona Caldwell!
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JLY: I cannot think of a better way to describe how I feel when I look at, hold, wear & ponder over your artwork/my collectibles than to resort to these gentle & sincere words, from the song by the band The Association: Cherish is the word...
Now, more than ever, this old song represents the best of these newly tangled emotions swirling yet hidden inside of me. It is my love letter too. So much to miss, it hurts. So little time, it burns. Dreams. Plans. Partnership. It aches: Perish is the word that more than applies to the hope in my heart each time I realize... your creativity is no longer. Your creativity now rests in all that you Had created. It is over. That breaks me. It is what was. That crushes my heart. Darkness shades the light. How it saddens me.
I have a project to start & a work-in-progress to complete with those special, cherished, beads you gifted me. Gosh, how I want to sit with you & talk ALL about them....and more. There was so much more to talk about. And although my inspiration is immersed in a thick fog today, just know, the sun will rise again & I will come back to them. I will. Born of Sacred Ways & Native Souls. Lightness dispels the dark.
And I do cherish you
And I do cherish you
Cherish is the word
I have just learned that my dear, creative friend & business partner "Montana-Made" has past away. I am, simply put, heartbroken. I will take time away from my Etsy Shop & my online presence: IG & here, to process and to catch my breath. A message to those of you who have purchased his Medicine Bags, Necklaces, Beads, or other artwork, I cannot stress enough that you have a truly special, one-of-a-kind GIFT...from a Master Craftsman whose Spirit has taken to the Skies, and whose gentle Soul will remain in each & every piece of his artwork. Thank you for supporting him, and his Soul-Work, all these years, as it meant the world to him!
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the deepest feelings, the hardest words... words i can't express. perhaps my tears will shed the heartache. perhaps my heartache will shed the pain. perhaps my pain will shed the regret. perhaps my regret will shed some light. you are the Sun. the Moon. the Rain. the Thunder. the Earth... and yet, you were so much More. with Sacred Ways and Native Soul you spun your magic... i am blessed & honored to have traveled a distance of this journey alongside You. JY, i am so grateful to have found You. You mean the world to me...forever... & a day.
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"Medicine" is the essence of the religion of the Crow, as of practically all of the tribes of the Great Plains, if not most of America. "Medicine" involves the belief in the potent magical power of certain tangible objects or of representations of these objects. Great magical power is ascribed to objects encountered quite by accident- and endows it ornaments, and protects it carefully often unwrapping it & praying to it. In return, the "Medicine" protects him & secures him long life, health, wealth, honors & whatever favors he may seek.
Assiniboine Style Medicine Bag- ca.1880’s
This is a Montana-Made Beaded Medicine Bag, featuring a White beaded background w/Red Horse Hoof Prints & a center Green Arrowhead Design. This is a replica of an Assiniboine bag from the 1880's. Museum quality. Handcrafted. One of a kind. There's even a pinch of Montana Sweetgrass inside!
This beautiful beaded pattern details Horse Hoof Prints & a Long pointed Arrowhead, to bestow a traveler with protection!
And the colored beads on this bag are Vintage French Glass, from the 1970's! The white beads are contemporary Czech glass & all are handsewn onto the frontside of a braintan deer hide.Happy May Day!
Montana-Made: Hunkpapa Sioux & Lakota Parfleche Medicine Bags!
French Fur Traders coined these as parfleche, which is derived from the French word "parer" meaning defend and "flèche" meaning arrow, due to the quality and strength of the rawhide being tough enough to deflect arrows when crafted into a shield! Traditionally attributed to the northern Plains Indians, these bags were made in many sizes & different shapes to transport tools, clothing, food, arrows and treasures. They were most commonly made in pairs and hung from saddles.
Smaller parfleche were shaped by folding the hides into envelopes, resembling a common day wallet, then decorated with brightly colored geometrical patterns. The distinctive graphic artwork often symbolized mountain & river landscapes which were believed to have served as maps! In contemporary usage, these designs can carry social, spiritual, tribal, and symbolic meaning and the bags may be worn or carried as part of a ceremony, dance or parade.
Beautifully handcrafted by my friend from Montana, these medium size personal parfleche bags can be worn as a necklace, attached to a belt, or hung on display.
View them in my Etsy Shop!
