serenme

Welcome! Thank you for visiting my shop. I love to create and there is rarely a time when I am not inspired.

I have always loved dreamcatchers and take great pleasure in making them by hand. Decorating the dreamcatcher once I've completed the web is the best part - especially when creative inspiration flows smoothly.

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Dreamcatchers are traditionally used by native North American Indians and those in Central and South America to prevent bad dreams and encourage wise ones. They are hung above one's bed or in a window.

According to Native American legend, dreams are messages sent by sacred spirits. The hole in the center of the dream catcher allows good dreams to reach the sleeper. The bad dreams remain trapped in the web and then disappear when the sun rises.

Ojibway legend about the origin of dreamcatchers:

A spider was quietly spinning his web beside the sleeping space of Nokomis, the grandmother. Each day, Nokomis watched the spider at work, admiring it quietly spinning away.

One day as she was watching the spider at work, her grandson came in. "Nokomis-iya!" he shouted. He stomped over to the spider, picked up a shoe and went to hit it.

"No-keegwa," the old lady whispered, "don't hurt him."

"Nokomis, why do you protect the spider?" asked the little boy.

The old lady smiled, but did not answer. When the boy left, the spider went to the old woman and thanked her for saving his life.

He said to her, "For many days you have watched me spin and weave my web. You have admired my work. In return for saving my life, I will give you a gift." He smiled his special spider smile and moved away, spinning as he went.

Soon the moon glistened on a magical silvery web moving gently in the window. "See how I spin?" he said. "See and learn, for each web will snare bad dreams. Only good dreams will go through the small hole to reach you. This is my gift to you."

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I am an active member of the Adopt-A-Native-Elder program. This is a wonderful program that helps Native American elders sustain their livelihood. For more information please visit http://www.anelder.org