Skin Spirits, Sacred Remains.
I've been fascinated with the wild world since I was very young; some of my earliest memories include me as a toddler roaming my back yard (and those of the neighbors!), exploring under trees and even bringing home a tire-flattened toad (my first roadkill collection!)
That fascination continues today, thirty years later. I'm an avid hiker and outdoorswoman, as well as a citizen naturalist. My experiences range from the cerebral (a Master's degree in counseling psychology emphasizing ecopsychology) to the spiritual (over a decade's practice in neopaganism and neoshamanism). However, it is the creative processes inspired by the world around me that are most prominent here in my shop.
Since 1998, I've been working with hides, bones, beads, and other such things in my artwork. I've created ritual tools, sacred costumery, jewelry and other devotional objects. While there are some perennial favorites, both for me and my customers, I enjoy a good challenge and am constantly exploring new projects and ideas as an artist.
It's not all about me, though. I began this work almost fifteen years ago as a way to honor the animals who once wore these skins and bones. I wanted them to have a better "afterlife" than being a trophy on someone's wall or a coat in a closet. The artistic and spiritual are very deeply entwined in my work, and every creation, no matter how simple, is a devotional to these sacred remains.
I'm also strongly influenced by sustainability and other eco-friendly pursuits. The majority of what I work with is secondhand or reclaimed in some manner, whether it's old fur and leather coats, beads salvaged from broken jewelry, or even cards from incomplete tarot decks. Nothing goes to waste--even the tiniest scraps from my art are collected and made into pillow stuffing! And as has been my practice the entire time I've been doing this, I donate a portion of the money I make to nonprofit groups that benefit wildlife and their habitats.
I've shared more about what I do and how others can take part through my writings. I have several books in print, including "Skin Spirits", a how-to book on the spiritual as well as practical end of working with animal parts and "Skull Scrying", a booklet on using animal skulls in divination. My latest book is "Nature Spirituality From the Ground Up: Connect With Totems In Your Ecosystem" from Llewellyn Publications. I am also a prolific blogger, both on my own blog, A Sense of Natural Wonder, and elsewhere, and have been published in numerous pagan and related magazines and other media.
Today I am incredibly fortunate; I am 100% self-employed, and my Etsy shop is a crucial part of that. Not very many people can say that they do what they love and believe in for a living, and I hope to make the very best of this opportunity. I have so many ideas I want to bring to fruition, and with luck I'll have just enough time to see them through!
