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MY NEWEST Yet 40 year VENTURE IS HERBS! I create a variety of simple Herbal products rooted in the Wise Woman tradition. Tinctures, Honeys, ointments. All are created in the Spirit of Reciprocity.
The Wise Woman Tradition is the oldest tradition of healing, often invisible and nearly forgotten in today's world of fast everything. The Wise Woman Way nourishes: Food is Medicine. Dis-ease becomes a doorway for transformation. The remedies are usually are simples: Single herbs that replenish our bodies to promote healing and support our body's innate ability to heal itself.
I create a variety of wearable Artwork for you and your pets, and I welcome special orders. I will be happy to work with hair from your horse, and beads or other items that are important to you.
If you are interested in a piece created just for you, contact me privately.
I have spent many years developing and perfecting my techniques.

BRAIDING
To create my horse hair braids, I use the ancient Japanese technique of Kumihimo. It involves a frame called a marudai, which has a "dohnut" top, weighted bobbins and a central counter weight. This technique allows me to create very sturdy braids in a wide variety of detailed textures.

WEAVING
The technique that I use to weave the horse hair is card weaving, also an ancient art form. The "loom" is a set of cards with holes in them. The warp is placed through the holes and the cards are turned to create the shed which will receive the weft. Although simple in theory, The design possibilities are infinite. The band of "fabric" 4ply "4 layers" and I use 32 pulls for a 1/2" band.

HITCHING
The art of Horse Hair Hitching is unlike anything else. It is literally one half hitch at a time, over and over a core. The designs are created by bringing some pulls to the surface while dropping others behind.
Hitching almost became "extinct" as mechanized industry developed, due to its' very time intensive nature, and the fact that it cannot be produced by machine. A fine piece of hitched horse hair is quite valuable.
The art was kept alive through rehabilitation programs in western prisons. It is now experiencing a resurgence in popularity as people again begin to appreciate the value of quality hand made things.
I hitch about 22 rows/inch and except for very complicated designs, or large pieces, can hitch about half an inch / hour.


SPINNING
Another ancient technique, Spinning has been in existence for over 10,000 years. It is a method of combining fibers to create thread or yarn. It can be done between your fingers, on a drop spindle, or a spinning wheel. I use the finger method to "spin" 6 to 12 tail hairs to create the "pulls" (from hitching) that I use in all of my horse hair work. I can produce 10 to 15 pulls per hour. Some of the pieces that create require as many as 100 - 200 pulls.

BEADWORK
I love everything about beads! Their colors in relationship to light in relationship to each other is too inspiring for words!
The technique that I use most is peyote stitch. It is an interlacing of beads through eachother, one at a time. It can be flat or tubular and is the technique that I use to create the bezels for setting stones, and for capping the ends of braided and woven horse hair pieces.
I also create with loom weaving and appliqué, and often, abundant fringe!