Pouches for Many Purposes

Over the years I have made quite a few styles of bags and pouches from simple card pouches to large felt appliqué double-fringed 12- x 6-inch “medicine woman bags.” Smaller rectangular and tapered pouches are standard items. Most of my pouches have fringes and straps or ties for carrying them. Recently I have done several large, fringed, felt-lined buckskin drawstring bags and pouches for a special order. Most of the larger pieces that I make are custom design work. Depending on the complexity of the design and the materials used, most large custom pieces begin at about $50, plus shipping.

Like all of the art in my collections, these pieces are inspired by the majesty of nature and the inherent beauty of planet Earth. I use both traditional and contemporary materials in my designs, but each piece is completely handcrafted. Each item is unique, with its own power and subtle energy.

Mountain Sheep and Midnight Stars Shaman’s Pouch

The mountain sheep climbs with superb confidence and skill at great heights. He lives at altitudes that are close to the stars. He hears their voices, knows their stories and remembers their histories. If there is a pathway to the stars, mountain sheep will know where to find it.

This beautiful deep-purple pouch is 5.0 x 3.5 inches with a 2.5-inch folded top held in place by a star-shaped glass button/bead. It is hand-sewn from strong, yet soft double-thickness washable felt and edged with slivery-starlight-shaded seed beads. The pouch is finished with a short glass beaded fringe in snowy mountain colors of white and lavender.

The hand-appliquéd lavender and purple mountain design features two beautifully crafted and painted Peruvian ceramic mountain sheep. Each little sheep is about 1 x 1 inch and is incredibly lifelike. Above the mountains on the upper fold of the pouch are four beautiful star beads, one of which acts as a button. The deep-purple colors and bright stars evoke the solitary beauty of a high-country night.

The mountain sheep is able to thrive at elevations that prove daunting to most creatures. He moves with grace and power under the starry sky. If you seek to climb up that long, difficult trail that leads to the ancient star knowledge, then Mountain Sheep may be a fine guardian and strong companion.

Price: $34.95 + $6.50 shipping*

Blue Corn Seed Pouch/Shaman’s Pouch

Blue corn is illuminated by the rays of the red sunrise. A new day has dawned and Corn Mother has awakened. The rains have come at the right time, and it is a time of abundance and plenty.

This beautiful desert tan pouch is 6.5 x 4.5 inches with a 5-inch folded top. It is hand-sewn from strong, yet soft double-thickness washable felt and edged with sunrise red yarn. The pouch is further ornamented with a 10-inch yarn fringe enhanced with tan, red, and turquoise glass and acrylic beads evoking sun, rain, seeds, and tall fields.

The overall length of the piece is about 16.5 inches. The long braided yarn carrying ties are about 60 inches long and can be tied as a belt if you use the pouch to carry seed packets and need hands free for planting.

The hand-appliquéd corn and sun design is edged with gold-colored seed beads reflecting the sun’s morning light.

The three ears of corn connect generations across time, like seeds passed from hand to hand in a long unbroken chain. The first ear is the past connected to the ancestors who planted the corn, the center is the current generation who cares for the corn, and the third ear is the future generations who will be the caretakers of the corn and bring abundance and plenty into the future.

Price: $34.95 + $6.50 shipping*

Guardian Raccoon Shaman’s Pouch

Raccoon is a generous protector to his clan. He emerges with the Evening Star to see what night will bring. He knows how to survive and has many stories to share.

This tapered pouch is hand-sewn from strong, double-thickness, misty-gray, washable felt. It is edged with a warm red yarn and decorated with a thick red yarn fringe that is finished with bold shadow and sunset color clay, copper, and acrylic beads.

The piece is 5.5 inches long with a top opening of 3 inches and a bottom width of 4 inches. I have always liked this design as it looks like a flat- topped pyramid. The top of the pouch is closed with a little chevron bead that acts as a button. The essence of this piece is alert calm awareness.

The hand-appliquéd red evening star design is set with a large, beautifully painted, Peruvian ceramic Raccoon face (1.5 x 1.25 inches). He peers out at the gathering dusk ready to look for the next opportunity. The tapered pouches have short ties, designed to be tied to a belt or sash or to be used for a wall display. These braided yarn ties are 15 inches.

Raccoon is strong and tough and can survive just about anywhere. He is highly intelligent and looks after his own. He is generous and wily, and often seen as the protector of the underdog.

If life has become difficult and the future uncertain, then raccoon’s knowledge, wisdom, and survival skills may be just what you are looking for. He is a strong guardian and helpful companion in these unsettled times.

Price: $34.95 + $6.50 shipping*

Golden Dragonfly Shaman’s Pouch

The full moon sets at misty dawn. A golden dragonfly glows in the brightening sky, perfectly balanced between night and day.

This beautiful dawn-gray pouch is 6.5 x 4.75 inches with a 5-inch folded top. It is hand-sewn from strong, yet soft double-thickness washable felt and edged with bright golden-yellow yarn. The pouch is further ornamented with an 8-inch fringe enhanced with copper and lavender beads that evokes a misty, forested lakeshore at dawn. The overall length of the piece is about 14.5 inches. The long braided-yarn carrying ties are 34 inches. The essence of this piece is balance and harmony.

The hand-appliquéd design shows a golden dragonfly rising in the dawn light against the setting full moon in the dark-purple sky. The golden dragonfly is enhanced with a beautiful turquoise nugget; the setting moon is edged with copper-colored seed beads.

Dragonfly is profoundly connected to the watery world of dreams and visions. She can see the deeper layers of reality beyond the illusion of our limited senses. Dragonfly connects us with earth, sky, and water--all illuminated by sun and moon. She is an elegant symbol of change and enlightenment. Dragonfly is a strong guardian for those riding the winds of change, seeking balance and harmony in a turbulent world.

Price: $34.95 + $6.50 shipping*

Moonlight Raven Shaman’s Pouch

Raven soars, illuminated by the rising full moon in the darkening evening sky. She carries a message from the realm of the ancestors. She moves effortlessly between worlds in the silvery moonlight. The essence of this piece is mystery and magic.

This beautiful deep-purple pouch is 6.5 x 4.75 inches with a 5-inch folded top. It is hand-sewn from strong, yet soft double-thickness washable felt and edged with moonlight-gray yarn. The pouch is further ornamented with an 8-inch fringe enhanced with large metallic and lavender beads that evoke silver moonlight through the deep mountain forest. The overall length of the piece is about 14.5 inches. The long braided-yarn carrying ties are 30 inches. In addition, this pouch has two braided ties that act to keep the folded top closed. These 10-inch ties loop around a large silver-metallic button/bead and are finished with additional metallic and amethyst glass beads.

The hand-appliquéd design shows a silver-gray raven illuminated by the rising full moon in the darkening evening sky. The lavender moon is edged with seed beads in pale rainbow/aurora tones.

Raven crosses the unseen boundaries with ease and grace, carrying messages from the realm of the ancestors or from the hazy edge of the future. She is a being of great intelligence and power, long associated with prophetic dreams and intuition. Raven is the guardian of the Spirit Gateway and sees space/time in ways we cannot. She is a good guide for those facing uncertainty and the unknown, for Raven is at ease with mystery and change and can guide you safely toward the future. Listen for her call; she may have a message for you.

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Solar Hawk Shaman’s Pouch

The hawk perches above the red-sand desert in the warm winter sun. She watches and waits, alert for any movement. She sees with clarity and takes action when needed. She is in harmony with earth and sky.

This tapered pouch is hand-sewn from thick dark-red felt and soft white buckskin. It is lined with the same dark-red felt and edged with turquoise-colored seed beads. The piece is 5.5 inches long with a top opening of 3 inches and a bottom width of 4 inches. I have always liked this design, as it looks like a flat-topped pyramid. The top of the pouch is closed with a little metal bead that acts as a button. The essence of this piece is spaciousness and light.

The gold and white felt-appliqué solar design is set with a large, beautifully painted, Peruvian ceramic Red Tail Hawk (1 x 1.25 inches). The pouch is finished with a hand-cut, double-tied, 6-inch white buckskin fringe ornamented with large turquoise glass beads.

The tapered pouches have short ties, designed to be tied to a belt or sash or to be used for a wall display. These ties are 10 inches, cut from the same white leather.

Hawk is watchful. Her call is sharp and clear. She knows when to take action and when to remain still. She flies high in the warm sun, rising above the desert on the developing thermals. She is often associated with the sun, illumination, and light. A hawk soaring wild and free in the clear morning sky is an inspiring sight. Hawk is a messenger of change and brings clarity, action, and balance. Hawk is a fine guide for those who need a clear vision and a far-seeing path to a brighter future.

SOLD

Ancient Journeys Shaman’s Pouch

This is another of my handcrafted old-style shaman’s leather pouches, ornamented with shell, coral, and turquoise. This piece evokes the Ancient Journeys, the long and difficult migrations of humankind as the Ice Age receded and new pathways and new lands opened to our ancestors.

The pouch itself is elk and is 3.75 x 5 inches, double-stitched with waxed linen. The long, wide, hand-cut and tied fringe on three sides is buckskin. The overall length of the piece is about 14 inches, and it has a 15-inch carrying strap. The front fold of the pouch uses the edges of the hide as part of the design and is set with three large pieces of shell representing the ancient trading trails that ran from the seacoast to the inland mountains and valleys. The pouch is further decorated with four long strands of turquoise, shell, and coral that signify the four directions. The three shell pieces also evoke the Three Bright Stars of the ancestors as guiding stars along the trail.

Human beings have long inhabited my corner of the Southwest, and there are contemporary roads here in New Mexico that still follow the course of what were once ancient trails. Our journey as a species continues into the future, perhaps to worlds beyond our own.

Price: $49.95 + $6.50 shipping*

Blue Moon Butterfly Shaman’s Pouch

The glittering butterfly rises in the evening sky illuminated by the full moon.

This beautiful sky-toned pouch is 6.5 x 4.5 inches with a 5-inch folded top. The appliquéd butterfly design is double-needle beadwork.

The thick, soft felt pouch is edged in moonlight blue and silver seed beads and finished with a tapered 3-inch beaded fringe that brings to mind evening rain or dewdrops.

Overall length of the piece is 9.5 inches. The long braided yarn carrying ties are 25 inches.

The essence of the piece is pale summer moonlight and shimmering beauty.

The changing face of the moon and the emergence of the butterfly have long been symbols of change and transformation. This design brings positive, inspirational change and emergence into the light.

Price: $34.95 + $6.50 shipping*

Turtle Island Shaman Pouch

Turtle is one of the oldest symbols for the Earth known to humankind. The native people of North America called their homeland Turtle Island. Now we are in the 21st century, and we see our lovely planet Earth as Turtle Island floating in the vastness of space, among the stars.

This simple design celebrates our home planet, the green and gold splendor of earth as the sun rises to bring a new day and a new age. The pouch itself is made of soft, washable, double-layered felt that will protect the objects carried inside, be they crystals, cards, jewelry, or seeds. It is 6.5 X 4.5 inches, with a folded 5-inch top and a long 10.5-inch ornamental fringe. The overall piece is 17 inches. In addition there are long 24-inch ties making it easy to carry or hang on the wall.

The dark-forest-green pouch is edged with green, dawn-copper, and sandy-tan seed beads and the long reed-like fringe is bound with copper, emerald glass, and synthetic bone beads. The felt appliqué design is bold and elegant.

The turtle resembles an ancient petroglyph, one of the earliest representations of Mother Earth. A blue-green turquoise nugget is at the turtle’s heart. Turquoise is the master healing stone, a symbol of protection and blessing for our beautiful home world and all life, including ourselves.

SOLD

See something you like? Have an idea for a custom creation? Just drop us a note and we can let you know if it is available or if it can be custom-made for you. Please note that even the items on this page are one of a kind and may have been sold, so it's always best to check before sending payment.

We accept PayPal as well as other forms of payment (sorry, no credit cards except through PayPal and no personal checks). Thanks very much.

*Shipping is by Priority Mail to the U.S. only. Please contact us for rates to other countries. Optional insurance (U.S.) is an additional $1.75.

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