WARNING!!!!!
IF you don't like bugs go no further!!!
IF you particularly don't like the S bug... STOP!!!
Yes, I'm talking about Spiders. If you no like... STOP! here now!
If you should decide to continue don't blame me as I have tried to warn you.
I had to take my son to see a doctor out of state recently. We had to go by bus and it was quite the adventure for him. He was very nervous about the appointment let alone traveling by bus. For those who don't know my son has ASD. Change and the unknown is hard for him and riding a normal every day city transport bus 30 minute ride is enough to push him over the edge.so taking a Grayhound bus had him way beyond his normal limit of max out. I told him that one of the things I enjoy about going Grayhound is that you never know who you will meet or what you will see along the way. He thought that was fine and dandy for me who enjoys traveling.
We were almost 2 hours into the journey when a voice called out behind us. Oy boy! Boy! You boy! I got something for you. Since there were no boys nor youngish men around us, I felt safe to assume she meant my son. I suggested that he turn around and see what she wanted. I could see the fear and hesitation in his eyes as he turned around to interact with the stranger. I saw the look of shocked horror as she instructed him to hold out his hand and the flicker of dread as he realized she was going to put something in his hand... I wish I had thought to bring out the camera because the looks on his face were camera ready. He thanked her and turned back to me with it in the palm of his hand for me to see.
I was shocked to see a blue beaded spider. He was shocked to receive a spider. Spiders not something he is particularly fond of. I told him to thank her again for such an interesting gift to which he did and that caused a conversation to be started.
"Who knew bugs would be so popular?", she said. I make these to pass the time as I travel and sell them. I was about to ask her how much when she said not to worry she knew my son needed the spider. So I thanked her again for her beautiful piece. She then handed me a piece of paper with the legend of the Christmas Spider on it. It brought tears to my eyes because that is something my own god-mother told me many years ago.
We learned that she is a talented local artisan (in our area local is anyone inside the state boarders not necessarily the same town, county, or close vicinity ;)) who has worked with many mediums and craft methods over the years. She's worked with leather, beads, glass, clay, metal, yarn, etc. etc. She does a lot of her leather and bead work in the old ways taught to her by her Grandmother who had the foresight to see that the old ways must be passed on in order to endure. She believes she's been beading for around 45 years maybe a little longer but at least that long in a serious fashion.
Her bugs are her best seller and I could see why. Not only does she do fine work creating these but there's just something beautiful about seeing spiders, scorpions, dragonflies, etc. brought to life with some wire and beads.
The spider my son received is done in pretty shades of blue. A color my son really likes. I must have had the question on my face about why she chose that particular color for him because she said I just knew it was right for him giving me another a-ha moment.
Forgive the bad pictures as they just don't do her work any justice but they do show what he got. The poor creature got a little bent out of shape as we traveled and my son took it with him for his appointment.
I am sad that she didn't have a way for us to contact her as I would love to see more of her work and to refer my friends and family to her. I think the idea of Christmas spiders would be a great gift opportunity for some names on my gift list as well. I do understand all too well the reasons she gave for not having an online shop. I do hope I can find her again in the future.
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