www.robynfell.co.uk
I make drums, rattles, fans, medicine blankets, Soul Retrieval/ meditation mats and altar cloths. I work with rawhide, leather and beads as well as making felt and dyeing and hand painting cotton fabric. Each artefact that I create is the physical manifestation of an inspirational gift given to me by Spirit.
I gather inspiration from my shamanic journeys, from the landscape around my fellside home, from feathers, rocks and found objects, from photographs and the juxtaposition of colours in a bowl of beads.
I often do not understand the patterns I am inspired to create, but have learned to trust that their owner waits, ready to allow the objects' story to unfold in the dance that evolves between them.
I make tools that are meant to be used and each is sturdily made from the least processed materials available, hand crafted in the ancient ways.
As no two designs are ever duplicated the photographs in this catalogue are examples of the work I produce and may or may not still be available. To check, or to order something of your choice please do not hesitate to contact me on
01729 824693 | robynfell@yahoo.co.uk
P.O.Box 29, Settle, N.Yorks BD24 9ZL
DRUMS
Each drum is crafted from elk hide, stretched over a circular 18" frame. The innate qualities of each animal and tree give every drum its own unique sound and individuality. Each comes with its own beater. Cost £145
Drums can also be painted with your personal medicine at extra cost. I also run 'paint your drum' workshops where, working within ceremony, you can journey to the Spirit of your drum and decorate it for yourself with the symbols you receive.
I occasionally produce my own deer rawhide from the skins of deer culled from the herd at Holker Hall near Grange-over-Sands. A limited number of deer hide drums may be available from time to time. Please ring for details and availability.
RATTLES
Each rattle is made from elk hide, hand stitched and filled either with quartz crystals gathered on the fells near my Yorkshire home, or with mixed crystal 'chips', additional materials are added until the sound produced 'feels right'.
The wooden handle is decorated with traditional Native American style peyote stitch beadwork. I have taken the stitch and used its spiral form to evolve patterns and designs given to me by Spirit. Each bead is individually netted into the whole by hand, and each handle is made up of over 3,000 beads.
SOUL RETRIEVAL MATS & ALTAR CLOTHS
These items are based on pure cotton fabric which is first space dyed and then waxed, according to the effect desired the fabric is then sometimes crack dyed in a contrasting colour. The resulting fabric is then hand painted , lightly padded and quilted by hand to produce a special and utterly unique artefact.
The Soul Retrieval, or meditation, mats are approximately 6'x3' and are made to commission only to give you the design of your devising, calligraphy and quotations can be included - price from £350
Circular altar cloths/ meditation mats are created in the same way and are sometimes in stock. Prices for an approximately 3' diameter cloth are from £125
No two rattles are ever alike. I also enjoy working with you to design a rattle which expresses your unique personal medicine. Cost £125
I sometimes have available rattles with antler or driftwood handles. Cost from £50
FEATHERS & FANS
All wings and primary feathers used in my work are from either naturally found moult feathers or carefully taken from roadkills . I create individual prayer or smudge feathers with a beaded shaft as well as ceremonial drop fans with six or seven individually beaded feathers set in a fully beaded handle.
Subject to availability these can be made with heron, crow, pheasant or peacock feathers. I also create smudge fans from stretched full wings with or without a beaded edge.
Drop fans from £245 Prayer feathers £25-35
Wing fans - price on request
A MISCELLANY
Other items, using the methods outlined in earlier pages, vary from waxed cotton bags to help protect sage and other herbs from damp, to drum bags, painted to match or complement your drum face, to bags designed to hold rattles and all your shamanic paraphanalia. I also make leather medicine bags and pouches often with lazy stitch picture panels to hold your most sacred treasures.
Herb bags, with approx 2oz desert sage £12.50
Drum bags etc from £99, depending on complexity
Small pouches with lazy stitch seam beading £19
Bags with lazy stitch panels from £89 for a bag approx 7"x5" excluding fringes to £149 for a bag approx 10"x8", like the dragonfly one shown.
Should you have any item you want, or help creating it for yourself, then ask!
WHY MEDICINE BLANKETS ?
The word 'medicine' comes originally from a misconstruing of the Ojibwa word Medewiwin, which was the name of one of their Spiritual societies, who happened to be healers. The word 'medicine', in this context, has less to do with our understanding of the word than with a concept to do with the essential nature, or power, of any thing, be it animal, vegetable or mineral.
These blankets may be worn in ceremonies, used as throws or wall hangings as well as on a bed. The patterns created by the dye are unique and may resolve into complex landscapes when seen through softly focussed eyes. They may also be used as a base on which you can express the symbols of your personal power or medicine, whether these be wolf or mouse; raindrop or waterfall; molehill or mountain. They can be added in embroidery, appliqué or whatever medium the Spirit of inspiration suggests to you.
These blankets are machine washable on a wool cycle, though washing separately is recommended
MEDICINE BLANKETS
These blankets are traditional, antique 100% wool blankets which have been space dyed in up to four contrasting colours to give a unique effect. The patterns created by the dye resolve into complex landscapes when seen through softly focussed eyes. They may also be used as a base on which you can express the symbols of your own personal power or medicine. These can be added in felt, embroidery, appliqué or whatever medium the Spirit of inspiration suggests to you.
Cost of a basic blanket £79, customizing extra.
I occasionally make feather blankets, taking a base blanket and individually stitching on a spiral of small feathers with linen thread. (please note that the pheasant feathers are recycled from a game dealer and are not wild finds)
Cost on application
I also create hand made felt. A circular altar cloth in the colours of the four directions is £125
Small medicine bags in brilliant shades with silk and wool tops overlay cost from £7 for the smallest size (approx 2"x3")
