Note: For those of you interested in trades, the petroglyph series has been retired. No more will be made, there are only a few sets left to be placed in caches. For those of you who already discussed trades with me and are just waiting for me to get back to you, don't worry, I'll be contacting you soon. Thank you to everyone who traded with me and for your interest in my handmade items.  tsun:)

Petroglyphs: Greek words, petros meaning "stone" and gylphein meaning "to carve." The earliest petroglyphs are dated to the Neolithic period around 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. These stone carvings are found world wide and are often thought of as symbolic or ritual form of communication. We can only guess what those who came before us meant by the art of their time.

• I chose to hand make my "coins" instead of minting for several reasons. First, I decided I wanted to geocache for a year and see how I still felt about it after a substantial amount of time. Second, I really enjoy handmaking special items. Third and most important; the American Indian way of life is special to me. This is my way of honoring those who came before us, those with the ancient wisdom as their secrets and knowledge were carried away in time on the wings of the wind. This is my dedication to the "ancient" ones. The petroglyphs left behind are our true treasures of today.
• To the right, you will see a picture of my handmade Petroglyph Series 2007 signature items. Each one is individually handcrafted, painted and numbered. They are trackable on http://tsunrisebey.sigitem.com
• Each petroglyph comes wrapped in tissue paper, which is then placed in a velveteen pouch. The pouch is then placed in a handstamped, cushioned jewelry box. There is a special handstamped envelope (with "special" paperwork) that is attached to the jewelry box and then hand-tied with raffia.  
• Petroglyphs are; "Big Dog" (horse), Thunderbird, Bear, Turtle Mountain, and Mountain Goat.
• These range in size from 2.5" to 2.75" in diameter and are fairly thick. The nice thing about my petroglyphs are that they are individually handcrafted right here in my home with tender love and care. If I don't like the way it turned out, it doesn't get circulated.
• There a 5 petroglyphs in the 2007 series. In current circulation there are 100 petroglyphs (so 20 complete sets have been made).

• ~ Tatanka Pejula Geocoin ~

  Tatanka Pejula means; Buffalo Medicine in Lakota (Sioux). The Buffalo is a sacred animal to most American Indian tribes, the White Buffalo being the most sacred. The back of the geocoin says; le mita cola which means; My Friend in Lakota (Sioux).

  This geocoin is special for a number of reasons. The colors and Buffalo all have significant or sacred meaning.

  So, keeping the above in mind, here is what this geocoin is about. I wanted to make a geocoin that meant something on a number of levels. I think many of us in the geocaching community and in our everyday lives have made some good friends in our lifetimes. Friends can be family members, spouses, people we've only known via internet forums, the list is endless. Our friends are always there for us through good times and bad, they are sounding boards, a shoulder to lean on, a friendly smile, or a needed hug or handshake. Our friends are sacred because most of us meet many people on our journey through life, people come and go but our friends are always there for us when it matters most. Too often in life we never really tell our friends and family how we feel, we just assume they know. Not everyone is good with words or expressing themselves. Life is too short not to let people know you truly care and love them.

  This geocoin can be given to your geocaching community members, non-caching friends or used for other caring opportunities you see fit. This coin is very simple in its design but very powerful in its meaning. It's non-trackable because I feel that part is unecessary. I've tried to make this very affordable, I do ask that you not buy these and then turn around and sell them on ebay, it completely defeats the purpose and intention of this coin and I consider it a respect issue.

  If you receive one of these coin, you know you are special to someone!

  ~ Notorious Geocacher Geocoin ~

  ~ Earth Turtle Geocoin ~

  See the Earth Turtle Page

  ~ Belize Toucan Geocoin ~

  Created as a commemoration to my Belize Study Abroad Trip, 2007

  (This coin is not meant to represent Belize but my experience at Blue Creek Village in the remote jungle of southern Belize. I was privileged to watch a pair of Keel-Billed Toucans build their nest and feed their young high up in a tree above the Blue Creek River. While I watched them busy themselves with their lives, I couldn't help but smile and think of Fruit Loops).

  ~ Whale Trail Geocoins ~

  Among many Native American tribes, the whale is known as the "Record Keeper," it carries the history of Mother Earth and is said to have been placed here by the Ancients from the Dog Star, Sirius. Turtle is said to be the oldest symbol for planet Earth. Ancient symbolism of whale and turtle are now being brought together to collectively represent a modern view of geocaching.
  (This is the meaning behind the coin)

  ~ Raiders of the Lost Cache Geocoin ~

  Staff of Ra/Raiders of the Lost Cache Gecoin: One of my personal geocoins. Available in the following rhinestone colors; AMBER (trades), RED (caches), BLUE (10 made, none available), EMERALD GREEN (1o made, 4 available), BLACK ONYX (10 made, 5 available), CLEAR (10 made, 5 available), SPECIAL UNANNOUNCED EDITIONS (tba).

  *** All gems have been placed on the coin by me***

  Why this design? Well, I love the Raiders of the Lost Ark movie for one, I love the Phoenix, and I love adventure (those who know me, know my penchant for thrill seeking and as an adrenaline junkie). I'm working on my Anthropology degree (see my Belize pictures) and ancient civilizations absolutely peak my curiosity. One of my dreams is to go to Egpyt on a "dig."  Right now I'm bound to looking around Montana for arrowheads which is nice but I want something a little more exciting to do. So this coin was a way for me to express all of the above and incorporate geocaching into the mix. I worked with Jamie of MadHatters on this design.

  ~ Tsunrisebey Geotag Geocoin ~

  The Tsunrisebey Geotag Geocoin: This coin was my first experience in designing something for myself. Although I didn't really design it, I just told Jen of Wicks Works (UO Trackers) what I wanted and we went from there. This coin was done as a dedication to my Arabian horse T Sunrise Bey (yup, that's where my name comes from). He is no longer with me but his memory lives on in my heart. It is also represents a large part of who I am and my belief system.

  So why is this coin special? Well, I guess you should know the meaning behind the design and colors. The red (maroon), blue, white and black are all colors on most Native American medicine wheels (sacred hoop).

  *The red color is sacred to most tribes and was used in many sacred ceremonies to include burial rites. Red is also used on the Medicine Wheel, it is referred to as the, red road, the path or road we travel on in this life before we cross over to the blue spirit road.

  *White is often associated with the Sacred White Buffalo, a legend that has been passed down from the Lakota (Sioux) and is about 2,000 years old, it was a call for peace, harmony and balance. The feather are done in white with black tips (see black color) to represent the Bald Eagle. The feathers of an eagle are considered very sacred and powerful medicine. The tail feathers are often used in healing ceremonies by shamans.

  *Blue is often associated with the blue spirit road on the Medicine Wheel, it runs south to north. This is the path one travels when they have passed into the spirit world. The hand print was done in blue as a sign of those memories to those who now travel the blue spirit road.

  *Black represents the unknown, the void, the great mystery, that which envelopes or surrounds everything we physically "see" in this life, that is why it outlines the white horse.

  *The horse, while a dedication to my mine, it is also a symbol of power. Power that is both physical and unearthly. Horses were introduced to Native Americans and drastically changed their livestyles. They do not have a word for horse, so they were called "Big Dog." To steal a horse was to steal one's power. The white horse is the message carrier for all other horses and represents wisdom in power.

  So while some of you thought you just got a small piece of metal with a horse on it, you have been given a coin that means so much more than you might have imagined.  There were 100 nickel and 25 brass made. If you would like to trade or buy one of these coins, please feel free to get in touch with me. They are 1.25 inches, trackable and share an icon.

  ~ Handmade Petroglyph Series 2007 ~