My name is Payton Butterwick and I am the owner/creator of Dreaming Cactus Design CO, a small jewellery and crafting company. I currently work within the mental health field and find that creating jewellery creates a sense of self care for myself when I become stressed.
My current products feature natural supplies such as copper metals, crystal gemstones, leather, antler sheds, and feathers from my family farm. I have also recently started working with resin as a medium to create my own products. The products I make also have a wide range from earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and home decor.
I have always been very interested in Scotland, even having dreams of travelling there from a young age and more recently considering studying abroad there. However, recently my family shared with me that our lineage is connected clan Muir. Learning this and attending several highland events has caused me to want to connect further with this part of my heritage.
In order for me to write this post, I undertook reading several different sources of books that held different Scottish superstitions, folklore and witchcraft. I wanted to find out more about how and why I connected with gemstones in the way that I did within my jewellery making and if this related at all to anything within Scottish traditions and history. I found that in Scottish folk traditions healing or protection stones, especially those with holes in them, are called hag stones and often carry with them great properties of magick and protection for those that hold them close and wear them. Since starting jewellery crafting I have been drawn to what we call healing and protection stones/crystals and did not truly think of why or how this could be connected to my Scottish heritage. After reading about tales of seeing Scottish faeries or tree spirits when looking into crystals or the specific gemstones that can be found along many natural rivers across Scotland, I find that even without knowing what initially drew me to include gemstones as part of my craft they are deeply rooted within many aspects of Scottish histories.
There are several crystals that I enjoy working with as I feel there are beautiful properties within all of them. Recently I have started working more with smoky quartz, or Cairngorm, as this is the national gem of Scotland. They used to be placed within a brooch and worn on the clan tartan. Other gemstones that I work with that are also found naturally or dug for in Scotland are agate, garnet, amethyst, jasper, serpentine, and sapphire in the raw form. All of these gemstones have their own specific healing properties or specific meanings that are said to aid in daily life. But these gems also carry with them a beauty that is naturally occurring and unique to each individual stone. With inspiration from the national gem of Scotland, the smoky quartz, and other gemstones commonly found in Scotland I have plans to work on a new project/line that will be focused on creating authentic Scottish pieces that will range from earrings, necklaces, and brooches.
Be sure to check out all my creations on my Instagram @dreamingcactusdesign or on my Facebook.
Thank you for reading!
PS Click here to apply to be an artisan vendor at our 2021 Gathering of the Clans Highland Festival on August 21, 2021