bead work

[BowEd]

more and I'll quit for now.

[BowEd]

Value on beadwork for me is by the square inch.All glass beads.Seven to nine dollars per square inch.Depending on the size of beads used.Only on brain tan leather.

[BowEd]

A little info on the pipe bag & pipe stem beadwork.Beadwork on pipe bag is my four winds depiction.Beadwork on pipe stems on one on the left is the four winds again with a mallards crest at the bowl end.The other pipe stem is the layout of the sweat lodge and fire pit and path between it.Pipe stems are made out of sumac.Sumac is not poisonous using it this way.

[BowEd]

No replication from a book or museum just my interpretation from research on the style and patterns used by certain tribes during the fur trade era.If wanting to do this let your own imagination take you where you want within the parameters of the time period and tribe you want to replicate.There is a lot of cross overs and like symblos used by more than one tribe.This is no disrespect to the indians in fact it is a compliment.You've heard of the saying the greatest form of flattery is trying to imitate.It's true.

[Don]

They may still make some of the old colors [greezy colors].
Beadman can correct me if I wrong. I haven't done any bead work in years.
So if the old colors are still made Beadman will know and where to get them.

[bubby]

beadman you and madcrow got some mad skills

[BowEd]

Yes Don...greasy yellows,mustard yellows,pumbkin yellows,ponytrader blues,cheyenne pinks,sioux greens,cranberry reds,powder blues,sky blues,red white hearts,and more.All have a paler opague hue to them.All glass.I'm pretty sure they are available yet.Different sizes too.The old brick red white hearts seemed to have disappeared for quite a while now.I keep a fairly abundant supply and hav'nt needed to buy any for quite some time now.I've slowed way down on beading.Used to do some every winter.Those are just beads for beadwork.The larger trade beads especially the old ones are around.Chevrons and ghost beads for example.Some kept personally and some on the trade table.I've got some very very old red or almost brick white heart crow beads myself but never really got into collecting them as some people have.They hold their value to the right people.
The craft that I can really appreciate though is quill work.Absolutely beautiful on leather and birch bark.

[KHalverson]

thanks
beadman and madcrow
both your work is truely inspiring
Kevin

[BowEd]

Thanks KHalverson.Glad you can appreciate it.You'll have some of your own soon if not already.I wanted to say most of my suppliers I would meet at rendezvous' and don't advertise much if at all.Just a business card.One fella I will mention here and that is Chuck Lietzau.He calls his business Frontier Era Trade Goods.Him or his wife or their son Adam will know exactly what you want and fix you up.He has an extensive variety and supply of goods.He's a trader to boot.Has his own buffalo herd and is a taxidermist too.Some of the magazines out there selling these things are too far to the crafty side ie.plastic or resin etc.Not old Chuck.His shop number is 320-877-7297.Please don't abuse this number.I don't think he has a web site.He's been talking about putting a catalog together for OOOOOOh 15 to 20 years....LOL.I should give him a call to see how he is doing.

[Dharma]

You can "cheat" a bit on beadwork with seed beads by getting a bead loom. We sell a LOT of seed beads where I work. They sell more than turquoise and seed beads are the big thing now. Size 15 are starting to go up in price, almost twice Size 11 in some cases. The popular items people are making as far as Native crafts go is earrings, key lanyards, and bracelets. Peyote stitch is very popular here.

[BowEd]

A lot or most beads are made over in Europe.A chezc beads' size 11 can be different than another countries.Same way with colors too.Their are dye lot colors out there that are'nt duplicated.It's stained glass.The thing to look for in buying beads is to get consistency in size from them.Then your work will look nice.They can be boughten in a container maybe a zip lock bag or on a hank.It's a lot easier to inspect consistency buying them on a hank,but my friend Chuck gives me good ones either way.In fact a currency of exchange was made with the traders and the native indians using hanks of beads.A hank of beads for a beaver pelt etc.Loom beading is ok but atatches too loose onto brain tan.Embroyderied directly onto your material every 3/8" makes it tight and secure.

[BowEd]

I really like peyote stitching too but hav'nt fooled with it much.It's used on round objects a lot.Like handles etc.Here's a substitute way of doing round objects on this buffalo tail.It's called wrap beading.I call it my quirt/fly swatter.
I'm afraid I might have some bad news.Over time living here I've left various different people in my house to look at things etc.I had two real nice hair on buffalo teepee bags that were flap beaded with no.8 ponytrader beads hanging from my cap rack on the wall.They've disappeared.I may have moved them but they are not in the house.I may have put them in my tractor shed in a box but I don't think I did.Could be that disease CRS too but I don't think so.So beware of who you let in your house.

[BowEd]

Here was the teepee bags.

[Dharma]

Wow, Beadman, you do incredible work. I see a lot of work coming in from Navajo craftspeople and no one has brought in anything like that. A pair of earrings made with Size 15 or 11 beads runs about $16 to $32 retail. A lot of this is made to sell to the tourist market down along Hwy 89 into Sedona and also along 89 through the Navajo Nation all the way from here to Page. Where you really see the best work is silver and turquoise jewelry, of course. A new thing is silver rings with Size 15 beads set into a pattern instead of turquoise. Of course, the best beadwork is not sold but used on tobacco bags, cedar bags, and button bags used for NAC ceremonies. And also prayer fan handles and peyote rattle handles for NAC, too. Beadwork is getting to be huge here, but silver prices are dropping and so a lot of people who were doing beadwork when silver was high are going back to silver and turquoise while the prices are low. 

[BowEd]

Yea Dharma I agree with you about that silver and turquoise work.It's just plain beautiful.I had a first cousin now deceased living in New Mexico most of his life that was a silver smith.Incredible detail and craftrsmanship.You live in the middle of it for sure.I still get a catalog from the southwestern Indians there that have very nice looking stuff in there but really expensive.I think they are Navajoh.They do incredible basket and pottery work too.
Yes I've seen a lot of the earrings & necklaces for sale at rendezvous in the past.Some with porky quills on them too.Pretty nice.Nice gift for some fair young maiden.I have one fan of the wing of a canadian goose with a beaded handle.I use it to spread the sweet grass smoke around my lodge or my house.Here's a pic...bags too.
I'll have to recorrect my accusation about someone stealing my teepee bags.I found them finally along with a couple other bags I forgot about to boot.In my muzzle loader box.Can you believe that.A pure case of CRS!!!!!![Can't Remember !@#$].I still say watch who you let in your house though.They should know to beware about stealing when they leave because I keep a shotgun by the door.The coyotes upset my hounds occasionally in the middle of the night.
I usually just make my stuff for myself or a gift and that's about it.Sometimes trade.
We've hijacked KHalversons' thread here but he said it was ok.