Just What I needed ....... times 2

Just What I Needed - Part I

I could never begin to tell you how much all your advice, support, concern and prayers have helped me find a bit of peace again in my soul. I know there is a lot wrong with our society and that sometimes sucks me down into a very sad and dark place, but through all of you I have begun again to focus on the good in life. I can't thank you enough for that. I will continue to investigate what can be done to prevent (and punish) the bullying and harassment that is prevelant in our schools. But for right now, I need to re-group, take a deep breath and separate some of the high emotion that I am feeling, so I can approach the issue in a logical, professional way.

Just What I Needed - Part II

I get this email on Wednesday from my local historical society letting me know of a lecture being held (somewhat impromtu) on Thursday at 2 p.m. The topic? Tuscarora Raised Beadwork! What? Really? I was dancing in my chair - as many of you probably know, nothing sets my heart beating faster than beads! Especially Tuscarora bead art!!

The speaker was Grant Jonathan, a member of the Tuscarora Nation Bear Clan who is on a mission to preserve these cultural treasures and educate the public on his ancestors' role in the creation and sale of these extraordinary works of art. Adding to my delight, was seeing Rosemary Rickard Hill - the bead artist from whom I have taken many many lessons! Come to find out, they are cousins, and this was the man she always talked about in our classes who would get her the most wonderful velvets from NYC for us. What a treat!

Here is Grant and Rosie (sporting a hat made by Grant)

Well, needless to say I took a million pictures and learned a lot - so rather than cramming everything into one post, I came up with "Tuscarora Tuesday." Each Tuesday I will post about Tuscarora Beadwork and we can all drool over them together!

But until then, here's a little sample:

There were 3 or 4 (can't remember) tables just loaded with vintage 'souvenir art' most of which were made by the Tuscarora Nation (some they think were made by the Mohawk, which I'll explain why at a later post) and sold along the edge of Niagara Falls in the mid 1800s up through the 1950s or so. I literally had to pull myself away to leave, I could have studied each individual piece for hours. They fascinate me.

I hope your day is filled with beauty and laughter and love - take care of each other!

Bead Happy and Often!

Big Hugs to all of you for listening to my recent tale of woe. It is funny now that I look back at it. Its such a nice feeling knowing my blogfriends care. It means so much to me!! XOXO

Luckily things seem to be looking up.

After a week of bad luck and bad weather, Saturday morning was beautiful--just in time for our twice annual canoe trek. (I have to admit the thought of me ending up in the water did cross my mind). It was heaven. Ironically huge storms blew through our area that very same afternoon. It was hard to believe that just a few hours before the sky was blue and wind the warm. How's that for timing?

. . . . . . .And my lidded box is finished! I love it. I can't wait to make another. I'm thinking of doing a winter themed one. Maybe with pinecones on it. Or a green velvet one with candy canes and peppermint swirls. Or a silver one with snowflakes......oh the possibilities!

I'm on a mission to make a credit card/business card holder. I've started it, but not real sure how the whole thing is going to come together. Wish me luck!

Homework complete (well, almost)

I've got three out of the four sides completed on my lidded box class. I'm really happy with the colors. The last side is a small bird, which I will tackle in class today. And I mean 'tackle' -- I don't know what it is about bird shapes, but I always struggle with them. I'm hoping Anita, our instructor, will have a few pointers for me.

Time to pack my beads and hit the road!

No housework - just homework

The Niagara County Historical Society has again offered a beading class by the very talented Anita Greene. This time she is teaching us this beyond-adorable small lidded box that she designed. I love any type of 'vessel'--especially small ones! This piece measures a bit over 2.5" -- so cute!


It is always a bit of a mystery when you take one of her classes. She gives us a choice of velvet colors and then just a list of bead sizes needed (mostly size 11). Without knowing what the piece designs are, choosing velvet and beads is harder than you'd think. I hadn't worked with crushed black velvet before, so I picked that. For the beads, I knew I would have to have light colors or they would just disappear into the velvet. So I threw together a random mix of beads and hoped for the best.


First class is always the worst. Prepping the pattern pieces. T-e-d-i-o-u-s. Lots of tracing, cutting and mounting the pellon and velvet to the posterboard. Once we have our blank canvas, so to speak, it's finally time to get to the good stuff--beading! And by that time, there was only 20 minutes left to the 2 hour class. That's OK bead homework is always good :)


As it turns out, the box will be covered with flowers, vines and leaves, a butterfly and a bird all surrounded by my favorite raised rope outline (which the Tuscarorans call the 'chase me around' stitch).


I decided to do my entire outline in a clear bead - a very traditional choice for Iroquois Raised Beadwork.Here are the pieces laid out-the two sides are not attached yet. As you can see the flowers will be on the front and back, with a butterfly on one side and a bird on the other.

Here it is folded up to get a better idea of the final shape of the box. Once the sides are on, it will bow out a bit - kind of like a little trunk. It sure is a treasure :)

It's my lucky day!

If you've read my blog for any amount of time, you know I have received lots of training from Native Americans of the Tuscarora Indian Nation, which is located in and around Lewiston, New York. Their history of beadwork has been passed down for generations and the women I have studied under learned their techniques and patterns from their ancestors. In the early 1900s many of these women made various beaded items for the tourist trade in Niagara Falls, NY. These items were most often made from clear glass beads, which were meant to mimic lace patterns that were so popular at the time.

So anyhow, my point to all of this is :

I now can say I have a piece of this historic beadwork in my studio!! A friend that I work with was cleaning out a barn which has 'tons' of old family things that have accumulated over the years. She came across this piece and thought of me (for which I will be forever grateful!) Its a clamshell needle case and I am thrilled to call it mine!

Considering it has been in a barn (just laying with a bunch of other 'stuff') for goodness knows how long, it is in great shape.

I love it that it was actually used :)

I will treasure it always.