Beads To Buckskins
Just a little about Beads To Buckskins
The first Beads to Buckskins book was written and published in 1988 and each year following two volumes were written and published. Twelve volumes completes the series. Since then, there have been many reprints plus volumes one and three have been revised with new techniques and photos. The beading frenzy started shortly after volume one was released and just keeps exploding and expanding each day.
There are so many talented designers in beaded jewelry that every idea or imagined idea has been expanded on to incorporate more then just glass seed beads; We are using Simi precious stone beads with stone cabochon and sometimes incorporating precious stones with glass seed beads; there seems to be no limit to the wonderful ideas and accomplishments in designs.
Because of the title of this series some people think that the techniques pertain only to the Native American culture, however the contemporary, as well as Victorian and more modern techniques such as beading with crystals and minerals is well illustrated. Beading has become the universal connection of Jewelry Crafters all over the world. They share the same desires and creative ideas and have become a network of unseen friends and colleagues. I am pleased to say that the Beads to Buckskins Series covers all of the above and was one of the first to present these techniques to the public in a series that has been one of the hall marks of beading for twenty years and still going.........
A little history
Before the white man came to the North American Continent, the native Indian
women dyed seeds and various pieces of wood and porcupine quills to use as
decoration on robes and garments and other articles, such as belts,
moccasins, war bonnets, leggings, pouches, hairpieces, cradle boards, knife
sheaths and necklaces. Animal teeth, shells and certain bones were highly
prized. The quill work is said to have been done only in North America and
no where else.
With the arrival of the white man came
the glass bead. ( I understand that Manhattan Island was traded for about 24
pounds of glass beads.) The Hudson Bay Co. traded blankets and glass beads
for fur pelts. The trading of beads progressed very quickly to the Plains
Indians and the West Coast tribes.
Just as the automobile replaced the horse and wagon in their modern age,
gold and silver coins and paper moneys have replaced glass beads. Glass
beads are no longer considered as something of great value. Yet, when they
are placed on an evening dress or costume, the garment becomes very
expensive; and if your are lucky enough to purchase some original, old glass
beads, then your garment becomes even more expensive. A single antique bead
" two or three hundred years old " may be very valuable.
