Beadwork

[bb07]

My wife is Dene and has done traditional beadwork all her life, but recently has been trying different things, so I wanted to share some of her latest work. Everything shown here, including the gloves, has been made by her.
Traditional Dene beadwork has a lot of floral designs, similar to this:

For something a bit different, here's a paw pattern on these gloves

Earrings

Keyrings. The little mittens are my favourite

Hair thingies I don't know what else to call them. The knife is for scale

And some more

A variety of wristbands and earrings

 

[Toddy]

Beautiful work and lovely to see it too
I do a little beadweaving and embroidery, but nothing like the work and design in those.
Inspirational

Thank you for the photographs; tell your missus I wished she lived nearer ?

atb,
Mary

 

[ozzy1977]

Very nice, will have to show my wife who used to do this sort of thing.

 

[topknot]

That's some lovely work.

Topknot

 

[santaman2000]

Beautiful.

 

[John Fenna]

I love beadwork and have a small collection of items from South Africa - everything from trad necklaces to Bic lighter covers - and some Eastern European bits as well as some Plains Indians inspired pieces that I have sewn myself.
I love the pieces in the photos - especially those top gloves ... I wish I had that kind of skill!

 

[British Red]

Those gloves are simply outstanding!

 

[Albus Culter]

Wow. She has skills and great artistic design.

Love the wrist bands. The black yellow and red one stands out to me. Stunning

 

[squishy]

Ooh I love the paw print gloves I've also done beading before but again, nothing like this.. love it, she's a v.talented woman

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

 

[Clouston98]

Brilliant! I love the paw print key rings!

 

[Macaroon]

Spectacular! in design as well as execution, those really are beautiful...My compliments to the missus

 

[squishy]

Omg just had another look at the pics and noticed the little owl earrings. . They are so cute!

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

 

[Cromm]

Outstanding.

 

[bb07]

Thanks for the comments everyone. She didn't know that I put her work on a forum but I like it so I thought others would as well. I told her about doing this a few minutes ago, and got a strange look, so I wasn't sure if I was in trouble or not.

Once I read the comments to her I knew I wasn't in trouble. Watching her face light up in a smile as I read to her was well worth it.
You all have made her day. Many thanks from us both.

 

[greensurfingbear]

shes done some lovely work! Reminds me of my old hand made moccasins made for me by a little old native american lady. Moccasins died years back and in a rash decision I threw them out.....wish Id cut out the bead work so I still had it!

Im sure she would pick up commission no trouble at all!

 

[bb07]

Here is some of the more recent work done by the Mrs.

Assorted earrings

Who doesn't love owls?

Wrist bands and others

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do showing it!

 

[Robson Valley]

She's moved away a little from the more traditional floral designs. Her recent body of work really shows off her skill.
I can put names on the hummingbird, feather and wolf earrings right now.

There are some Dene bead crafters in my village but they're so shy about displaying their work.
Until the time comes to get out the blanket winter coats!!!!!

 

[forginhill]

That is some amazing work! Wow! I grew up with natives who did beadwork and I wore bracelets and necklaces somewhat similar to those, especially like the ninth pic down. Nice to see this sort of thing being done by others today.

 

[bb07]

She's moved away a little from the more traditional floral designs. Her recent body of work really shows off her skill.
I can put names on the hummingbird, feather and wolf earrings right now.

There are some Dene bead crafters in my village but they're so shy about displaying their work.
Until the time comes to get out the blanket winter coats!!!!!

Yes, she definitely has departed from the traditional with a lot of her work. She is interested in other aboriginal cultures and really likes seeing different things. This is quite evident in some of what she's doing now.
Traditional Dene work here in Saskatchewan's north is more like what is pictured below. These particular gloves were made by her mother. This work is quickly disappearing in many areas as the older folks pass on.
I would have shown more floral designs but photobucket refuses to let me resize my pics for some reason. Uncooperative, as usual.


Moosehide gloves

 

[Robson Valley]

Those gloves make my heart ache for the slow and steady erosion of the old ways.
Those are moose. What is the fur trim? Wolf, maybe?
The bead workers in my village add to their coats every year. In the drab, black and white days
of winter in the mountains, their coats are explosions of color.
I have a pair of double-soled moose moccasins, knee high, with beadwork down the outsides.
Made for me in La Ronge, 1965. Same year that they made me a prong-horn antelope leather shirt, 2-button cuffs, no less.
Still got bullet holes in the back. Me and Art Sjolander kept a table in The Zoo as an office.