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Enchantra
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Thanks MArk.
Yes there is a lot of work into every segment of the piece. Bezeling the central agate that Krystee cut was at least a four hour run of time between the actual bezel and then bezel decoration.
The amount of time I put into these pieces is one of the reasons why I cannot understand the price disparity online on selling venues between European beaders and American/Canadian beaders. Folks in Europe are posting pieces for sale at prices I couldn't even make them for! I don't know if they get their materials for cheaper than dirt or if they aren't charging for their time or what... But when a piece similar to some of my stuff will sell for $90 when I'd be charging close to $300 for something similar, I have to wonder...
Incidentally with the materials and time into the piece above, I'd probably sell it for close to $900 - $1000 if I were to sell it. Krystee gave me that central stone as a gift, so unless I need the money to eat, I won't be selling it.
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Rockrangers
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This is a interesting story you bring up regarding your past. I live in central Alberta where the largest First Nations population is in Canada, and have a pretty good grasp on the history and spiritual ways of the people. My wife is Cree but her grandfather gave up there treaty rights not to be branded as a savage as they labeled you in those times but the family is large out here.
The place I live in is on reservation land that is leased from one of the 3 bands that surround me. The towns name is Wetaskiwin and in Cree means a place of peace. The legend is two tribes were at war with each other and that it had gone on for years with many brave warriors lost, eventually a meeting was to take place on the highest hill that overlooked the entire area to settle a truce between the two tribes and this was the place the truce came about. "cool"
You mentioned "Grandmother Moon" and I have heard it spoken or referred to as one of the spiritual elder women. A lot of the First nations culture refer her as a person of great knowledge and teachings.
Historically, many nations were women-centered and matrilineal, meaning a child’s ancestry was traced through her mother, and the family property was passed down through the female line, from mothers to daughters to granddaughters. In some cases, this was also true of family names. In many nations, not only did a woman own the land, she owned the dwelling her family lived in. These societal factors are a testimony to the power and influence women held in traditional Aboriginal society.
It seems your grandmother is showing your ancestry by coming out in some of your designs.
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Enchantra
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Rockrangers that was very informative. Thank you!  I'll have to pass that along to my Mom next time I speak with her. She'll be delighted to hear that. With all the research I've done and others in my extended family have done, we've never been able to figure out who our Native Ancestor was married to. We know several of the men on the family tree remarried a few times having lost wives in childbirth or to illness, so it's possible she was married to one of those male ancestors and we don't know it. Sadly trying to trace Native heritage is hard because records were not well kept in the 18th and 19th centuries and in that time the Native groups moved around quite a bit due to pressure from settlers and governments. The one person from Mom's side of the family who lives in Canada and was doing extensive research put the research down a couple years ago after years of scouring town records etc as she was diagnosed with alzheimers and put on treatment for it. We may never know where our ancestor fits into the tree. I would like to believe that my ancestor would be proud of my work in keeping my heritage alive. |
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Rockrangers
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Any time! Kinda sad your not able to get her native family last name. It would be a key to many questions.  |
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Enchantra
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It is sad. I agree. I'd be happy with at least knowing a last name, clan name, or even the group she was from.
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Helene
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Good luck Amanda in the FMG contest. You have my vote, your necklace is stunning and so different.
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Enchantra
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Tlaloc - Aztec god of Rain and Thunder.
Here is my drawing that is roughly a bit larger than the piece I am about to embark on for the next FMG contest entry. This will be the focal, and then to either side I will have the feathered Serpents of Quetzalcoatl making up the necklace portion.
I drew this from looking at archaeological images of Tlaloc on Google. This was taken from an image that came up a lot on Google of Tlaloc's effigy on offering pots found at archaeological digs in Tenochtitlan (Now Mexico City) at the Temple of the Sun.
What to me is fascinating is in every image I came across of Tlaloc in the headdress are these tiny details that look like cotter pins. I have them penciled in on the headdress with a few simple lines.
Tlaloc's face of course is an oddity of itself. His nose, lips and eyes are supposedly made of serpents. I don't have the serpent detail drawn in on this rough image, but that will come with the actual piece. I have two 8mm round faux opals on order with FMG to create the center of his eyes. The squares to either side of his face are actually ear spools. Ear spools are found on imagery of Kings, Priests, Priestesses, Nobility and gods in Meso-American and South American Native Cultures. The common people did not wear ear spools - these were purely symbols of status.
Tlaloc is typically pictured with greenish skin. Most of the effigy pots I looked at have him with skin that was some shade of green to turquoise with the serpents in turquoise or blue. The most common images showed him with only two fangs, but some images of more ornate detail show him with up to eight fangs protruding from his mouth. For ease of manufacture, I'm sticking with two fangs.
I have to do a bit more research but so far I have no idea what the two gold disks are to either side of his mouth. Could be cheek piercings or something related to his headdress.
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Enchantra
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Ok this was sitting unfinished on my bench for a while. I'm trying to play catchup on unfinished projects and commissions!
So here is the Kippah and Tallit set I will wear for High Holy Days this year.
Indonesian Fossil Coral and a variety of Czech, Chinese and Japanese Glass beads.
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Enchantra
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And here is Helene's Commission...
Helene, let me know if you want anything changed before I ship these. PM me with your address.
These are using beads Helene cut herself to go with a necklace I made her early last year.
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Steve
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Those latest entries are wonderful. You've been much more productive than I........Keep it up....................
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Enchantra
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Thanks Steve. More to come as I work on the next FMG piece and the commission for Lonelygems.
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Helene
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Amanda what you did is about as perfect as you can get. I'm flabbergasted at what you have done with the stones. That you made them is even more special. Thank you.  |
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tntmom
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Wow, you have accomplished SO much this year with your amazing work, moves and marriage!!! Absolutely fantastic as always and I can't wait to see you take the win this year!!!  |
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