So I'm really not very good at destashing...

Oops...

But I made some stuff with the beads! Not as many out as in, but still, progress is progress right?

It all started with a commission of sorts, by my inlaws.

The husbeast's dad had a handful of elk ivory. Apparently you can make some pretty sweet jewelry with elk ivory. The ivory came to him through hunters, and at least one road kill. (Road kill jewelry...a first here at Spyder Jewels) :) Anyway...he also has some cougar claws. Said cougar was stalking him and my mother-in-law as they were walking their fence line. And as opposed to being eaten by the cougar that was stalking him, he removed the threat to him, his family, and their livestock. He disposed of the body in the wild, as per state requiree. A few weeks later, after nature had taken its course, he went back and harvested the claws. With the ivory and the claws, he asked me to bead some medicine bags for him, my mother-in-law, and their 3 kids(and me) I got to work on my mother-in-law's first.





Her favorite color is blue, and she likes sunflowers, so I beaded a sunflower. I wanted to add contrast to the in-between petals, but didn't have the right shade of yellow/gold/orange, so to the bead store I went. The bead store didn't have the right color either, after I had picked a few colors and ther objects... Oh well. I'm still pretty happy with how it turned out. The claw is also removable so she can wear it by itself if the mood should strike.

My father-in-law's bag was the next one I completed. I was sitting around beading an ornament when my husbeast informed me that dad-and-mom-in-law had almost been eaten (again) by another cougar. This seems to be a pretty regular occurrence for them...it concerns me.


But, it seemed fitting to put a cougar on his bag. I'm not wild about the darkest brown, but he really likes it, so I'm happy with it.

Husbeast's sister asked me to make some barrettes for one niece and some hemp necklaces for other niece. I didn't have the right beads for barette danglies, nor any accent beads in the right colors for hemping.


Cue another bead store trip...oops

I needed a break between medicine bags, so I made an ornament



.This one is for my best friend's mom. She is a survivor, and I thought this pattern was the perfect accent for ribbons. I'm sure someone can make a correlation between pink flamingos and cancer, but not me, at least not today.



I know she'll like it, and that also makes me happy. I did have to make a bead run for the charms. (and more beads just 'cause)


But I made a necklace out of some of them and have all sorts of plans for some more of them.



Not all of them obviously. I'm haven't gone weird or anything:)

Someone please let me know if the pictures appear? Thanks!