Sunday 25 November 2012

New From The Studio!

Since I've not shared a glimpse of what we've been working on, a good friend has been encouraging me ... okay, prodding me, to do so.
So today's post is all about what's new from our little creative space. Here in our neck of the woods, literally, we're gearing up for a craft show sometime in early December. Many of our little gems then have a very Christmasy feel. Or at least winter. Betty made these delightful earrings, inspired by a decorated Christmas tree. The photo just doesn't get their sparkle across, but trust me, they sparkle and dance as if they really were lit from within.

Chevy made these little guys from hex beads, and I think they're just about the cutest beaded owls ever! They're just about an inch long and light as a feather. Get it? Feather...owl....
Guess you had to be there.






This key fob was inspired by another piece I designed recently. This is the wolf paw print from "Spirit Howls". I remember being a kid and wishing I could afford some little thing. So with this in mind, we try and make beadwork everyone can afford and enjoy. So this piece was designed with kids in mind, of all ages and genders. You didn't think beadwork was just for women, did you?




This is the aforementioned "Spirit Howls", a bookmark I designed. It has a First Nations feel to it because it was inspired by a Native painter, Norman Knott. There are some things I've changed, so the next piece like this will be slightly different. I wanted to blend elements of old and new, so I used a modern finish (aurora borealis) for the background and the tradition of the spirit line. I also wanted to honor the Four Directions by using one color from each quadrant of the Medicine Wheel. Some might say they can see his breath, some may say it's his prayer to the Creator. I hope this piece brings someone else joy as well.

Of course, that's not all we've created, these are only a teaser. If you'd like to see more, you can find it all at Cee Cee Native Crafts website. Just click the link!
If you're on Twitter, you can find us at our page there
or if Pinterest excites you, come and follow us there
Perhaps Facebook is your thing? We love Facebook, come and friend us!

We do hope you'll stop by and say hi. And if you see anything you'd like to enquire about, there's always email. Feel free to drop us a line and let us know what you think!

Friday 23 November 2012

What Are Chevron Beads?

What a neat old bead I stumbled across on the web!

It is a 7 layer clear striped chevron. It is comprised of white, aqua, white, brick red, white, clear outer layers covering 6 blue and 3 each aqua and brick red stripes. Faceted and 9mm x 9mm. 1600s/1700s
Wow!



According to Wikipedia,
"Venetian chevron beads are drawn beads, made from glass canes, which are shaped using specifically constructed star moulds. The first chevron beads were made towards the end of the 15th century, consisting of 7 layers of alternating colours. They usually have 6 facets. Unlike their later counterparts, they were not always made with the standard 12-point star mould. By the beginning of the 20th century, 4 and 6-layer chevron beads appear on various sample cards. According to records kept at the Societa Veneziana Conterie of Murano, they stopped making chevron canes during the 1950s. Chevron beads are still being made in Venice today, albeit in very small quantities."


This is a Chinese example of a chevron bead, also called a "rosette" bead. Modern, but still beautiful in it's own right.

Monday 19 November 2012

A Did You Know Moment

Did you know...

The earliest Native American fetishes are called Ahlashiwe or stone ancients by the Zunis. They were naturally formed stones that seemed to resemble people or animals, sometimes made more realistic with the features accentuated by a carver. Different animals were thought to bring different attributes. Bears are commonly seen, thought to bring the keeper strength.
Some Native American fetishes will have an inlaid turquoise or coral "heartline" extending from the mouth to the center of the body. One of the possible explanations for this heartline is that it represents a time in Zuni mythology when animals totally dominated man. The Great Spirit sent a bolt of lightning that turned all man-eating animals into stone. The lightning is represented by an inlaid or painted line. Another possible interpretation is that the heartline gives the fetish healing or medicinal power.

As you can see above, we've given this tradition our own spin by keeping that heartline in our hex bead buffalo earrings.


Sunday 18 November 2012

Northern Inspiration

Inspiration  often strikes when we least expect it. I was cruising Pinterest earlier and saw this shot, which in turn inspired a beadwork piece that's now in the planning stages. I just had to share it! It was taken by Brian Powers, a very talented photographer here in Ontario. I hope it moves you in some way.


Friday 16 November 2012

New Beginnings

It is with great joy that we take our first step into blogdom today. Yes, I know, blogdom is not a word and we probably cannot play it in Scrabble. Well, I declare it a word now.
At any rate, let me share a bit of our story and what led us into blogdom.
Many years ago, a mother and daughter wanted to share the happiness that they got from doing beadwork. They developed their own specialties, taught others, thought outside traditional colors and patterns and worked hard on their craft, and all with the greatest respect for the Indigenous First Nations People who had come before them. In time, a company was born. Cee Cee Native Crafts.

Our name came from the first letters of our names, Carolyn and Chevy, but we couldn't just use the letter "C", so we spiced it up a bit and decided to write out the letters instead!
We've been developing jewelry with a native flair for over 30 years, always improving our techniques, our quality and our designs. We try to offer something new every few months, just to keep things fresh. We use a wide range of colors, a variety of leather, felt and cloth and we're very proud of our standards. Because, frankly, who wants a hastily finished piece of blech?
We're always trying to interest future generations in carrying on the art of beadwork. We've taught at a number of schools as well as teaching other members of our family. Each of us in the family has our own "specialty" now.
Chevy - Everything from picking colours, choosing leather, product development, finishing and customer relations, business operations, ordering and shipping and more!
Carolyn - Pattern research and development, product development, freestyle beadwork, web presence, peyote beadwork, site maintenance, business operations and whatever else comes up!
Red - Loom work and finishing
Betty - Earrings, and learning more
Glenn - At one time Glenn developed patterns and did some awesome peyote beadwork! These days, he's moved on from building beaded pieces to building cars.


We have a few goals for our blog. Not just to showcase our work, but the work of all kinds of talented folks; beadworkers, herbalists, leatherworkers, carvers, painters ... the list could be endless! You'll find that over time, we'll share what makes the world go 'round, what makes it healthier, a happier place to be and things that bring joy.

We hope you'll share this journey with us.
You can also find us on Twitter
as well as on Facebook
and on our website

Look us up!