Beadesigns

The Huichol Indians lay beads into beeswax to cover objects and create items dedicated to their gods and spirits. Bead & Button's October 1997 issue features this beadwork and how to do it.

In addition they ran a Bead Challenge for projects completed. The August 1998 issue of Bead & Button has an article of the winners and their projects. Well...........guess who?..........won!

Right! The featured dove on this page is one of the winners! It took 32 hours to complete. The base is one of those old alabaster doves that your mom used to have laying around that would get dirty and couldn't be cleaned because alabaster dissolves in water. I found it (all dirty) at a second hand store. Needless to say, it doesn't dissolve under beeswax.

It's a fun, but messy technique. The little house is a dog house that goes with a little beaded doggie all the bead buddies did for one of our bead sista's. It's base is topnotch, very hard cardboard and then covered Huichol style in stained glass and beads. It was fun and actually didn't take too long--only 8 hours. I glued the glass pieces on and then waxed the beads in place. The base is a piece of black opague stained glass for ease of handling. It's currently in the private collection of Terri Atwell.

I think we should do a miniature house, don't you?!