Doe Eyes Beadery
Original Designs & Embellishments by Jacqueline Davis
Q: Are the beads glued on?
A: This question comes up frequently when people are looking at my jars/vessels. The answer is no. The jar is covered with either leather or felt and an anchor row is sewn into that. After that the beads are sewn on one-at-a-time in between the existing row of beads. The process is very time consuming and oftentimes requires increasing and decreasing to fit the configuration of the receptacle. This is a skill that is acquired over time, with lots of practice. That's also why these aren't cheap, they take hours upon hours to complete...which brings me to the second question...
Frequently Asked Questions
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Q.How long does it take you to make this?
A. This question comes up with just about everything I make. There is no specific answer to the question and here's why. Unless it's the rare exception - such as a zipper pull - there is almost nothing I make that is done at one sitting. Most pieces are process pieces, that is, there are steps. For instance, on antler ornaments or keychains. First I have to drill the top and glue in the eye bolt. Now that has to dry and set up. Next I have to glue the thin leather on the top that I will later bead on, and that has to dry. Then the beading process itself happens, many times it gets set down and I come back to it again and again, because I work at home. I homeschool my son, run the household, etc, etc...You get the picture. I try to guess when people ask the question, but it's pretty hard to know I'm answering accurately. I've tried to log my time but when you look at a clock and say "oh, I can get in ten minutes of beadwork here..." it's easy to forget to write it down.
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Q.What kind of bones/tusks/teeth/horns are those?
A. Of course I'm referring to the anter items pictured above. I use exclusively New Mexico elk antlers. The elk, or wapiti, is one of the largest species of deer in the world and one of the largest mammals in North America. Elk used to live across North America, but these days you are most likely to find them in the western states and provinces. Each spring, male elk begin growing antlers from bony bumps on their skulls. Increasing daylight elevates the level of the hormone testosterone in the animal's blood, which triggers the growth of antlers. Antlers begin as layer upon layer of cartilage that slowly mineralizes into bone. They are light and easily damaged until they completely mineralize in late summer. A soft covering called velvet helps protect the antlers and carries blood to the growing bone tissue. An antler grows faster than any other kind of bone. It can grow up to one inch per day during the summer. By its seventh year, a bull's antlers may have six tines each, weigh as much as 40 pounds, and grow to a length and spread of more than four feet. Why would an animal need to carry around a rack of antlers that weighs so much? Large antlers identify a bull that is able to defend himself against other bulls and against predators. This information is of great interest to female elk (cows) because they will mate with the strongest, most successful males -- usually the bulls with the biggest antlers. Antlers and horns are very different. True horns, like those found on bighorn sheep, mountain goats, bison and pronghorn, grow continuously throughout an animals life, and cannot be replaced if damaged or broken off.
