Trade Beads …Salish Sea with White Caps
Trade Beads …Salish Sea with White Caps, Necklace and Earrings set was a joy to make here at Walker Goldsmiths. Creating this trade bead necklace design had me remembering my childhood chasing around in little speedboats on the Salish Sea.
I grew up on the Tulalip Reservation in Port Susan north of Everett, WA, in the pacific northwest US, and we kids spent a lot of time on the water. We also spent a lot of our summer time doing chores and odd jobs just to buy gas for our little motors so we could zip around with our friends coming and going to the best clam beds, collecting crabs from the crab traps we set, and fishing for anything that would bite our bait. Snooping around all the ins and outs of the bay, hanging out around and under the docks and keeping an eye out for any lost flotsam and jetsam that comes and goes with the tides every day was always interesting. With all this preoccupation with our destinations we had to always keep an eye out for the changes in the tides and especially what the winds and the water were up to. Little ripples could change to mighty waves in the blink of an eye and a little “chop” could turn into “white caps” just as fast. Some choppy sea could be very much fun to run our little boats with, but we had to be watchful.
These beautiful antique Russian Blue, individually hand faceted Trade Beads, circa 1700’s and possibly earlier, represent the Salish Sea. I always put Czech Cobalt glass beads on with the Russians to protect them and facilitate a lovely grace and flow of the necklace. The Venetian Chevron “Stripers” reminded me of the “white caps” rolling and bouncing along the tops of the waves. The little German pressed glass spacers and the faceted Copper beads I just had to put in to represent the sunshine glinting off the waves on a beautiful sunny July day. Ah, Summertime!
Trade Beads …Salish Sea with White Caps Earrings
Trade Beads …Salish Sea with White Caps, Necklace and Earrings set by Walker Goldsmiths is priced at $275. S&H free in the USA.
