About Me

Lindsay M Starr is a beadwork and mixed media artist currently based in Nashville, TN. She spent her early childhood in Alaska, and her school age and college years in Oregon. Lindsay has a great appreciation for history, science, and nature and is consistently inspired by insects, sea life, color, and the significance of beads and beadwork throughout human history. She spends her days beading, walking at the zoo, and practicing yoga. Lindsay loves to share her knowledge and passion for beads and beadwork to hobbyists of all skill levels.

Friday, May 1, 2015

Beading Back in Time Blog Hop Challenge Reveal Part 2 - Early Human

Are you ready for another blog hop reveal?  I know I am!  It's time for the Beading Back in Time Blog Hop Challenge Reveal Part 2 - Early Human - hosted by myself, and the lovely Sherri of Knot Just Macrame.
Sherri says I'm the short one...what I want to know is why does she get to wear the leopard hides?!?
 Before we even announced this phase of the challenge, I knew I would be incorporating these beads into my finished piece:
These are Neolithic quartz beads, that were painstakingly drilled by hand!  One of the things that I have always loved about beads is just how much a part of human culture they have been since the beginning.  I've had these beads for a few years now, just waiting for the right project.  And here it is!
I've wanted to make a shaman necklace for myself for years, and this seemed to be the perfect reason.  I wanted all of the components to be natural, and preferably handmade...so I broke out my seldom used dremel tool and went to town on my box of weird nature things!
 Some of the materials I used include (because I'm sure I can't remember all of them): hemp twine, driftwood and kelp from the Oregon Coast, Baltic Sea amber, crinoid segment fossils, coral skeleton, turkey spur and deer hooves, the neolithic quartz beads, sliced walnut and tagua nut, rudraksha seed, large flat seeds from Peru, wood and twigs, antler...the list goes on!  In the center is a stylized ceramic cat skull by my buddy Mel of Melody Allen - Ceramics.  Humans started developing ceramics around 24,000 BCE - I love this combination of two creative disciplines that are so integral to our identity as humans.
Here are a couple more views so you can see the entire scope of the piece.  What objects can you identify?  There are a few that are still mysteries to me - like the large wood nobby thing just below the ceramic skull.  A friend gave that to me, and I have no idea what kind of tree it came from...or is it some sort of root nodule?  Do you know?
And here's our beauty shot!  I hope you enjoyed checking out my creation this time around.    Please use the links below to see what everyone else has been up to- I have such creative friends!  I'm off to check out their posts right now! Thanks for looking!
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5 comments:

  1. SueBeadsMay 1, 2015 at 8:02 AM

    Oh my, that's just awesome!

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  2. UnknownMay 1, 2015 at 7:40 PM

    I am in awe. I am also busy trying to identify all the little treasures you have in there!

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  3. MelissaMay 4, 2015 at 5:09 AM

    So so cool Lindsay, I love it! Can see a Shaman or witch doctor wearing something like this, with each element an integral part of the magic!

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  4. UnknownMay 4, 2015 at 10:11 AM

    I love your design! I have a few of those quartz beads which I totally love!

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  5. JennyMay 5, 2015 at 6:41 AM

    That is so wild! The sounds it must make as it moves! I wish there was a before shot of your collection of treasures....

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