What is it about beads that fascinates us?  Is it simply the desire to adorn ourselves with an accessory that doesn't play an integral part in our survival, the desire to proclaim our social status, or does it run much more deeply than that? 

     28,000 years ago, in an area now known as Sungir, Russia, a 60-year-old man, a child of 8-10 thought to be a girl and a 13-year-old tentatively identified as a boy, were laid to rest. 
Archaeologists are almost certain that the three belonged to the same social group, yet there are remarkable and somewhat surprising differences in their grave goods.  The man was buried 
with strands of slightly rounded ivory beads, more than 2,936 of them, draped over his entire body.  The  boy' was covered with strands containing 4,900 beads, the girl' was covered with 
5,200, the difference being that the beads used were two-thirds the diameter of the man's. 

     Disregarding the clothing and other grave goods present, what has surprised archaeologists the most is the amount of labour invested with the burial of each individual.  A single bead took roughly an hour to make, so if we compare the man's beadwork to the children's, we see that roughly 3,000 hours (125 days) went into his beadwork, while the children's took over 5,000 hours each (416 days combined). 

     While most of us don't have this kind of time or the resources at our disposal to make beads, we are pushing the boundaries of the beads which are available to us.  The need to bead is a strong, creative urge that is akin to a deep itch which never goes away.  We spend countless hours weaving them into fantastical shapes and forms, producing many beautiful and innovative pieces, like Linda Breyer's beaded beads, which remind me of the crisp lines of an artichoke, or Beth Allen's lush fabric pillow beads. 

     Beads are almost mystical in the fascination with which we regard them.  Ask any bead artist and they'll tell you that beading is a meditative experience, a chance to reflect upon their life and an aid to healing their hurts.  While many societies no longer adorn their dead with beads, the therapeutic value of beadwork has not changed much in that regard and many of us bury the ghosts of our pasts, one bead at a time in our work. 
 

Craft sticks can be found at any craft store and many toy stores too!  Different sizes combined are an endless array of building blocks for your imagination.  In this issue and the next we will be featuring two of many ideas available from J.M. Art! 

Materials needed:  

Step 1:  Arrange the following pieces as shown in picture 1 and hold them together with masking tape.  
2 - Full Size Sticks  
1 -  4 1/4 inch piece  
2 - 3 3/4 inch pieces  
2 - 3 1/4 inch pieces  
 

Step 2:  Cut four pieces, each 2 1/2 inch long.  Clue them in place as shown in picture 2.  They should be flat at both ends.  
 

Step 3:  Cut three pieces, each 2 inches long.  Lay them side by side and hold together with masking tape.  
 

Step 4:  Cut two pieces, each 1 inch long.  Glue them in place as shown in the picture, leaving space between them for a rubber band.  

Step 5:  Slip the ends of the rubber band over the full size sticks on the body of the boat.  Make sure the paddle can turn freely.  

NOTE:  This project should be painted if you plan to use it in water.  

Instruction for 14 different projects:  $5 Precut, individual kits:  $3 Shipping:  $2 per order 690 Los Angeles Ave., #207 Simi Valley, CA 93065 Fax: 805-578-8622 email: PRISMA2788@aol.com