]I make Sioux, Pawnee and Cherokee inspired items using only natural tools and materials. I do sell some pieces but it's mostly just a hobby,
Anyway I just finished a willow limb basket with all the bells and whistles. I started it in 2008. Seriously! It took 5 months for the green limbs to dry and harden for the base alone. Went a couple years in storage gathering dust while I was busy with my newborn son. I'm laid up now after having emergency surgery one week ago and I used my endless couch time to finish the basket, whoo hoo!
As said I use only natural tools and materials; I even cut and stripped the branches with a flint blade and did the sewing with soaked bark strips, deer sinew and leather! Heck my sewing needles are either a sharpened antler sliver or a porcupine quill (fyi do not stick yourself with porcupine quill, it is not magical!) I used hawk, pheasant and duck feathers, rabbit pelts I cured myself, coyote teeth, walnut stained bone beads, a bison tooth, bison hair, a deer antler (natural shed) hand-knapped agate and obsidian arrowheads, a hand-woven mini dreamcatcher, the works! I went nuts on that thing LOL. Not even sure I'm done with it, feeling an urge to add a sweetgrass braid or something. I'm going to sell the basket via auction starting tomorrow. After that I think I'll do a ceremonial bison horn drinking cup (real horn, always) with beads, feathering and maybe a fox tail for decoration. This stuff is fun to do!
Momsfolly, if you'd be interested in something I make a point of selling my items cheaper than average. A bison horn drinking cup is only $35 from me (that's the average price; depends on decorative materials) and a decorated (using hawk feathers, beading, coyote teeth, abalone shell) full-body coyote pelt runs $100. I also do personalized 'medicine' pouches. I don't have the skill for mask carving, sadly.
I want to learn someday!
