Traditional wampum shell carving adornment hand carved from thick local quahog bivalve shells harvested from local Atlantic ocean waters, selected for size. I use a combination of traditional and modern tools and wear a face mask and goggles to protect my lungs and eyes. Shell is shaped into whale, shark, turtle, bird and into wampum beads of various sizes by billeting out with an antler, or cutting by hand with a small electrified cutting disk, removing the rough back of shell with sand and water, drilled under water to keep down dust. Cordage is hand spun into a two ply from dried milkweed plants, mordanted with iron, copper or alum and dyed with traditional sumac berries,bark, black walnut husk, osage orange wood or bloodroot plant dyes. The soft fiber complements the smooth hard shell and the wampum beads are woven into pouches, chokers, headbands etc with geometric designs that make the most out of the natural purple and white contrast in the shell.
