Spotted Seal hunting in Alaska

I went Seal and Sea Otter hunting for the first time in the spring of 2013 in a small Kodiak Island village.  It was so successful that the host of our hunting trip wouldn't allow me to sit around and skin hides he instructed "Hope you can drop the knife and grab a new gas can, get back out there.  The other lady (she doesn't get a feature here) can finish your hides."  Well, My husband and I pleaded to just skin our own hides as we had about nine Northern Sea Otter's the first morning we were out.  To our dismay and hers, we dropped the knives and proceeded to shoot 6 more Otter's and he a Spotted seal which was on the move in a pod of about 21.  It was life changing, to say the least, watching an Inupiaq from Kotzebue, Alaska, hunt with such precision while standing in a moving skiff. I took photos and ran the small motor boat so we stayed just close enough to the moving pod so that he can shoot with obvious skill.  We only went back to the dock to offload the six huge Sea otters.  That is all we could carry on the boat. 

Alaska's Harbor Seal skin jewelry

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Most People have a thing called a "Bucket list" if you don't know what it is google should become your Best friend , One item on mine was to learn to make Alaskan Native crafts.  I went and tried beading with small beads, I didn't take to it very well.  So, I asked some Fellow sewers to no avail.  Apparently they have to accept you before they let you in on their secret sewing society, (I'm totally kidding in a positive way that this is why they couldn't help me.)   Any how I started practicing and I started to remember how to tack beads down and this is where it started leading me:
  

What you see there is a piece of a Seal skin that I shot (yes you read that right) I shot in the Prince William Sound out of Whittier, Alaska, using a .223 Winchester which I received as a gift.  Some gift, I know right? where are the diamonds and roses? none the less it has led me to create the beautiful piece you see below. I ordered metal bangle bracelets and the pearls at fire mountain gems for a great price.  I took a piece of paper and outlined the outside of the adjustable bracelet and used that as a pattern to carefully cut out pieces of the seal skin.  I wasn't sure which way to face the fur as you can see I chose horizontal.  I also used some dyed deer skin from the local fur store to have something to tack the pearls too. It took me about 2 hours to sew this with some dental floss like string, the out come was so pretty that I'm trying not to hoard every bracelet I make, as you know these things cost money. Still, I have a couple of these in my closet. 

The one thing I enjoyed most about this little project, is that even though I haven't been taught how to make traditional Alaskan Native clothing and jewelry. Is that, I love how gorgeous this idea turned out!