How to keep your buckskin clean while quilling/beading

[Heals the Wild]

Hi Everyone, just wondering if there is any special magic to keeping the hide clean while your quilling or beading. I wash my hands, make sure everything around is clean but It still looks like the hide is dirty and smudged around my work. I've been doing a lot of quillwork lately and I make sure I rinse my quills as well as possible. It's not the quill color on the hide but seems kind of grey around everything. Any ideas on what I may be doing wrong or ways to make it look clean again?

Thanks!

[Czechy]

I know some of the beadworkers in Canada cover their work with plastic wrap and then bead directly over it. (Applique beadwork) When done they just tear it off. I don't think this will work for quilling however.