This is a story about a person I only spent about 30 minutes with but she impacted me greatly and I made this piece to reflect her and our time together. I titled it, “kishaywatishiw” meaning “tender-hearted” in Michif.

Stitch by stitch, bead by bead, teaching by teaching, I’m learning. This was the project I was most scared to start. I’ve had these materials and the design drawn for months. Sitting, waiting. With the exception of the beads (obviously) I’ve worked with none of these materials before. I was scared, working with hide felt so permanent.

Orange Shirt Day began on September 30, 2013, to honour the estimated 150,000 children who were kidnapped from their families and forced into residential schools from 1831-1996. Residential schools were government-funded religious schools established in Canada to strip children of their Indigenous culture and assimilate them to Canadian society.

Desperately holding onto summer as I use part of my lunch break to take these pictures midday wearing a hoodie. A chill is in the air and unfortunately for this summer babe fall is upon us.

Reclaiming what was stolen. Growing up I always knew I was Métis but it was more something mentioned in passing, there were never any traditional teachings passed down, I never grew up feeling like Métis was a part of me that I could claim.

A very fun custom for one of my oldest friends. She’s a cat lover so I was veeeeery happy to make these for her. I was extra ready for this challenge because I had JUST seen a cow print pair by @runningfoxbeads and I thought they were just the cutest so I was excited to try my hand at animal print.

Finished these baddies at 12:15 AM! So worth it. I loved the pattern of the original pair I made (see below) but I wasn’t in love with the colours and the length so here I go adding more drama... and you know they’re drama when they tickle your collarbone.

Made these bright watercolour earrings for a birthday present and boy oh boy am I going to have fun with this pattern!

I submitted my application for Métis Citizenship this week and part of the process is being able to trace your ancestry back to a historic Métis community. My grandfather (5 generations before me) André Parisien belonged to a Métis community just south of where the La Salle River meets the Red River.

Just a little freestyle and playing with patterns. I was asked about the significance of this jacket recently by my sister-in-law and I realized in the moment that this jacket was on my back as I roamed Europe for an entire month by myself exploring my ancestral lands.

No particular story behind this one! Just fun, colourful, and summery. I’m a summer baby (it’s cancer season) and I live for our short summers, sunshine, and yes, even a good thunderstorm!

Like many other bead workers, I’ve not felt the urge to pick up a needle in a little bit. I’ve taken some time to learn/unlearn, listen, reflect, watch, read, discuss, check on my friends, rally. It‘s such heavy work but it’s work that NEEDS to happen and keep happening.

These are the biggest pair I’ve made to date at JUST under 2,000 beads total. When I first started beading I got really into the earrings that were five beads wide and like 60ish long and I love the simple elegance with those but it’s been so rewarding to design a pattern on my screen and then watch it come to life bead by bead and stitch by stitch.

I’ve been wanting to do a pair like these for a while. My fascination with the sky runs deep I used to cloud gaze with my grandmother on the front lawn in Boissevain and stargaze on warm summer nights at the lake. I love how the sky is so unknown to me, it makes me feel small and insignificant but in a comforting kind of way.

I was honoured and so excited to make these for my dear friend Amirah’s mother Faye for Mother’s Day. Amirah and I have been friends since, I’m pretty sure, day one of grade one. She is working tirelessly advocating for nurses in the states right now so I was more than happy to get these to her amazing mama.

These earrings are inspired by sunsets at my family cabin at Winnipeg Beach (Treaty 1 Territory) on Lake Winnipeg. When every one is looking west watching the sunset for the yellows, oranges and reds I’m looking east for the beautiful pinks, purples and blues. These earrings are a representation of that.