FAQ
From specific questions about items and materials, to more general questions about the art of beadwork and my practice. Find it all here!
Q; Are you taking custom orders?
A; Not at the moment. Be sure to sign up for email alerts to be notified when my commissions list opens!
Q; What inspires your work?
A; Short answer, anything and everything! Beadwork is a form of communication for me so I translate my feelings into my work and that can be anything from pop-culture to community care to activism.
Q; What sustainability practices have you made a part of your business?
A; I’m always trying to incorporate new methods of sustainability. When possible I reuse excellent condition mailing supplies, and minimalist packing supplies. I save and use scraps from larger projects for smaller ones. Whenever possible I purchase natural materials (hide, quills, fur etc) and human made materials (beads, hardware, needles, threads etc) from other Indigenous people. And beadwork itself is sustainable in that it when cared for properly, will last you your lifetime and more, replacing cheaply made and over priced pieces that end up broken in landfills.
Q; What type of thread do you use?
A; I use fishing line or Fireline.
Q; How long does each piece take to make?
A; this isn’t an easy question to answer. A lot of work goes into each piece on top of the hours spent weaving it. There is design time, prep time for the piece, shopping for materials, the actual bead working, then photography, advertising and sale, packaging shipping and tracking. The actual sewing of each piece can take anywhere from 5 to 200 hours depending on the complexity of the design.
Q; Can non-Indigenous people buy and wear your work?
A; Yes, of course! The best ways to support Indigenous artists is by buying, wearing and promoting our work.
Q; How much does your beadwork cost?
A; Each piece is filled with good energy and intention and takes hours to complete. And I make a wide variety of beaded items from small pins to very large framed pieces. For those reasons each piece can cost anywhere from $50 to $1000+
I also try to make some of my designs available in other forms (stickers, calendars etc) to offer a variety of accessible pricing.
Q; Do you sell your work wholesale?
A; No, because each item takes an equal amount of love and labour per stitch I do not offer any bulk discounts or wholesale orders.
Q; Do you offer a pickup option?
A; For local orders, I do! You can select the pickup option during checkout and arrange a pickup in Toronto from 1110 Dundas St W (Speakeasy Tattoo). I also offer a $5 letter mail (NO TRACKING) option for stickers and other small items as an accessible delivery option.