Our Artisan Stories

RESILIENCE IS HOW I SURVIVED THE CAR CRASH

I thank God not only for surviving an accident, but for finding my passion for beadwork. All I could do was hold light things in my left hand.

I have always been someone who loves crafting. My mom told me I used to bring garbage bags of what I made home from school. I am a strong visual learner, so I catch on quickly watching than reading instructions. Before I started to take on beadwork, I used to help a friend sort through a house full of stuff they hoarded over the years. I was making their mess into an organized one. I was driving down the highway from one of my sorting days when I got into a collision with a semi on October 7th, 2021. I broke my left humerus bone in half. During my recovery, I couldn’t use my arm, so that I couldn’t craft. It was my stress reliever, so I thought if I could not do crafts, I could watch crafts.I searched YouTube for video tutorials. I watched different stitch techniques over and over for over a month, even after my staples were out. All I could do was hold light things in my left hand, and beads are light. I practiced brick stitch, increase and decrease, tubular brick stitch and different types of peyote stitch. It wasn’t until December 2021 that I made my first fringe earring. This past year I loved challenging myself with making different types of earrings, and I built up my earrings stash. I enjoy looking at the jewelry I make. I thought to myself. “Those came from my hands.” The quality of my supplies changed, so now I bead almost like I’ve been doing it for years. I thank God not only for surviving an accident but for finding my passion for beadwork. I love how you start with one bead and create nothing into something.

 Sarah. G

 

 

BECAUSE OF YOUR SMILE, YOU MAKE LIFE MORE BEAUTIFUL

Using Beading as a Distraction to Calm Myself

I was supposed to write about myself and have had a fantastic time finding the correct words. Who am I? What do I represent? I feel like I am still trying to figure this out. I have been diagnosed with anxiety and depression since I was young, and being diagnosed with ADHD in my 30s has caused many questions. It has also answered a ton of well. In the past 2 years, I have dealt with the biggest challenges of my life, from covid to the deaths of people close to me. Through beading, I have been able to distract myself, calm myself, give myself something to create and look forward to. Dealing with a brutal past, I just want to smile and make others smile and hope that I can bring a smile to someone's face through my art.

My hope is that with each purchase, one is inspired by the story the jewelry represents. As each piece is created a story is told. As each piece is purchased, an individual's story is heard. As each piece is worn, a story is shared. This is the chain of love. Friends and family will be blessed knowing that a gift from I AM LOVE honours and restores women, and empowers them to be socially and economically independent.

Jay

 

 

DRIVEN BY THE PASSING OF HER BROTHER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Compassion and the desire to connect with others is what drives Winnipeg’s Jenna Xec, owner and designer of Bright Soul Designs.

While on maternity leave, Jenna felt inspired to challenge herself creatively and decided to try her hand at designing polymer clay jewelry. She started by crafting earrings for friends and family and found such joy in the process she knew she had to keep creating.

The isolation of maternity leave, combined with the Covid-19 pandemic and sudden loss of her brother, all took a toll on her mental health and emotional well-being this past year. Her creative process has helped her find peace during a tumultuous year, and she has found ways to build community through various fundraisers supporting issues close to her heart, including mental health, addictions recovery, and women’s shelters.

Jenna’s genuine desire to connect with and improve the lives of those around her extend to her design philosophy, which is about more than the end product - it’s about the process. Working in her home studio, Jenna ensures each piece is crafted with love, compassion, and positive energy.  Once a design is complete, it is named for one of the many strong women Jenna surrounds herself with and is inspired by. By setting these intentions and choosing to remain mindful of her own energy throughout the process, Jenna hopes to cultivate an experience of empowerment for the future wearer.

My hope is that with each purchase, one is inspired by the story the jewelry represents. As each piece is created a story is told. As each piece is purchased, an individual's story is heard. As each piece is worn, a story is shared. This is the chain of love. Friends and family will be blessed knowing that a gift from I AM LOVE honours and restores women, and empowers them to be socially and economically independent.

Jenna