FAQ
Q: How often do you add new work?
A: It depends (sorry). The best ways to find out when new items will be added are to follow me on Instagram, to check this website, to subscribe to my newsletter, or to ask me.
Q: Can I wear Indigenous beadwork if I'm not Indigenous?
A: ❤️Absolutely!❤️ We love seeing people of all backgrounds wearing our beadwork, and I don't sell Regalia or items used in ceremonies.
Q: How long does it take to make a pair of beaded earrings?
A: Anywhere from a few hours, to a few days, to a few weeks, depending on how complex they are.
Q: How do you price your work?
A: I am very openly bad at this and chronically undercharge, but the basics are that I pay myself $20/hour, and anything beyond that depends of what types of material I've used, eg. commercial hide will mean a lower price than home-tanned hide, and gold-filled findings will be more expensive than gold-plated.
For reference, most of what I make I price between about $100 CDN and about $250 CDN, with some outliers on either side.
Q: Do you take commissions or custom orders?
A: It depends but not usually.
Q: Are there any care instructions?
A: Absolutely:
Try to avoid getting makeup, moisturizer/lotion, hairspray, perfume, sunscreen or insect repellant on beadwork- if you want to use any of these (understandable), please apply them before putting your jewelry on. (insect repellant and hairspray in particular, because they can strip colour off dyed beads)
Avoid getting your beadwork wet; if it does get wet, let it air-dry with minimal handling and it should be fine.
Please don’t store pieces in direct sunlight.
Finally, you may choose to hang jewelry- especially the ones with fringe or chain- on a rack or stand to prevent them from getting crimped or tangled. Many people- including me- do this, but just as many prefer to keep them laid out flat in a box; It’s all about preference, and there is no single “right” way to store them. 💖
Which leads me to. . .
Q: What if something breaks?!
A: It does happen sometimes, especially if a piece gets stuck or caught somewhere, or falls and gets stepped on.
Contact me if this or another accident happens (including grabby toddlers or fur-obsessed pets) and I’ll see what I can do 💗.
Q: What are the beads made of?
A: Glass :). But also sometimes bone (bison, cow, deer etc), semi-precious stone, or metal- I try to be specific with descriptions, but if you have questions please reach out 💖
Q: What is smoked hide/hometanned hide?
A: It's animal hide (usually deer, moose, elk, or caribou) that is tanned (made into leather) using (in my case) my communities' ways of doing it. This means it is fleshed, scraped, brained, and softened by hand, and smoked over a wood fire for several hours. Yes, you read that right: We use the animal's brain to tan it. Using the brain and tanning the hide this way makes the leather very soft, very durable, and able to get wet without hardening when dry :). It's also water-resistant! This takes a lot of work, and the finished leather is much more expensive (rightfully so) than commercially-tanned hide, while also having an entirely different texture.
Q: What does “raw brass” mean?
A: It just means that I haven’t treated the brass with anything to seal it or stop it from ageing naturally, ie darkening. If you want it to stay shiny you can give it a little polish (with ketchup or a polishing cloth) from time to time. Brass is usually hypoallergenic, although some brass has trace amounts of nickel in it.
Q: What’s the difference between gold-plated, gold-filled, and gold vermeil findings? 😵💫
A: The difference is in the thickness and durability of the layer of gold that is bonded to the surface of another metal, usually sterling silver or raw brass, during the plating process.
Gold-plated:
A thin layer of gold (usually 18 or 24 carat) is bonded to raw brass; this may eventually tarnish and/or flake off even with proper care, but gold-plated findings are easy to find and inexpensive to replace, and depending on care taken they can last decades or longer. This also goes for any kind of plated metal: Take care of it and it will last.
Gold vermeil:
A thin layer of gold (usually 18 or 24 carat) is bonded to sterling silver; the same detractors apply as with gold plating. Some manufacturers or jewellers use a thicker layer of gold plating for vermeil, and they will clearly indicate this.
Gold-filled:
A layer of gold (usually 14 carat) is bonded to the surface of a base metal (usually raw brass or sterling silver). To be considered “gold-filled,” gold must make up 1/20th of the total weight of the item (if manufactured in the US), and this measurement will be stamped on the item (ie GF 1/20). Gold-filled findings wear similarly to solid gold, are hypoallergenic, and will last for decades if they are cared for properly.
🚩Unless specifically indicated, all designs are my own and are copyright: Thank you for understanding.