This truly special one of kind statement earrings are brought to you by two artist coming together in the late winter of 2024 and created in early spring. This piece showcases the beaded scenery art work of Alli Winston the artist behind Beads by Change Asheville. And the feathery hand tied clusters of Tracy Vandendriessche by Maiden Alberta .
The scene is of the sun rising over the Smoky Mountains in North Carolina, as the sun passes over the land mass it sets in the West in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta Canada.
So proud to introduce and to work along side such an inspirational woman and artist.
Read more below to find out more about Alli and her outstanding journey and bead art.
Meet the artist:
Alli Winston lives in Asheville North Carolina and deeply enjoys the healing time she gets to spend out in nature, taking in the absolutely breath taking vista of her local scenery. Beads of Change Asheville came about by her personal healing journey, here is her story.
Hey y’all. I’m Alli, the girl behind the jewelry. We all have a story. I know many of you are new and may not know mine & how BOCA came to be. So, here it is :) Over 16 years ago I slipped on ice, fell & shattered the entire lower seat of my body-my sacrum, coccyx, hips & pelvis. I spent the first 5 years in bed-unable to walk much on my own & focusing my world on managing chronic pain. Due to multiple fractures along w/ ligament, nerve & tissue damage, I haven’t been able to normally sit down since. I can’t put pressure on my tailbone. I refused to allow it all to define me. On 9/22/09, ironically the first day of “FALL,” I made my first beaded ring & the first pinhole of light began to shine through my darkness. Each new piece lit a fire in my heart and I began to have purpose again. I knew in those moments that I had choices, I had hope & I had power. I began to take charge of my own treatment. Things began to evolve & shift. I learned how to live differently. The last several years have been dedicated to healing.
Those of you who’ve been along for the ride, have witnessed all of the ups & downs, the ins & outs of finding practitioners, new treatments, pain flares, coming off of pain medication, choosing life on my own terms. It’s been challenging, but such a gift. I’ve learned so much about what I’m capable of. I’ve learned to follow my gut & my heart. I know what my body needs-all I need to do is LISTEN. I took some time away from making jewelry. We moved to a beautiful new land to surround ourselves with healing energy and I then found myself returning to this passion at just the right time for me. I’m still on this journey, and it’s all good. I am not defined by my disability. I am no longer confined to my bed, I no longer need a cane to walk, I’m running again, I’m living life WHOLE.
Still unable to drive & sit for any real amount of time, I struggle with those challenges. I’ve learned how to work with them and live a happy life, despite them. I am not my disability or my injury. I am BRAVE. I am HEALING & I am BLESSED. I continue to have the most amazing love & support around me that fuels it all! So, here I am. Different than before, but still Alli.
How did we meet and how it all came together:
The process in which we came together, was threw the love and community of the one of a kind clothes of Kantha Bae. Every once and while another Kantha Bae 'Besties' would share there special outfit and tag all the other small business art they might be wearing.
Lucky for us we both at some point or another where tagged, that's how she found me, and I found her.
Its was love at first artful sight and got both our wheels of creativity turning but we both where to shy to say " Lets make something together".
I finally broke the ice in the winter of 2024, nervously hoping she would say yes... thankfully she said yes... and so quickly we started the discussion, videos, images, sharing our hearts and creating.
The best is the lasting friendship this project has brought forth and we both participated in a art exchange, she made me the BEST beaded hoops and I made her a custom pair of earrings that she has secretly had her eye on for over a year on my website.
Below are a few images of the process and art share.
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