Beading & Basketry + Carpentry =

It wasn’t until I became an adult that I realized how amazing it was to grow up with two African parents in the US. My Mom, from Swaziland, and my Dad, from Mozambique, who met in their early 20s, settled in Detroit, MI and raised me and my 3 sisters . We were immersed in their cultures all while assimilating in to the American lifestyle.  

 Unfortunately, my parents have both passed away, but they are the ones who gifted me with my creative energy. I grew up watching my Mom create beautiful hand woven baskets enriched with her culture, hosting beautiful handmade jewelry classes & workshops, and participating in festivals for people of all ages to attend. My Dad was an amazing carpenter and engineer. He designed all the blueprints, measured every wall and hand built EVERYTHING- he literally   imagined every detail in our house from every stud to our beds, coffee tables, and even the entertainment center.  

So it’s safe to say, working with my hands was almost inevitable.  In 2014 when my husband and I planned our destination wedding, I wanted to find a way to memorialize our special day.  My love of flowers, keepsakes, and natural tendency to create with my hands, all came to mind.  Ultimately,  I planned, created and executed my grand paper floral vision - sculpting those  paper flowers for our special day not only allowed me to connect with my creative parents but also attached a memory (and keepsake) that will live forever. I STILL have the paper flower centerpieces I made for our wedding almost 10 years later!

 I absolutely love being able to uphold how important creating these forever flowers and staying true to my cultural influences. I am grateful to have found a love for creating floral wall art pieces that help people connect, inspire self expression and memorialize life’s precious moments.  

 If you found this post inspiring, I invite you to click HERE to check out some of the defining pieces I’ve created from the passion in my story.