Ancestral Expressions

I finished my piece for the Etsy Beadweavers November Challenge yesterday and I'm really happy with it. It's bright, free and is very much an expression of who I am.

The November theme is "Ancestral Expressions." When I first started thinking about projects for this challenge, everything that came to mind was very literal about my background. I've always embraced the Celtic/Pagan part of me, as I'm part Scottish, Irish & Welsh. I was sketching Celtic knots, the Celtic family tree, thinking of researching my family's different tartans, but it all seemed a bit trite and contrived. I knew I was leaving out more. I'm also English, Swedish, Cherokee & Sioux. So I thought about doing seven panels - each representing my different heritages. But then I knew I was probably leaving out some nationality that I don't know about.

The thought that came to me then is always my response to when people ask me what I am. I always say "Trail Mix." My mom has started researching our family tree, so I know certain ethnicities and a little about my family's past, but it's garbled and missing information here and there. So, trail mix seems to fit. When I thought about that, I decided to design something that represented the different pasts, their varied histories and holes in the information that I do have. What I came up with is my bracelet, lovingly titled "Trail Mix" - full of color, peyote, right angle weave, herringbone, ladder, picot fringe and some backstitch with the embellishment. The holes represent the holes in my history.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16808573

Please visit the EBW blog at http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com between November 9th and 15th, to see all of the entries in our November challenge and vote for your favorite. Search EBW TEAM for more beautiful beadwoven creations and EBWC for monthly challenge entries.