My inspiration for my art comes from my grandmothers, Violet and Viva and I wanted to honour their creative spirits by naming my company after them. They enjoyed knitting, crocheting, painting and drawing. I grew up watching them create beautiful things with their hands that I still cherish today.
I grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in an artistic family. I am grateful for my family always nourishing my creative spirit. I loved creating jewelry as long as I can remember from friendship bracelets made from embroidery thread to the neon coloured pony bead bracelets.
One summer my mom showed me how to knot macrame jewelry. I fell in love with this style and started making bracelets. I started selling my hemp bracelets to friends and family. I then entered my first market and I almost sold out! That’s when Violet and Viva was born.
I’ve always been connected to the trees, I knew the focus of my business would be on sharing the beauty and teachings of the trees and working with wood. I did not want a business that created plastic waste, my carbon footprint is very important to me. The scraps from my projects are returned to Mother Earth.
The most popular product I make is my wood stud earrings. My dad and I source a lot of the wood from Saskatchewan. We have found beautiful pieces in stacks of fire wood, neighbour’s trees that were just cut down and scrap pieces of wood from other makers’ projects. All wood has a story. Caragana and Birch are my favourites, such pretty and unique colour and designs in the grains.
I am still working my 9-5 job in hopes of being able to create as my full time job in the future. My evenings and weekends are filled with creating, packing orders, stocking stores, updating the website and all the other behind the scenes work.
My passion is to create and share beauty with the world. I hope my jewelry means something special to you.
- Kristi
I grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in an artistic family. I am grateful for my family always nourishing my creative spirit. I loved creating jewelry as long as I can remember from friendship bracelets made from embroidery thread to the neon coloured pony bead bracelets.
One summer my mom showed me how to knot macrame jewelry. I fell in love with this style and started making bracelets. I started selling my hemp bracelets to friends and family. I then entered my first market and I almost sold out! That’s when Violet and Viva was born.
I’ve always been connected to the trees, I knew the focus of my business would be on sharing the beauty and teachings of the trees and working with wood. I did not want a business that created plastic waste, my carbon footprint is very important to me. The scraps from my projects are returned to Mother Earth.
The most popular product I make is my wood stud earrings. My dad and I source a lot of the wood from Saskatchewan. We have found beautiful pieces in stacks of fire wood, neighbour’s trees that were just cut down and scrap pieces of wood from other makers’ projects. All wood has a story. Caragana and Birch are my favourites, such pretty and unique colour and designs in the grains.
I am still working my 9-5 job in hopes of being able to create as my full time job in the future. My evenings and weekends are filled with creating, packing orders, stocking stores, updating the website and all the other behind the scenes work.
My passion is to create and share beauty with the world. I hope my jewelry means something special to you.
- Kristi