Hi! I’m Becky, the artist behind South Wind Design.

I’m so glad you stopped by.

South Wind Design is a woman-owned jewelry studio where every piece is designed and handcrafted one bead at a time. Rooted in creativity, resilience, culture, and connection, my work is shaped by the lessons I carry from my family, my community, and the many worlds I move through.

Why South Wind Design?

As a mixed Native woman, educator, and beader of Yaqui, Mayo, and Mexican heritage, I wanted to create a space where all of those parts of my identity could exist together.

While beadwork is not a traditional art form of the Yaqui or Mayo peoples, who both originate from Sonora, Mexico, my work has always been inspired by the creativity, resilience, beauty, and resourcefulness that have shaped my family and communities.

South Wind Design pieces capture the vibrance of bass-filled city centers and the humble warmth of Indian Country’s open stretches. It is a place that moves across borders—between nations, between tradition and contemporary life, between ceremony and academia, between community gatherings and boardroom meetings.

I create jewelry for relatives, those who move through many worlds carrying their stories and ancestors with them wherever they go.

The First Spark

People often ask me how South Wind Design began, but the truth is, it is hard to point to a single moment. Creativity has always been part of my life.

Some of my earliest memories are of thread, fabric, and hands that always seemed to know how to make something beautiful out of almost nothing. I still remember sitting beside my mom and grandma, watching their hands move with the confidence that only comes from years of making things. At the time, I didn't realize they were teaching me more than a craft.

They taught me to appreciate handmade things, to see possibility in simple materials, and to believe that if you wanted something badly enough, you would find a way to make it yourself.

Those lessons shaped far more than my creativity. They shaped the way I move through the world.

One Bead at a Time

Those early lessons led me down countless creative paths. I've tried many different types of crafts, but beadwork was the one that truly captured my heart.

I began by learning traditional beadwork techniques.  The patience, precision, texture, and flow that embroidery taught me as a child naturally carried into my beadwork. As my confidence grew, curiosity took over. I experimented, made mistakes, took pieces apart, and tried again.

Nearly everything you see in my collection today was learned through countless hours of trial and error. Although my work has evolved to include contemporary jewelry, those early techniques continue to influence every design I create. Each piece is made slowly and intentionally, whether it's bold and full of movement or soft, delicate, and understated. My hope is that every design feels personal, expressive, and connected to the person who wears it.

Creating, Teaching, Giving Back

One of the greatest gifts of this work has been the opportunity to give back.

As both an educator and beadworker, I have been fortunate to work with Native students and families through youth programs in my community, sharing beadworking skills, encouraging creativity, and supporting the next generation. Watching students discover pride in creating something with their own hands has been every bit as meaningful as creating jewelry myself.

Over the years, I have also used South Wind Design to raise money for causes close to my heart. Through jewelry sales, I raised more than $1,500 to purchase beading supplies for Native men and women in recovery at Changing Spirits here in Long Beach, and I have provided free beading workshops for their patients.

I also host an annual summer beadwork fundraiser for the Many Winters Gathering of Elders, an event and community space I deeply respect and want to continue supporting.

For me, beadwork has never been just about making jewelry. It is also about relationship, responsibility, healing, creativity, and community.

More Than a Piece of Jewelry

When you purchase from South Wind Design, you are supporting much more than a small business.

You are supporting an artist who seeks out fair-trade, vintage, and recycled materials whenever possible and who is continually working toward making more of her own components by hand.

You are also helping create the flexibility that allows me to continue giving back through community and youth programs, beadwork workshops, and fundraisers that support Native communities.

Every order helps carry this work forward.

The Next Chapter

After many wonderful years selling online through Etsy, I decided it was time for South Wind Design to have a home of its own.

This website is the next chapter of that story—a place where I can share not only my jewelry, but also the inspiration, process, and meaning behind each piece.

My hope is that this space feels warm, personal, and welcoming. A place where you can find something beautiful for yourself or someone you love, but also feel connected to the hands, stories, and intentions behind the work.

Carrying Connection Forward

My mom and grandma taught me that handmade crafts carry a little piece of the person who created them.  That lesson has stayed with me through every chapter of my life, and it is woven into every piece I make.

My hope is that when you wear South Wind Design, you feel connected—to your ancestors, to your own journey, and to the deep-rooted strength that has always been yours. I hope these pieces remind you that resilience can be beautiful, that your story matters, and that you carry generations of creativity, courage, and love with you wherever you go.

Thank you for being here, for supporting handmade work, and for helping South Wind Design continue to grow. It truly means the world to me. <3 ~Becky