Megan Rose—jeweller & candlemaker

The originality of Megan Rose’s beaded earrings stems partly from her innate creativity and partly from her determination to respect Indigenous beadwork traditions.

“There’s so much beaded jewelry that comes from Indigenous cultures. I’m not interested in copying that. I’m trying to be non-colonial in how I work, and also I want to create my own unique designs,” says Megan.

Megan cites art deco as a major influence and you will see many elements of this early 20^th Century art movement in her work: sleek, simple lines and ornamentation, geometric patterns, zigzags, lightning bolts, stylized sunrises, and motifs inspired by ancient Greece or Egypt, as well as Asian and African art.

Megan uses delica seed beads from Japan. These beads are prized for their uniformity, which lends itself to beading into patterns and designs. Her jewelry business name, Island Kraftwerk, points to Art Deco’s European roots and its emphasis on exquisite craftsmanship.

Megan brings that love of colour and pattern to her candle business, Curse the Darkness. As with her bead work, she is particular about materials. Beeswax smells gorgeous, burns cleanly and slowly, and is an all-natural product, unlike paraffin, which is a petroleum product, she says.

Megan’s candles come in many shapes—roses, mushrooms, tapers, pillars, hedgehogs, tealights, fir trees, and more. Colours include natural gold, eggplant, deep red, sky blue, and green. They are hand-poured and hand-wicked using 100% cotton wicking.

Lighting a candle transforms your space and your mood, she says. “I have found the quickest way to make myself cozy on dark and stormy nights is to light a candle. Cozy is a state of mind.”

A consummate mistress of side hustles, Megan is also a musician, culinary creator, fabric artist, stand-up comedian, printmaker,  mushroom forager, bicycle mechanic, event organizer, and part-time staff member at Denman Island’s independent bookstore.

See Megan’s work on Denman Island: At the Denman Island Craft Shop, the Farmers Market, and Christmas Craft Fair.