Stephani had been thinking about beadwork since encountering  native art in 

Santa Fe, NM while visiting the city for her wedding in 2024. She bought her first beads in October of 2025 and was able to open Longhouse threads that December. Stephani was hoping to address the familiar challenge of being bound to a corporate job that left little time for family, faith, and other responsibilities. “I wanted to mother intentionally, focus on my faith, and have freedom with my time and schedule. Now that I am growing I am starting to spread awareness as well. The first bracelet I ever made, the blue one with the feather on my website homepage, is called D’Angelo and it raises awareness for Batten Disease in honor of my nephew Damion. It will also become a children’s book in the near future.”  

                  The process for beadwork has come naturally, and the stories that accompany her bracelets have a diversity of origins. She says “I am inspired by real life more than anything. My work comes from personal experiences, memories, moments, and my faith, and that is where every design and color choice begins.” on the design aspects “I choose the color scheme based on the mood or feeling of it. Sometimes I pull directly from photos like the colors of trees or clothing. The most enjoyable part has been designing and seeing my ideas turn into real pieces, and realizing I am creative and disciplined enough to run my own business.” 

Each piece is carefully threaded by hand and everything is made to minimize waste and to ensure the customers that their piece is being made just for them. Of her materials she says “I use glass beads, freshwater pearls, and natural stones like turquoise heishi. Because I create everything myself it can take anywhere from one to two weeks depending on the piece and current workload.  

Stephani looks forward to learning Silversmithing, expanding into more collections that tell their own stories. When asked about the importance of our Longhouse present in her business name she says “Being a member of the Seneca-Cayuga Nation is a big part of this. The longhouse is a place of gathering, family, and history. It holds stories, generations, and memory. It is where life happens and where stories are kept alive. It is important to me to carry that forward and to represent the Seneca-Cayuga Nation with respect and dignity through my work.” Her ultimate goal is to grow Longhouse Threads into something that becomes a family heirloom or legacy. 

For anyone considering starting their own business she gives this advice “I would say start even if you feel like you do not know what you are doing because I did not either. You learn as you go and things evolve over time, so do not wait for everything to feel perfect because it never will. It can feel scary to try something new, but that is also what makes it exciting. It takes time, discipline, and responsibility, but it is worth it.” 

You can find Stephani and her storied beadwork at https://www.longhousethreads.com/

Thanks for reading and remember that if you do start our own business to let us know so that we can feature you by sending us an email at submissions@sctribe.com