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Whew! It’s humid and stormy! Just adding a few pics on the fly as the thunder rolls and the lightening flashes. Summer storms are my favourite. These are easy “go to” pieces for everyday wear.
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Yesterday I had the pleasure of being part of the Guelph Art on the Street show. As with every show there is much planning and prep work that goes into it. Not just the making of jewellery but the booth has to be weather proof, accessible and welcoming to the traffic. Early morning set up includes jockeying for parking near your booth, lugging heavy tables and wrestling with the wind as you raise your canopy. Yesterday was a hot day! At only 8 am it was a humid 22 degrees Celsius and it got hotter as the day wore on. The wind gusted playfully and unpredictably sending anything that wasn’t well secured flying to the pavement. Luckily jewellery isn’t very fragile and the wind is more of a nuisance than an adversary. However, nearby the sound of breaking glass could be heard periodically from booths with framed drawings and photos and beautiful glass objects. My heart broke for every piece that was shattered knowing the artist’s work and livelihood was lost with each broken piece.
You might wonder why artists and artisan’s go to such trouble with no guarantee of selling enough to even cover the cost of the booth space. Well for me, despite all the work and risk involved, the best thing about street shows is meeting the community. People come out to wander, to chat, to look at creative hand made things and be touched by what the makers offer. They buy with their hearts because these things are made by people that have lovingly made them with their hands. When you buy hand crafted you make a connection with a person who has a story to share. The art speaks to each person uniquely. It is my pleasure to meet each person. Each comment and question is welcome as it also sheds light on whether a design needs reworking or a price needs adjusting and keeps me talking about why I make jewellery, how it is made and what brought each item to be there. Street shows enrich my story as each piece made from my heart finds a home.
My booth at Guelph Art On The Street
If you attended the show. Thank you! I will be posting some of the work that you saw here. Some will make it’s way to the Cambridge Centre of the Arts Gift Shop others to Edissi Fine Arts in Kitchener and some may be posted on my Etsy or my icraft canada sites. Please contact me via email at heather@swaysilver.ca to find what you are looking for or have a special design made for you. If you’d like to keep in touch email me and I’ll add you to my email list so I can keep you informed of where you can find me teaching classes and where my jewellery is for sale once in a while. (I promise never to share your info.)
Rustic Dandelion Ring, .999 silver, sterling silver, SOLD
Leather Bangle with Turquoise SOLD
Turquoise & Blue Striped Agate Bracelet (Sold), Hammered Pebble Links Bracelet, Turquoise & Smoky Quartz Confetti Bracelet (Sold)
Twig & Nest Necklace (Sold)
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See you in Guelph at Art on the Street July 17!
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Running shoe charm for a teacher who graciously organized the Terry Fox Run fundraiser at her school every year
A retirement gift for a teacher/librarian. Country schoolhouse, apple and book charms
Everyone has a story that’s unique and I’m sure that you do to. Here are some tidbits of my story that influence my work and my perspective.
I have traveled a little. Mostly, with my husband where we have enjoyed oceans, beaches and sunshine. I love art, reading, music and making things. I have two quickly growing boys that are very different from each other but reflect me and my husband in ways that are surprising and funny and sometimes frustrating. They are a source of constant entertainment, growth, laughter and Lego creations. I know a lot of bird names and even though my family lives spread across the continent, spying a common red cardinal or gold finch provides a flood of memories and a connection to my roots. (This is a trait I didn’t even realize was unique to me until my husband started to tease me and my folks by coming up with his own very creative and often ridiculous bird names!) I come by this honestly, as my parents and grandparents enjoy birds, nature and gardening and have shared their knowledge whenever I showed interest. I hope I can keep passing natural trivia along to my boys too, so they can also appreciate of the tiniest details of God’s creative handiwork.
Twig charm catcher with my personal charms. Cross, Birds, A leaf and round W charms.
Seven custom designed charms on rustic charm catcher ring. Close to her heart - teaching in Haiti, Jesus, family, Lespwa hope, her ancestry.
Each charm is made to suit, hand crafted of fine silver. Prices for custom made charms vary depending on size and intricacy of design. Contact heather@swaysilver.ca to order.
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Over the years I’ve been honoured by requests to design jewellery to commemorate weddings. Whether it’s to match that hard to find colour of a Mother’s dress or to make something special to thank a bridesmaid or best man or an unusual order to make foot jewellery for a beach wedding, I love these special requests to create to memorable details and keepsakes that will be cherished by the bride and her family and her bridal party.
The custom design process is quite simple and hassle free. Provide me with some fabric or colour samples and perhaps a few pictures or drawings of your vision and I’ll create something unique to suit your vision.
Creme Necklace Glass pearls, freshwater pearls, sterling Silver chain, high cut lemon quartz beads drape between two trios of handcrafted forget- me-not flowers. Rich cream velvet ribbon ties in a bow for a fully adjustable fit.
Flower Girl's Beach Wedding Barefoot Sandals
Bride's Barefoot Beach Wedding Sandals
Rustic Silver Monogram Cufflinks
Friend Script Pendant Fine Silver "A friend is someone you knows the song in your heart and can play it back to you when you have forgotten the words" unknown
Friend Script Pendant
Plum Multi Strand Necklace
Large Pearl & Crystal Floating Necklace
Plum Multi Strand Necklace
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Robert Frost quotes (American poet, 1874-1963)
Thank you skilled and dedicated teachers! You teach our kids the basics tools to live but you also inspire them to do what they dream they can do to thrive. You help them get over the tough stuff, the obstacles that might make them feel stuck and discouraged and find a creative way to work through it so they see they can get through anything. It’s a tough job but so important and I appreciate all the positive things you do because what you do now affects your students for the rest of their lives.
.999 silver apple pendant on cord $20
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Most of my work lately has focused on the little things yet significant things in life. Tiny details captured from nature’s inspiration or a special moment in a child’s life that I form into metal charms. Every so often though there’s a time when tiny doesn’t cut it. I need to be bold, I need to make a statement! Petite girls (I’m only 5′2″) can make a splash too. Statement necklaces are all the rage in fashion right now. Chunky, beads, bib necklaces and strong colours radiate from necks and wrists all over the fashion world. Let’s celebrate bold!
Turquoise, Mookaite, Garnet, Oxidized Sterling Silver
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Remember when she was born? That little bundle? All pink and squirmy? Precious and new? How fast they grow up. Now she’s a little twinkle toes twirling her dance steps across your kitchen floor. Practicing, practicing for the big recital. Tutus, ballet shoes, starlet in the making! What a proud moment for her as she’s made another leap to your Big Girl. 
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It’s been a year since I added Precious Metal Clay to my roster of jewellery making skills. I’m happy to say it has broadened my design capabilities and has made my life easier. Replacing my previous acid etching technique with new metal clay methods is less harmful to the environment and to my health and because it is made of recycled silver my solid silver designs are actually GREEN! Happy Earth Day!
