(Mrs. Small, Whitehead Island, New Brunswick)
2/3 cup sugar
6 Tbsp cornstarch
2/3 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
5 c milk
3 tsp vanilla
Mix sugar, cornstarch, cocoa & salt together in a medium sized pot. Gradually blend in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and comes to a gentle boil. Remove from heat then add vanilla. Pour into 6-8 individual dessert bowls.
Lick the spoon!
Variation: 1 Tbsp of instant coffee adds a nice mocha flavour
Cool and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.
]]>This year I have challenged myself to dig a little deeper and to get a little uncomfortable again. Not via extreme sports but by leaving my ever so comfortable studio that I've come to enjoy never leaving. I don't imagine it's a big deal to most who leave home for a workplace everyday but as I've been busy with my jewellery making & seeing clients in my home-studio for 8 years I've become complacent in reaching out beyond these walls. It's so easy these days to interact on line. I've joined business courses and groups via facebook, met women from all over Canada and the United States. While I haven't reached the level of agoraphobe I've been known to brush off going out until absolutely necessary...like my kids are eating the wrinkled grapes that weren't meant to be raisins or making up creative sandwich fillings because I haven't done the shopping with the excuse that this customer needs her/his jewellery order STAT. So, how does one stretch herself beyond four walls?
For starters, I joined a small group pilates class. Exercising is great for mental health but so is the camaraderie of the few women I see twice a week. Our chat time is as valuable as the strength training to keep the mind healthy. Having times on my calendar where I'm expected and accounted for makes it easy to go and hard to miss.
Second, I accepted an invite to visit a business networking group with a trusted friend & then I joined one that suited me. My first business networking lunch was a great venture back into the land of adult conversation and business growth - although there was far too much public speaking involved for my liking. One of the perils of my kind of solo-preneurship & work at home mothering is you never have to talk to people in groups over 3. This group required a stand up self introduction business pitch to a room full of over 50. Talk about sweat & stammering! I was so out of practice but I did it, mind you without the poise & grace with which I'd imagined executing my elevator pitch, but I did it.
So once I met the challenge of that first group I decided to try another one. This time one with the comfort of some online learning but the opportunity to reach beyond my walls to meet local women in business. I joined The Mompreneurs, a Canadian women's business group that understands the challenges that women who balance motherhood and business face.
Yesterday, I attended a Mompreneurs business lunch there were all the nerves of the first day of school or walking into a party without a wingman... it reminded me how being married provides a lot of opportunity to enter situations as a couple. The founder of Mompreneurs, Maria Locker and her team were lovely and welcoming. It's so much easier to meet people when I can show them what I do rather than explain it, so I'd applied to be part of the meeting's marketplace ahead of time. Feeling out of practice & uneasy, I set up a table with my jewellery display & kept myself looking busy. I eased into the meeting with a few conversations about my jewellery - the pet nose jewellery is actually a great ice breaker. I met some lovely ladies with interesting businesses at different stages of growth and success.
When travelling, if I have ever wondered if I am in the right place I always look for signs. Yesterday, I had that solid affirmation as if a road sign had popped up in front of me, when keynote speaker, Jane Bradley of Parents Canada Magazine, quoted Winston Churchill "Courage and fear are not mutually exclusive - we can feel brave and be afraid at the same time." Just what I needed to hear! A sign that my steps toward faith greater than fear ( faith > fear ) were moving me in the right direction.
]]>This quote by artist Marc Chagall rings so very true to me.
"If I create from the heart nearly everything works; if from the head almost nothing."
In all that I do creating fingerprint jewellery has been the most rewarding type of jewellery to produce. I've often posted on my Facebook page or Instagram what an honour it is to create such personal pieces for families to cherish. I enjoy connecting with a client on a heart level, empathetic with their loss or celebration of the people they are having jewellery made of and for. I think of each person or family as I hand build a piece of fingerprint jewellery and adjust the design based on what information I'm given about the person who will wear it or the person that it represents.
This particular silver Tree Fingerprint pendant hides a fingerprint behind it. When I worked with this mother from Newfoundland, Canada, she told me about her son, who lived with a degenerative condition. She spoke so fondly via email and sent pictures of him as we discussed the possibilities of a one of a kind pendant design. His name was Forest, so the motif was easy! A tree! Of course, a tree! We further discussed how big it should be, the way the fingerprint would be included in the design and how the piece would be finished. Note the gold plating over the silver and the oxidization that brings each individually handmade leaf to life.
For most artists that do commissioned work it's a challenge to bring someone else's vision to reality. Learning to listen with an open heart & mind has made all the difference in my many years of jewellery design and I love the challenges that come my way.
If you would like to discuss having a one of a kind piece of jewellery made please contact me via email heather@swaysilver.ca I'm happy to discuss your idea draw some sketches and create a piece of jewellery that you will love!
]]>After 8 ish years of making silver fingerprint jewellery full time, I've been craving an outlet for some new ideas. I continue to love the stories each fingerprint jewellery client brings to my studio, however, my own stories need a release from time to time. Loads of inspirational sketches line my sketchbooks of flowers, leaves, architectural elements and fabric patterns hand stitched in intricate embroidery. Twigs, birds, flowers, and rock face textures have all been standard elements of my jewellery in the past. This time, I'm employing the Victorian practice of floriography - the meanings attributed to flowers - with my floral imagery in silver. It's a wonderful way to wear inspirational sentiments without words.
My jewellery designs are easy to wear, casual and not fussy - just add denim and go.
If we've met via my fingerprint jewellery or pet nose print line you can now have complimenting jewellery to layer with your sentimental family Sway Silver pieces. The sterling silver is finished with a moderate polish, evidence of the maker's hands, darkened for a time worn feel. My process includes carving each mould design by hand then each casting is made one at a time allowing for uniquely perfect imperfections in each one.
Each design in the Made to Order Collection is available in a limited quantity. Ships in 7-14 days.
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Only someone who has experienced a connection to the soul of a dog, knows the pain of letting go. As I prepared myself and my boys for the heartbreak that was to come, we talked about ways to keep Jack close to our hearts. Heather had a unique and beautiful idea and so she created our "Jack charms". With great sensitivity and compassion, Heather walked beside us through the process; from making a mould of our boy's nose to choosing a design to creating the most beautiful and important piece of jewelry I own. Although they were made for my boys, I often steal one to wear on those days that I need a little extra "protection". Thank you Heather, for not only creating beautiful jewelry but also for being a part of our story....
Leanne
]]>"My life was greatly touched by a gift I was given by my husband the Christmas of 2011. We had a gorgeous 2.5 year old daughter, Georgia, at the time and our son had been stillborn June 6, 2011. The necklace he gave me, with the two single print pendants on it, is something that simply took my breath away. It captured the adorable print of my wonderful little girl and gave my aching heart something of Cole's to hold in my hand. Being able to wear Georgia's thumbprint, and the print of Cole's toes was such a comfort, and it is a wonderful source of pride for me. I began researching the creation of these items and was so intrigued by their uniqueness and the fact that as a parent they were so special to me. I was determined to find a way to help others capture their children and family this way and it became my mission to help other grieving parents. I wanted them to have a way to include their lost children in the creation of the perfect individual piece for themselves.
It was when I gave birth to my third child, my beautiful "Rainbow Baby" Contessa that Heather of Sway Silver and I met for the first time. Tessa was about 6 months old and I wanted her impression included on my necklace. Heather did my baby's thumbprint impression for me but did so much more. She took me under her wing, she told me about her business and asked if I would be part of it, as a Design Representative. I would help people capture their fingerprint impressions and design their personalized pieces then Heather would create the jewellery. I can remember driving home that day in tears thinking about how I had come full circle and the dream of giving back to other parents of stillborns was going to be a reality."
Honestly, hiring a Design Rep. wasn't something I thought I was ready for as a small artsy business but my gut said this was going to be worth it! I am thankful that Kim had the dream and big heart to help others and I have never regretted having Kim join my team. She continues to have a wholehearted grand vision for what Sway Silver can do to help those in need of comfort due to loss.
Kim lives in Innerkip, Ontario.
Find Kim on Facebook.
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Happy New Year! 2016 brought us some beautiful moments and broke our hearts. Here are my 3 reasons to love 2017:
Peace, Love and Hope.
Peace, it seems big and unachievable. In this house we are aware of all the terrible conflicts that are happening world wide. I don't shelter my kids from the reality that just is. I don't bog them down with details but we discuss the good, the bad and the ugly and when it all seems too sad, scary and negative to bear we remind each other that peace starts here. We encourage our kids to talk out their conflicts with each other and their friends. We look for different ways to solve problems and we praise patience, forgiveness and acceptance. In 2017 as always, peace starts in our home and it moves out into the world.
Love is shown with hugs and kisses but love is shown in smiles, soup and snow blowing too. We happen to have wonderful neighbours who we have taken the time to get to know. I say this because in this day and age it's pretty easy to stay disengaged from the people that surround us. We could easily drive into our own garages and drive away without ever seeing or speaking to our neighbours. We have had to be intentional as well as open to getting know them. In turn we have a group of special, reliable friends that enrich our lives with good fun and a helping hand when we need it. We eat together as neighbours on occasion and in turn deliver meals to folks we know aren't in good health. Our driveway is often plowed of snow before we get up in the morning - now that's practical love! It's love that didn't have to happen. We could have let this opportunity pass but I am so thankful we didn't.
Hope, is what keeps us looking forward instead of drowning in what is happening right now. Hope can be found in the everyday things. For example, I hope that 2017 is the year that my 12 year old takes pride in keeping his room clean! In my opinion, our own goals and attitudes have a role to play here - like supporting my son in taking action and responsibility. Or a bigger example is mapping out a plan to achieve a new goal and taking steps to toward it. Hope is thinking bigger than reality, looking into the future and envisioning things are different and perhaps better. It may require some creative imagining but big things can happen when we hope.
So as we begin anew this year, I wish you and yours more peace, love and hope than you can imagine in 2017!
All the Best!
Heather
]]>An email came in with a request for a last minute appointment. It was from a man who was able, after much scheduling acrobatics, to get all of his adult siblings together at one time.
From my studio window, I watched four very different vehicles drive up my street. I saw four very different people get out of their cars. Then, I watched as they embraced each other in greeting. They were here for their Mom and nothing else was as important at that moment. ❤️
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Much Love,
Heather
]]>Don't miss it! Sway Silver Design Representative,
Amanda Detillieux, will be on location
this Sunday October 25th 2015 11 -3 at Era Maternity
Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
http://www.eramaternityandbabyboutique.com/
Amanda will make fingerprint moulds of your loved ones that are present at the event (children & adults welcome) and help you design the perfect fingerprint jewellery keepsakes.
Email Amanda Detillieux for more information.
amanda.detillieux@gmail.com
www.swaysilver.ca for pricing and product details
]]>All these years and two kids later, it's pictures like this that make me stop in my tracks, slowdown from the busyness of motherhood and the solo-preneur task list and remember the simple days of just us, what this union means to me, how lucky I am and how we need to pay attention to each other.
Do you have a funny engagement story? What makes you stop and take inventory? Please share your comments, I'd love to hear from you!
]]>Look at your own fingertip. You will see a collection of whorls, curls and waves in a pattern that is unique in the world. You are the only one with that fingerprint. The ridges can be high and crisp or low and flat, fine or bold. Everyone is different. Look at your child’s finger and what do you see?
There are many factors that influence the quality of impression or fingerprint that shows up in the silver such as age, genetics and health. In my experience the best results for visible fingerprint patterns come from children 5 and up and adults. Please don’t worry if your child is younger than 5 it’s still a precious keepsake to capture the small size of your growing baby or toddler because he/she won’t be small for long! See photo above to compare an impression with a fingerprint.
Child fingerprint and baby fingerprint impression in a bead.
Everyone is different. Look closely and you will see the variations in size, age and print clarity.
Teardrop with single senior adult fingerprint.
Young Adult fingerprints female and male.
Please Note: I have come across a few instances when the fingerprints are diminished in people being treated for cancer.
]]>Sometimes you get discouraged, because I am so small And leave my little fingerprints On furniture and walls. But everyday I'm growing And soon will be so tall That all these little fingerprints Will be difficult to recall. So here's a little handprint That you can put away So you will know how my fingers looked On this special day.
~Author Unknown
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