I am a maker of handmade jewelry. All of my pieces are 100% made by me. I run my business by myself as many of my jewelry friends and small business owners do. That means I am my own social media, artist, inventory specialist, shipper, fabricator and so on. There are some days that are definitely overwhelming so I’ll take a step back occasionally….lol…..but I love it.
The piece above features a Nevada Seven Dwarfs Mine gemstone. It is a small mine that yields small amounts at the moment. Very pretty stones are coming out of there and they’re quite pricey.
This cuff has a beautiful Arizona Kingman turquoise. Because it’s cut in a heart shape the turquoise is more expensive due to the fact that the lapidary artist has to waste more turquoise to get this shape.
I’ve always had an affinity for crosses. I’m interested in making more types of these. This one features a Nevada Royston turquoise.
I’ve recently made some solid sterling silver moons and Buddhas with an inspirational message on the back. The moons are in the Balinese carver tradition. The Balinese are terrific carvers of bone pieces so I’m thrilled that I can honor them in sterling silver.
Handmade jewelry is my passion. Every morning I’m excited to get up and see what the new day will bring.
You can find some of my pieces online at my shop
fill your heart with art
~manon
My work can be found here at Echo of the Dreamer gallery and at Enter the Earth gallery.
Fill your heart with art
~manon
My name is Manon. (pronounced Man + O) Yes….my mom cursed me with my name. In her defense I guess she never though I’d leave Quebec. I’m a jewelry artist and painter. I’ve been creative as long as I can remember and things haven’t changed. I now live in Scottsdale, AZ. I spend most days in my studio making pieces that speak to my heart. Thanks for stopping by!!
Excited for this new year and new techniques. I bought the necessary tools to start chasing and repousse. It’s an ancient technique of metalworking where chasing is essentially embossing and repousse is hammering the reverse side to create a low relief. (Read more here about this technique.) There’s definitely a learning curve but I love a challenge. Above is a pic of the copper in pitch. Pitch holds the piece so you can work on it.
This is the back side of the leaf shape I made. As you can see the form is pushed out.
This is the front side of my first piece. Definitely not so perfect but it was fun to work on. I didn’t think about the gauge of the copper and I jumped right into 18 gauge which was definitely a workout the first time round. It looks like a leaf on steroids…lol!!!!
I’ve made a few pieces now. This sterling piece was made using chasing and repousse techniques with sterling silver. I also added a Mexican Campitos turquoise.
I chose not to cover up the back with another piece of sterling. I love the raw, organic feel it has this way.
It looks amazing on!!
Chasing and repousse will open up a range of new ideas for me this year. Yes….. it’s time consuming but the payoff is awesome. Stay tuned for new work!!
Happy New Year!!!
fill your heart with art
~manon
My work can be found here at Echo of the Dreamer gallery and at Enter the Earth gallery.
Fill your heart with art
~manon
My name is Manon. (pronounced Man + O) Yes….my mom cursed me with my name. In her defense I guess she never though I’d leave Quebec. I’m a jewelry artist and painter. I’ve been creative as long as I can remember and things haven’t changed. I now live in Scottsdale, AZ. I spend most days in my studio making pieces that speak to my heart. Thanks for stopping by!!
It’s been a long hot summer. It’s just flat out sizzling around here. We’ve had a bit of monsoon but some of it has missed us. Regardless of this heat I’ve been starting to get pieces for the studio tour Hidden in the Hills in late November early December. I’ll post more about it the closer it comes.
While dealing with this hot summer I’ve also been making all sorts of new pieces. These are a few of the earrings that I’ve worked on for Hidden in the Hills.
While I love working on larger necklaces I often throw some smaller pieces in.
Bisbee bracelet and ring. Oooh la la on Bisbee turquoise. I have that some of that turquoise tucked away in a safe place….lol.
Just acquired Nevada Seven Dwarfs mine gemstones. Hard to find, pricey to buy but oh so worth it!!!!! You can read about it HERE.
Hopefully this hot summer will morph into beautiful weather in the next few weeks!!! See you soon!!!
fill your heart with art
~manon
My work can be found here at Echo of the Dreamer gallery and at Enter the Earth gallery.
Fill your heart with art
~manon
My name is Manon. (pronounced Man + O) Yes….my mom cursed me with my name. In her defense I guess she never though I’d leave Quebec. I’m a jewelry artist and painter. I’ve been creative as long as I can remember and things haven’t changed. I now live in Scottsdale, AZ. I spend most days in my studio making pieces that speak to my heart. Thanks for stopping by!!
I haven’t posted in quite a long while. I have been really busy in my studio. Busy is good!!! These are some of my latest pieces that I’ve worked on. I’ve also been crafting many rings but I thought I’d just post necklaces today.
Love bringing the turquoise to life in a necklace.
I had three Larimar stones that I was going to use separately but decided they would look great together. Glad I went with my instinct on this one.
My latest pieces have been lots of work but fun to work on. I have lots of new turquoise and stones to work into my designs. Better get at it!!!
fill your heart with art
~manon
My work can be found here at Echo of the Dreamer gallery and at Enter the Earth gallery.
Fill your heart with art
~manon
My name is Manon. (pronounced Man + O) Yes….my mom cursed me with my name. In her defense I guess she never though I’d leave Quebec. I’m a jewelry artist and painter. I’ve been creative as long as I can remember and things haven’t changed. I now live in Scottsdale. I spend most days in my studio making pieces that speak to my heart. Thanks for stopping by!!
This past week I worked with a little gold to make silver with gold rings. When I work with silver and I drop a little ball I don’t stress too much about it. I know I’ll find it eventually. When I was working with the gold and dropped a tiny piece I immediately got on my hands and knees and hunted that baby down….LOL!!!
I love these silver with gold rings. The gold brings some warmth to the cool silver. They look awesome when combined.
I hand forged the band and they look pretty cool.
You can find both of the rings at my shop here ——–> sisters of the sun
I have lots of new ideas coming up including more silver with gold rings. Please check back!!
See you soon!!
My work can be found here and at Echo of the Dreamer gallery.
Fill your heart with art
~manon
My name is Manon. (pronounced Man + O) Yes….my mom cursed me with my name. In her defense I guess she never though I’d leave Quebec. I’m a jewelry artist and painter. I’ve been creative as long as I can remember and things haven’t changed. I now live in Scottsdale, AZ. I spend most days in my studio making pieces that speak to my heart. Thanks for stopping by!!
I live about 10 minutes from Cave Creek, Arizona. The main street is like an old western town. Smack in the middle is a store called The Town Dump. Yesterday I decided to take a ride and get my fix.
There are no words to describe this eclectic, crazy kind of store. There’s a bit of this, that, junk and funk.
The outside is has rusted pieces, signs, furniture and a plastic leg that is about 7 feet tall.
I love these paper flowers from The Town Dump. If you’re having a fiesta night they’re so pretty to put around the house.
I can see thousands of metal flowers in the store. Some are huge or as small as the ones pictured above.
The Town Dump in Cave Creek, Arizona, is a must see if you’re in these parts. It’s sure to make you smile. You can find them HERE.
This past week has been driven by many custom orders. I’ve had 6 rings on my plate. I thought I’d show this genuine Kingman turquoise ring. It’s big, bold and beautiful. It’s going to a gal that loves big rings.
Not going to lie…..lol……. I have a ton of stones. My turquoise collection is forever growing. I only occasionally show a couple on here because quite frankly…..I’m keeping them protected…lol. The above pic consists of two Nevada Boulder turquoise and the Royston turquoise. Rob keeps surprising me with some beautiful stones. He’s into them as much as I am. I think these will make beautiful pieces.
Thanks for stopping by!!
My work can be found here and at Echo of the Dreamer gallery.
Fill your heart with art
~manon
My name is Manon. (pronounced Man + O) Yes….my mom cursed me with my name. In her defense I guess she never though I’d leave Quebec. I’m a jewelry artist and painter. I’ve been creative as long as I can remember and things haven’t changed. I now live in Scottsdale, AZ. I spend most days in my studio making pieces that speak to my heart. Thanks for stopping by!!
A couple of packaging ideas for your jewelry.
So…. you’ve created your jewelry or whatever it is you make and now it’s sold. It really doesn’t end there. A very important part is the packaging. You don’t want your beautiful creation to arrive in a paper towel. There are times that I have ordered things and have been completely disappointed by the packaging. Don’t let this happen to you.
The pic above is of me and is a cool way to display your earrings. It’s certainly not a novel idea but the image obviously is…lol. There are a ton of ways to display earrings. Find the way that works for you.
Check out my PINTEREST board to see many packaging ideas. See it HERE.
This is the way I’m now sending out my rings. The back of the card is in the next pic.
Make sure your contact info is on your cards. Brand your company name. Everything you send out should clearly state who you are.
I put all my jewelry in breathable plastic bags that I buy from my jewelry supply store. I also use kraft jewelry boxes to send out my pieces. Notice that my business name is visible on the package. I finish it with a pretty ribbon. I also included a note in the package to thank my client and another business card.
Don’t overlook your presentation. It says a ton about who you are as a company.
You can find my work at my online shop or if in the Arizona area I welcome studio appointments.
Fill your heart with art and pretty packaging.
~manon
My name is Manon. (pronounced Man + O) Yes….my mom cursed me with my name. In her defense I guess she never though I’d leave Quebec. I’m a jewelry artist and painter. I’ve been creative as long as I can remember and things haven’t changed. I now live in Scottsdale, AZ. I spend most days in my studio making pieces that speak to my heart. Thanks for stopping by!!
I’ve been really excited about the turquoise I’ve been working with. This pendant has a Bisbee turquoise. I love the way it turned out. As you’ll see in the pic below I’ve added the words *let your soul and spirit fly*…. it’s a wonderful line from a Van Morrison song. (Funny….many of my man’s family live in Ireland and see Van all the time.)
I sold her as soon as I listed her. She has a special meaning for someone so I’m happy.
I made this link bracelet with a Kingman turquoise. The back side of it says….courage. It’s also sold but I will be making more that are similar.
These are bangles that I’ve attached with a bail that reads….blessed. I’ve also added the word cherish. Again…I’ve used a Kingman turquoise in this piece. You can find this at my Etsy shop.
I just got some great stones that I can’t wait to start working with. Check back soon for updates.
fill your heart with art
Hey there!!
My name is Manon. (pronounced Man + O) Yes….my mom cursed me with my name. In her defense I guess she never though I’d leave Quebec. I’m a jewelry artist and painter. I’ve been creative as long as I can remember and things haven’t changed. I now live in Scottsdale, AZ. I spend most days in my studio making pieces that speak to my heart. Thanks for stopping by!!
I recently purchased some vintage beads and they’re so cute. It’s been fun to incorporate them into some of my designs. I held my breath when I ordered them because I wasn’t quite sure what was going to arrive but they came to me like new. So far I’ve put them in some of the earrings.
These are my latest sterling earrings. I think that these are my favorite but I’ve said that about every pair….lol. I’ve added the words….Find. Your. Happy. Place. I think this rings true to many people. We look around for things and people to make us happy when in reality happiness is a feeling that is within us. I like these words in the piece to bring a gentle reminder.
This photo was sent to me recently. My friend, Mae, is one of my biggest supporters. I love that she loves jewelry and mine at that. If she lived closer I would put a hammer in her hand and have her forge away with me. 🙂
You can find my jewelry at my Etsy or you can email me at manon@sistersofthesun.com
fill your heart with art
~manon
Years ago I covered many of my mosaics in resin to give them more of a modern look and lately I’ve been playing around with it in my jewelry. There are some great books and tutorials out there and I just wanted to give you an easy *how to* if you’re curious about using resin.
I made my own silver bezels for this project but I would suggest starting with cheap ones that you can buy online or at any craft store. Once I finished my bezels I laid an old garbage bag on my surface and adhered my bezels to packing tape…..sticky side up. Try not to get your dirty little fingers on the tape because anything that’s on there will ultimately transfer to your resin.
Next….a few safety tips….. wear disposable plastic gloves. Depending of the brand of resin that you use you may need a respirator or dusk mask if the fumes are particularly strong. Make sure you’re in a well ventilated space. I wouldn’t suggest doing this anywhere you’ll be consuming food.
There are many resins out there. Research on which one is the best for your needs but make sure that you find one that it is non-yellowing because you don’t want to have a piece get yellow down the line.
The resin comes in 2 parts. The resin and the hardener. It’s important that they are not cold when you start working with them so you can put them in a hot bath of water for a few minutes to warm them up.
Mixing…… I buy the little pre-measured medicine cups to mix my resin. You will mix them in the exact amounts starting with the resin and then adding the hardener. Once you pour the resin let it sit for a second to make sure it’s the amount you want and then add the hardener. You are now ready to mix with a wooden stick. NOTE….. mix it very slowly for at least two minutes. The more vigorous the mixing the more air bubbles you are going to have. After the mixing is done you can either add color or keep it clear and let it sit under a heat lamp or light for 5 minutes to help draw out the air bubbles.
I added color to my resin and there are a variety of ways to do this. You can add a couple of drops of oil paint or acrylic paint. I’m told that pastels can be ground up and mixed in. Some people use a tiny amount of mica powders. Perhaps you want to leave your resin clear and carefully put something in it like pieces of glass or beads. The fun thing about this is that you can experiment.
Now you’re ready to pour. Do so carefully so you can see where the resin is going. Pour until you’re happy. Have toothpicks or a needle to get any air bubbles that are present. You have about 30 minutes to work with this. The resin will set up pretty quickly so leaving the room for an hour and coming back to it isn’t going to work out for you. Once you’re happy with what you’ve got you can cover your work with anything that will keep the dust out while it cures. I use a container that is meant to store things in and I put it over the pieces. The dry time depends on your product but I let it sit 24 hours before I take it out. Also…. the overall cure time is about 3 days.
These are what my pieces looked liked at first. Cute but I wasn’t done. I didn’t pour too much initially into my bezels because I wanted to add some snippets of my artwork to my pendants. I made sure my condensed copies of artwork were sealed with a gel medium and then I adhered them to the resin on the bezel. I then poured a clear batch of resin and let them sit for another 24 hours.
These are my finished pieces ready to string on silver chain. I think they turned out great.
Resin has so many possibilities. Give it a whirl!! If you want to push it more you can look up some books on this topic that will inspire you!!
fill your heart with art
~manon