My last few weeks have been filled with custom orders. I’ve been a busy girl. 🙂 I love custom orders because I get to work with the client on what they’d like and then I get to throw a bit of me into the mix. It usually starts by someone seeing something they liked but looking for their size, words and gemstone. We exchange several emails or studio visits to come up with a plan. It’s a blast to see it from beginning to end.
The above piece is a custom order. It’s a beautiful Larimar ring. The client wanted certain coordinates on the ring. It turned out great. That Larimar stone is stunning.
This custom bangle bracelet features a Variscite cabochon. It reminds me of some of the Royston turquoise I’ve been using. The client wanted special words on this bangle.
I love the colors of carnelians. This pillow shaped carnelian was perfect for this custom order. I just adore the way the stone looks against the oxidized silver.
Awe…… this ring wasn’t a custom piece but I had to show it because the turquoise is so pretty. I named her *a day at the beach.* Yes…..it’s the perfect name…lol. She can be found in my shop here.
If you see something that you like don’t be afraid to contact me. I have a vast array of gemstones and would be happy to work with you on your custom jewelry. I like to tell everyone that each client is special to me and that I take time for each piece. I like to send them off with good mojo!!
Thanks for stopping in!!
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 with my man, Rob. I spend most days in my studio making pieces that speak to my heart. Thanks for stopping by!!
Ahhhh…… the beauty of turquoise. The more I work with turquoise the more I love it. I’ve always adored it even when I didn’t live in the Southwest. I’m a lover of color and turquoise doesn’t disappoint in that area. Plus….. the stones are so different according to where they’re mined from.
The above ring was made with a Royston turquoise I just acquired. I don’t even know if this photo can do her justice. Probably some of the best color I’ve seen.
I met with a turquoise *connoisseur* last weekend that’s more than familiar with the beauty of turquoise. He’s been in the turquoise business for over 40 years and knows most people in the turquoise world. He told me how the Native American Indians believe that there’s a story in every stone. (I happen to be third generation Native American Indian so my ears perked up when he spoke of this.) When you look at the custom piece above and see the beauty in this stone you can see why there maybe a story in there.
Even the simplest stones are beautiful. These turquoise add a color to this sterling silver earring setting.
Small turquoise beads in earrings make me smile. See how different the color of these Kingman beads are opposed to the Royston turquoise pieces above. It’s amazing.
The beauty of turquoise….. somehow I feel it connects me to the earth in some way that no other stone does. I’m happy I can work with it often.
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!!
©manon
Sentry Air Fume Extractor in my studio
Over a year ago I was reading a post by jewelry artist Deryn Mentock on her blog Something Sublime about a fume extractor that she was using. After many years of grinding glass and now soldering I was very interested in my lung health. I referred back to her post and called Sentry Air Systems about a fume extractor for my studio. The people were so very kind and helped me in making an informed desicion about which model to choose.
I recently received it and I love my new fume extractor. It makes a huge difference!! It also eliminates having to instal hoods and cutting holes in your roof and it’s completely portable for those on the move.
I was later contacted by a lovely lady named Joy from Sentry Air about doing a blog post about me for Jewel day 2015. Click this link to read the post JEWEL DAY.
This past week I’ve been playing around with new sterling forms. Kind of organic looking pieces. This one is called *three peas in a pod.*….lol.
©manon
Nevada Blue turquoise necklace
I took a beautiful Nevada Blue turquoise and paired it with one of my organic pieces. It’s one of my favorite necklaces right now. I absolutely love how it sits.
©manon
Nevada Boulder turquoise ring
Oh …how I love thee Nevada Boulder turquoise. This little pretty sold the day I finished her to my dear friend. It was purposely not my size…..grrrrr. I named this ring *a river runs through it*….I better stick to making these pieces and not naming them!!
It’s been a great week!! I have really awesome upcoming news!! Stay tuned!!
Fill your heart with art and clean air!!
~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!!
Turqouise gemstone cabochon ring
©manon
I truly love making gemstone cabochon rings. I was initially intimidated by them but as soon as I got over that fear I couldn’t stop. The larger gemstone cabochons are my favorite to put in the settings. I had this large Bisbee turquoise in my turquoise stash and I immediately knew it had to go into a ring.
This is another Prehnite cabochon. It’s a really pretty stone with greens, yellows and whites. It makes for a gorgeous ring.
I’ve worked with a few of these Bumble Bee jaspers. They’re bright and bold and look terrific on!!
Labradorite cabochon ring
©manon
Labradorite cabochon ring
©manon
The two rings above are labradorite. A friend of mine purchased the square one. He told me of a wonderful story of his dad. The labradorite mines in Labrador had been almost ruined by the mining that what happening there. The Inuit cut them off. In the 90’s my friend’s father and his crew approached the Inuit and told them that they would mine in an ethical way. They were allowed to mine until his dad passed away. He believes that some of the labradorites that I use might in fact been touched by his dad. It makes me happy to know this when I use these beautiful stones.
Have a wonderful week ahead!! You can find my work HERE.
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 am a gemstone cabochon addict….lol. Lately, I find myself delving deep into the land of gemstones. I’m so amazed at these beautiful stones that have been forged by the earth and polished by man. I get so excited to use each one in a new piece of jewelry.
The pieces above are rutilated quartz cabochons….ooh la la!!!
The ring above is also rutilated quartz. It is the most incredible stone. Take a good look at the thin shots of gold color…..swoon!!!
This is an Australian Chrysoprase. I’m not really attracted to the perfect stone. I love the imperfect with a lot of variation. This stone fits that bill.
These are my prehnite cabs. I have so many cabochons that are the bluish color so it’s nice to mix it up a bit.
This sterling silver ring houses a large golden prehnite. It’s already gone to a new home but I wanted to show how pretty that stone was.
My man, Rob, is such a doll. He often gifts me with gemstone cabochons that he finds. He also came with me to the Gem and Mineral show in Tucson and another show yesterday. He found these stones for me. They are *Good Day* chrysocolla. Love them!!! My pic does not do them justice!!
Finally…… I found that I also have a love of fossils!!! 🙂 Omg…how cute are these sand dollars??? Got to run and get going with all this fun!!
You can find my work here and don’t forget to join my email list…top right… for future mail blasts!!
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!!
Two weeks ago today I had the most amazing experience. I had been to the post office the week before and the mail girls asked what I did (since I mail parcels often with them). When I told them that I’m a jewelry artist and I often use turquoise they told me they had a lady that comes in that her father recently passed away and she had a ton on turquoise to sell. I gave them my card and thought nothing more of it. Well….. she went there last week and called me right away. I drove to her home not knowing what to think and when I got there her table was full. Her father had been an artist and bought a ton of stone from a Bisbee miner. He cut and polished all of it. He told his kids it was worth more than gold to him. I started piecing it out and she made me an offer for the whole lot. I took it. This is only a quarter of what I have and it is overwhelming to see the beauty in each and every one. It was my lucky day and I hope I can do justice to all these gorgeous pieces.
This is the first piece I made with the Bisbee turquoise.
This is the back of that Bisbee piece.
I enjoyed making these a couple of weeks ago with the Kingman turquoise. They are all sold but I will be making more in the future.
I’ve also been making many different moon pendant commissions. This one is actually a gift for my mom. The back has my dad’s favorite song and the date they were married. I want her to know that whenever she looks to the moon he is looking down on her and protecting her.
I did just list the last moon I have available on my Etsy shop.
That’s all for now!! I’m heading back to my studio.
Fill your heart with art and turquoise
Happy Holiday!!
~manon
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!!
This week I’ve been busy making new styles of earrings. I’ve been having a ton of fun with my new saw so I put it to work sawing silver pieces for the earrings.
These were fun to make. I love adding a little copper accent to some of my pieces. It’s such a warm, pretty metal. It gives these earrings a little pop!!
After countless times being frustrated having to match up ear wires after they are tumbled….I got smart…lol. I now take my jump rings and put each pair together before they hit the tumbler.
Last night Rob and I went to Talking Stick Casino and Resort. We’d heard about the restaurant on the top floor but had never been to it. WOW!! 360 degree views of the city and wonderful food!! I took this pic as the sun was setting. I’m still amazed every single day of the beauty that surrounds us. I’m so very grateful!!
Fill your heart with art
`manon
I’ve been busy making rings lately. Turns out I really like making them. I have so many ideas for different ones. Please send me an assistant!! lol
This WordPress has been a learning curve for me……that’s for sure. I have so much to learn. I’ve only had one breakdown so far….yikes. I have to be grateful to Google because each time I have an issue it can usually be resolved on there. Hopefully I will get the hang of this in my lifetime.
I’ve reopened my Etsy shop and will be adding items everyday. Come by and visit!!
https://www.etsy.com/shop/sistersofthesun?ref=pr_shop_more
see you soon and fill your heart with art
~manon