Sunshine INdustries - featuring SINjewelry!

Need a great Valentine's Day gift idea?

2012-01-29T15:26:00.001-07:00

This beautiful pink gemstone multi-strand necklace is both delicate and classy. It would look equally stylish with jeans and a t-shirt or a formal dress! This would make an amazing bridal necklace for the right bride.

Hand crafted with sterling silver chain, 3mm pink garnet rhondelles, pink tourmaline rectangles and a gorgeous vintage Swarovski crystal drop. The clasp and all components are sterling s...

Click Here to Visit My Etsy Shop!

2011-11-17T16:52:00.000-07:00

Coupon!

You, my loyal newsletter followers, deserve a perk.

Let's call it incentive to knock all that snow off the car & get yourself to the Saskatchewan Building.

Please cut your coupon out and present it at booth 1119

at the time of your purchase.

Thanks for being a newsletter subscriber!

Dawn

SINjewelry...

Made for You.

Coming up...

2011-11-13T14:41:00.005-07:00

Christmas Craft Preview!

Ready to shop for beautiful, handcrafted items for your Christmas gifts?

(Or yourself. It's not a crime.)

The Christmas Craft Preview

(formerly Sunny's Craft Show)

is coming up next weekend!

Friday November 18th - 10-9 p.m.

Saturday November 19th - 10-6 p.m.

Sunday November 20th - 10-4 p.m.

I'll be in booth 1119...

(see map below).

Did you find #1119?

(It's got a wee "SIN" on it).

It's a great location.

Near food, bathrooms, and doors.

I think Debra P. (the organizer) is a goddess. : )

Kirby, the handsome hubby, and Tracy, the fabulous friend, will be there helping me out.

Come and say hi to us and see the latest jewelry!

SINjewelry...

Made for You.

Blog Follower Bonus...

2011-11-11T00:04:00.001-07:00

First of all,

a moment of silence.

To Remember.

And feel thankful.

For my grandfather...

John (Jack) Hone - RCAF

and all soldiers past and present.

Now for your blog bonus...

Soon, my website/Etsy shop will soon have very little in it.

This, for example, will be GONE.

Blueberries leather, pearl & sterling bracelet

Why?

I will soon be selling at the root community emporium.

And...

I will be at the Christmas Craft Preview (formerly known as Sunny's Craft Fair)
at booth 1119. Come see me!

Friday November 18th 10-9 p.m.

Saturday November 19th 10-6 p.m.

Sunday November 20th 10-4 p.m.

So I need ALL the stock I can get for these two places.

It's all very exciting!!

Now because you are all faithful customers or followers,

I thought you deserved to have a heads up.

Want something that's on the site before it goes to one of these places for sale?

Here's your blog bonus:

Purchase something from my website tomorrow (Remembrance Day)

and use the coupon code

BLOGBONUS

when checking out to receive free shipping,

BLOGBONUS10

for 10% off.

You choose whichever works best for you.

Buy what you like now...

Blueberries Boho Chic long necklace.

BEFORE they disappear!

SINjewelry...

Made for You.

Why make Mommy Bling?

2011-11-06T01:20:00.000-06:00

FAQ's - Why make stamped jewelry?

Isn't it "cookie cutter" art?

Isn't it repetitive & boring?

Isn't there so much of it out there already?

No.

And yes.

Single Mommy Bling necklace - $85.00

I make personalized jewelry, especially my Mommy Bling line, because it has meaning to the wearer.

It started with a baby shower present for my friend.

When she saw it, she had tears in her eyes.

That did it for me.

I'm a classic "people pleaser". She loved it, so it made sense that others would, too.

I live for positive feedback!

So... whether I'm making a Mommy Bling necklace, bridesmaid jewelry,

flower girl jewelry or remembrance jewelry,

the piece will mean something to the person who will wear it.

Therefore, I make each piece with care.

I treat every one as if it were mine.

A lot of effort goes into each one.

There are a lot of stamped jewelry artisans out there.

Most use pre-made sterling blanks.

These are usually at the thickest, 20 gauge pieces (.02 mm) of 92.5% silver.

Mine are handcrafted 99% silver 3-4 mm thick pendants.

I don't just stamp something I buy.

Let me share the process of making them with you.

It all starts with silver clay.

Silver clay is made of tiny bits of silver (sometimes recycled from x-rays) imbedded in a glue binder.

It looks like clay.

It dries way faster.

You can create any shape you want...

I use a circle template most often for my Mommy Bling pendants.

I roll out the clay onto texture plates.

The heart leaf is the most popular one. Moms like it.

I draw the heart (or tree or whatever the customer wants!) with a syringe filled with silver clay slip.

I use metal stamps for the lettering.

Once I get the basic shape achieved, it goes onto a cup warmer to dry.

These ones are dry:

Notice the rough edges.

Those have to go!

I use a file to carefully take off the rough edges and obvious imperfections.

The pieces are very fragile at this point.

You have to sand very carefully.

After using files, I use sanding cloths to smooth them even more.

There are four different bites of sanding cloth from rough to fine.

I use them all.

Notice the fine silver dust on my fingers.

I use dental tools looking through a magnifier to fix small imperfections.

On this one, for example, I was shaving down the heart on one side to shape it better.

Before

After

Here's my workspace when I sand:

The bowl catches the dust. It's recycled back into silver clay.

The brush and water is used to smooth areas that need it. I use both the large file you saw earlier and the mini files in the antique blue glass ink well you see in the photo.

And of course, coffee to keep me going...

This is the dust collected from sanding a few pieces.

Just add water and a little oil to reconstitute to use for repairs.

Silver is over $30.00 an ounce... and there is a finite amount of it on earth.

Recycling it is a must.

Time to put the sanded pieces into the kiln.

They fire at 1700 degrees for an hour.

It makes my studio toasty warm on a cold day!

This is what they look like coming out of the kiln.

Think they're finished?

Nope!

This is when the HARD work starts!

Fine silver is 99% pure silver. The more pure a metal, the softer it is.

The first step is to work harden it a bit.

I hammer them lightly on both sides.

They go from being so soft that you could bend them with your fingers

to being the hard pendants we're used to.

They come out of the kiln with a sparkly patina on them.

I use a steel brush to get down to the shiny silver.

Pendants need a hole to put a jump ring through to hang them.

I either use this gizmo to screw a hole into them or carefully drill them.

The leftover "doughnut hole" goes into a container for recycling or fusing onto another piece later.

Now comes the "bath" in liver of sulphur and water.

This turns the piece different colours - eventually black.

I let them soak until they are black.

Just out of the liver of sulphur:

Now I sand the pieces so that the letters and details remain blackish, but the rest becomes shiny.

I start with 1200 sandpaper.

Notice the handy dandy sanding booth I use!

(Thanks E.S. Laird staff!)

It is a fan with a light above. (That's the black thing coming in from the left).

The filter catches the silver bits as I'm sanding.

Believe it or not, you can send the filters in to have the silver bits recycled!

After the sand paper.

Now I use my Dremel with rubber sanding wheels.

There are three different wheels that go from rough to smooth.

Each wheel is about $9.95 and I go through one every 20 pieces or so.

On this piece, there were some areas that I wanted to smooth out a bit more.

I used a pumice stone drill to get into really little places.

Then the rubber wheels again.

Hammering the piece makes the outside a bit irregular, so I use my file to make it rounded again.

Next, I burnish the flat areas. This burnisher is real stone - agate - that is very smooth. The stone is pushed over the surface, crushing and smoothing any bits sticking up. It makes a very smooth and shiny surface.

After the burnisher, it's the sanding cloths.

All four of them.

Some people would stop at the rubber wheels, but remember, this pendant is going to be special for the person who wears it! It has to be treated with love.

Here's how the back is looking so far.

Remember me telling you that most artisans doing stamped jewelry use sterling sheet blanks?

Well, they won't have a pretty textured back.

In fact, you'd likely see the stamped letters coming through the plain back.

If your necklace turned around, (and it will!), wouldn't you rather see this?

After all that polishing, the letters and the tree didn't stand out as much as I'd like, so I painted the liver of sulphur solution over them one more time, just to blacken the indented parts.

One more go with the sanding cloths to get any liver of sulphur that went where I didn't want it...

Now the magic happens.

I assemble the necklace with the pendant:

This was a custom piece.

They usually look more like this:

Double Mommy Bling Necklace - $130.00

Or this:

Triple Mommy Bling Necklace - $150.00

I use natural semi-precious or precious stones for birthstones.

I use the most beautiful sterling silver chain... It's an antiqued open link chain from Nina Designs.

It suits the rustic look of the pendants.

And it's strong.

I buy it by the foot, so I can make a necklace any length you want.

The sterling lobster clasp can be hooked to any of the larger links,

so the customer can wear their necklace short or long to suit their outfit that day.

The chain length I use is typically 20" for the single pendant and 22" for the double and triple pendants.

I always add a bonus natural stone at the end of the chain.

It's just a nice detail.

It is said that the more the human hand touches something, the more meaning it has.

It gains a story.

No wonder I love antiques!

No wonder I love to put so much effort and time into my personalized pieces.

I want them to tell your story.

I want you to tear up in joy when you see it.

One last FAQ:

Can't I get a stamped necklace for a lot cheaper from other jewelry artisans?

Sure you can!

But would you want to?

Personalized jewelry...

Made for You.

A Feature!

2011-06-03T14:40:00.006-06:00

Life has been busy here in Dawn's studio.

Mommy Bling has been a huge hit and I've been creating like crazy.

I haven't been putting photos up as most of the orders have been for gifts

and no one wants their surprise ruined! : )

BIG NEWS!

I want to thank Juanita at Nina Designs for doing a feature on my work -

"Jewelry Design Success Story: S.IN. Jewelry".

It was an amazing experience to write about what I do and to share my studio!

Thank you so much.

I would also like to acknowledge that the photo of me

& the photo of my hands working on a watch

were the work of my good friend & very talented photographer, Ardell McLennan,

Back to Nina Designs. They make beautiful findings.

The one I use the most often is their sterling chain

in the antiqued open link style as

seen in these Double Mommy Bling Necklace photos:

(This necklace is flying its way to California for a client as I type! Enjoy, Kelly!)

I would like to point out that I don't use "finished chains", nor "stamping blanks" as they advertise in the article. I use chain-by-the-foot & finish the chain I use off myself

with a semi-precious gemstone end and a clasp on the other side.

I do not use pre-made stamping blanks. I create my own pendants out of silver clay.

I'd imagine that Nina Designs changed these details in order to protect customers from knowing the costs of the supplies I actually use, but I'm ok with you all knowing that.

That helps you to realize why my designs are priced the way they are.

(Some designers don't like those details being shared.)

Nina Designs also want to sell their products, and fair enough. They make great products!

Now I need to get back to work.

The Arts Without Borders Art Market is coming up on June 11th at the Atrium Centre in Lloydminster! I'm very excited for a couple of reasons. This year, Yvonne & I will be outside the Atrium Centre in my brand new Caravan Canopy Tent from Impact Canopies. I'm very excited to try it out. Secondly, I'm excited to share all the latest creations with you all! Please come out to check out the latest bling...

Dawn

Happiness creates sunshine wherever you go.

Always face the sunshine, and the shadows will fall behind.

Sunshine INdustries/SINjewelry
http://www.sunshineindustries.ca
http://www.etsy.com/shop/sunshineindustries
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sunshine-INdustries-essential-bling/200036631152?ref=ts
Twitter - @SINjewelry
http://www.sunshineindustries.blogspot.com
Sign up for my newsletter here - http://eepurl.com/cBX2

Where oh where has Dawn been?

2011-04-01T09:57:00.008-06:00

Creating, of course!

Earrings...

Lengthening a Mommy Bling necklace I had made earlier for Treena...

I love it long!

(My friends/customers come up with the best ideas.)

Which inspired this bracelet...

(Which will be added to my website next week)

And this one...

In fact, I like this design so much that you will likely see it come up in a few more colours.

Some Mommy Bling for Lynn...

Some Angel necklaces for Avery School's Thomas' Treasure Boxes Project...

(Thanks to Marc & Shauna for involving me in such an amazing project).

I actually had most of these made before Christmas, but as most of you know,

I hit a wee blip in the road, so it took a little longer to get them all done.

Before the blip, we had planned a vacation.

It was wonderful - the Bahamas for one glorious week of relaxation...

A week on the beach and diving is a great cure for anything!

Which inspired this ring... a work in progress.

It still needs some polishing and detail work,

but I wanted to share my FIRST metal clay ring project!!

And that's where I've been.

Please give the new website a visit.

http://www.sunshineindustries.ca

Like it? Hate it?

Suggestions to improve how it works for you?

Please leave a comment or email me at

sunshineindustries (at) shaw.ca

Dawn

What are Nutrition Bracelets?!

2011-04-01T09:02:00.014-06:00

I have a real need to watch what I'm eating right now.

Any of you have that same problem?

Plus, being at that certain age, my memory isn't the greatest.

So I came up with a tool that would help me to remember what to eat.

(And my tools always have to do with bling...)

Something useful that's pretty.

Jewelry that can help you with your health!

Now you can buy jewelry because you NEED it.

"Honey... it's for my health. You WANT me to be healthy, right?!"

I followed the Canada Food Guide & made a bracelet

with different bead colours for each food group.

turquoise dyed howlite = water

green dyed magnesite = fruits & veggies

shell = milk products

brown African opal = grains

faux sponge coral = meat products

Each coloured section of beads also has a moveable charm.

Eat an apple, move the green charm one over.

At 2 p.m. when you want a snack, look at your bracelet and decide what you can have.

It's convinced me to go for the apple way more often!

I showed my nutrition bracelet to my friend, Bridget.

She suggested I make some for those who count points on Weight Watchers.

Great idea, Bridget!

This one has 15 points and 8 water:

Now I know Bridget's secret to her thinness... she counts points.

She is going to try out the Points Bracelet and let me know if it needs any tweaking.

PS:

It can be made in any colours of stones or glass beads that you wish.

I've been wearing my Nutrition Bracelet for about a month now. It's pretty & easy to use.

I get a lot of compliments on it from people who have no idea of its use. : )

Nutrition Bracelet with glass beads:

One more style in more petite beads for a lighter bracelet:

Have any other great ideas for bracelets that would also be helpful to you?

Email me with any ideas you might have at sunshineindustries (at) shaw.ca .

What do you think of the Nutrition/Points Bracelets?

January Blues

2011-01-24T19:14:00.009-07:00

The January Blues has me redesigning.

Blue Coral Wandering Heart Necklace

I have decided to redesign my website. Again.

(I can hear my Dad's heavy sigh from here...)

I'm also listing my jewelry on Etsy!

Triple Pendant Mommy Bling Necklace

Etsy is a very popular online marketplace

for handmade and vintage items.

Right up my alley.

An added plus is that Etsy allows me to put multiple photos

of each item. This shows you more angles, close ups and details.

Until my website can do that, I'm going to use my new Etsy shop.

Another reason for my website redesign is

to add an area to show off & sell

my photography...

(more a hobby right now, but who knows?)

and

some of my other art.

Meanwhile, keep checking here, Facebook and Etsy for new jewelry designs!

Dawn Lawrence Floen

Happiness creates sunshine whenever you go.

Sunshine INdustries
http://www.sunshineindustries.ca

Bring in the New Year!

2010-12-31T16:01:00.004-07:00

Happy New Years

from

Sunshine INdustries

www.sunshineindustries.ca

50% off Christmas Jewelry!

2010-12-26T11:33:00.005-07:00

50% off all Christmas jewelry!

www.sunshineindustries.ca

Buy now & save on gifts for next year! Jewelry keeps forever...

Dawn Lawrence Floen

Happiness creates sunshine whenever you go.

Sunshine INdustries
http://www.sunshineindustries.ca

2010-12-23T23:24:00.008-07:00

Seasons Greetings from Sunshine INdustries

Newest Bling...

2010-12-20T22:41:00.007-07:00

12 Days of Christmas Sale...

25% off

December 18th-22nd.

Here is the newest bling

added to the Sunshine INdustries website

since the sale began:

Silver Bell Necklace - now $37.50.

Wreath Necklace - now also $37.50.

Iolite Snowman Necklace - now $56.25.

Stepping Out Necklace - now $56.25 - but only until December 22nd. Buy it now!

Joy Starfish Necklace - regularly $120.00 - now on for $90.00.

Wear this one year round to bring you joy.

Icicle Necklace - Biwi stick pearl wrapped in sterling silver. This is a one-of-a-kind and a great sparkler for your New Years outfit. Steal this one for $45 before the 22nd.

Morning Frost Necklace - So pretty! This one needs to be seen in person to truly appreciate it.

Moonstone Earrings - try and find moonstone & sterling earrings anywhere else for $12.00!

Grab these up quick!

Ornament bracelet - Decorate your wrist with this charm bracelet

for $48.75 - regularly $65.00!

Have as much fun wearing your Sunshine INdustries piece

as I did making them. : )

Thanks for supporting an independent artisan!

Dawn

Happiness creates sunshine whenever you go.

Sunshine INdustries
http://www.sunshineindustries.ca
Sign up for my newsletter here - http://eepurl.com/cBX2

Oops! I lied...

2010-12-15T22:52:00.005-07:00

Oops. I lied.

I didn't do it on purpose! I got my dates mixed up.

You can NOW purchase all non-personalized/special order merchandise on my website at

20% OFF!

Really. For sure this time. I checked.

This angel necklace is regularly $120, now on for $96.00. Heavenly!

This silk stocking necklace, regularly priced at $55.00 is now at $44.00!

And this gorgeous bracelet - regularly $60, on for $48.00.

As an added bonus, I will have whatever is left from the website and more at the Multiplex this Saturday, December 18th so you can try them on in person! You may buy from the comfort of your own home in your jammies, or you may come and fondle the piece you love best before buying in person. Your choice.

Either way, don't count on the piece you love being there for the 19th... buy now!

May the bling be with you...

Dawn

Happiness creates sunshine whenever you go.

Sunshine INdustries
http://www.sunshineindustries.ca
Sign up for my newsletter here - http://eepurl.com/cBX2

Stocking Stuffers - 20% off Dec. 14th-16th!

2010-12-13T23:13:00.005-07:00

Who wouldn't want some pink garnets in their stocking?

These little babies would add a little sparkle in her eye Christmas morning.

Or maybe you deserve a little sparkle for all that shopping, baking and decorating...

10-0178 Pink Encrusted Hoops

What about a winter charm bracelet?

This almost makes all the snow and cold more enjoyable.

09-217 Winter Fun Bracelet

Blister pearls - a great bit of shine and class to go with your New Years dress.

10-0146 Blister Pearl Earrings

...Or these aquamarine and rice pearl earrings that would look equally great

with jeans and a t-shirt or with a formal gown.

10-0149 Seafoam Earrings

And all at 20% off!

Check out these deals and more at

the Sunshine INdustries website.

Enjoy shopping...

Dawn

Happiness creates sunshine whenever you go.

Sunshine INdustries
http://www.sunshineindustries.ca
Sign up for my newsletter here - http://eepurl.com/cBX2

Twelve Days of Christmas SALE!

2010-12-10T17:17:00.005-07:00

10-0190 O' Christmas Tree Necklace

Waiting for that perfect gift to go on sale? Wait no longer!!

The Sunshine INdustries

Twelve Days of Christmas Sale

is on!

10-0184 Glamour Watch

How does the Twelve Days of Christmas Sale work?

The sale gets better the longer you wait!

December 10th-12th - 10% off

December 13th-15th - 15% off

December 16th-18th - 20% off

December 19th-22nd - 25% off

(Sale does not include personalized or special order jewelry).

New jewelry will be added throughout the week, so stop by daily!

10-0191 Silk Stocking Necklace

May the Bling be with You...

Dawn Lawrence Floen

Happiness creates sunshine whenever you go.

Sunshine INdustries
http://www.sunshineindustries.ca
Sign up for my newsletter here - http://eepurl.com/cBX2

Newest Bling - Just in time for Christmas Shopping....

2010-11-23T23:26:00.008-07:00

31 days left to shop...

Relax. I have some ideas for you right here!

You can shop the Sunshine INdustries website in your jammies.

If you add a message to me when you buy, I can even wrap it and send it directly to the recipient!

How easy is that?

Like the necklace that Amanda is wearing? You can buy that here.

The earrings, too.

Phone your friends! Tell them about us!

New to the website is this Pink Polka Dot sterling wire bracelet.

There is also a Pink Polka Dot watch... check it out.

In a Christmas mood?

Check out these Holiday themed pieces:

Frosty the Snowman necklace

Funky Festivities Necklace

Angel Necklace

... and my personal favorite...

the Silk Stocking Necklace.

There are more, so check out all of the newest additions to the website,

including a series made with pink garnets and tourmalines...

Have fun shopping!

Dawn

Happiness creates sunshine whenever you go.

Sunshine INdustries
http://www.sunshineindustries.ca

Sign up for my newsletter here - http://eepurl.com/cBX2

Will you give handcrafted items this year?

2010-11-15T23:09:00.008-07:00

The Christmas Craft Fair... I love it! So many unique things... so many artisans in one building.

Yvonne from Creative Adornments and I have been doing this show for three years now.

This will be the second year that we've joined up with the MidWest Canadian Artists.

Think pottery, paintings, photography... so much talent all in one booth!

Here is a "Sneak Peak" of some things I've been working on for the sale:

Come down and get some unique gifts while supporting independent artisans.

Friday, November 19th - 10 a.m - 9 p.m.

Saturday, November 20th - 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Sunday, November 21st - 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Mention the code word "covert" and you will get 10% your purchase from Sunshine INdustries!

See you there...

Dawn

Happiness creates sunshine whenever you go.

Far away there in the sunshine are my highest
aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their
beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.
~Louisa May Alcott

Sunshine INdustries
http://www.sunshineindustries.ca

Sign up for my newsletter here - http://eepurl.com/cBX2

Tea Time!

2010-11-07T21:17:00.007-07:00

Last week, I told you about a new local store is opening up in Lloydminster called Harvest to Home.

The owners are wonderful women who appreciate the idea of handcrafted and homemade. When they approached me to create a line for their new store, I knew it had to special.

It had to be just right. They had great ideas and together we envisioned food & home related bling that was perfect.

I took notes while we talked and started to sketch right away. This was a

few months ago. As the ideas came, I added to my sketches and notes.

The next step was to take these ideas and create a way to make templates to be used over and over. This is a series after all, and exclusive to Harvest to Home. I decided that I would make them one of a kind afterward by using different stones and chains with each one.

Some charms could be used in bracelets, earrings or wine charms, too.

So I created templates for each idea in a hard plastic sheet that you can buy for crafting.

I used silver clay to build the charms. It was a process of both using the template to cut out the shape, and drawing into the shape to add detail. I also used a syringe to add 3-D elements to some of them.

(The leaf and bug were for different clients. I'm a multi-tasker...)

After firing, adding liver of sulphur to darken the details and polishing... TA DA!

All that from a pencil sketch... isn't art wonderful!?

If you'd like to see more of the jewelry from this line, stop in at Harvest to Home - it opens November 12th!!

Also, please take time on November 11th to honor our fallen and the military - past and present.

Creatively Yours,

Dawn

Happiness creates sunshine whenever you go.
Sunshine INdustries
http://www.sunshineindustries.ca
Sign up for my newsletter here - http://eepurl.com/cBX2

Exciting November!!

2010-10-31T17:57:00.012-06:00

November will be jam-packed with excitement here at Sunshine INdustries.

First of all, the website security has been beefed up and it is live!

Go to http//:www.sunshineindustries.ca to see.

The re-design and security was done by Seth Etter.

I love it.

Second of all, our promo photos from Ardell McLennan Photogra phy arrived.

They are amazing.

Models Amanda Hanson and Jennifer Lyons did a fantastic job.

They are two b-ee-u-ti-ful women.

Ardell's touch and the location of Ernie's Coffee Shop both made the photos spectacular.

Look for some to hit the website soon. Seth

is a busy man.

Thirdly, look for the opening of Harvest to Home.

This store is such a great addition to our community. There have their own bakeshop and an entertainment kitchen for cooking classes or as a rental space for special occassions WITH a chef if you want!

How cool is that?

They will be carrying locally made food - including flour ground

right there in front of your eyes from local crops.

Everything in their store will be Canadian and local-within-a-day.

Every tried the 100 mile diet? Well, it just became more possible.

They will also have some local art, kitchen items and... drumroll... a special exclusive line of Sunshine INdustries jewelry.

Lastly - the Christmas Craft Show is coming up on November 19th, 20th and 21st.

Sunshine INdustries will be there along with Creative Adornments

and the MidWest Canadian Artists.

#09-217 Winter Fun Bracelet

Hope to see you at the Craft Fair!

That's a lot to look forward to in one month.

May the Bling be with You...

Dawn

Sunshine INdustries
http://www.sunshineindustries.ca

Sign up for my newsletter here - http://eepurl.com/cBX2

Just back from a Stella and Dot party!

2010-10-24T16:32:00.013-06:00

What to do when you are a jewelry designer and a friend is having a jewelry home party?

Go!

There's nothing better than good girlfriends, good food and jewelry inspiration

on a Sunday afternoon!

Stella and Dot makes some fabulous leather bracelets and cloth/bejeweled

bib necklaces that are trendy and beautiful that I would never make.

I was very tempted by one ring that I still might buy - shhhh!!

I don't think we as designers should see other kinds of jewelry as direct competition.

Anything that makes women feel beautiful should be honored.

There is enough glory out there for us all! If I see quality bling out there, I will promote it.

It doesn't take away from what I do, it enhances it. Thanks for inviting me, Amy!

Here are some pieces I have been working on since my last blog entry:

This is a Mommy Bling Necklace. They sell for $65.00.

I make the pendants by hand from silver clay.

The birthstones are semi-precious stones or Swarovski crystals, whichever the

mom prefers.

This particular one is a peridot for August and it is a baby gift for a very special "almost niece"!

The 16" or 18" box chain comes from Artbeads.

They ship to Canada for $1.99! You can't beat that.

This is a Double Pendant Mommy Bling Necklace.

They sell for $130, although they can be more expensive depending on the stones or the shape of pendants chosen.

Both sides are stamped, so if the pendants turn, both sides are interesting.

This is another one that I made earlier. (I forgot to take a photo of the back of the one above).

The Double Pendant Mommy Bling Necklace comes on a 22" sterling open link chain that looks antique. I love this style of chain! It is my chain-of-choice. It comes from Nina Designs.

They have amazing jewelry findings from all over the world. They are my go-to supplier for findings that have gorgeous detail to them.

Shipping from them can be expensive to Canada, but oh-so-worth-it!

This is a Mommy Bling Bracelet I made as a special order.

The first strand is $60 and each additional strand is $50.

The first strand comes with the beautiful sterling heart clasp.

Up to three more strands can be added onto a single strand bracelet.

The rounded sterling letters also come from Artbeads. They are a great resource!

The bracelet may be ordered either with semi-precious stones or Swarovski crystals to represent birthstones. The above bracelet was made with clear crystals as requested.

This one is made with peridots for August:

Next up, earrings!

These earrings are so delicate looking. I just love them.

They almost didn't make it to the website... except that I really needed some blue earrings added in there!

They are rough aquamarine rondelles with rice pear drops. All metal is sterling.

10-0149 Seafoam earrings - $16.00

Also made in the last two weeks - a long purple glass & sterling necklace

made for my gorgeous cousin, Thora.

She should receive it in the mail any day.

I love this necklace. The oval links are all hand forged, along with the "s-curve" links.

Putting this together was a lot of fun.

It's another piece that almost didn't make it to the owner... : )

And because I took so long to get around to making it for her,

(Procrastination Girl strikes again)...

I added in these bonus earrings.

(Shhhhhh...)

I think I'm in love with this new clay pendant from Magpie Gemstones.

You'll likely see one of those in one of my upcoming designs.

As I'm creating, I often take breaks to read my email and the occasional blog.

I found this decorating idea in a blog - remodelista.com.

I thought that if I painted some frames and put cork inside them, they would make a beautiful jewelry display on a wall in my someday-store-with-real-walls...

I already have these great displays in my studio:

I think a series of white or off-white frames added to these would make a great store wall!

Oh - and great news! Speaking of stores, the website is almost ready with it's new design and amped-up security. I'm soooo excited!! Thanks to my web designer, Seth Etter. He is amazingly talented and very easy to work with.

That's it for this week...

May the Bling be with you.

Dawn

Sunshine INdustries
http://www.sunshineindustries.ca
Sign up for my newsletter here - http://eepurl.com/cBX2

October Creations

2010-10-10T23:54:00.004-06:00

I've been inspired by the fall colours.

And the idea of the word fall.

Pearls have also been calling to me...

What has been inspiring/calling to you this fall?

Dawn Lawrence Floen

Happiness creates sunshine whenever you go.

Far away there in the sunshine are my highest
aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their
beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.
~Louisa May Alcott

Sunshine INdustries
http://www.sunshineindustries.ca

Art Educator Retreat

2010-09-22T22:00:00.006-06:00

I know. It's not a jewelry post. There is creativity involved, though.

Last weekend I was at Emma Lake at the Kenderdine Campus of the U. of S. for the SSEA art educator's retreat. For those who don't know, I am a middle years visual arts teacher as well as a jewelry designer.

What did we learn at the retreat you ask?

Well... I'm happy to show you!

Our instructor, Terri, led us through the making of altered books. Here is mine:

You might think it only has an ocean theme, but it's actually about my growing up into real adulthood...

I picked a book that I enjoyed in my teenage years - Secrets in the Attic. I like the idea of starting with my teenage years and "growing up" through the pages to the front of the book. It is also a secret theme that most wouldn't get, which suits the title.

The moss and tree branch are from Emma Lake. I have a connection there - I grew up in P.A. and friends had a cabin there that I frequented throughout my high school and university years...

Water has always meant a lot to me. At first, being a prairie girl, it was the lake and later as I traveled, it became the ocean. The different blues and greens represent the different kinds of water.

The papers used to make the water on the inside areas are made up of the insides of envelopes with postage from all over the world to reflect a travel theme.

The corals show growth. The antique starfish drawing attached on the front is a shout out to Sunshine INdustries.

There are even pieces in the book to reflect my jewelry habit - some copper wire forming waves and corals.

Finally, a silver ring with a lock on it hangs from a branch, signifying my maturity level at its highest - meeting my future husband and feeling ready to marry after a year of travel and growing.

It was a lot of fun and quite cathartic to create this altered book. Students will love this project.

We also learned about creating animation. Annie, (my drawing partner), and I took turns drawing with charcoal and taking photos as we changed the drawing. Here is the result:

This video was created all in about 3 hours time - an hour-and-a-half of drawing and taking photos, and about the same amount of time using iMovie to change the photos into the movie format & adding music. Don't you think middle years students will eat this up?

I promise that the next blog entry will be about jewelry. I just couldn't resist sharing some of my other creative endeavors...

Dawn

Happiness creates sunshine whenever you go.

Sunshine INdustries
http://www.sunshineindustries.ca
Sign up for my newsletter here - http://eepurl.com/cBX2

WEBSITE DOWN!

2010-09-14T20:24:00.004-06:00

Dear valued customers & blog readers,

It saddens me to inform you that the Sunshine INdustries website has had a breach in security. I have been in contact with the RCMP, PayPal, my web host and my webmaster. It appears that an outside person or persons changed the Paypal button code on my website to send any payments made by customers to their own email address. They appear to have hacked directly into my website to do so.

Paypal assures us that no credit card or financial information is involved in such a breach. No credit card/financial information is stored on the Sunshine INdustries website at anytime. PayPal flagged this problem immediately and were watching the account even before I contacted them.

I felt that it was important that you all should know. This only affects people who had logged into the website as a customer in the past. Each of those customers has been contacted directly. Just having visited the website will not affect you in any way.

The website has been taken down until further investigation can take place and better security installed. You may still email me to order and it is safe for me to invoice you directly via email to pay via PayPal.

Many of you are family, friends and new-found friends. I thank you for your patronage and hope that you will continue to support an independent artisan, trusting that I will keep your best interests at heart during your shopping experience.
Sincerely,
Dawn

Re-inventing Vintage

2010-09-12T22:20:00.010-06:00

My aunt sent me a vintage necklace that she never wore (but cherished) to be re-invented in a more modern, wearable way. I forgot to take a photo of it "before", but it was a lot like this one...

except with these beads:

Not a real challenge for me since I LOVE these colours!

(Plus I really love my Aunt. I spent a lot of summer evenings shelling peas on her deck at the farm. Great memories.) I actually have many of the same tastes as my Aunt does. We are both fond of antiques... or antique-looking. So... I was after a vintage look that would be less boring, basically.

I went on a search of my studio for components that would go with what she gave me. Here are the extras I added to the mix:

I also considered these:

LOVE the flower idea, but for some reason, they just didn't jive. Perhaps they'll become pins instead.

So here is what I came up with.

I fooled around with the chains and balancing the right amount of glass beads with the brass for quite awhile.

The butterfly was the first component I picked. It just was right.

It needed some modifications, as there was no way 5 strands would look good with this size of glass bead. Three hooks were removed and some grinding/sanding was necessary so that you would never know they had been there.

Next, the washer. It all began with a very plain brass washer. With a little stamping, (on both sides), it became more spectacular. Now it belonged with the butterfly.

Oh - and 2 more holes were added to hang the strands from.

Having several of the original beads left, I realized that this beauty needed some accessories.

The bracelet was actually what I had put together for the top strand of the necklace, but it proved to be too heavy. So... a bracelet it became! It was fate...

At the very last minute, after having taken ALL of my photos and starting my blog, I saw that there was one lonely green glass bead left over. What to do... what to do...

Much better!

I hope she likes it...

Happiness creates sunshine whenever you go.

Far away there in the sunshine are my highest
aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their
beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.
~Louisa May Alcott

Dawn Lawrence Floen
Sunshine INdustries
http://www.sunshineindustries.ca
Sign up for my newsletter here - http://eepurl.com/cBX2

Sale extended until September 10th... Don't miss out!

2010-09-04T21:16:00.006-06:00

Which watch will you choose?

So many choices... so little time...

Sale ends September 10th!

www.sunshineindustries.ca

Happiness creates sunshine wherever you go.
Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.

Back to School BLING SALE!

2010-09-02T22:20:00.004-06:00

There's something for everyone - all at 20% off until midnight, Sept. 5th on all but personalized jewelry. Even the sale items have an extra 20% off! Don't miss out - go to http://www.sunshineindustries.ca and get your favorite piece today!

Pink is one of the "it" colours this year, especially when paired with charcoal or black.

Turquoise remains a strong colour in fashion, especially when paired with copper. This looks great with your brown or khaki neutrals.

Patterns in black and white are all over the runways.

Smokin' bright colours (aka the 80's flourescents) are making a comeback.

Wouldn't these look great with a charcoal wool dress, tights and tall black boots?

These are a good alternative to those who like quality jewelry in more petite sizes. Pink sapphires have long been a favorite of celebrities.

Dark colours such as plum (like these beauties) and green are popular on the runways. They are also popular for nail colours this season along with black.

This bracelet goes well with the turquoise and copper earrings above. The chain link is a bit larger on this bracelet - arm jewelry is meant to be bold this fall.

Speaking of bold, reds are THE "it" colour this fall. Think red lipstick, dresses and shoes - a la Mad Men.

This represents only some of the jewelry on sale...

Remember to log onto www.sunshineindustries.ca to see all of the bling on sale until midnight on the 5th! Happy shopping....

May the Bling be with You.

Dawn

MUST HAVE Mid-Summer Jewels

2010-08-05T21:23:00.010-06:00

10-0058 Strawberry Mocha Watch

August has begun, which means that summer is officially more than half over, but the good news is - there's still almost half left! Along with beginning to fondle those flyers full of school supplies, most of the Canadian women I know start to think about their fall wardrobe. Have you seen the new styles coming in? There are two very different style trends seen out there. The first one is classic colours. Think muted everything from mocha to eggplant to peachy-pink. Oh - and muted greize, as I like to call the rich-looking brown-grey that seems to be everywhere. Wouldn't the Strawberry Mocha Watch look stunning with all of those colours? As a bonus, it would work in all seasons.

10-0060 Early Morning Dragonfly Earrings

Still not ready to let summer go? I'm not either. Pair your new watch with these summery earrings. The rhodochrosite stones on these earrings are the same as the stones in the watch.

The other style trend that seems to be dominant this fall is for BRIGHTS!! Check out this style blog to see what I mean:

http://blog.stylefeeder.com/2008/03/05/bright-outlook-for-spring-fashion/

(This brings back 80's flashbacks for me, but I've noticed that this time around the shapes are at least more classic...). If you are of my vintage and just can't go there with clothes, perhaps pair some bright accessories with khakis and still embrace this season's biggest trend.

10-0089 Summer Fun Watch

Talk about a fun punch of colour that covers all of the new brights coming in! These gorgeous lampwork beads were purchased from Bliss Beads in Invermere. The lime green stones are green Peruvian opals, the orange ones are carnelian and the red/orange bead at the end is sponge coral. This should keep you feeling summery for awhile longer.

10-0093 Coral Reef Earrings

Need earrings to go with that? Pick these bright coral and purple lampwork beads on hand-forged ear wires. Sublime.

May the Classic or Bright Bling be with You...

Dawn

2010-08-05T21:23:00.001-06:00

So... you've got your Mom's pearls...

2010-07-22T22:35:00.023-06:00

Beautiful & classic? Or outdated?

This dilemma began for me when my friend gave me the honor of creating her bridal jewelry. She wanted to wear her mother's pearls.

BUT...

she also wanted a more modern look

that matched her stunning dress. How to do both?

I thought of creating a tangle of chain around the pearls that later could be removed - a great modern trend! Good idea in theory, but the chains tangled with each other and would have likely caught on her long hair, which she planned to wear down. I didn't want her to have any distractions or hassles on her Big Day. So... back to the drawing board.

I began by replacing the worn clasp on her pearls & lengthening them with some antiqued sterling chain. The new clasp is an antique-looking box clasp, honoring the heirloom quality of the pearls. My friend is tall, so the traditional pearl length was much too short for her.

Next, I designed a necklace that would go with her dress on its own, using antiqued sterling chain, peacock pearls, brown Swarovski glass pearls & Swarovski crystals that matched the crystals on her dress.

Then inspiration struck! I put the two together. Magic!

The chain necklace is removable so that the pearls retain their integrity as an heirloom and she will have a modern necklace to wear as a bonus. Whenever she wears either, they will remind her of her wedding day...

Thanks to Heather for trusting me with her mother's pearls...

Now you have an idea how your mother's pearls can be beautifully classic AND modern!

May The Bling Be With You...

Dawn

WATCH OUT! She's at it again...

2010-06-10T22:54:00.010-06:00

If you know me or have read my bio on the website, you know that Sunshine INdustries got its start when I made a beaded watch. I couldn't stop. I started to make necklaces and earrings and bracelets. I made anklets. I made more watches. My bead buying began to take the place of my shoe/clothes buying. I knew right then that this "hobby" wouldn't go away quietly. Nearly 4 years later, I'm still creating. Many people still consider my watches to be my best product.

I haven't been creating them for awhile. Guess we all need a break from time to time.

While taking a break from them, I seem to have gathered a nice stash of lampwork and glass beads perfect for some really unique pieces. I opened the lampwork bin for a peak about two weeks ago and inspiration spilled out!!

I've been concentrating on metal clay a bit more lately, forgetting how much fun it is to string together COLOUR and TEXTURE... With the Art Market coming up this Saturday, I decided to create just a few watches. After all, people seem to like them.

It turns out that I do, too! Ask my husband. I've been up late, trying to keep up with the flow of inspiration that seems to be
calling me from the lampwork bead bin...

I'm almost out of watch faces and still, the pull is there! I don't think that the watch obsession is ready to let me go just yet.

Part of the reason that so much inspiration has come from my glass bead bin is that I have found some seriously talented lampwork artists.

Pam Dansie of Wild Sage Lampwork creates a great variety of gorgeous beads. My favorites from Pam are her lentil shaped beads - see the ivory and turquoise coloured square bead in this watch as an example.

Elly Peters of Elly Lou Creations has become a favorite both for her personality and her beads! She's Canadian - always a plus. Look for her specialty bead - the winged goddesses. They don't work well for watches, but they are so cute! Elly created the "Evil Eye" beads and the focal bead in this watch.

Yvonne Kurpjuweit, who is my selling partner at the Art Market, a fellow Middle Years teacher and most importantly, a friend, is my favorite source of lampwork beads. I hate to bother her for any as she creates her own jewelry line, but I have been lucky enough to purchase a few from her. They tend to be bright colours with beautiful light coming from them. You can see her beads and jewelry at http://www.creativeadornments.ca.

Early on, I was inspired by Yvonne's work to actually try to learn lampworking. I took a short course in Invermere. I learned that I am nowhere near patient enough for that! I much prefer to pound and melt metal... However, while in Invermere, I met a very talented bead artistan at Bliss Beads. Sandra takes the art to a new level. These stunning pink swirl beads and the focal bead are from Bliss.

Of course, some of my beads come from retail stores like WalMart or Michaels. I mix these amongst sterling, gemstones, shell, artisan beads - whatever looks good together. I let the inspiration and the art guide me in choosing components for each watch. I try to create watches of all price points so that everyone can enjoy a one-of-a-kind artisan watch.

Come out and see these watches in person and say hi to Yvonne & I at the Streetscapes Art Market:

Saturday, June 12th

Atrium Centre

10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

May the Bling be with You!

Dawn

Art Market - Saturday, June 12th - Atrium Centre!

2010-06-04T16:36:00.006-06:00

Here is a "sneak peak" of some of the items that will be at the Art Market... you won't find these on the website! Come see Yvonne & I for some one-of-a-kind treasures...

May the Bling be with You...

Dawn

Connecting the generations on Mother's Day

2010-05-09T22:57:00.004-06:00

I've had the key to my Grandma Hone's suitcase hanging on my studio table for months. It hung on the light blue ribbon that she had it on originally, magically matching my studio and my spirit. It made me smile and gave me a warm feeling whenever I looked at it. I had 6 suitcases of my Grandma's, and had traded one for some of Ardell McLennan's fabulous photography. I kept the key because I couldn't bear to part with something that my Grandma had obviously touched often - it was too personal. You see, I lost my Grandma to cancer 25 years ago. I was her only grandchild. Something that belonged to her - that she had touched and that still bears the marks of her touch - is very dear.

I had always meant to make myself a necklace from that key, but I couldn't make myself take it off that blue ribbon. Then, while creating a mommy bling necklace for a client, a flash of brilliance came. I would make Mom a necklace that would connect all three of us together. It started with the key. I stamped it with "mom", which would mean both my Mom and Grandma. Then, I added our birthstones - a diamond for Grandma, a garnet for Mom and a ruby for me. How wonderful that they all look so good together. Lastly, I added a copper charm stamped with "louise". Grandma Hone's name was Louise. Mom's name is Louise. My middle name is Louise. Connection complete. I still couldn't take that blue ribbon off, so I trimmed it and tied it into a bow.

Mom was a bit teary-eyed when I talked to her on the phone about it today, as was I when I was making it. Jewelry with a story means so much more.

May the Bling be with You!

Dawn

Spring Bling

2010-04-27T17:08:00.000-06:00

Tea Time necklace & earrings - hand-forged chain and ear wires go well with the tea coloured smoky quartz and ribbon. This versatile set work equally well with something dressy or jeans.

Speaking of versatile, you couldn't go wrong with this Simplicity necklace. Copper and sterling circles create interest while simply going with whatever you put on! 16" long.

Perfect for any day, or your Special Day! Lovely petal bead caps surround white cultured pears. I called these earrings Dew Drops.

Fuchsia Wave earrings - a modern look, a very "in" colour - edgy, yet dainty - these earrings are sterling and fuchsia pearls.

Simplicity earrings - These go well with the Simplicity necklace. Copper and sterling rings hand from hand forged sterling ear wires.

May the Bling be with You!
Dawn

Sunshine INdustries Bling is now available at Socko!

2010-04-12T23:27:00.001-06:00

It's official! You can now purchase your S.IN. bling in downtown Lloyd at Socko - a new & trendy store owned and run by Chelsea and Holly - two gals with serious eyes for fashion. This is not a store for those who love popular brand names. Well... at least not brand names that most people in Lloyd would be familiar with. This is a store full of unique quality fashions - for those who like to look different than the masses. They carry mostly Canadian designers. One of their lines is by a designer from Saskatoon who only makes one or two of each piece. How cool is that?! You can find everything from a formal dress to exercise wear in Socko. And you can also find some seriously cute shoes and boots. For the most part, this store focuses on the young, although I found quite a few things I would like. My only complaint is that I couldn't find much in my size range, but Chelsea promises me that larger sizes are something they'll be looking for on their next buying trip.

Mine is not the only jewelry you'll find there. Their aim is variety. They have bling in every price point. You'll find large statement necklaces made from cotton t-shirt material, cute resin pieces, trendy base metal pieces and sterling/gemstone jewelry. They carry jewelry lines from several designers/artisans, including Chelsea's own designs. I feel like I'm in great company at this store.

The feel of the store is retro/modern. Many of their decor items are antique, yet the girls added modern touches such as a great black chandelier. If I were to have a store, it would look like this.

Brave the roads and check this place out. Until then, have a look at their facebook page. (Their official webpage - www.socko.ca - is currently in production).

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=112947488718023&ref=ts

May the Bling be With You,

Dawn

Happy Easter!

2010-03-31T23:45:00.001-06:00

Ocean Breeze Necklace
http://sunshineindustries.ca/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=41

Easter. I always loved Easter. Mom and Dad always gave me a beautiful basket in spring colours, filled with fun things. I looked most forward to the inevitable chocolate bunny and new bright coloured skipping rope... There are many happy memories of going outside to skip happily in the warmish spring weather.

This necklace is no skipping rope, but it might make the heart skip a beat...

Inspired by the ocean, this one has a lot of love in it - the chain of turquoise and green peruvian opals took many hours to string. The clasp is sterling silver. The main pendant stone is stabilized turquoise. The chain is 18" long, but it seems longer with the front clasp and the two-and-a-half inch pendant hanging from it. If you like your accessories to match, there is also a bracelet to go with it...

http://sunshineindustries.ca/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=43

Enjoy your long weekend, and for all of the other teachers/students out there, enjoy your week off!

May the Bling Be with You!

Dawn

Customers - Why have YOU purchased from Sunshine INdustries?

2010-03-25T23:45:00.014-06:00

Hi Customers!

One of the things a small business should do once in awhile is find out what is working for them. Can you help me to find this out?

Please complete this 4 question survey if you have been a customer of Sunshine INdustries:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/H5F3JFL

May the Bling be With You...

Dawn

Newest Bling - Personalized Jewelry

2010-03-14T01:01:00.007-07:00

What has happened in the Sunshine INdustries studio lately? Well, for awhile, nothing. We have been renovating our kitchen, and anyone who has been through that knows that it can be all-consuming. However, I have been creating between making all those tile and colour decisions. I haven't been sharing much on here because most of the creating has been for special orders. Many were for gifts and I couldn't share for fear of ruining the surprise. Most have been given now, so here they are!

These two watches were for Rhonda, who had a gift certificate from Christmas. I'm particularly proud of the all sterling one. Rhonda picked out the watch face and the one large sterling bead opposite the watch face, which happened to be a three-hole bead. The three strands give it an antique and modern look all at the same time!

Mommy Bling necklaces have been HUGE! I have had several orders for them lately... This one, ordered by a husband as a surprise for his wife, is accented with a citrine, the birthstone for November.

It occurred to me as I was working this that this two-name style would work nicely for bridal jewelry or a Valentine's gift as well...

Kathleen from Toronto wanted a pendant with both her children's names on it rather than two pendants. I wasn't sure they'd both fit at first, but it worked out well. It's accented with a rough sapphire and a moonstone - birthstones for September and June.

Shelly ordered these next two as gifts for her nieces - Birthday Bling! Abbey's birthstone (for March) is aquamarine.

Cady's birthstone is peridot for August.

This beautiful tag bracelet was ordered by Marvin for his wife. It was my first bracelet with more than one tag in it. It has their two daughter's names and their grandchildren's names as well. Swarovski crystals were used for their birthstones between the names. I added a fine silver heart on the end to finish off the design.

Holly ordered this Double Mommy Bling Necklace. The birthstones are a ruby for July and a tourmaline for October.

The dime gives you an idea of size.

Necklaces and bracelets tend to turn on our bodies, so I make sure to add an interesting texture to the back of all my pendants and bracelet tags. This is the back of Holly's necklace.

A colleague of mine recently had a baby girl. I think this is the most letters I've ever put into a Baby Bling Bracelet - what a beautiful name!

Baby Bling Bracelets are a keepsake for a baby book or to frame with a photo. They aren't meant for baby to wear. (Beads could be swallowed too easily!)

This Baby Bling Bracelet was ordered by Mary-Ellen. This is a more typical size. Each bracelet is created with resin letters, metallic glass beads, sterling silver hearts, Swarovski crystal birthstones and a pewter flower. They may be ordered with a dragonfly instead of a flower and I have added some blue glass beads for boys.

Special order personalized jewelry makes a thoughtful gift, sure to be cherished. These are only some of the personalized jewelry options available to you from Sunshine INdustries. Have a look at www.sunshineindustries.ca under "Mommy/Baby Bling" for more ideas or contact Dawn at sunshineindustries@shaw.ca with your idea. If it's possible, I'll do it!

May the Bling be with you...

Dawn

Looking for INspiration? Use the Muse!

2010-02-25T16:59:00.003-07:00

Need INspiration? The Use the Muse contest put on by www.artbeads.com is quite an interesting contest... and it IS inspiring! Interested artisans/jewelers enter by purchasing a kit called "The Muse" from The Beaders Muse site. You are shown what is in the kit, except for the actual MUSE. No one is shown the Muse until it arrives in your kit. It is top secret until the winner of the contest is announced. We are not allowed to show our designs on facebook or any other social sites, nor are we allowed to talk about the Muse on blogs, chats or the like. What intrigue! What fun! The best part is the big reveal. When Scarlett Lanson announces the winners, we get to see ALL the different ways beaders from all over the world used the Muse. And believe me, there was no shortage of creative ideas. Inspiring.

The last Muse was the gorgeous copper butterfly seen above in my Use the Muse entry for the last round. I learned a lot by entering this contest the last time. I certainly did not think enough out of the box to even come close to winning. None-the-less, I love the necklace and it has caused major excitement for the next round. Now I'm just waiting impatiently to see the package in the mail with the newest Muse...

May the Bling be With You...

Dawn

Am I creating?

2010-02-20T17:28:00.002-07:00

Am I creating? You bet! Here is a photo of all the items I've recently created just out of the liver of sulphur... After this step, they get polished and put into pieces of jewelry.

I know some of you must be wondering - where is all Dawn's new work? Isn't she doing anything?? Yes, I'm creating, but most of what I've been doing is personalized jewelry for special orders, so there hasn't been much new added to the website. No complaints here!

Keep the orders coming!

May the Bling be With You...

Dawn

Who INspires You?

2010-02-20T16:07:00.003-07:00

Who inspires you?

Let me introduce you to a group of designers who are a huge influence on my work. If you are looking for inspiring beads that will MAKE your designs, I highly recommend one of my favorite sites to peruse beads and findings - Nina Designs. Their work is amazing. One-of-a-kind. INspiring.

The silver pendant with dragonflies in this photo is from Nina Designs. They have entire series of all differently shaped and sized beads with patterns such as this on them. As well as beads & findings, you will find gorgeous jewelry ideas created by the talented designers at Nina's.

Just the other day, Sunshine INdustries got a "shout out" from Juanita at Nina Designs on their blog re: Twitter use. See the blog entry here -

http://www.ninadesigns.com/blog/2010/02/10/using-social-media-to-market-silver-jewelry-findings/

Juanita, thank you for your kind words and I'd be happy to help out in any way I can in the future as well!

You can also check out Nina Design's website under "friends and affiliates" on www.sunshineindustries.ca.

May the Bling be With You,

Dawn

What is Steampunk?!

2010-02-07T22:31:00.009-07:00

Steampunk?!

Steampunk seems to have hit the internet everywhere. What is it? Read this article from the New York Times - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/08/fashion/08PUNK.html - or simply google "steampunk jewelry" to get an idea. For some, it's a lifestyle. For most, it is just another cool style for accessories. It is a fusion between futuristic and Victorian or technology and romance. Hard to imagine, right? Think of a piece of technology that you own, such as your computer. Now imagine it encased in antique brass with old typewriter buttons where the keys were and some filigree on the edges. This would be a Steampunk computer.

Steampunk artists create items, clothes or jewelry that combine the beauty of the 1800's with futuristic machines. There are a lot of versions of Steampunk out there. Some of the jewelry you see also incorporates more Gothic items such as bats or skulls. Most include aged brass, filigree and watch or machine parts along with crystals or stones. Keys, antique locks, togs, springs and dials are all great additions for anything Steampunk. I've been a bit fascinated with this combination, which should be of no surprise given my obsession... er... love for antiques. I also like the idea of recycle/reuse - especially with pieces that may carry a story. So... when my scrapbooking guru/soon-to-be-sister-in-law received a box of old watches and clocks from our mother in law, we spent a few hours taking the watches and clocks apart and deciding what parts would be best for scrapbooking and what parts would be best for jewelry. From that large, dusty box, we each went happily away with a sandwich-sized zip-lock bag of parts. (Thanks Mom Floen!) Stay tuned for how we use them...

May the Steampunk Bling be With You...

Dawn

February Fever

2010-01-31T22:29:00.007-07:00

Valentine's Day is approaching... What gifts do you dream about?

The bracelet above - 09-079 LOVE Bracelet - is the perfect choice. Sterling silver tubes separated by historic sterling letters by Nina Designs and a sterling scroll heart are accented by two pretty pink peruvian opal stones. The chain ensures that the bracelet fits a variety of wrist sizes.

Perhaps you'd rather a personalized gift. This fine silver pendant can be personalized with a saying or name to suit you. The raised heart adds romance... Sunshine INdustries has a huge variety of semi-precious stones, pearls or Swarovski crystals to choose from. Simply email Dawn at sunshineindustries@shaw.ca to order.

There are many red or pink coloured jewelry items on the website that would be great Valentine's Day gifts - check them out! http://www.sunshineindustries.ca

May the Bling be with You!

Dawn

January Housecleaning Sale - and MORE!

2010-01-24T22:41:00.006-07:00

09-274 Let it Snow Necklace

I was reading an article on how to improve jewelry websites. The author encouraged artisans to clear off items that have sold, as prospective buyers are simply disappointed if they see something they like and they can't purchase it. This struck me as true. I had been leaving sold items on my site to add that "Oh! This jewelry is popular - I'd better buy some" affect. I also thought that some buyers may special order something similar. The author was right. The website looks so much cleaner with all items for sale... I think I will now do monthly housecleaning to keep it up. Let me know what you think of that.

Another new change - $2.00 shipping with additional items free. That's right - shipping has gone down. Thought you'd like that! I've found that most items cost less than $3 to send and I certainly don't appreciate paying out the nose for shipping when I buy beads. Why would you want to?

Now for the best news. In the spirit of housecleaning, all current stock is now 20% off until the end of January. (This does not include special order items such as Mommy/Baby Bling - sorry).

Enjoy!

09-217 Winter Fun Bracelet

May the Bling be with You!

Dawn : )

TREND WATCH

2010-01-17T21:05:00.009-07:00

I watched the Golden Globes tonight along with a bizillion other people, most of whom were watching for a glimpse of the actors or actresses and to see whether their movies and TV shows were worthy of a Golden Globe award. I was watching for the fashions and the jewelry. Sad, I know. But I am what I am.

Trends I noticed:

*off the shoulder clothing

*bare necks

*huge stone earrings

*long chandelier or drop earrings

*cuff bracelets

Some actresses, such as Kate Winslet, had stunning smaller drop earrings that accented her form-fitting black & white gown. She was the exception. Drew Barrymore wore HUGE diamond studs that I noticed despite the odd textural element on her shoulder. Julian Moore wore emerald teardrop earrings the size of Montana and Courtney Cox wore HONKIN' smokey topaz teardrops. Kate Hudson wore stoneless silver-coloured (white gold?) tassle drop earrings. Meryl Streep wore a gold version of the stoneless tassle drop earrings. Talk about classic!

There were very few necklaces in the room, but the exceptions were mostly small and modest. Notable exceptions were Sophia Loren's diamond choker and Julia Robert's large Bohemian inspired necklace. Sophia's was beyond classy. Julia's... well, it was kind of the "elephant in the room". She seemed sadly underdressed in comparison to the rest of the room.

There were many cuff bracelets or multiple bracelets to accent the wrist to make up for the naked necks. There were also some notable large rings where there were no bracelets. The odd woman opted for hair jewelry or a broach on their hip instead of bracelets or rings.

Now we all won't be wearing the same kind of bling that the crowd at the Golden Globes adorned themselves with, but the message I take away from them is that earrings will be large and dangly. Necklaces will be small or non-existent this season. Bracelets and large rings will be important.

Oh, and since Avatar won the best picture, look for tribal-inspired jewelry as well.

May the Bling be With You!

Dawn

Turquoise T-Bird...

2010-01-08T21:36:00.005-07:00

My love for classic cars began with my participation in car club activities with my parents. Car clubs are fun. We often went on trips to car shows or rallies - sometimes as far as into the States. Both of my parents had classic cars. Mom had a bright orange '65 Mustang. Dad had a '46 Ford Coupe. I dreamt of someday owning a white '63 split-window Vette. My friends and I would gladly grab a rag and polish Dad's 1946 Ford Coupe at a car show just to get the chance to somehow participate. In addition to the shows and rallies, I have very fond memories of Sunday excursions into the city in the '46 to Dairy Queen with Mom, Dad, our dog, Ralph. Ralph even got his own cone. I remember hanging out in the garage with Dad while he worked "his baby", handing him tools or just sitting and talking to him while he worked. I remember my parents trusting me to drive that car when I got my license.

These memories all came flooding back when I was asked by a staff member at school if I could make something for the car club silent auction. She said that there was always an abundance of items for the men to bid on, but they needed something to appeal to the women. Having just given some necklaces to the SPCA for their silent auction, I was hesitant to donate yet more of my jewelry, but I just couldn't turn this one down. Ideas started to boil in my head.

This couldn't just be any piece of jewelry. It had to be car-themed to reflect my love of classic cars. It had to honor my fond memories. My favorite classic car is the '63 split-window Vette, but when I drew the silhouette for one, it just didn't have a distinct shape for a silver pendant. T-Birds always seemed sexy to me - attractive to women as well as men. When I saw the photo of the turquoise T-Bird, I knew I had to give this a try.

I formed the T-Bird shape in silver clay. Once it was dry, I carved in the details using a Dremel drill and hand tools. I torched it, let it cool and sanded it smooth. I dipped it into Liver of Sulphur to blacken it so that the details would show. Much polishing and sanding brought it to the shiny state that it is now in. I felt the need to add "Just Cruisin' " lettering to personalize the necklace for the car club and I felt that the lettering would take away from the car details, so I added a second handcrafted fine silver tag. This tag went through the same construction process as the T-Bird.

I chose a beautiful lampwork bead from Bliss Beads. (I love her work! I bought a ton of her beads last summer while I was in Invermere...) Next, I added two turquoise beads on each side - the traditional colour of a classic T-Bird. Once I had it all attached to the 18" sterling chain, it looked even better than I'd imagined. I hope this necklace goes to someone who loves it... I know it brought back many happy memories for me.

May the Bling be With You...

Dawn

Restoration, Reformation, Reconstruction

2010-01-03T17:54:00.021-07:00

2010 has begun with some repairs, restoration and reconstruction.

repair
	noun
	restoration, fixing
	adjustment, darn, improvement, mend, new part, overhaul, patch, reconstruction, reformation, rehabilitation, replacement, substitution (www.thesaurus.reference.com)

This watch was purchased by a friend of mine. She loves it, and has worn it often. It was lucky that she did, as it had a construction flaw that I might not otherwise have known about. I'm grateful that she brought it back to Sunshine INdustries for repair. It's vitally important to me that my customers are happy and that their purchases are lasting. After all, I've come to realize that I do this more to see the happiness on others' faces than I do for money. (Just ask my banker husband and my financial statement...)

The flaw was a result of a new watch face I'd found. I loved it because of it's modern look. This is the back of the same kind of watch face. The nylon-covered wire that I used in the original design wore quite quickly against the holes. This attachment system is not the regular one used on other watch faces. How could I attach a bracelet without having the wire touch the sharp holes?

The fix involved using 22 gauge sterling wire wraps against the sharp holes (which I sanded down a bit in hopes of less wear & tear). I added some sterling beads to accent the design. I won't be using this style of watch face again without using sterling wire wraps in the holes! I may also let my friend wear this one for awhile before trying this type of watch face again.

Yes, Sunshine INdustries will repair jewelry made by others...

The second repair/reconstruction of 2010 involved a bracelet that I did not make. I wish I had - it's cool!

The owner found that the charms were starting to fall

off. After examining the bracelet, it was no wonder!

These are the old o-rings/jump rings used to attach the charms. (In the photo below). The larger bright silver one in the photo is the kind that I replaced them all with.

The original jump rings were not thick enough to last long. I pounded the new jump rings with a vintage hammer to give them strength and texture to match the look of the original bracelet. I also used two sets of pliers to gently rock each jump ring back and forth a few times in order to add strength before closing them.

This handy youtube video from www.artbeads.com demonstrates the correct way to open and close a jumpring:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gAZzcIGsjQ

Hearing the "click" when the two ends meet is very important.

Here is the bracelet with the

new jump rings in place.

So far, I've only worked on repairs "this year",
but new creations are boiling in the brain - fear not!

May the bling be with you...
Dawn
Sunshine INdustries
http://www.sunshineindustries.ca
Happiness creates sunshine wherever you go.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from Sunshine INdustries!

2009-12-25T14:34:00.002-07:00

Merry Christmas

Happy New Year

May all of your hopes and dreams come true in 2010...

Sincerely,

Dawn Lawrence Floen

Sunshine INdustries

Want unique gifts? Artist/Artisan ART MARKET!

2009-12-16T15:49:00.004-07:00

Want unique gifts? Come to the ART MARKET at the Barr Colony Heritage Cultural Centre on Thursday, December 17th from 5 - 9 p.m. Sunshine INdustries will be there! Come out and support local artists and artisans.

Eleven more shopping days...

2009-12-13T22:11:00.008-07:00

There is still time to shop Sunshine INdustries...

Great gifts at a variety of price points!

Shop the website - www.sunshineindustries.ca - gifts will still get to you by Christmas in Canada if you buy before Friday, December 18th.

If you prefer to shop in person, Sunshine INdustries will be at:

BCHCC Gallery Art Market

Thursday, December 17th

5 - 9 p.m.

If neither of those options work for you, give Dawn a call at 780-875-8246 for an appointment to shop in person in the studio.

Stay warm!

May the Bling be with You...

Dawn

Saturday December 12th - Family Christmas Fantasy

2009-12-06T22:00:00.004-07:00

Next Saturday, December 12th, the Barr Colony Heritage Cultural Centre is hosting the Family Christmas Fantasy. See the BCHCC site for all of the events involved: http://www.bchcc.ca/events.html

Sunshine INdustries will be there with the Mid West Canadian Artist group. There will be special sale pricing... come out and save on your favorite S.IN. jewelry pieces!

May the Bling be with You...

Dawn

Like handcrafted gifts for Christmas? Support an Independent Artisan!

2009-12-06T16:46:00.014-07:00

Handmade gifts. They are the best... remember wool sock monkeys? My aunt used to make the most excellent sock monkeys. It is one of my best memories. I recently bought some wool mitts that look similar to sock monkeys and have been driving my husband crazy talking with them... Those mitts were handmade.

I love handcrafted things. They have all of the love & time invested from the creator imbedded into them. They often have a story behind them as well - a history. All of the parts come from each of their own places and come together to create the whole. I like to think of the journey each piece took. I like anything with a story or history...

Thanks to those who braved the storm to come to the Marshall Craft Sale. It was a success despite the snow and wind! I met some great people! As vendors, we made the best of the show by buying from each other... I stocked up on baking and some beautiful handcrafted Christmas gifts.

Speaking of stock, there is still time for you to invest in some handcrafted jewelry... here are the newest items I've added to the stock on the website..

Above - Green Prehite Earrings - These prehite pentagon stones are gorgeous!

Pink Candy Earrings - Dyed pink candy jade earrings - they are bright and yet dainty at the same time...

Daisies in Bloom Earrings - Yellow jade rounds on pretty Bali sterling ear wires.

Pumpkin Spice Earrings - cola quartz and orange adventurine rondelles on sterling ear wires.

Tropical Rainforest Bracelet - brown and green mixed turquoise and sterling bracelet.

Dream Necklace - a lovely square jasper stone paired with a fine silver handcrafted tag on an 18" long sterling chain. I thought this piece of jasper looked like that few moments when day turns to night or when you are almost asleep and dreaming yet aware of your surroundings...

Iced Blooms II Bracelet - Iced blue chalcedony stones with sterling spacer beads, a sterling extender chain with a sterling lobster clasp. The blue chalcedony stones range from a lovely iced blue sky colour to almost white.

Candy Oh! Earrings - These earrings are for those who like attention. Huge sterling ovals with dark pink candy jade baubles and large handcrafted ear wires make these pretty groovy...

Candy Oh! Bracelet - goes with the Candy Oh! Earrings... So cool looking.

There is more - check out the two new watches as well. Tick tock... Gift giving time is coming...

May the Bling Be with You!

Dawn

Marshall Craft Show

2009-11-29T22:25:00.002-07:00

Sunshine INdustries will be at the Marshall Craft Show this Saturday... come out and touch/try on in person. You may even buy some for others...

: ) Dawn

Cyber Monday Sale!

2009-11-29T22:04:00.007-07:00

CYBER MONDAY SALE!

Purchase anything from my website on Cyber Monday - November 30th - and receive 20% off your purchase!

http://www.sunshineindustries.ca

Happy shopping... May the Bling be with You!

Dawn

Upcoming Shows!

2009-11-22T23:07:00.005-07:00

Well, the Christmas Craft Preview was a HUGE success. I'm happily exhausted and blessed to have such supportive family, friends and customers. More upcoming shows:

December 5th - Marshall Craft Show

December 12th - Barr Colony Heritage Cultural Centre

New items have been put up onto the website:

http://www.sunshineindustries.ca

More will be added gradually this week, so check back often for that perfect Christmas gift!

May the Bling be with You!

Dawn

2009-11-18T20:30:00.001-07:00

Christmas Craft Preview Show & Sale

2009-11-15T17:20:00.018-07:00

The Christmas Craft Preview Show & Sale is almost here! (Previously known as Sunny's Craft Show, this is the biggest handcraft shopping opportunity of the year!!)

The hours are:

Friday, November 20th - 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Saturday, November 21st - 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Sunday, November 22nd - 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Yvonne and I will be there at the MidWest Canadian Artist's booth. Here is a preview of some of the bling that I will be bringing. Don't bother to click on them - they are not available on the website. You have to come buy in person!

See you there!

May the Bling be With You...

Dawn

Tag - You're It!

2009-11-08T21:38:00.007-07:00

Lately I've been fooling around with the idea of mini dog tags. (Thanks Amy for the idea!) Each of these tags are about 2 cm long and 1 cm wide. They are all made of fine silver, which is 99% silver.

This first one is hung off a raspberry coloured glass bead with a sterling heart. It is on a 16" sterling box chain.

This one is paired with a cultured pearl and is also on a 16" sterling box chain.

Lastly, this wee beauty (a bit smaller than the other two) is paired with a red garnet and a sterling heart on a 16" sterling box chain.

May the bling be with you!

Dawn

More of the Latest...

2009-10-25T20:50:00.014-06:00

This necklace, "Midnight in Siam" is really just a teaser... It was a special order and is sold. It is a mix of gorgeous Bali style sterling beads mixed with firepolish jet glass. I imagine it being worn out to black tie affairs...

Ok, so this isn't jewelry, but I had to share. This was a week of MAJOR finds for my studio/store! I found two of these metal/glass shelves on wheels on a garage sale group on Facebook. Love them! They are inspiring. I just want to fill them up with shiny things! Best of all, they come apart for easy movement to trade shows...

Speaking of shiny things, here are some new earrings.

#09-176 - Lemon Drop Earrings

(Click on the title to purchase or for more info.)

These earrings feature handcrafted sterling hoops with lemon calcite drops. The hoops are about 1 1/2" in diameter. The entire length of both hoop and drop is about 2". They are not heavy, but they make quite a statement! Yellow is very in this season. These are not bright yellow, so they would also go nicely with neutrals. Money saving hint - purchase these, then go to the Mix n' Match Earrings area of the website and buy more drops to interchange as needed! Ta Da! Earrings for any outfit.

This porcelain cross was another great find at ReStore this week. I love shopping there! It's not antique, but it definitely has a vintage flair.

On it hangs the Ocean Breeze series - the necklace, bracelet and earrings. They would make great Christmas gifts for the gal who loves turquoise or the ocean...

Speaking of the ocean, these new jade earrings are part of the Among the Kelp series. Click here to see the necklace and here to see the bracelet. All are made with sterling silver and new jade stones. The necklace and bracelet also incorporate some pewter elements - the seahorse and the starfish.

These earrings are on handcrafted sterling wires that are about 3/4" in diameter. The total length is about 1 3/4". The soft light green goes with any neutral/natural and give just enough of a colour pop to be noticed without shouting.

I also created several Mommy Bling & Baby Bling items, but until they are given as gifts, I can't give away their identities!

If you would like a Mommy Bling item or any special order item for a Christmas gift, it's best to order now. My order book is filling up quickly! Thanks to all who have already ordered.

May the Bling Be With You...

Dawn