Follow the links for more information and if you have any questions, please contact us.
]]>It’s November and that means our holiday market season is here! We’re attending our absolute favourite markets and so looking forward to being there. After trying out so many markets over the years, these are the ones we’d personally go shopping at because they’re the best. At each market, you’ll find fine quality local handmade goods directly sold by the people who crafted them. We hope you make it to some listed below and enjoy artisanal items as much as we do. See you there!
Follow the links for more information and if you have any questions, please contact us.
]]>Valentines Day is just around the corner (already!) and we wanted to put together packages that can brighten someone's day. We hope one of these packages will put a smile on someone's face whether that's you, your partner or anybody who you care about.
We have 3 packages and here they are:
Would you like us to include a message for your gift recipient? Add a message in the note section when checking out and we'd be happy to enclose it in the package.
Middle Beach sea urchin set from Tofino $80
If you have any questions about these packages, please feel free to contact us. But don't wait too long! They are only available January 22 (Friday) - 24 (Sunday), 2021!
]]>Curbside pick up from our home studio
If you're in Victoria, you can pick up your order from our home studio. We're conveniently located in the Gorge Tillicum area. Please choose "studio pick up" as your shipping option and we'll let you know of our address after the purchase is complete.
Xpresspost or Priority shipping
These options are available for you but please note that we cannot guarantee that your package will arrive before Christmas. Unfortunately, Canada Post is experiencing high volume beyond their projections and you've probably seen the long line ups at your local post office.
If you've already purchased an item and would like to upgrade...
Please contact us as soon as possible and we would be happy to upgrade your shipping option. We will send you an invoice through Square for the difference and you will be able to pay with your credit card.
The package is $80 (regularly $100) so that means you're saving 20%!
Mystic Beach driftwood package (SOLD OUT)
Arbutus tree bark (Galiano Island) package (SOLD OUT)
Tofino coral (Chesterman Beach) package (SOLD OUT)
We will include a write-up with the package so the recipient will be able to connect the story back to Vancouver Island and cherish the pieces. If you'd like a message included, please let us know in the note section when checking out. Happy holidays!
]]>I know, the schedule seems packed but we're looking forward to seeing everyone (even virtually!) at these markets. Follow the links for more information and if you have any questions, please contact us.
]]>What's the process? In this video below, Nicky explains how the gift package is put together.
We have a single charm and multiple charms options on our shop page. If you'd like to get together with your siblings and give a necklace with several charms to your mom or for yourself, that's possible too! Want to have your kids' prints in one necklace so you can give it to your spouse? We can do that too. If you have any questions about the package or the process, please contact us anytime.
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We use silicone molds to take palm prints, then prints are transferred to silver clay. After shaping, filing, sanding and engraving, we fire this one of a kind piece in our kiln. What comes out of the kiln is 99% Fine Silver, then it goes on a Sterling Silver chain.
The molding process is quite simple and you can do this at home. The print could come from you so you can give the final piece to your loved ones. Or you can take a print from your partner, kids, parents, grandparents, grandkids and you can keep the piece for you to cherish.
Some tips for you:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all spring markets have been cancelled. Please stay tuned for more information on when they may start up again.
Days are getting longer and many flowers are blooming in Victoria. We've been getting ready for spring markets with some new designs and renewed pieces! Nicky and I are both super excited to be back at markets and seeing our regular folks and meeting new people!
Here’s the list for spring 2020:
We really hope to see you at one of the markets but if you're not in the area, please feel free to browse our shop page to place an order or contact us for custom orders.
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Here’s the list for 2019:
We really hope to see you at one of the markets but if you're not in the area, please feel free to browse our shop page to place an order or contact us for custom orders. Happy holidays!
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If you live in Victoria, lucky us for having such great variety of markets…and if you are visiting Victoria, I hope you enjoy as much as you can and make connection with local artists and farmers. Because let me tell you, we are pretty great😊 Alright, here’s the list for 2018:
There's more! Here are some awesome spring/summer events:
If you have other markets you want to recommend, please let us know. See you at the markets!
When you go travelling, how do you pick which jewellery pieces to take with you? When I go for a short trip (like my favourite destinations like Portland or California!), I travel with my simple but staple pieces of jewellery.
For a 3-4 day trip, I take one of everything that's super classic and versatile. For example, with my Vegas trip earlier this year, I took a long vintage lace necklace, a hammered ring, a simple band for stacking, a knuckle ring and a pair of Salt Cedar ear climbers. These were what I wore every day with every outfit.
Oh, and I love having a wristwatch. I'm always grateful to have it when I'm whipping around airports to keep me on time for flights.
If I'm going for a longer period, I might take some other things like the blackberry studs or the short 17" necklace with whale bone imprint. But I always make sure that each piece is simple and complement each other when worn together.
How do you decide what to take with you? Also if you have tips on how you pack your jewellery, please share them with us.
Happy travelling!
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The list below is our top 6, in no particular order. We will be at some of them so we're certainly biased (at least we're honest about it!) but let us tell you that we have chosen to be at some of these markets because they are fantastic.
If you have other markets you want to recommend, please let us know.
See you at the markets!
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The only downside to precious metal clay is that we only have one minute or so to work with it as the clay dries and cracks very quickly and easily. For this reason, we usually have all of the tools we need out on our work bench so we can access everything within our reach.
We generally let the clay sit for a few hours to a day for drying, then we go through the process of shaping, filing, sanding and finally engraving (for custom orders). The pieces are fired in a kiln in our home studio to burn off the binder and they become pure sintered metal which is 99.9% fine silver.
Want to know more about fine silver and how it’s different from sterling silver? Read the blog post here.
If you have any questions about precious metal clay or any other materials we use, please feel free to contact us!
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So...is fine silver allergy proof?
Many people who believe that they are allergic to gold or silver jewellery are actually allergic to nickel. This is not always the case but nickel is certainly the most common one. As mentioned above, most pieces sold at Swallow Jewellery combine both sterling and fine silver so if you have allergies or sensitivities, you may still have a reaction. If you have any concerns or questions, please contact us before you buy so I may be able to accommodate your needs.
If you are curious about why we use fine silver, check out this blog post about precious metal clay.
Got a question? Please feel free to contact us and ask!
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