Hi my name is Sil and I am the shop owner of Fauna and Forest. Fauna and Forest is a Canadian nature inspired jewelry shop where the main focus is my pressed flower jewelry. I also have an eclectic mix of bohemian earrings and necklaces because I have never been able to limit myself when it comes to creating. I have been running Fauna and Forest for a year now, and it is the creative outlet that I have been searching for for years.

My Canadian nature shop was created about a year ago because I was looking for a way to share more of my Botanical Resin Necklaces. I am drawn and inspired by the beautiful colors and textures found in flowers and plants and I love to collect and press flowers and leaves. I walk a lot, and I love that I really am able to appreciate and be in the present each day of my life. A walk in the summer and springtime has me examining lots of the beautiful flowers,foliage and ferns that are blooming, and Autumn is a time for me to enjoy the beautiful shades of red, yellow and orange that Fall can bring. I pick plants and flowers that I am drawn to, and what I think would make for a beautiful piece.The resin preserves and showcases the beauty of a simple yellow flower petal or a red leaf that has a bit of yellow in it from the changing of seasons. These resin pieces are very special to me because they are truly one of a kind. Nothing in nature is the same, no leaf is exactly the same as the next and no flower looks exactly like the one beside it, and that gives each customer of mine something really special to own. Each flower is laid out in a mold, then I choose and set up how I want each pendant to look and which flowers I will use for that pendant. It takes about a day or two for the resin to dry and then each piece is sanded to smooth out the edges and I will then drill a hole in each piece so that I can add a finding for the chain to hang from.

I also will never be mass producing the necklaces or earrings that I make because I want my customers to know that an item they buy from me is only made a few times over, and I think it's really special to own something that maybe only a handful of other people in the world own. I love gemstones, and I find that I am drawn to blues and greens. I pick beads and stones specifically for their beautiful colors, textures or shapes.

I have always had creative people in my life like my father who is a jeweler and my grandfather who also worked with his hands; it's in my blood to create. I can't remember a time where I didn't have a camera in my hands,or felt the need to paint on canvas (my personal hobby), and the last three years I have put all of my creative focus and energy into my handmade jewelry. My husband is a graphic designer and I have taken many classes in photography, and whenever I need advice I am lucky enough to be able to go to these creative people for advice. I also find inspiration in music, and like my love for different kinds of jewelry, my taste in music is just as eclectic. I always have my IPod on when I am taking photo shots of new products or when I am making a new pair of earrings or a new necklace.

My favorite part about working with resin and flowers is the custom orders and the deeper connection that is made with customers when we get to work together on a piece that is very intimate and special to them. It is a wonderful feeling to make something so special for someone and have them trust me with something that means a lot to them. It brings me a great satisfaction to know that I've been able to make my customers happy.

I enjoy the freedom and flexibility that self-employment offers. Being able to run my own creative business has taught me that I’m not a 9-5 kind of person. I have a day job and I love working these two jobs and switching back and forth between the two. There can be small stresses that come from running your own business, but despite this I truly love making jewelry and running my shop.