It's almost Christmas!

and I've been busy in the studio! Here's a custom order I made for a friend, customized hand cut and stamped sterling silver. It turned out really well and both he and I were really pleased! I'll be adding these to my shop in the new year.

It's December!

and that means Christmas cheer is everywhere! Thought you guys might enjoy this video I found on YouTube to ring in the season!

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It's October...

...and that means it's Breast Cancer Awareness month. Last winter, my good friend, Corrie, lost her battle to cancer. Today is her birthday and she would have been only 34. So in memory of her and in line with breast cancer awareness month, I created a new line of jewellery and thought it would be awesome to launch this line on Corrie's birthday. You can check out the entire line at Melanie Cronyn Designs. All of the Corrie line is made with pink rock quartz which is a beautiful sparkly clear stone. It's really a stunning stone! I've posted a couple of pictures to give you a taste. The first is a necklace, the rock quartz is dangling in the middle of a sterling silver hoop.



Check out this pair of sweet earrings, made of the same rock quartz, but hanging from a sterling silver hoop ear wire! These ones are my favorites!



So, in memory of you, Corrie, this new line of pink jewellery is dedicated to you - you are missed!

how to get your pet out of an emergency...

...with the Pet Emergency Evacuation Jacket of course! And for mere $480 (US) it can be yours...errr....or your pets. This jacket is fancy though, with flame retardant fabric and a carrying handle (because that will come in handy when your cat is attacking you for even thinking about putting that thing on him/her). It also includes pockets for holding tools and supplies...that's right, so your cat or dog can help themselves get out of these emergency situations when the tools are right at hand.
For your viewing pleasure, check it out...



now that you get a good idea of what it looks like - check out the cat model....champion cat I have to say, for putting up with that. Hope he got a lot of treats.



In case you'd like to get your christmas shopping started, you can purchase this bad boy at Japan Trend Shop

I was included in a Treasury!

I can't believe it, my spooky spider necklace was included in a treasury! I really hope it makes it to the front page! If you have time go and check it out to get the views up!
Here's a sneak peak

Just listed new stuff!

Just a quick note because I've been so busy making and listing new stuff on my webpages. Here's a sneak peak....



these are orange carnelian drop earrings - super sweet for fall! Pumpkin inspired!



and this is my famous vintage key necklace - only this time I added a sweet copper locket in the shape of a book! Super cute!

You can check out all my new stuff at Rock On Accessories and Melanie Cronyn Designs

Upcoming fall wedding!

Over the weekend I got back on track and made earrings and a bracelet for my best friends sister - who is getting married in a few weeks. Here is a quick picture of the earrings.


I also made all her bridesmaids earrings as well. I think they turned out beautiful and I never would have thought to put all these colours together if it hadn't been the colours used in their dresses.


I can't wait to see them on the girls on the big day!

Also over the weekend I booked some studio time and did some silversmithing, I'm not quite done polishing what I made, but watch for those pictures over the next few days - I'm really happy with what I came up with.

Next up...baby!!

I'm am terribly sorry for not writing in ages, but I have a bit of an excuse, I'm pregnant, and for the last 5 months I've been exhausted! It was debilitating, I can't even tell you! I would come home from work, and flop on the couch until it was time to go to bed! thankfully my husband does all the cooking in our household, otherwise I would have starved because I just would not have had the energy to make anything!
Here's a 3-D image of the baby, it's a boy!

Anyway - all the tiredness has passed now and I'm back on track and ready to get on with making jewels and preparing for this baby!
I'm making jewellery for a friends wedding and should have some pictures in the next few days! They will be a beautiful mixture of fall colours! I'm off to get started on them!

Mondays Suck Animals Don't!

So sorry I'm late! I know it's Tuesday but check out Glory anyway! Here's what her owner tinyrainclouds has to say about her:
Her name is Glory. She's 50% cocker spaniel, 50% jack russell terrier, and 100% fat. I love her a bunch. She loves cookies, sleeping in sunbeams, and short walks to her food bowl. She does not like strangers, babies, or getting stuck under blankets.
And really, who can blame her for not liking strangers or getting stuck under blankets...nothin' wrong with that!
Here's Glory!

Stand By Me...

It's almost Friday! yay! Lots going on this week. First if you are in the Kitchener area you will be able to find Rock On Accessories at Rare Funk on Duke St very soon. Super pumped about that - Tamara - who owns the store is super sweet and fun and I can't wait to start working with her. Also if you are in Leslieville in Toronto you can find my stuff at Nathalie-Roze & Co. It's a cute little indie store right on Queen St just east of Pape. Keep checking out the blog for more places to find me! I'll keep posting as they come up.

Courtesy of my husband, I think you should all check out this video. It's so cool how this was put together. If you haven't heard of Playing for Change, you should definitely check it out. According to their website "Playing For Change is a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music." So, they started out in New Orleans and did one recording of each song, then they took those recordings and toured the world asking musicians along the way to add instruments and harmony to the original recordings. It's awesome and really does show how powerful music is and how it brings us all together no matter what language we speak or where we are in the world. Check out this recording of stand by me, it rocks!

Mondays Suck Animals Don't!

What a busy weekend! Rock On Accessories was at the Bloomin' Earth Eco Fest in Kitchener Ontario. It was a successful day for all, plus since it was so beautiful out, the market opened the doors and allowed some of the vendors outside! So of course that's where you could find me - as soon as it gets warm I want out! Met some great people - I love the conversations that get started from the slogans on the shirts!

Anyway - back to the animals! Check out how cute Spanky is! He was rescued from Almost Home for Hounds in Colorado by fellow Etsian Gothic Creations. Here's what she had to say about her beautiful boy "He is 6 years old and I've had him since he was just over a year old. he was born into the racing industry but due to an injury as a puppy never raced."
Looks like he loves to hang out with is blankies. Check him out!

How to help save Mother Earth...

In honour of Earth Day I thought we should talk about some ways to help our planet attempt to get back on track. I'm not talking about the same old recycling and composting and re-using ways to help (although those are all still very important!!!). I'm talking about some things you might not have ever heard of before, like 'drain water heat recovery systems' created and produced by RenewABILITY in Waterloo ON and 'passive solar air heating system alternative energy', created and produced by a company called Envirosponsible in Whitby, Ontario. But don't be discouraged by their locations, because below you can watch videos on how these systems work, and make them yourselves, or purchase on-line.
The Drain Water Heat Recovery System called Power-Pipe™ raises the temperature of incoming cold water by recycling free heat from wastewater going down the drain. About 90% of all hot water energy goes down the drain, allowing the Power-Pipe™ to recycle as much as 60% of the wasted heat. Watch this video to see how it all works...



A Passive Solar Air Heating System is also a heat transfer type product, except this one transfers hot air. In short, this system is set up in a window, it sucks the cool air from your home into the window where the sun heats it and it is pushed back through your home. Check out this video to get a better explanation...



What I love most about these products is that they have no electrical moving parts (the fan in the air heating system is solar powered) and they save on energy consumption, which helps the earth and your bank account, and who doesn't want to save money?
For those of you who are really handy - you can also learn how to make your own rain barrel, I have a rain barrel and love it.



I hope I have inspired everyone to try something new and save some energy! Happy Earth Day!

Mondays Suck Animals Don't!

Sorry this is a little late in the day, but don't kid yourself, Mondays still suck!
So, I know I've been posting a lot of cats lately, but this guys deserves special mention! His name is Bubba (best name ever) and he was rescued by an Etsy friend of mine named Anna from West Tennessee. She found him on the side of the road with a completely maimed leg. Thankfully Anna did find him because I'm sure he was in a lot of pain. After trying to save his leg, Anna's vet could do no more and it had to be amputated. So now he's a 3 legged wonder. He's a cutie I'll tell you that much!
Here is Bubba with a cast on his leg before they amputated it



and here is is laying around with is friend Suzie (I love when dogs and cats show their love for each other! so cute!!)



and here is in all his glory! he's a handsome devil!



Thanks Anna for sharing your lovely Bubba with us!

Dog lovers take note: I need more pictures!

If there are any dog lovers out there - I need more pictures for the Mondays Suck Animals Don't feature! So Please send them along so I can post pics of your canine love! thanks a bunch!

It's Business Time

Well, I want to share another favorite of mine. Flight of the Conchords. Too. funny. for. words. This song brings tears to my eyes so I just had to blog about it. It's called Business Time and it's about Jemaine sticking to his schedule of 'makin' love' with his girlfriend. Favorite line: Then you go sort out the recycling. That`s not part of the foreplay but it`s still very important.

ooohhh the things those guys sing about. check it out...



Business hours are over.

Mondays Suck Animals Don't!

and let me tell you how much today sucked....I got all the way downtown to work, only to realize that I left my laptop at home. Sigh. So I had to get on a bus and do the hour long commute back home. Once I got home I just decided to work from home, but what a giant waste of time.
Anyway - check out Trixie! This is my mom's cat. she's a cutie and very very shy.

First she's tackling the cat nip!



and here she's posing pretty!



Anyway, hope every one has a good day!

Marley & Me

Well, I just finished watching the movie Marley & Me. I read the book and bawled, I should have known the movie would be worse, but I seem to be a sucker for punishment. Why did I just do that to myself! I don't want to deter anyone from watching it, because most of the movie is quite funny. I laughed pretty hard a few times (keep watch for when Marley tries to get out of the car as they are driving - too funny!) Maybe it's because my dog, Marty (see? it's like they are the same dog - even their names are similar), has done many of the things that Marley has done and acts pretty much the same. Maybe it hit me harder then it would others. Either way I was reduced to a sobbing wreck. Check out the trailer here...



I think the most profound thing the author, John Grogan, says is this...
"A dog has no use for fancy cars, big homes, or designer clothes. A water log stick will do just fine. A dog doesn't care if your rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he'll give you his. How many people can you say that about? How many people can make you feel rare and pure and special? How many people can make you feel extraordinary?"

Couldn't be more true....

Sparkle & Shine

Right now I'm working on some more wedding jewellery for someone who really likes the sparkle! Her colours are blue and silver and she wanted the jewellery to really pop and she wanted it in silver. So, lucky for me, I happened to find the perfect beads. They look like mini disco balls and they're so shiny and sparkly! She's got 6 girls in her party (it's a big one) but they all have different dresses, three of the girls dresses have higher neck lines and necklaces wouldn't have looked right. So I've made 3 bracelets and 3 necklaces. Check them out, I plan on making one extra set to sell on my etsy site
The bracelet...




The necklace...


She's approved them and loves them, so I'm happy!
Also, let's all do a happy dance for short work weeks!

Mondays Suck Animals Don't!

Today sucks even more then most Mondays, because just when I thought spring had finally arrived......I woke up to snow....and it's still snowing. I'm sick of it. It needs to go away!
So, let's look at a pair of cutie kitties today. They live in Toronto with my friend Melanie (who I met in jewellery class - yay for silversmithing!). Their names are Mosi (also known as Mo Mo & Mister Mo) and Kyle Bean - but he mostly goes by Beanie, which is a great nick name (that's what I call Marty usually). There is nothing better then animals showing their love for each other - and these guys are adorable at showing it! Thanks for sharing your beautiful babies with us Mel!

Take a Load off.....

It's been a crazy busy week, and I'm exhausted. I couldn't wait to get out of the office this afternoon and come home to my comfy clothes and a blanket on the couch. So, here I am, on the couch. This is gonna be a short post, but I thought I'd share my love for Gillian Welch. If you don't know her, you're missing out largely, so take a listen. What could be better then Gillian Welch, her partner and guitar genius, David Rawlings, Old Crow Medicine Show all covering The Band?? Nothing I tell you...nothing....
check it

I'ts April Fool's day...

...and I ain't jokin'! I'm fresh out of pranks....I did nothing fun to fool anyone today. Oh well - there's always next year right?
Well I thought I would take today to finally show you my finished jewellery from silversmith class. A while back I posted all about my adventures in silversmith, and some of the pieces I showed were only half done. Although they've been done for a while now, I completely forgot to show everyone. So here we go...
This is the finished bracelet from my lily pad set, I oxidized it (using the hard boiled egg process - yay for earth friendly - worked like a charm)



and here is the branch pendant, I oxidized it so that the cut out area was black and then I high polished it, I love it!



As an aside, for anyone who wants their pet or favorite animal featured on 'Mondays Suck Animals Don't' please make sure to send me your pics!
Otherwise, hope everyone remembered that today was April Fool's day and played a prank on someone!

Mondays Suck Animals Don't!

Yup, it's Monday again.....and after a nice warm-for-the-season weekend, it's back to being cold.
Today we're looking at another Maverick, only this time he's a handsome horse! He belongs to my best friend, Tanya. After his racing days were over, Tanya took him to give him a well deserved rest! He now spends his days hangin' in a field lovin' life! Tanya's son, Ethan, likes to help out with is care, we're not sure how much help he is, but he likes it none-the-less!



Make sure to send me a picture of your pet and I'll post it on Mondays! keep them coming!

new wedding stuff

Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend - the weather is beautiful here in Southern Ontario! I've been working on some wedding jewellery of late ('tis the season!) So this is more of a photo blog post today.....enjoy!
This one is made with fresh water pearls in different shades of green.
Matching earrings.
Same fresh water pearls - different design.

For all the dog lovers!

I wanted to share this article from the Toronto Star with everyone. It's about a woman (Andrea Fitzpatrick) who was laid off from her executive job at Bell Canada and how her dog helped her to change her life and see what she was really meant to be doing. She is now a self taught photojournalist and an excellent one at that. Andrea writes 2 blogs Finding Sirius and The Charlie Project which almost always makes me cry. Anyway, if you're a dog lover you much check out the blogs, I'm obsessed with them and check them daily!
Marty approves!

Mondays suck Animals Don't!!

Happy Monday - with Monday comes fun animal post!

Today we're looking at Kodie. Kodie has a special place in my heart, we took a road trip together a few years back when his momma was living in Hoboken, New Jersey to re-unite the two. His momma, my friend Stephanie, was an intern at a hospital in New York City and couldn't bring him for the initial move, so another friend and I drove him out there a little while later. You couldn't have asked for a better road trip pal. He even charmed the border police. We attached all his little toys and treats to his halter like a little hobo, it was adorable. Kodie is now resting in peace, but we still love him and think of him often. He was a happy, fun dog and we miss him. Love you Kodie!

I created a treasury!

ok, so after painfully waiting and waiting for the exact time for the number of treasuries to get down below 222, I finally snagged a spot and created a treasury (in treasury west). I stuck with the cowboy theme, check it out here



Also wanted to inform everyone that Rock On Accessories has been accepted at a few fairs - the first being the Bloomin' Earth Eco Fair. It is a fair showcasing unique creations from Local artists, reworking junk + thrifted items into beautiful one of a kind accessories for you and your home. If you're in the kitchener area - come check us out on April 25, 2009 8am - 2pm
Kitchener Market - Kitchener ON


On May 31 we will be in Thornhill at the Creators' Marketplace Show & Sale 2009
May 31, 2009 10am - 6pm
Thornhill Community Centre, 7755 Bayview Ave Thornhill ON


you can click on links to the right as well.

Hope to see some of you around!

Mamma's Don't Let Your Babies...

...Grow Up to be Cowboys...
I'm going through a cowboy stage right now.....oh who am I kidding, I love everything cowboy...always have. So I thought I'd show you some cowboy inspired Etsy items I'm lovin' right now.
Check out this sweet upcycled cowboy boot purse! Great way to re-use items and keep them out of the landfills! It's from PurseinBoots - awesome shop name too!



and how cute are these crochet cowboy booties from TwentySecondStreet! I love them! I need a baby to buy them for!



well, you can't have a cowboy collection without a cowgirl pin up and this necklace from NostalGems kicks major pin up girl ass. LOVE it!

Mondays Suck Animals Don't

Sorry everyone I'm a little late with this post - it's been a super busy weekend that overflowed in to Monday.
so here is this Mondays Animal of the week!

Meet Maverick! He's from Barrie ON and he clearly thinks he's the sexiest kitty around! he like to lounge on his favorite chair in a sexy pose to attract all the lady kitties. He thinks they enjoy his bare belly.
What cutie!
thanks Jill for passing his picture on to me for everyone to enjoy!

Great Lake Swimmers

For those of you who know me, you know I love the Great Lake Swimmers.....a lot....and my cousin all the way in Truro, Nova Scotia is seeing them live tonight, so in tribute to the Swimmers and my cousin, I thought I'd post my favorite song for you all to hear! So enjoy!

Mondays suck!

I have been a bad blogger, I had such a brutal week and weekend that I just didn't have time to post! my apologies!
So in honour of Mondays sucking, I am starting a "Mondays Suck, Animals Don't" feature! Every Monday I'll feature an adorable animal, you can submit your pictures to me, and I'll feature them.
I'll start with my dog Marty.


This was taken 2 years ago when I came home from work and found him in this condition. He had decided to get a snack from the garbage can and got his head stuck in the lid. I can't tell you how hard I was laughing. As you can see he was quite embarrassed....



So send me a picture or two of your favorite pet (or any animal really) and give me a little history on them and I'll feature on them on Monday's Suck, Animals Don't.
thankfully Monday is almost over :)

For the love of all things handmade...

For those of you who haven't yet heard of the documentary called Handmade Nation, it's a movie you should see. Especially if you love handmade and love to promote locally handmade items. It's a documentary that follows artists, crafters and designers across the US, showing how they do their work, when and if they quit their day jobs and how they feel about the handmade movement. You get an inside peek at what they do, how they do it, what they gave up to do it and the passion that goes in to their work!

This from their webpage…
*"Handmade Nation documents a movement of artists, crafters, and designers that recognize a marriage between historical techniques, punk, and DIY (do it yourself) ethos while being influenced by traditional handiwork, modern aesthetics, politics, feminism and art. Fueled by the common thread of creating, Handmade Nation explores a burgeoning art community that is based on creativity, determination, and networking”.*
It's truly an inspiring documentary, it'll make you want to find the inner artist in you! I recommend it to anyone with even a tiny desire to create things and also to those who love to buy creative, handmade things.

Pancake Tuesday....mmmmmmmm

So, today hasn’t been the best day I’ve ever had. I should have known first thing this morning when I got to the train station and I set off my car alarm and couldn’t quickly get it to shut off. I hate those people who’s car alarms go off for no apparent reason. However, once I got to work the bad luck continued when I dropped my security i.d. and swipe-y card (the one that gets me in and out of the building) right in the toilet. That’s correct…..right into the can. I know what you’re thinking, and NO I hadn’t actually used the toilet, but that doesn’t change how sick that is. The fact of the matter is, other people had used it, and let’s face it, the only thing that cleans that thing after people use it, is swishing water…it’s not clean in my mind. Anyway, I finished the work day off by walking all the way to the train station only to realize that my wallet was still at my desk. So back I go to the office and then on to the late train. Starting my evening of jewellery off late. Good news though, it’s PANCAKE TUESDAY! That means it’s pancakes for dinner! That’s enough to cheer anyone up! So while I wait for pancakes to cook I thought I’d take some pictures of my latest creations.
I’m currently working on some wedding jewellery. I have someone coming over on the weekend to choose some designs for her wedding in June. I’m not quite sure of her style or exact colours so I’ve made a bunch of stuff and hopefully we can work from there.
I picked out my favorite, it’s blue Topaz drops, the earrings are wrapped in wire and hung from sterling silver ear wires, and the necklace is also wrapped in wire and then hung on a sterling chain with a larger sterling silver circle.

If you ever wanted to know the difference between sterling silver and silver plated, the difference is the metal itself. Silver plated basically means the base is some other type of metal (such as copper) and then it’s coated in silver. Sterling silver with the 925 stamp on it means that the entire item is 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals (usually copper). Fine silver is 99.9% silver and is usually considered too soft to make jewellery out of so they mix in 7.5% other metals to make it more structurally sound.
I’m off to make more jewellery – happy pancake Tuesday!

Adventures in Metalsmith

A few years back I decided to widen my horizons and learn new skills, so I registered at a local college (one that will remain nameless) for a metalsmith class. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the best experience, so I figured metalsmithing just wasn’t for me. But something about playing with metal just kept calling to me and I kept thinking about it. Fast-forward to 2008 and I discovered The Devil’s Workshop What first drew my attention was the Wedding Band Workshop offered by Sarah Wan, owner of The Devil’s Workshop, teacher and metalsmith extraordinaire. I thought that was a fantastic idea and since my wedding was coming up, thought my husband and I could take the class together. What could be cooler then making your own wedding bands? Well, much to my dismay, he wanted nothing to do with it. So I started looking at the other workshops offered that I could take by myself. Since then I’ve taken Silversmith for Beginners, Silversmith Level 2, and Lost Wax Casting. All of which I loved every second of!! Silversmith Level 2 and Lost Wax Casting I took at the same time and just thought I’d show you some of the stuff I’m working on.


The first is a ring I made to look like tree bark; I carved it out of wax in the lost wax class and then cast it in sterling silver. I shocked myself with this one because it turned out exactly how I wanted it to!



This is a shot of another ring I made, pretty simple, but again, exactly how I wanted it, I wanted to build my confidence using the wax, so simple was fine with me. Turned out nice and smooth and shiny! Perfect.



This picture is a set of lily pads I made. Bracelet, pendant and cute little earrings. But I’m not gonna lie to you, it was a painful project. The actual work that went in to the lily pads wasn’t painful, but getting to that point was. I just could not think of what to sculpt. Call me crazy, I can build things, I can take flat pieces of metal and make them in to something pretty, but I just don’t have the mind to take a wad of wax and carve it down to something. I have a whole new appreciation for the carvers of the world. Either way, I came up with the lily pad set with the help of my lovely teacher Danielle Crampsie who helped me work through my frustration with amazing patience. I still have to properly polish it and add some oxidizer to it, and even though I struggled with it, I love the whole set.
The next 2 pieces I made in the silversmith classes. I couldn’t include all the items I made in these classes because I gave some of them away as gifts. I chose my 2 favorites to keep for myself.



In the beginner class I made an awesome cuff bracelet. My inspiration was river rocks. It was a lot of sawing, but I still enjoyed doing it.



In the Level 2 class I made an awesome pendant. Trees are usually my inspiration for everything and I made this one with a branch cut out. I took one flat disc, cut an image of a branch out, then domed it, and soldered it to another larger flat disc. I still have to polish it, and I’m gonna drop some oxidizer into the branch cut out, but I can’t wait to wear it!

So…lessons learned you ask? Well, for one thing, when you dome things, it makes them wider then you want, so if you’re gonna cut an image out before you dome it, make it skinnier then you would normally OR dome it first and then cut it out. Also soldering a domed disc on to a flat disc is awfully hard and something I’ll need to practice. Mama Wan had to save me on that one. If I ever make another River Rock cuff I’ll need to remember to be conscious of the space I leave between each circle I cut out, some of them are a little too close to each other and I’m worried about the overall strength of the cuff.
Classes are done now and I’ve slowly been collecting my own tools so I can start working on my own in my basement. Since I still have some polishing and stuff to do on some of the pieces I’ve booked some studio time back at The Devils Workshop so I can finish the pieces off, I’ll be sure to post the pictures of the finished products. Hope you enjoyed checking out my progress!

Hillside Inside Festival a Success!

This years Hillside Inside Festival in Guelph ON was held on February 7 and featured Great Lake Swimmers (my personal fav), Stars, Bedouin Soundclash, Sam Roberts, and That One Guy!

Rock On Accessories was there with all our jewellery as well as our new-this-year bamboo t-shirts which were a huge success.  We got lots of encouraging comments on shirts like 'Grow Food Not Subdivisions' and 'I am not a nugget', both of which sold out!  In fact, stay tuned for the newest designs which include 'I am not a patty' with an image of a cow and KIDS shirts!  Don't worry, no profanity on the kids t's.

As for the jewellery, my new love is the 'unlock my heart' necklace made with real vintage keys.  I also introduced pendants made from vintage silverware.  Who knew that the handles from vintage forks and spoons could make such beautiful pendants?  Check them out in my Etsy shop.

All in all, although it was busy and exhausting, we had a great time at the festival and we saw some great bands at the same time!