Monday Feature: Silver Soul

I'm a very sentimental person and I tend to hang on to items that have fond memories attached, even if it's just a scrap of paper with some notes on it. This can be hazardous for the home as "stuff" become accumulated at an accelerated rate. When I got married, I brought with me loads of items (and not even close to everything, as my closet at my parents home is still completely full of memory-filled momentos from my first 25 years), as did my husband, to create an ever cramped environment in our tiny, first home.

Purging is wonderful, freeing even, however, when memories are attached to that which you are throwing/giving away or selling, purging is one of the greatest struggles of the moment. Years worth of birthday/wedding/anniversary cards, letters, pictures, trinkets both big and small. You can't just dump it in a garbage bag and walk away. You must painstakingly go through every single item and scrap of paper and debate with yourself just what you should keep and why. Most especially hard are those items that remind us of a loved one who is no longer in our life or maybe even alive. Items that may have their handwriting, saying perhaps nothing of great importance, but because it was from them, you can't seem to let it go. Even a simple "I love you" can carry significant weight, even if there is nothing else written but those three, beautiful words.

If only there was a way to preserve those few, special, meaningful words or perhaps a fingerprint of a loved one, that you could have these memories always, minus the giant box of cards and other "stuff" that goes along with it. Well, I'm happy to inform you that there is!

Silver Soul is a unique business that allows you to capture precious moments forever onto beautiful pieces of silver jewelry. Danielle Robinson and Melissa Nelson are friends and co-founders of Silver Soul, and like any other, they had a journey of their own to get to where they are today with their business.

Danielle recalls, "Melissa and I have been friends for a few years. We would meet occasionally for coffee. Melissa took a trip home to Australia and while she was there, she had seen fingerprint jewelry. We had never see anything like that before. When she came back, we met for coffee and [Melissa] told me the idea. We started researching how to make them and what the possibilities were. Once we realized that we could do much more then fingerprints (specifically hand and foot prints) we both got really excited."

"[This idea] excited me personally because approximately 7 years prior, my husband and I had lost a baby. She was stillborn and the only real keepsake I had from her were her footprints."

Danielle and Melissa began working with different products and experimenting. "We knew there would be people (like me) who wanted a keepsake like this." Thus they decided to form a business and Silver Soul was born.

Danielle continues, "We worked from my dining room table. After much practice, we finally made my baby "Madeline's" footprints." Danielle and Melissa's initial intention was to be a local, small business, selling mostly to family and friends. "It didn't take long and we had people asking us how they could be involved. We knew it was too early to sell a franchise, so we decided to set up [Silver Soul] as a direct sales business. We quickly outgrew my dining room and have since moved studios twice and are currently in the process of moving again. As we continue to grow we need more space."

Silver Soul now has over 40 independent consultants who sell their product. These consultants make the sale, take the prints and earn a commission. All the pieces are made by Danielle and Melissa out of their studio, in downtown Medicine Hat. 

Originally, Silver Soul's product line was all hand-made pendants, made from fine silver (99.9% silver). On these pendants they use handprints, footprints, fingerprints and handwriting. "These are most special to people. We have had many people who have lost somebody special, find an old card from that person, and have their handwriting put into a pendant."

Silver Soul also works with a foundation out of Calgary called, Alexanders Quest. "This foundation helps families who have terminally ill children with brain tumors. They grant little wishes to the children and their families. The foundation helps families purchase a Silver Soul piece so they can have a special keepsake of their child that they can wear close to their heart after the child is gone."

Last year Silver Soul expanded their line to include hand-stamped, stainless steel jewelry. This is a very affordable way for people to still enjoy a custom piece of jewelry. "On these pieces we hammer stamp names, dates and phrases."

"Both Melissa and I love hearing the stories from people about how important our jewelry is to them (especially the silver print jewelry). We hear many stories. Many people comment to us about how their piece has brought them comfort after loosing a mother, father, friend or child." We are beings of great connection and affection. Any piece we can keep of someone we love, to help preserve the memory, is well worth the investment indeed. It's a perfect gift idea for the valentine in your life as well :)

For more information on products and for a full list of all Silver Soul active consultants, please visit their website at www.silversoul.ca.
Please also visit and "like" Silver Soul Creations on facebook here and stay up-to-date on new products and Silver Soul news!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Silver Soul directly by email at inquiries@silversoul.ca.

Silver Soul has a special PROMO just for Growing Green readers, that you'll want to take advantage of today! Simply use the PROMO CODE: growgreen when you purchase any pendant and receive a chain for 50% off! This offer expires Feb 28th, 2013, so hurry and order your one-of-a-kind pendant today!

Next week's feature hint: intricate warmth