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Meet Suzanne Henderson, who makes handcrafted keepsakes of your loved one’s actual prints.
Whether it be fingerprints of young siblings or of an ageing family member, a footprint of a newborn, handwriting from an old letter, or even a paw print of a beloved pet, Smallprint Okanagan and Silver Pet Prints Okanagan capture precious memories in silver.
Suzanne, who is the owner of Smallprint Okanagan, handcrafts each piece of custom silver jewellery in her Kelowna home studio.
Since opening in February 2017, she has created over 2,000 silver keepsakes for families across the Thompson Okanagan. In 2018, the pet keepsake service expanded and now operates under the business name Silver Pet Prints Okanagan.
Learn more about Suzanne by watching her video below and continue reading to see how you can create a timeless keepsake.
Smallprint and Silver Pet Prints are much more than just jewellery. It is all about family, special memories and love.
As each keepsake features a loved one’s actual prints, it gives you a sentimental piece to carry next to your heart, every day.
Suzanne's best selling Original Fingerprint pendants are created by pressing a person’s fingertip directly onto the silver to create a deep and meaningful print. As no moulds are used, what their loved one touches is what they end up wearing.
There is no age limit for the keepsakes. Suzanne is able to capture the prints of your loved ones… young or old.
“My youngest print so far was from a six-day-old baby and the oldest was from a 95-year-old grandmother,” said Suzanne. “I help families capture a moment in time, no matter what stage of life they are in.”
Suzanne feels fortunate that she is able to meet the majority of her customers in-person and design keepsakes that are truly one-of-a-kind, capturing a moment in time for each family.
“I love the connection I have with my customers and the trust they bestow in me. Our keepsakes capture a part of a family's story. I am honoured by what I get to do every day.”
Each pendant is individually handcrafted and engraved, meaning that no two keepsakes are ever the same. Necklaces, bracelets, keychains and cufflinks can be created and these keepsakes are a unique gift for any occasion.
Printing appointments can be booked at Suzanne’s Kelowna home studio, or at pop-up events hosted across the Thompson Okanagan. Print kits can also be shipped and orders placed remotely.
Suzanne is committed to giving back to the community that she lives and works in.
Since November 2017, Smallprint Okanagan has worked closely with the Intensive Care Unit at the Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) through their Wishing Well Program to provide fingerprint pendants to over 130 families suffering the loss of a loved one.
"It is an honour to be part of this program and to help families in their grief journey. Through Smallprint, I can donate a portion of all orders from the Wishing Well Program to the KGH Foundation and to date, I've donated over $2,900."
Smallprint Okanagan also offers a hand and footprint taking service by donation at events (Suzanne brings along her trusty inkless print kit), with all proceeds going to the Perinatal Unit at KGH. These funds are used to support families suffering the loss of an infant through the donation of inkless print kits and custom-made hand and footprint keepsakes.
Silver Pet Prints Okanagan also offers a paw print taking service at events and has donated money to the following charities: BC SPCA, Paws it Forward and St. John Ambulance Dog Therapy Program.
"I am so in love with the pendant Suzanne made for me: The tiny, perfect fingerprint of my 10-week old son. It was a wonderful experience and I highly recommend it." - Danielle.
"When I received my dear Carlee’s fingerprint pendants, they were so beautiful. I can not tell you the feeling that hit me. It’s one thing to see her fingerprint, but to actually feel the bumps of her print fills my heart with emotion. Thank you again for your expertise in creating this beautiful keepsake for my family." - Lee Ann.
"Suzanne has truly been a light in a dark time. When my father passed away, Suzanne was supportive and helpful in getting his fingerprints and creating the most special fingerprint necklace. Earlier, she had made a necklace with fingerprints of both of my daughters and grandpa too. Now, I have my father’s print added to my necklace and hold it close. Thank you, Suzanne, for your priceless gift and for all your help. You have gone over and above and I am forever grateful" - Theresa.
"Suzanne created a paw print necklace for me and it is something that I treasure dearly. We had to say goodbye to our beautiful dog shortly after I got my necklace and it has been a great comfort to have a part of her close to my heart every day. Suzanne also made a key chain for my husband that he treasures as well. I highly recommend Suzanne for any pet pieces. She was fantastic." - Jodi.
As someone who captures precious memories, Suzanne wanted to share a few of her memories too.
"Once, while taking fingerprints of a young woman in the ICU, who had suffered a traumatic injury and was on life-support within the final hours of her life, I met with over 20 of her family members and friends as they held a vigil next to her bed. It was extremely heartwarming to be present with this large gathering of people who clearly loved the woman deeply. I spent over four hours in the ICU that evening, meeting with the family and friends, discussing options for the keepsakes and taking 30 fingerprint impressions directly into the silver. I was overwhelmed with the trust of her family and friends bestowed upon me and honoured to create the fingerprint keepsakes for her loved ones."
"You have to get pretty creative when working with young children. Sometimes they can be a little skeptical of the whole print taking process. So, as a result, I have taken prints of a child on a trampoline, while riding a tricycle, while playing on a slide and I have even climbed into the back of a minivan to print a sleeping three-year-old! I always want the printing process to be fun and easy for kids so if they're not interested in sitting down, I can find a way to take their prints while they play."
"I once got stepped on by a horse while trying to take a hoof print. Fortunately, I wasn’t injured in the process. In the end, we found that a photo of the hoof worked best and I have created several hoof print pendants since then. I have also created a silver pendant with a gerbil’s print on it. Silver Pet Prints isn’t just all cats and dogs."
Personal printing appointments can be booked at Suzanne’s Kelowna home studio, or at pop-up events hosted across the Thompson Okanagan (events listed on Facebook). Print kits can also be shipped and orders placed remotely.
Reach out to Suzanne through the links below.
Facebook: @SmallprintOkanagan
Instagram: @SmallprintOkanagan
Website: smallprint.com
Email: suzanne.henderson@smallprint.com
Facebook: @SilverPetPrintsOkanagan
Instagram: @SilverPetPrintsOkanagan
Web: silverpetprints.com
Email: suzanne.henderson@silverpetprints.com
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