It has been two years since jewelry designer Canela Lemoine established her business, Cinnamon Sticks Design, in downtown Redlands. The small boutique features Lemoine’s own jewelry designs and other gift items primarily made by women-owned small businesses, like herself. A bestseller is a kimono with printed art by a Vancouver-based artist. Other items are made by crafters in Texas, Michigan, Oregon and Wisconsin, as well as locally made gift items.
The main focus for Lemoine is to create personal stories with jewelry — and what is more personal than offering workshops in jewelry making. Her upcoming workshop schedule includes teaching metal techniques and creating personalized jewelry.
There are simple workshops for fun girls’ nights out, and “for people that are looking for a little bit more in-depth jewelry making, we bring in kitchen torches and they actually get the whole process from start to finish,” Lemoine said.
People can also make their very own wedding bands.
(Photo by Siw Heede)
Lemoine’s fascination with jewelry began when she was five years old and a jeweler let her try on a diamond ring. “I just thought that was the coolest thing,” she said. Ever since, she has been fascinated with rocks and tinkered with different materials to make jewelry.
Growing up, a whole other career was waiting for Lemoine. She helped her parents in their private practice, where her dad was a physician and her mother a nurse. “When I was old enough to handle patient care, I would do newborn weights, and as I got older my mother taught me how to draw blood and give immunizations.” For years, she worked in her family practice, and as an adult she worked in pediatric care.
(Photo by Siw Heede)
In 1998, Lemoine started her jewelry business. Switching careers helped her raise seven kids at home. “My primary goal was to be home and present with my kids,” she said. “We ran the business out of the house — my workshop was in the garage, we packaged at the kitchen table. It was definitely a family business.”
In 2017, they went into partnership with a catalog company, Uncommon Goods. “That really allowed us to grow pretty significantly in 2019,” she said. For that company, she makes certain jewelry exclusively for them. During busy periods she has studio assistance, but “I am the one making every piece I have,” she said.
Prior to being in Redlands, Lemoine had a storefront in East Highland, where she lives. “It was more challenging — there was no foot traffic,” she said. Coming to Redlands has been a good change. “It’s generated a lot more word of mouth and a lot more people,” she said.
“I refer to myself as a nontraditional fine jeweler,” she said. She has certifications as a stone setter and a goldsmith; the latter was part of a three-year training course with the Jewelers Academy of London, which she took online.
(Photo by Siw Heede)
“I really love tactile pieces, pieces that have texture — sculptural pieces,” she said. She mostly focuses on silver since it has been more affordable. “I love stones and color, but the core of what I really enjoy doing is creating jewelry that is made for connection.”
Lemoine’s jewelry helps people hold on to milestones, memories and events. Examples include anniversary pendants, pieces that incorporate children’s birthstones, baby fingerprints, names or words — even jewelry with a pet’s paw print. She also makes symbolic jewelry. “Snakes and butterflies are two of those symbols that really represent change and continual growth,” she said. “My brother used to have a ball python.”
A grandmother had Lemoine create keepsake bangles with meaningful sayings for a granddaughter she is raising. “She will forever have that to keep with her when I can no longer be with her,” the grandmother told Lemoine.
At the new year, a popular trend is picking a word to represent the year, which Lemoine creates into a pendant. Another trend is spinner rings and bracelets that help with restlessness. “I am very fidgety and I’m very tactile, so I love that rolling motion,” she said.
Lemoine invites customers to try their hands at creating jewelry using the high-quality and longevity standards she lives by. Workshops include letter stamping, stacking rings, personalized bookmarks, cuff bracelets and more.
Sign up for Cinnamon Sticks Design’s newsletter for upcoming workshops at cinnamonsticksdesigns.com.
Siw is the ultimate cheerleader of what happens in Redlands. She is a dual citizen (Danish and American) who likes to write about what is new as much as about the things we take for granted.
