photos from home

New pendants added to the Moonwater Designs shop

I just added three new mixed media art collage charms to the Moonwater Designs Shop. Click any of the images below to check them out.

Here's my latest creation, a sun catcher made from a vintage key and an old dog tag from New York State, circa 1932.

Moonwater Designs art auction

Here's a peek at some of the charms I'll be placing on eBay for the auction to raise money for the local Easter Seals Stroke Day Program. My sister and I have been planning on running the Denver Half Marathon to benefit the Easter Seals since early this year- and now the race date is only around 3 weeks away. I'm starting to get excited! We'll be running 13.1 miles, a half-marathon. Before this year, I had never run more than 5 miles- and the last time I had run that distance was when I was 16.

The program we're raising money for provides rehabilitation services, fitness, and cameraderie to stroke survivors. They've got a pool they use for therapy, have brought in therapy dogs, and provide other great activities to help participants grow and become more independent. It's a wonderful program, so I hope you'll consider bidding on some new Moonwater Designs creations! 100% of proceeds from the auction will be donated to Easter Seals.

I decided this morning that it's been far too long since I updated my blog. Where have I been? Much of my time these days is being spent training for a half-marathon taking place in October. I've always thought of artist and athlete as two separate entities, but I'm learning that there's room for both creativity and activity in my life. I've never been a strong runner, so I've always wanted to challenge myself with an organized race of some sort. My sister and I have been talking about running a 5k together for years now, and this talk somehow found us signing up in January to run 13.1 miles in the Denver Half Marathon on October 14.

The course should be spectacular. It starts in front of the beautiful Denver capitol building with the gold dome roof, winds throughout the Denver city skyline you see in photos, goes past a number of major sports venues downtown like Coors Field, and through a handful of parks. In addition to my Ipod- which has been essential to training this summer- one of the things that helps me get through long training runs is taking in the scenery. On the rare occasion that I run inside on a treadmill, I go crazy because I'm lacking visual variety. When I run outside, I distract myself by taking in all the sights- everything from the mix of colors in a beautiful flower bed or the start of a sunset to the unique curve of a tree branch.

Speaking of the half marathon- my sister and I are running to raise money for her workplace, the Easter Seals Day Stroke Program, which provides therapy and cameraderie for stroke survivors. In addition to my regular fundraising, I'm having an online auction starting next week, selling some of my latest jewelry designs to raise money for the program. 100% of proceeds from the auction will go to the Day Stroke Program. More details coming soon!

I would have thought I would have indulged in my cupcake fix a few weeks ago at the Alice in Wonderland trunk show, but apparently not...

I made some cupcakes tonight with vanilla buttercream frosting tinted a very pale shade of blue-green. I decorated the cupcakes with turquoise swirls similar to the signature silver swirls I use in a lot of my colored glass charms. I started out trying polka-dots, but the thin, round frosting tip I had just didn't do the trick, so I started swirling away.

I decided tonight that decorative swirls make cupcakes taste better. I think I'm going to bring some to work tomorrow, because I made around 30 cupcakes, and I promise you they'll all be gone within days- and there are only two of us in the house! We love cupcakes.

Here's a quick shot from downtown Denver on a rainy summer evening. We went out for dinner, and this was the scene as we walked back to our car. These lights over the sidewalk never fail to enchant!

Stacie at Archival Elements has a new blog which includes pictures of pillows she sews then stitches using yarn, embroidery, recycled materials. Her photos are great, but you should see these things in person! So lovely.

Yesterday, my boyfriend and I got in the car to embark upon our road trip from Denver to my hometown, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. As I blogged about earlier this week, I'm doing a jewelry trunk show at a shop in downtown Sioux Falls called Archival Elements. In addition to Moonwater Designs, I work a full-time day job at a nonprofit in Denver. I'm also training for a half-marathon in October, so this past year, I've learned that there's a fine art to achieving balance. It seems like there are never enough hours in the day, so I thought I would bring some show projects with me, figuring it would be the perfect way to get some last-minute things done for the show and that keeping my hands busy would make the trip through Nebraska go by quickly.

The photo above is one project I accomplished... stringing these letters on pale yellow ribbon to create Merry Unbirthday sign. The letters were a template I downloaded from Martha Stewart's website. I just had white cardstock on hand, which I strung on colored ribbon, but her multi-colored version is amazing! I'll definitely be printing more of these letters when I get home. Perhaps I'll make a "You can do it!" banner for times I find myself questioning the whole running 13 miles thing.

It's a tea party!

I'm heading back to my home town next week for a jewelry trunk show at Archival Elements in downtown Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This year's trunk show event features an Alice in Wonderland-themed tea party, so come join us for a cup of tea and some sweet desserts that will be whispering, "Eat Me."

You are cordially invited to join us at Archival Elements in downtown Sioux Falls Friday, July 27 from 4 to 9 p.m. or Saturday, July 28 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a trunk show featuring Moonwater Designs stained glass and mixed media pendants.

Enjoy a cup of tea as you check out my new line of jewelry inspired by Alice's adventures in Wonderland, featured in addition to my regular collection of stained glass and mixed media pendants created using colorful images, vintage paper fragments, and found objects.

Click below for more details:

lovely art

There are tons of creatives out there I admire, as evidenced by my web browser folder titled "Inspirational Artists." The internet makes it easy to go on a virtual artwalk of both well-known and undiscovered artists all in the same sitting. With that said, it's been a while since I've been head-over-heels smitten by artist's work. I just came across the most amazing paintings by artist Jill Mayberg. Click the photo above to visit her website.

She's going to be in Denver at the big Cherry Creeks Arts Festival this weekend. This festival is one of the most competitive juried outdoor festivals inthe United States, attracting artists from all over the world. I've been in Colorado over 4 years now, and have never gone to this event! I am looking forward to a real-life art walk this weekend.

A sincere thanks to everyone who came to the First Friday art opening at the Artists' Nook in Fort Collins this past Friday! Just a quick reminder- if you didn't make it on Friday, my entire collection of 75+ charms will be at the Artists' Nook throughout the month of June.

If you've never been there, run- don't walk - to the Artists' Nook Art Boutique, where you'll find a variety of creations by Northern Colorado mixed media artists such as Bev Perina, Hollyn Stegall, Kat Midland-Peters, Kelley Jones, Laurie Zuckerman, Leslie Smith, Lynn Henry, Sandy Vanderpool, Tiffini Elektra X, Tana Mitchell, Tracey Kazimir-Cree, Venita Hawkins-Bird, Lisa Hoffman, Linda Folkerts, Maggie Kunze, Whitney Clifton, Tara Parr & Peggy Houchin.

iPods and Puppies

:denver skyline:


:view from our porch:

Within the past year, I've been walking and/or jogging on a regular basis. It's been such a nice addition to my routine! At first, it was strictly for the sake of our dog, since we live downtown in a one-bedroom apartment. After a while, I started realizing that getting fresh air and exercise was not only good for Koda, but it's beneficial to my well-being, too. I often come back from a walk with a clear head, and if I'm burned out or in a rut, I'll return feeling creatively inspired. I can leave in a bad mood and return with a fresh perspective on things. It's a good thing.

Having grown up in South Dakota, surrounded with the plains and the tallest skyscraper in the state measuring in at 11 stories high, I am fascinated with the fact that our apartment is in the midst of downtown Denver. There is lots of interesting eye-candy on our walks. We have a neat view of the 52-story Wells Fargo Center out our back window. I think part of the reason I dig our walks is that we're winding through that which makes up the lovely Denver skyline you see in the photo above. Even though we've been here over a year now, it's still surreal to me sometimes. I never imagined myself living somewhere like this, and sometimes I feel like I'm in a movie! I spotted a reality TV star the other day, and was so excited I had to call my boyfriend to tell him who I saw at Home Depot. I knew it was entirely silly that I called about this insignificant sighting, but I've always been a big pop-culture junkie and, frankly- we just don't have things like that happen in South Dakota.

:on a walk through downtown:


:dog's eye view of the apartment complex next door from our porch:

The awe-inspiring tall buildings and historic architecture around here certainly help give us interesting visuals while we're on our walks- however, there are two other things that have helped me maintain my motivation this past year. I highly recommend investing in one or both. Although the IPod doesn't show me much love when I get home from work every day, it does come with a handy user's guide.

Fort Collins friends!

Please join Moonwater Designs for an art opening at the Artists’ Nook in Fort Collins, Colorado this Friday, June 1 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Artists’ Nook is located at 402 N. College Avenue in Fort Collins, just about 4 blocks north of Mountain Avenue.

Can't make it on Friday? Moonwater Designs jewelry will be on display at The Artists’ Nook through June 30.

The weather this weekend has been amazing- warm and sunny. I have an art opening this upcoming Friday at the Artists' Nook in Fort Collins, so I've been doing lots of jewelry making this weekend- but have made it a point to get out there and enjoy the lovely days we've been having!

As you can see, my art desk includes jump rings. Lots of them. And permanent splashes of paint that- now that I think about it- I've never tried to wash off. The table I use is this dull GRAY of all colors, so I welcome the addition of color in the form of spilled paint.



Our dog Koda joined us on our adventures today. First, we walked into downtown Denver and went to an art fair. I love outdoor fairs and festivals, and am so glad that season is upon us! Denver's a great place to be if you enjoy attending or participating in outdoor fairs. Farmer's markets, outdoor antique flea markets, art fairs, and cultural celebrations abound.

The art fair was great. There were quite a few stained glass artists and lots of jewelry artists, both things I really enjoy. I fell in love with a necklace created by a male jewelry artist. Male jewelry artists are rare, and seeing one at an art fair is even more rare. He had unique designs, and I like to support local artists as much as my pocketbook will allow. Unfortunately, my pocketbook didn't allow me to bring home the 5-foot tall painting I loved. Someday.

After the art fair, we stopped and had tacos at a restaurant near our apartment. It has a dog-friendly patio, so Koda hung out and vacuumed up all the food that made its way to the cement floor. So polite.

Stop and Smell the Roses

We have a few plants in our apartment, but most are up high- outside sniffing range- so our dog Koda was curious when I brought home a bunch of flowers after work today. I sat out on our porch and quizzical Koda joined me. I looked away for a split second and he had stuffed his face in one of the pots and came up with a nose full of dirt and a giant grin on his face.

A few years ago, I thought it was time to learn how to take care of something other than myself, so I bought a few plants. Some died, but there are several that have been with me for multiple years now. Next, I got a dog. He's almost two years old now, and he passed with flying colors at our last vet visit. Since I've been successful at nurturing various things these past few years, I decided I'd plant a bed of flowers this summer using the gigantic flowerpot that the prior apartment dwellers left behind on our porch.

My parents have always had big, beautiful flower gardens in our yard, and the itch suddenly hit me this year to create a mini flower garden of my own. Living in downtown Denver surrounded by silver skyscrapers and gray concrete, bright colors and growth are especially refreshing.

Today I drank orange soda...

found some lovely vintage keys at Studio Bead ...

worked on some new jewelry designs...



and found some broken glass which I will eventually encase in mini necklace shadowbox type pieces. I spotted these sparkling on the sidewalk during my jog today and couldn't resist picking them up on my way back home. I think I jogged about a half mile with a small bunch of these clutched in my hand. Having worked with glass for so many years, I've become pretty good at avoiding injury. The first few years were challenging as I learned how not to handle glass the hard way. Let's just say I sported Band-Aids frequently.

The photo on the top left features a package of jewelry which will soon be making its way from Colorado to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It's always exciting knowing that some of my creations will be making their journey from my studio out into the world! It makes me happy. Makes my dog smile, too.

If you're in the Sioux Falls area, you can stop by Archival Elements new location downtown at 330 S. Phillips Avenue to check out their new space and the new Moonwater Designs shipment.

vintage key necklace

dream - before

dream - after

sea glass

There's just something about broken pieces of glass being tumbled and smoothed by water and sand that is so enchanting. Growing up in South Dakota, we went to the lake or river quite often, but instead of glass bits my sisters and I would collect river rocks along the shore of the river. I've only been to the ocean a few times in 30 years, so while I've never been lucky enough to find sea glass on my own, I've had friends send me sea glass and there's always eBay. I love eBay!

I just bought these earrings from DKC Designs on Etsy. I love that beautiful imperfection in that the shape of each earring is just a little different from the other.

Here are a few of my latest creations! I've been buying up vintage keys on eBay like crazy, and now have gathered quite the collection of various shapes and sizes which I'll be incorporating into necklace designs. The other two charms are limited edition Moonwater Designs mixed media pieces created using various papers, paints, inks, and rubber stamps.

Click the photo below to see the most recent addition to the Moonwater Designs shop. I'm slowly trying to add charms to my shop. I work a full-time day job at a non-profit organization, which includes a 45-minute commute each way, so between working, eating, sleeping, walking the dog, driving, and occasionally working out, I sometimes have to be creative in finding time to create new jewelry designs and update my website!

Like tonight, for example- it's about an hour past my bedtime. I leave you with this update- small, but progress. It's all about the baby steps sometimes.