About

Welcome to Seven Sister Design! My name is Monica and I grew up as the youngest of seven sisters, hence the name of my business.

Today, I live in Turtle River, a quiet and strange spot surrounded by lakes, rivers, and pines. I took my first jewelry class at Stout University by accident. Yet, it was love at first hammer, bend, and solder.

Many years later, after some great adventures and a few more colleges, I received a BFA from Bemidji State University. Apprenticing with a Minneapolis jewelry designer and worker for a local jeweler completed my training.

Since 2000, I have been fortunate enough to work for myself out here in Turtle River, Minnesota. My work is at many galleries in the midwest and I am now offering pieces online as well as creating custom work.

How I arrive at my creative place is always a great maybe. Some days open up before me like a lake. I dive right in and swim, never getting tired. Other days are like a frozen pond: I first need to remove the snow, then the grasses, then the ice may be smooth or in the end it may be too rough to skate.

Through the years I have come to acknowledge that my creativity is directly related to my wellbeing. If life is flowing along, then that creative mind/hand/material dance may begin. Creating and working with my hands is an expression of happiness and needs to come from a centered place.

I am inspired by the ornamental designs in old architecture: organic forms, movements, and the lines found there; the combination of textures; and the landscapes found in stones. Working small and directly in metal with pattern and texture is my favorite art form.

Designs are etched on the metals surface and stones are set to add color. On my jewelry bench there are pieces of metal with different designs and textures, natural stones in all colors, wire, and flat sheets of silver and gold. These elements are played with and combined to create the final piece.