Artist Spotlight: Moondog Cottage

One day last fall a woman visited our shop wearing the most darling vintage halloween postcard inspired pin. I complimented her on it and she shared that she was the artist. Fortunately for mom and I, when I contacted Sheri Harney this summer she was willing to consign her beautiful Moondog Cottage creations in our shop. I wanted to share her creations with all of you and she has graciously agreed to share a little bit about herself and her creations below. If you have a chance, be sure to visit her open house!
Enjoy!
Kerry

It's really amazing how I started designing jewelry. About 25 years ago I went to a small fair one summer with a friend. She bought me a small pin with a Jack-O-Lantern picture in it. (I love Halloween things!) It was glass on both sides and had a metal "frame" around it. I thought it was just the neatest little thing and tried to find out for years how it was made and finally just gave up. (I still have it!) About two years ago while browsing the internet I came upon some pins like that once again and found out it was actually soldered. So I read all I could on soldering and took a class at a local stained glass shop. After that I took a couple of classes on jewelry making and then started doing my own thing.

I turned a spare bedroom into my "Jewelry Room". Although the rest of my house is usually spotless, this room is always a mess! But somehow looking at piles of jewelry pieces inspires me. Sometimes two pieces will have accidentally landed beside each other and I'll think, "Hey, that looks good together!"

My mother has always been very creative. She has always encouraged me in whatever I've done and helped me in any way she could. I think I got my "creative gene" from her. I've dabbled in almost everything… painting, photography, working with clay, you name it! My husband is pretty encouraging too and sometimes will give me advice on a piece. I'm very lucky!

I love working with antique pieces and find them very inspirational. I always wonder who had them years ago and what that person was like. I've done quite a few pins and necklaces for people using their parent's and grandparent's old photographs. People usually give them as birthday and anniversary gifts. It's always very rewarding when they get back with me and tell me how much the person loved it and what a personal, one of a kind gift it was.

The most exciting thing I have going on right now is getting ready for my second "annual" Moondog Cottage Trunk Show which will be July 18th! The first one was a huge success and I'm really looking forward to this one. We'll have fabulous desserts for everyone while they browse my jewelry which will be displayed on glass cake stands and this year I'm also featuring Janniev's birdhouses and folk art pieces from Tole Mountain . It's advertised in the July and August issues of Romantic Homes and also on my website for anyone who's interested in coming!

Sheri's Bits of Bliss!

• Curling up with a good Stephen King novel at night


• My friend Sherrie's homemade white cake with white icing


• Listening to Garrison Keillor tell a story


• Kissing my husband goodnight


• Sitting by a roaring fire in the fireplace & watching the snow fall outside
  
  

You can come see some of Sheri's Moondog Cottage creations at our shop, Trendy Bindi's Boutique in the Stetson House in Waynesville, OH or by visiting one of these sites below!

http://www.moondogcottage.com/
http://moondogcottage.blogspot.com/
http://ravenslane.blogspot.com/
http://www.moondogcottage.com/Moondog_Blog.html
http://www.moondogcottage.com/Open_House_2009.html