I am a freelance designer that mostly loves to work in interior design, furniture construction, rehabilitation, and upholstery.  Even a piece of tattered, destroyed furniture can have good bones!  I also do a lot of specialty knits, mostly during the winter months when outdoor construction space is less available due to the Minnesota winter.

Much of design comes from a connection with people: within design, I love to make sure that whatever it is I am doing reflects the person I am working with, while staying true to my own design philosophies. 

I have a wonderful husband who is completely supportive of taking my freelance work full time as soon as I can.  We have a small menagerie of animals at home: We have a dog named Cody - he is half Greater Swiss Mountain Dog and half English Springer Spaniel.  Oddly enough, he looks like a slender three-colored lab.  We have an orange tabby cat named Apollo.  His favorite things are snuggling and stealing pastries.  I'm always surprised by just how much he likes food!  

When I'm not knitting, constructing, or working, chances are pretty good I'm out and about with my husband or my dog.  Going to parks, hiking, and rollerblading are some of our choice activities.  I'd love to get some skis so I can take my dog out more easily in the winter.  I also love to scuba dive!  Getting underwater and experiencing life from a completely different perspective makes me happier than almost anything else.  I love to see the new things underwater and experience the different submerged environments.

My passion for what I design comes from taking things that start out boring and adding my own flourishes.  I started with jewelry by fixing other people's rosaries.  My jewelry designs have grown and flourished from there.

I started fixing rosaries when I worked at a Catholic nursing home.  When the nursing home shut down, I started making my own to pass time.  I've branched out to making several different types of necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.  I've made a lot for those who are close to me, and some for myself.  I've also branched further to create hairpieces including decorative bobby pins and combs.

Recently, since I have been working a lot with different chains, I have begun making chainmail inspired pieces.  I'm always looking to learn new techniques, so when I saw there were different methods for weaving chainmail, I decided to give it a try.  I am constantly attempting new methods while looking to add my personal stamp to my work.


My other interests still surround adding flourishes.  I adore playing with music and adding stylistic touches.  One of my favorite pieces was an old organ piece that had one verse of lyrics someone had written along side. I changed the key and made a 3 verse, 3 SSA piece with Guitar chords that was performed at my wedding.  One of the other big things I have been getting into lately is making desserts.  I love to play with cheesecakes, bars, and combining flavors.  I love to use fresh ingredients instead of manipulating store prepared foods. It is a lot of work but I have much more creative control.