Who is Moni?

I'd like to introduce myself.

My given name was Melanie, but shortly after I was born my older sister had trouble pronouncing it, so I became "Moni." The name stuck so well that during roll call on the first day of kindergarten I didn't respond when the teacher called out "Melanie." To her, I was forever Moni. My grandmother called me Moni until the day she died, and when I was a teenager I began signing my artwork that way as well.

So when I began creating and selling my artwork, Moni Originals seemed like the perfect name.

My first jewelry designs were hand-painted Italian charms in the early 2000s. The idea actually came to me while on a morning walk with a friend. I was frustrated trying to find charms my customers wanted, and dealing with distributors who kept raising their prices. As we walked past a parked car I blurted out something that probably sounded ridiculous at the time:

"Paint sticks to cars. Cars are metal. Why can't I paint directly on the charms?"

That little spark turned into a full-blown creative adventure. I experimented with paints and techniques until I found combinations that held up beautifully to everyday wear. Then came the designs - beginning with pansies - which I tested by wearing them myself and sharing them with friends.

Soon I was selling them online and in gift shops and jewelry stores across the country. Every charm carried the Moni Originals logo on the back.

Years later my art evolved into what you see today.

In 2021 my home and studio were lost in the Caldor Fire in Northern California, along with thousands of blank charms and nearly my entire charm inventory. What I did manage to save was my wire-wrapped jewelry. That moment marked a turning point for me creatively.

Today my focus is on hand-painted resin cabochons and wearable art - often wire-wrapped in copper - but my work has expanded into many forms. I now create a variety of pieces including:

• pendants
• earrings
• bracelets
• purse charms
• hair barrettes
• bookmarks
• letter openers
• decorative art items

Each piece begins as a tiny hand-painted work of art, built in layers of resin to create depth, color, and dimension.

You can find Moni Originals in person at local markets throughout the year. During the fall season I exhibit at Apple Hill, and the rest of the year I'm often at the El Dorado Hills Farmers Market on Sundays, where I love meeting customers and sharing my newest creations.

Every design is painted by me personally. No mass production, no outsourcing - just original artwork turned into something you can wear, gift, or enjoy every day.

Thank you for supporting handmade art.

Read Some Testi-Moni-als!