Some of you know me as Karla the printmaker. A flat lander Floridian who earned her BFA from Ringling School of Art and Design and later used graduate school as an excuse to move to The Rocky Mountains of Colorado. I did whatever was humanely possible to be near a horse and in the process finished up my MFA in printmaking. Which led me to the focus of creating limited edition wildlife prints of horses and the creatures of North America.

But most of you know me as Karla the corral boss, guiding horseback trips in the wilds of Wyoming. What a profound blessing that experience was in my life. I look back and realize that I was touched by magic and the wonder of living the dream as I worked with not one but hundreds of horses everyday, and meeting amazing people from all walks of life some of whom became my 'adopted' family.

Since then I have worked at a Ursus Books and Prints on The Upper East side of Manhattan as a print dealer selling prints to the likes of Mick Jagger, Sigourney Weaver, and Henry Kissinger. I learned so much about the history of printmaking and the art of living near New York City. Navigating NYC and working at Ursus was a welcome challenge that taught me to look fear in the face and conquer it! Also offering me a taste of how delicious the energy of living in an urban environment can be.

It is in the secluded, (yes I *did* say secluded) forests of New Jersey that I met my husband, Ken. And together we decided to break our ties on The East Coast, sell everything, and what we did not sell we put in storage and bought a 22' Airstream CCD which we lovingly named The Kpod. With the KPod as our new home we traveled all over the Northwest and Southwest, exploring rain forests, rocky coasts, redwoods, caves, and plains. Which would lead us to our beloved Death Valley where we were married with an intimate circle of friends.

Now these itchy feet have found home in Pagosa Springs, CO where I have created my greatest masterpiece(s). Kia who is now 4 and Kai "Pie" who is 3. With these new elements in my life my printmaking has taken a sabbatical and my primary focus is on spending as much time watching and gently guiding these two spirited creatures through their voracious discovery of their world as they quite literally transform before my very eyes. However I cannot deny my passion for 'the horse" and still have "Aussie" a sweet Arabian mare given to me by a backcountry soul sister and you will often find me tickling the peaks of the mountains in The San Juan National Forest and Weminuche Wilderness.

Being an artist is a centrical part of who I am . So I have channeled my creative energy to a medium which lends itself to my new lifestyle. Beading! I love bangles, color, sparkle, bling, and texture. Behold. Ephemeral Trappings! My new venture in jewelry making. Trying to find high quality necklaces that would fit a tiny child's neck was virtually impossible. So I taught myself how to bead. And after delighting in the weight and quality of these beads I just had to offer longer versions of these little gems with you. So take a look. Grab some bling for yourself or your little masterpiece. And when a little semi precious stone steals a flicker of light just remember its not impossible to trap something illusive in a permanent way, to inspire a mischievous smile as you quietly plot your next adventure. Anything is possible. All you have to do is take the first step......