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about the artist

Hello! My name is Karla and I live in beautiful Saint Louis, Missouri, where I've been making glass beads since 2003. In addition to glass beadmaking, I also enjoy knitting, sewing and dynamic web design. A random piece of trivia about me (that most people find interesting) is that I graduated from Mizzou with a degree in Meteorology. Sadly, I don't do much with it other than the occasional storm chase or office forecast. :)

How it All Started
In July of 2003, a great movie came out called, The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. For those of you who know me, you know I'm a huge Johnny Depp fan, and I had to see the movie on opening night. I absolutlely loved it and actually saw it 3 times in the theater! Anyway, I thought it'd be fun to try and make a Jack Sparrow costume for Halloween. I began researching Jack's costume and knew I needed some beads like the ones Jack wore in his hair. I did some shopping, but couldn't find any beads that matched the ones in the costume. I visited Glasshopper Studio (Creve Coeur, MO) in hopes of finding some beads, but was out of luck. I then noticed they did offer classes on how to make glass beads, which sounded like fun! I had an absolutely blast and was instantly addicted to molten glass! In fact, I never finished my Jack Sparrow costume since I couldn't stay away from the glass studio. :)

Many people think glass beadmaking an art that came naturally to me, as I'm mainly self-taught. I have learned many techniques from reading books and from good ol' fashioned trial & error. However, I have to give credit to Anne Madden for originally teaching me how to make beads, Corina Tettinger for her wonderful books, and many many other artists for their guidance and willingness to share.

Who is "SirWatson"?
It's funny how many people think I'm a guy, based on the name "SirWatson"! SirWatson is actually a reference to my buddy, a "large" Papillon named Watson. My dear husband (then boyfriend) and I purchased Watson in 2000 from a Pass Pets in Crestwood Mall. Dan is really good at coming up with names and thought we should name my new puppy, "Watson" (after Watson Road, where the mall was located). The name was perfect! Over the years, Dan and I came up with lots of nicknames for Watson, including "Watsy", "Watsonian", "Watsers" and even "Dorkus". However, when Watson would start doing something he shouldn't, I found myself saying, "young man!" or "sir!". That eventually became "Sir! Watson", which fit him perfectly. When I discovered glass beads, I knew I needed a "business" name that would be easy to remember, yet meaningful to me. Since Watson is the first dog I obtained in my adult years, he's a big part of my life. He's so full of personality, energy, love and even mischief, and was the perfect inspiration for my new business.