Meet Karen Folleras | Jewelry artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Karen Folleras and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Karen, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I started this business really as a hobby. I was a full time teacher and had young children in grade school. As the business grew and grew and I had several experiences of having to hire part time help, balance my children’s lives and teach full time. I never really felt the strain of it all because making jewelry became a stress relief outlet for me. This was a way to relax and spend time just on MYSELF. My entire world revolved around taking care of others and this little section of my life was just for me.

As time went on, sales grew and grew and grew some more. I was faced with a lot of business but couldn’t get it done in a timely manner since it is all handmade in great detail. I have just retired from teaching and am now invested full time in my business. I have expanded to wholesale boutiques around the world and still continue to struggle to find the balance. I guess you can say that I am not really retired! ha….

Now, my husband and I are retired and he helps me a great deal with the business. He completes all of my accounting and taxes and is my constant go to for advice. We have enjoyed doing this together in our retirement. One of our dreams in retirement is to travel! This has made it tough to balance my jewelry business. I have been putting the shop on vacation while letting other orders trickle in. As a result, I don’t think I am getting as much return business. Even though it is handmade, people want the product done in a couple of days. This has created a barrier for some jewelry artists. Those of us who spend hours creating a product get underbid by people making it for less in other countries or it’s a much cheaper quality item being produced. Being American made is not always on everybody’s agenda. Many are in it for the quick buck.

To try to shorten my turn around time, I have just hired two support bead loomers. This has slowed me down for the moment because I am having to train, get in more materials, and deliver/ pick up. I am hoping that by creating an inventory I make steps to increase sales to my business. It’s a challenging balance everyday!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My work is based on Native American and Western inspiration. My ancestry takes me into South Dakota, Wyoming, and Colorado. I am very proud of original patterns based on art from these areas. Old blankets, baskets, and pottery centering around Native American lifestyles are my go to’s for inspiration.

I am proud to have learned certain stitches and designs from family members and workshops that I have attended and get to continue making them into my own artistic designs and ideas. The greatest inspiration are the vivid colors mixing in with leathers and other gemstones and metals. I love combining multiple media concepts that many may have not have imagined. Being original is important to me.

This has been a very enjoyable journey for me. I have learned so much along the way, but also realize that I take great joy in being a “lifelong learner” as new ideas and designs pop into my head daily. It gets frustrating because I can’t complete everything my mind wants me to do! 😉

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
COLORADO MUST DO’S!

My weekly itinerary for friends:

Day 1: * We would start with a very special place that is near my home in Monument, Colorado…called, “Fox Run Regional Park”. This is a very special park containing INDIAN PRAYER TREES. I have a complete guide written by a Colorado native regarding the special trees in this park and how the Ute Indians would bend them to send messages to each other along the area. Each tree shape has a special meaning and story behind it. So awesome!

– We would go to La Casa Fiesta for lunch and handout enjoying margaritas in the courtyard. Be sure to order the Silverado margarita!

Day 2: Garden of the Gods – This beautiful park is close to the base of Pikes Peak, America’s mountain. The rock formations and numerous hiking trails are intoxicating. We would take our mountain bikes, pack a picnic, and revel in the gorgeous surrounding of striking plate tectonics and plenty of wildlife. We would hope to catch a glimpse of the big horn sheep that hang out in this beautiful park.

Day 3: Pikes Peak – This is a must to see. We would take the Cog Railway to the top and enjoy lunch at the top. The views are unreal and there is even some rare wildlife to catch glimpses up the steep terrain. We would hike around for a few hours and take the train back down. (many hike back all the way down but this takes an entire day)

Day 4: The Incline – My friends love to exercise. We would leave very early in the morning to hike this steep set of stairs at the base of Pikes Peak in Manitou. Afterwards, we would head into town to do some shopping in Manitou and catch some lunch outside at one of their many restaurants.

Day 5: We rest and hang out during the day so that we can attend a great concert at Redrocks, Boulder or Fiddler’s Green. We would get a hotel night around one of these venues so that we can enjoy the full experience!

Day 6: Water sports and fun at Horsetooth reservoir in Ft. Collins. You can rent boats, wave runners, kayaks and so much more. We would pack a cooler and invite friends. So much to see and do here!

Day 7: Looks like I might need a few more days because I would still want to take my guests into the mountains to see Breckenridge, ride the gondola up to the top and do some hiking. I would also love to take my guests to Pagosa Springs and enjoy the many hot springs and delicious Tex-mex foods that are nearby. Whew, I feel tired now !

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would love to give a shoutout to my aunts; Laura and Mary, for teaching me the love for beading and to my dad who created a love for finding rocks and materials in nature.

Website: fleurdesignz.com

Instagram: Fleurdesignz Western Jewelry

Linkedin: Karen F.

Facebook: Fleurdesignz