Meet Artist Laura Ingalls
In Her Own Words...

{>}Click here for live, radio interview with Laura Ingalls taped Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011. "Around the Barn" on KHTS 1220 AM with co-host Bobbi Jean Bell of OutWest. Laura joined us about half way through the hour.

I have never done anything on a small scale.  As the oldest of six children I became accustomed to cooking “big” meals.  And I have continued to repeat the “big” theme with any project that I have undertaken, just ask my husband.  What can I say – “I dream big!”

I have been making jewelry since I was a teenager – remember macramé way back when?  I am a designer and dreamer of many mediums from interiors to clothing to shoes to jewelry.  Until recently my creativity has been enjoyed by family and friends.  But the message became loud and clear that the creative “itch” had become a creative “burn” and it was time to do something about it.  So I started Laura Ingalls Designs.

And yes, Laura Ingalls is my real name.  Here is the quick story for those of you who are curious to know if I was named after the author Laura Ingalls Wilder.  As my mother tells it she had never heard of the author.  She read Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys but she loved the name Laura.  I was in the fourth grade and it was library hour.  I’ll never forget when my girlfriend exclaimed “Laura there is an author with your name!”  Naturally we read all of the books and had a great time acting out the stories of Laura and her family traveling across the prairie.  The television series particularly the re-runs have made Laura Ingalls Wilder and her stories popular.  Now you know "the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey would say.

But back to jewelry and my creations.  I want to mention the butterfly theme that you see on the site and in the jewelry. Butterflies are an inspiration for me because they represent transformation into creatures that are so beautiful and colorful.  That’s how I see myself as a designer – transforming from my career in the corporate business world into my deep passion of designing and creating.  Jewelry is only the beginning.  I hope you enjoy my collections.

Keep dreaming – because dreams really do come true if you are passionate, determined and confident you can make them happen.