a bit about

My name is Kara Brooks. I currently live in Riverside California with my husband and our 3 children. In 1995 I graduated with a BFA in Illustration from California College of the Arts.

But my story really begins in 2000 after the birth of our second son Clay. At that time we lived in Oakland Ca. I was 7 months pregnant and starving as we were waiting for our Zachary's Chicago Stuffed Pizza to come to our table! (Pregnancy hunger is like no other). So to pass the time my husband and I discussed baby names. We did not know the sex, so we needed to be settled on both scenarios. I have always loved the name Noa as a girl’s name. My husband Scott was fine with that, but insisted the spelling be Noah. I wasn’t havin' it. It would be the feminine spelling Noa or nothing. So Scott waged a “bet”. With his elbow on the table and pinky finger raised, he says “Boy, I name him. Girl, you name her”. In my starved state I agree…

Clay Ali was born in August 2000 in Philadelphia PA. At 4 months old I still was not settled on his name. Scott said I was a sore loser and to get over it. We weren’t changing his name, his birth announcements had been sent weeks before. So “to get over it” I enrolled in a pottery class to get to know the clay medium better. I was cured! I loved it! I loved my son’s name! And I still loved my husband!

Thanks for hanging in there, this year is fast approaching…
Clay (pottery) was great, but didn’t work well with my life as a mom of two BOYS! I had a studio in my basement but, timing drying time, with nap time, and feeding time, left no time to finish pieces.

So in 2006 (now a mom of three!) I found the one-two punch I’d been looking for. Glass tile.

Hooray!

Ooii she loves what she does!