Nine years ago, Kayla began her leather artistry using antique tools she found at a thrift shop. She dove into the craft head first, determined to learn all she could through books, trial and error. She spent countless late nights honing her skills in her family’s old farmhouse. Kayla’s love for leatherwork quickly grew from hobby to passion. As her skills grew, onlookers began to take notice of her talent and orders for custom work began to pour in.
During these years, Kayla’s husband, Derik suffered a life-altering injury at work. The injury forced Derik to switch career paths. The two decided to take the leap and pursue art together full-time. Derik went back to school to learn new skills to compliment Kayla’s leatherworking abilities. He majored in digital media and fine art. The graphic design and airbrush painting techniques Derik mastered have dramatically helped increase productivity and added a lot to improve the business.
In 2018 Kayla and Derik took the plunge and renovated their family’s barn into a larger studio-workshop complete with state-of-the-art machinery to help minimize some of the more laborious tasks. The two have worked hard to develop a unique style of art that reflects their vibrant imagination and love for nature. They’ve poured their hearts into hundreds of brilliant hand-crafted leather pieces and have successfully sold them online and at art shows. They have many happy customers, and a strong following of repeat clients.
Kayla and Derik have been living their dream of creating useful art together while homesteading and raising their two boys. Their mission is to inspire others to pursue their dreams, and spread positivity and joy through their artwork.
