We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kristie Shields. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kristie below.

Kristie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents were really good role models to my siblings and me.  They instilled a strong work ethic through their actions and guidance. Each had their own business and gave me the opportunity to work at each of them on summer breaks during high school and college.  Being exposed to a business environment really helped me understand the process of starting a task, the many moving parts, the importance of communication, and paying attention to detail. Both parents were not only analytical – they were creative in their jobs. My mother owned a plant shop where she sold a variety of home goods and greenery. She was extremely personable and innovative.  My father owned a construction company and built a variety of beautiful structures. I observed various businesses collaborate, each playing a crucial role in the building process from start to finish.  I learned invaluable lessons from each of them and am grateful for their perseverance and humble attitude they had in their admirable careers.  I’d like to think that a lot of my life and work decisions are based on their encouragement to take risks, to pursue things I enjoy, and to never give up on the desire to learn new things.

Kristie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

In my professional journey I’ve been a licensed professional counselor, a systems engineer, and now a mosaic artist!  I took my first mosaic class over a decade ago and fell in love with the process of bringing color and cut tiles to life. The idea for K Bloom Mosaics started after friends and family encouraged me to sell my creations. When I’m not making mosaics, I design plant, succulent and dried flower arrangements for a home and garden decor shop.

My mosaics are inspired by elements of art, nature, and color, and are arranged in intricate hand-cut patterns on planters, mirrors, coasters, and more.  Beautiful waves of hand-cut glass tiles, intricate flowers, and a touch of sparkle are some of my favorite things to include in my pieces. I conclude each piece with a hand-painted flower ~ my “bloom” signature.  As of late I’ve been doing a lot of mosaic ornaments in preparation for the holidays as well as for upcoming festive mosaic ornament workshops at two LA art studios.

I offer custom mosaics and work with the client to bring their idea to fruition. I sometimes ask for pictures of the area they want the piece to reside. This helps me with the concept they are trying to achieve. I provide the client progress pictures midway and a final picture and video upon completion. My overall experience has been very positive and it brings me such joy when they send a picture of their piece in their home/outdoor area. We share the joy together!

I’m most proud of taking a risk and jumping into being a business owner later in my life. Being a small business can be a bit intimidating, especially when business has its highs and lows. My business continues to evolve and I continue to be motivated and interested in creating.  Teaching my love of mosaics to others is the icing on the cake! I love seeing students excited as their design develops into something beautiful!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I moved from Maryland, to California, about seven years ago. My husband and I wanted to come out West and when an opportunity occurred, we took it. I had been a Senior Data System Administrator/Engineer for ten years, primarily doing project management and hardware infrastructure work. I had hoped to continue my project management path when moving to California but things didn’t go as I had hoped. I really struggled finding a job and knew I couldn’t let this experience discourage me.  This caused me to pivot and pursue my love of creativity.  After taking floral classes, I was offered a job as a designer at a local home and garden decor shop. I began considering a mosaic business and did a lot of research and planning to make this into a reality.  Seven years ago I was at a crossroads and turned that around with a life change. I’m so grateful to those who cheered me on and I’ve never looked back.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.

I am an Etsy seller and really like the Etsy platform. I’m able to showcase and sell my handmade mosaics with their help!  They take the pressure off of me by collecting the cost of my product, including state tax.  Another wonderful Etsy feature is the cost savings they provide through Etsy shipping.  They help me figure out the shipping cost and I can print out the shipping labels directly through them. Shipping can be intimidating and their app takes out the guesswork.  I also benefit from their community forums, resources, and support as I navigate selling my artwork.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kbloommosaics.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kbloommosaics
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/KBloomMosaics?ref=seller-platform-mcnav

Image Credits
Kristie of K Bloom Mosaics