From an early age, nan k., a.k.a. Nanette Kroupa, appreciated the art of adornment and beadwork in particular. "My childhood costume jewelry pieces were my most valued possesions. I bought my first piece at age 12; an anklet made with purple and white Czech seed beads in a daisy chain on flimsy fishing line, from a flower child on a Southern California beach in 1968. I loved it and was hearbroken when it broke. When I couldn't find the artist to repair it, I decided to figure out how it was made so that I could fix it myself. I pestered my mother to take me bead shopping, bought my first few glass tubes (from Europe) and knew this was something I would love to do for the rest of my life."

Beads and jewelry remained a passion and a constant fixture throughout the different periods of her life. "There were the many single strands of seed beads in the 60's and early 70's, the macramé phase in the mid 70's and the art bead phase in the 80's, before I switched into gold. I bought coral in Italy to string, a cameo in sterling with marcasite in London, and my parents bring back unique pieces from their travels. It was fascinating to figure out what to do with them."

Jewelry and beadwork were put on the back burner while she pursued her BFA in graphic design at Northern Arizona University and worked at a major design studio in Phoenix. 1983 was a banner year for Nan; she moved to San Francisco (with her beads), met her husband, Bob, and forsook 2-D design for sales. "I had decided that I wanted to freelance and needed to learn how to market myself as well as my skills." In 1990, six months after the birth of her son, she left her freelance business, deciding to concentrate on parenting and helping with her husband's business.

Fast forward to the year 2000 and a very late summer night sitting up with her sick, young daughter, on a family vacation in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. "I had been buying retail at some of the local bead shops; some pressed Czech glass, some stones; and while I was waiting for my daughter's fever to break, I made a multi strand necklace in purples and moss agate. I really liked what I had done and wanted to experiment further, get more complex." She read, taught herself more beading techniques and attended her first wholesale bead and stone show with the talented jewelry designer Daria Painter. "I thought I had died and gone to heaven...table after table of amazing strands of stones, pearls, glass...thousands of ideas waiting to come out!" She has added an annual pilgrimage to Tucson each February to attend the largest collection of gem, mineral and bead shows on the planet.

Soon she wanted to work with metal and studied metalsmithing with the artist and jeweler Iris Sandkühler, first in classes and then privately. "I continue to learn so much from Iris; she is a major source of inspiration and very patient!." Nan taught herself how to set stones and how to crochet with beads and small stones.

Her mobiles preceeded her jewelry. As a response to her young son's occasional nightmare, Nan found a book on beaded dreamcatchers. "The whole family loved the way the light filtered through the glass. I was asked to make those for sale, but just didn't have the time." She collected large beads, shells and beach glass, sliced geodes and anything else that had a beautiful, transparent quality. "It is very liberating to design in a medium with no restraints; where the only goals are balance, movement and aesthetics." While she has made a few for the sheer joy of it, most of her mobiles are custom made for specific clients.

Nan made gifts for family and friends, donated to charity, and people began asking if they could purchase her work. Many suggested a website. "Now that the kids are older, I finally have the time to turn this dream of sharing my work with the world into a reality. I truly feel that this is what I was meant to be doing. I can't wait to learn more and take my work further. It is a continual learning process; tremendously satisfying, joyous and rewarding."

Nan is a member of the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG), the Northern California Bead Society and the San Francisco Quilter's Guild. She lives with her husband and two children in San Francisco , California.