Karen studied at the University of San Francisco, California College of the Arts, and Pilchuck Glass School. In addition to making jewelry, she co-owns a glass design and manufacturing company, SkLO, and a gallery, Lulo. Her varied interests can be seen in her work, which she makes with silver and gold as well as glass and beads.

I see my work from two sides. One is the exploration of materials; the other is the content of my ideas. the functional forms in nature and science, put together, are those we find familiar. I see these most primal forms as roadmaps for everything we think and feel. The smallest can be a visual representation of the larger complexity. What is underneath the surface is what I choose to explore. I try to question ideas about where comfort and beauty are found. The objects I make are my expressions of a new narrative