Karla, founder of KaLiam Party Faces, is originally from Puerto Rico; however, she now resides in Grand Prairie, Texas – which is where she has been for the last 9 years. She began her face painting journey when she was asked to be the volunteer face painter at a school festival where she worked. Karla was provided with a basic face paint kit. However, she soon realized that what she was using wasn’t going to work for these small gigs. It was soon after this that she found her love for face painting.
“Parents and coworkers started noticing I had a talent for face painting and they started encouraging me to start charging for it and make it into a side hustle. I thought that was a silly idea, I was just doing it for fun and for the kids.”
After receiving encouragement from her friends and colleagues, Karla began to learn and practice the specifics of face painting. She realized that she was investing a lot of time and energy, in what was supposed to be the side gigs.
“I kept practicing, learning and realized I was investing a lot of time into this new found talent and decided to make my first investment of $250 in Tag paint, brushes and sponges.”
Karla was offered her first paid gig in 2018 where she was asked to paint at a birthday party for a coworker’s daughter.
Once Karla realized how many days off of work she had been taking so that she could pursue more face painting gigs; she began to contemplate starting her own business. In June of 2023, that dream became a reality! Karla quit her full-time job and committed to starting a face painting business – KaLiam Party Faces. As a result, she was also able to attend school at Dallas College where she is currently pursuing a degree in fashion design.
“I have met so many wonderful people, and I've had such amazing opportunities like working for DreamHack gaming convention, Collaborating with photographers, event planners, and cities in DFW. I love wearing fun costumes and I try to match the event's theme. I know my neighbors are probably confused and curious as to why I walk out looking like Cinderella and come back wearing a dinosaur dress. It's so much fun!"
"I love this job, the joy it brings me and the flexibility it allows me to be in school."
Karla, your journey into the world of face painting is truly inspiring and filled with so much creativity and passion. It’s incredible to see how you’ve turned your artistic talents into a way to bring joy and magic to others. Keep sharing your artistry and inspiring others through your beautiful work!
If you would like to be our next Artist Highlight winner and have the chance to receive a $50 in-store credit at Craft-n-Go, send us your story with a few fun photos to contact@craftngo.com.