Meet the Kristin, The K Behind Twisted K
My years traveling around chasing my cowboy dreams have been the greatest influence in my art. I’ve been drawing and loving horses since I was a kid, leather work has given me a medium to showcase what I’ve been lucky enough to experience while clocking the miles in the saddle. I have a deep love and appreciation for nature, landscapes, wild cattle, and tough horses. Most of all I love representing my fellow cowboy girls with my own “twist” to traditional floral and figure carving. Hence the name and my little tag line, tradition with a twist.
I strive to create leather goods that can hold up to a days work but look pretty too. I specialize in tooled belts but offer a variety of items in my monthly shop updates. Thank you so much for your interest, there are a ton of fine makers out there so I’m honored my particular style speaks to you!
Kristin Allen
The Longer Version
Kristin learned the very fundamentals of the leather craft from a saddle maker named Tom Nutgrass, he unfortunately passed away before they were able to build a saddle together. Although he spent most of his time rolling cigarettes and telling old cowboy stories this is where Kristin learned saddle repair while restoring her father’s saddle with Tom. He also taught her to sew, cut, make a pattern, and various other skills in starting a project. From there she spent many hours working on improving or just figuring out how to make things. This was before everything was available on the internet and long before ranch bunkhouses had wifi, so Kristin spent years self-teaching through trial and error.
Attending a leather workshop in Elko, NV in 2015, Kristin met renowned leather artist Douglas Kraus, they were fast friends and after the class Kraus continued mentoring Kristin through the internet, helping to refine her design skills. Around this time another renowned leather artist took an interest in her work, Brit Nantz. Gifting her his online course and then mentoring her through the internet similar to the way Kraus was. Kristin’s work truly started to bloom.
After moving to Arizona, Kristin was able to attend the Prescott leather show taking several classes each year and developing a good repour with more leather masters. Her work ethic, dedication, and already developing skills made her a passionate student.
In 2018 Kristin took a job in San Angelo, TX tooling saddles for Coats Saddlery. She worked for them for a time in person then returned to AZ but kept tooling saddles through the mail for them for several years. But her own business ended up being too busy to keep up with both roles so Kristin resumed working for herself.
In 2019 Kristin started taking oil painting lessons with renowned painter Tom Browning where she started to learn the deeper rules of being a true artist. She continued her oil painting journey at the Scottsdale Art School where she continues her artist education. You will see much oil painting influence in her leather scenes.
In 2024 Kristin won the saddle making fellowship through Art of the Cowgirl. Earning her the privilege to go and work with renowned saddle maker Nancy Martini where Kristin built her first saddle under Martini’s tutelage.