"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." -Albert Einstein

Pipka's first miracle was when she and her family left war-torn Europe for America in 1949. Her father, a physician, was welcomed to the friendly little town of Michigan, North Dakota, where the sky was blue and little children could play outside in safety until the moon came out. "It was like living with one big happy family," says Pipka.

The family loved America and also maintained many customs from their Czech/German heritage. Christmas, always a miracle, with its strudel, roast goose and candlelit tree, was particularly traditional and influenced Pipka's future as an artist.

Frequent trips to visit relatives in Europe eventually gave Pipka the direction she sought and she opened Pipka's Workshop in Minneapolis where she began painting furniture, publishing books, and teaching. Painting classes soon led to Christmas designs and Santas and every class was always filled. "I realized people were hungry for something that represented their heritage, their roots," Pipka says of that time.

Moving to Door County, Wisconsin, in 1981 was a huge change from city life but also a miracle. Pipka opened another shop in a quaint cottage in Sister Bay and began designing old world limited edition Santas for Prizm.

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"It has been one miracle after another since then," says Pipka, "with collectors all over the world and my Santas in more than 900 stores. I have the best job!"

Pipka frequently travels to Europe during the Christmas season to experience a country's authentic Christmas celebrations, which then translate into her Father Christmas designs.

In recent years, Pipka's interest in art have branched out to include jewelry making and collage assemblage which she calls "pure fun" to sells in her shop, where she also serves coffee and her own homemade cakes. "Art is my career, baking is my hobby."

"As an artist, I consider every day as a miracle because every day holds the possibility of creating something new and beautiful."