The fans have spoken...Pickles IS America's MOST Beautiful Clown!

Barbara is the creator of Pickles Da Clown. She is also known as The Puppetlady and Balloon Chick. She has been entertaining children for thirty years. She is an accomplished seamstress thanks to her mother and grandmother showing her how to sew when she was five. She designs and sews all of Pickles and Balloon Chick's costumes. Barbara was born, the youngest of six children, and raised in Middletown, NY located in New York’s beautiful Hudson Valley. At the age of thirteen Barbara realized how much she cared about children. She became involved with puppets, acting and singing through church. She has taught Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, directed Children's Choir, Drama, Puppet and Clown Ministries. In high school, Barbara was in several school productions including The Sound of Music. She also made most of the costumes for Once Upon A Mattress. Barbara has also written several plays and skits over the years for church productions. Her comedy icebreaker skits were always a hit at the women's retreats for her church in NY. She came up with a fractured fairytale that was completely scripted in rhyme. It left the ladies with tears running down their cheeks from laughing so hard.

In 1995 Barbara got involved with directing a puppet ministry. In 1996 she had the chance to take classes with veteran Muppet builder, David Pannabecker.  She started her own puppet company, Puppetlady Productions, and proceeded to sell hundreds of puppets around the world. She also directed a traveling puppet ministry, Promise Ministries Crusaders, with teens from three churches in Hudson Valley area involved. Her team traveled throughout Orange, Dutchess and Ulster counties, to mention a few, with rave reviews.

Barbara has one son from a previous marriage. Jason, 24, is a special effects makeup artist and independent filmmaker.  He has created special effects props and make up for NYU film students. He hopes to one day be recognized for his work and end up in a major motion picture. Jason lives in Wurtsboro, NY with his wife, Danielle.

In the summer of 2008, Barbara moved to Rock Hill, SC. Barbara is the director for Hands of God Puppet Theater at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Rock Hill. Barbara has also taught classes for One Way Street , Inc. at their Regional Puppet Festivals. Barbara is getting well-known around the Charlotte Metro area for Pickles, Balloon Chick and her balloon twisting skills.

Barbara is renowned to her friends as outspoken, fearless, quick witted, artistic and a wee bit eccentric. Pulling all of these quirky virtues together, along with her love for children she created Pickles Da Clown.  Friends call her the female version of Mr. Rogers because of her nurturing nature.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN ABOUT BARBARA's HANDS OF GOD PUPPET THEATER