I’ve always been an artistic and creative person, all my family are. Imagination was something my parents always encouraged and I have many happy childhood memories of my brother and I building things with Lego, painting or drawing.
My first introduction to Polymer Clay was a pair of earrings my aunt bought me, I still have them, polar bears with multicoloured scarves (well it was the late 80′s!). Looking back, I’ve no idea how I knew what they were made of, but I said “I’d like to have a go at making something like that”. So I spent my pocket money on some blocks of Fimo from the art shop. I’ve no idea what I did with the majority of it, but I do remember getting frustrated by mixing colours together and getting allot of mud. Eventually I was left with half a block of brown and some scraps. I was in the mood to make something, and I’d found that if I didn’t mix too much I got a sort of swirly effect. So I made two snails with swirly effect shells, and attached brooch backs to them. I remember being rather pleased with myself for giving one pink clay lips and making her a girl snail. My pocket money didn’t go far, the art shop didn’t have any books on what to do with Polymer Clay so after the snails I forgot all about it.
Probably about 20 years later I found myself looking at some Christmas decorations which had seemed lovely from across the shop, but on closer inspection were a bit cheap looking. “I could do better than that” I said, to which my husband replied “Well why don’t you then?”. The art shop had moved, but the internet revealed the world of Polymer Clay had expanded beyond my wildest dreams. I had considerably more pocket money to spend too! Supplies of clay, tools and books were duly delivered any my love affair with Polymer Clay began again in earnest.
I still love making Christmas decorations, but I’ve expanded my repertoire over time to include jewelery, boxes, beads and sculptures. What I love most about Polymer Clay is the endless variety. My imagination is genuinely the only limit to what I could make.
