I'll start with some history.  When I was 10 years old Mom introduced me to a lady that made plaster of paris molds and then filled the molds, dried the figurines and painted them.  I never wanted to leave that shop.  I tried to stay there and help the owner whenever I could.  At twelve, I was teaching other kids in day camps and summer camps how to paint anything that came out of a mold.  I started sewing at 18 as I needed to make maternity outfits.  That lead to sewing for my kids, husband and myself.  In between times I learned to knit and crochet and do all sort of crafts.  Designed inside of live-aboard boats since I lived that lifestyle for 9 years.  Loved it all . . . then the kids left home, the husbands were all gone and it became my time.  These are just a few of the phases I've gone through and actually keep going through, who knows what may appear next.

My candle making, decorating and selling phase:

That lead to being a Collector Teddy Bear maker and designer, all numbered, named and signed.  May I present Prissy with her hat, beads, and fur collar.  Next to her is Camille showing her 2-piece bikini and sunglasses with matching towel.  Here is a group pic of those getting ready to "hit the road" for a Bear Show in California.  Another 'group' sits showing off and waiting for their new owners:

           AFTER BEARS . . . . .

moved to Las Vegas, got settled and had a chance to try oil painting, took several years to develop my own style (heavy oils and palette knives), went on to design "one quickie dress" and wearable art.  

       Mom> Sis>   

Two years ago it was the "Wires & Beads"  and the beginning of FrazzleDazzleArtz . . . . . . 

OK, I made it through that, and moved away from the best and biggest bead shop in the world, Shipwreck Beads in Olympia, WA.

AND THEN FOUND CLAY & GOURDS!!!

Polymer Clay Days:  Most web sites that talk and show polymer clay also give all the technical detail of what, where, when, and why.  To me it is clay my hands can work, a magic feeling of blending one color or more.  The more experience I  have with the clay the more I feel I can put into it.  As with most people learning a new art form, it takes time to find your own niche.  Fortunately, there are many polymer clay artists/craftpersons that are very willing to share their knowledge by listing lessons and pictures on the web and in book form.  At this point I'd like to thank them all for being so generous and helpful to the Newbies, especially me.  I think I've tried them ALL - had successes and had failures.  And its all been fun and keeps me out of the shrinks office.  This is one addiction I'm proud to have.  OK, on with the pics.

(1) Puppy birth certificates for 11 Lab puppies.  Done with Fimo Soft.  Thought I could just warm up the clay then have pups walk on it for their prints.  Wrong!!  DIL and I finally covered right & left paw of each dog with acrylic paint and made a transfer onto paper Then I copied that transfer onto clay, baked, Futured, put in ribbon for hanging arrangement (2) (3) switch plates for my bathroom, I'm still in my painters frame of mine. (3) I have a Peruvian collection and this is a scene from a woven wall hanging (4) pc with beads/wire - mts in background and the vessel to the right is a depiction of an actual perfume bottle a friend brought to me from Peru.

(1) I was driven to pc because I love mosaics and had broken most of the pottery dishes I have so thought I'd just make the pieces, haha, bought a starter kit of pc and a pasta machine.  With that in mind I made a cane, sliced it and stuck it on a glass, smooched up some clay and TLS in orange and filled in the grout areas.  Baked it (brand new toaster oven) and here are the results, see (2).  (3) Moved on the covering altoid tins, but can't do something plain so just tried my own flowers and leaves.

(1)a coffee tin with frog on lily pad (2) salamander on tin, both for my GSon, Tyler  (3) a Santa face cane, sliced and put onto glass Christmas ball - still haven't found what I need or am happy with for grout.

(1)first try at a Skinner blend and I got it upside-down.  (2) Chrysanthemum cane try (3) Chrys, cane again but sliced long ways (4) filigree, because I love what Kellie does, even made my own clay gun squirter thingy (5) first time for Mokane Gane, that is the lumpiest thing I have Ever Seen!

(1)I am a person that has 80# of glass pieces, just because! So, I put the glass piece with pc, wire, beads (2) same again, just trying stuff  (3)Rainbow quilt cane that my Oldest Son helped me with and while doing this project I realized that a pasta machine Motor would be 'the cat's meow' (DIL & Son got me for Christmas)

(1)DIL majored in b/w cows so these were for her (2) Tyler just needed switch plates done to match his room (3)and a pic frame!  (4) my hand again with 3-D painting, thinking of our pending trip to Hawaii, water is going up hill, but its My picture!  

(1,2) my first and only pc class was on Books, by Cathy Johnston.  I gathered more supplies and did about a doz more using the opportunity  to try different techniques on covers and be functional at the same time.  I find myself fighting with 'function' and 'cost effective manufacturing' functions. "OK, slow down, play, relax, have fun, and play some more." and I talk to myself, the cats do not care!

(1) 3 more books (2) GSon and I made 'dinko' birds and 'skulls' one weekend, the skull pic is somewhere later, again - thanks to all for the lessons on the web.

(1)some bean pods covered in experiments, one with a face mold  (2) upper right is a pinch pot - made several, didn't turn me on, green little finger pot with pestle, skull with GID clay, dark green is a computer game face, Tyler and I play this game lots, upper left is pieces of stained glass imbedded in pc - could work well as a tile.  (3)  another pc man  (4) and another pc man - so strange how they all look at me with adoring eyes and They all look like pirates, think that means something?  why I live with 2 cats?   

(1)my work area, very organized (2) continuation of same wall.  (3)  back wall with nail polish bottles - my manicuring days, manicuring table and family pictures (4) my fabric samples for texturizing pc and my nearly most valuable pc object -color ring.  I use this constantly.  Each disc has the recipe inscribed on it like-z yell, m blu, wht 1:1:3.  I used the top of a tea holder to get the size so all measurements are the same.  This is an excellent exercise when you want to accomplish something, are not in the creative mood and just want the feel of clay in your hands.  After each piece is made (#1 on pc mach) punch a little hole with a straw or hole punch so a chain can go thru it.  Only 1 side of each disc has Future and this chain shows just colors from Premo mixed together and with white.  Black recipes have not been made, nor have the pearls or metallics YET.

(1) all my little cutters neatly in their own little containers.  woops! missing 1 or 2 (2) boxes and blade holders - and I use silk adhesive tape to adhere front and back together, it paints up and Futures well.

(1) holders for pearls, sparkles and alphabets (2) animal print can for feathers and ribbons - if you cover a coffee can, make sure the paper is off, learned the hard way! (3) large, large vase, barely fit in the stove oven  (4) covered a tea box to go with a painted lamp shade that also matches cushions in wicker loveseat and chairs.

(1) another pic of my tools, how could I forget these?  (2) trying a cat thingy, I'll move on to something else until I get a smaller size.

(1)oh, isn't this the sweetest little bird, my rendition of a Cathy Johnston fowl (2) some more postit books (3,4,5) watch bands - haven't hit upon the right combo as to weight and size but I'll keep trying, thanks Marilyn Aguirre for all your help.

(1)my first try at doing a face cane.  next to it is my original sketch, give you an idea why I don't draw.  the face cane has not be reduced and the hair curls are just laying there, not quite large enough to be proportional to the face, so I'll reduce little facie before adding hair and a collar.  abt 3" hi x 3" across (2,3,4) canes made for a cane swap, ended up making 24 canes including the face with finished curls.

(1, 2) more of the canes for the swap, first pic here is one of my favorite canes I call Stained Glass.  Each section is filled with sparkles and embellishment (3, 4, 5) these items are for a Magic/Astrology swap, I think the count is up to 33 items for me.  These first two are magical stardust vials and the third is magical also.

(1)these postit books have Rune covers made for the Magic Swap.  (2)these are keychain Runes for the M/A Swap.

(1, -6)And this brings us to the day our world as we know it changed.  9/11/01  I had been glued to the TV for a week and just had to do something.  Thanks for other pc artists soon lessons and inspirations were showing up.  Thanks to Tara B for posting one of her lessons.  I used that one and several of my own together coming up with this one I presented to the Red Cross and United Way.  The first weekend goal was to have 100 pins for donations and Sue Varsa donated her pins(8)to the cause, followed by Helen Hughes and her pins(7).  Thanks, Gals, for your donations and also inspiration to me.  Our collective donation is about far more than any of us could have given.  And then PolymerClayExpress contacted me, said they had heard about the pins and wanted to help with the clay.  Thank you Very Much PCE, you are the best.!!!