Introducing ArtFairlyAware

ArtFairlyAware
What got you interested in polymer clay as a medium?
I was actually researching a project to do with my son's class and came across a recipe for handmade coffee clay. I'm am an advocate for fair trade and this gave me the idea to make jewelry kneading fair trade coffee into the clay. After my research, I found polymer clay to be the best fit. I could shape it the way I wanted and only needed a toaster oven to bake it.

What inspires you to create?
Lots of things inspire me. Seeing things in magazines or in catalogs and jumpstart an idea for me. Nature and it's colors inspire me a lot too.

Do you have a favorite technique?
My favorite "technique" if you want to call it that is simply taking two or more colors and smooshing them together to create a marbled effect.

What do you prefer to make out of polymer clay and why?
I prefer to make jewelry out of clay. Mainly because there are so many options. I can do beads, pendants, toggles. I can make it look like a specific gemstone, or create a look all my own.

How do you decide what to make?
I'll see something that will give me an idea, and I just go with it.

Is there something you wish you could make in clay that you have not yet?
I'd like to try covering something entirely in clay. I'd also like to try some more elaborate canes.

What makes polymer clay a better fit for your products than other mediums?
I like that it stays soft. I like that it doesn't harden until I bake it. I like that I can make it keep a curved shape by putting it over something as simple as a toilet paper roll!

What is your best advice for someone starting out in polymer clay?
If you don't like the way something is going, ball it up and reshape it. If the color doesn't come out right, use it as filler clay. Nothing goes to waste!


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