Friday, May 18, 2012

Wow... 2010 was the last time I posted.  I guess I should do a little updating here! lol

I am so tickled that Poly Clay Play turned 6 in April... and even more tickled that I still LOVE my job.  When I think back about how much Poly Clay Play has changed and grown I am amazed.  Wow, time flies when you are having fun.

Since the last time I posted, I have done very little to my FB page... another area I need to update... but I have been having great fun with my Pinterest Boards.  Take a minute to browse but be very careful!  It is really very easy to let time get away from you when you start going through pictures and clicking here and there.  It reminds me of when I first learned about the Internet way back in 1998.  I am not intimidated like I was then but I am amazed at all the places you can go and how much fun it is to explore!

Okay folks, it is time to get back to claying... to see what I am up to in that area, join the club and get all the projects I create each month.

Happy Poly Clay Playing!!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

I have written an article that shares some of my thoughts about free tutorials
and tutorials for sale, both of which are wonderful when you take everything
into consideration. I point out positive reasons for purchasing tutorials.

http://www.polyclayplay.com/News/

*´¨)
.·´ .·*¨) ¸.·*¨)
* (¸.·´ (¸.*´ ¸.·´
`·-* ~* Trish ~
Find the magic in art!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Wow, time flies...


It has been a long time since I posted so I am sure you have all given up on even reading this but in case you stumble upon my blog... here is what's new.

We moved to Lubbock, Texas recently and I am trying to get organized. That has been an adventure for sure.

I have been trying to do lots of things that have been on my list even before we moved and one has been to post my Santa's Village series of project tutorials teaching how to make polymer clay houses similar to the popular ones available to decorate your home with during the holidays. The tutorials give instructions for adding a light to your project to glow through the windows and fun characters and scenery to add to your village.

You can see what I am talking about here:
http://www.polyclayplay.com/Cart/categories/NEW-Projects!

Click Santa's Village to see the different houses and sets available.

Have a wonderful day and if you love working with clay, I hope you get lots of time to play!

Monday, February 9, 2009






I spend my life saying..."There isn't enough time in a day!"

I know I should be writing so much more because it has been so long since my last post but I am afraid if I got started, I would be here all day so I will start with the latest video I did for Poly Clay Play and talk a little about this fun technique!!



It starts with a design you want to transfer from your computer to polymer clay. It can be anything from a phrase to a photo of your kids! I had great fun designing a bracelet for the Poly Clay Play Club using this technique and have gotten so many compliments every time I wear it. You can sorta see a photo of it here along with links to more information...


Image Transfer Projects


Thursday, November 27, 2008

Additional Thanksgiving Note

My Thanksgiving is complete!! I just got to talk to my daughter and she is fine and happy she made this choice!!

I hope you all get to share and talk to your loved ones too!!

Happy Poly Clay Playing,
Trish

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wow, it has been a long time since I have been here!!

Well, I am here now to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!!! I have a lot to be thankful for and I hope you all can find lots to be thankful for in your lives! I am so happy we have this wonderful way to communicate called the Internet. It is nice to be able to share thoughts and feelings with friends around the world!

I have been meaning to post this since the day my daughter left but haven't had time and also couldn't decide if I wanted to post this for the world to see. Let me preface it by saying I hope everyone who doesn't have a loved one in the Armed Service can share in our pride and love and thankfulness for those that are giving so much!

I am thankful for everyone who is giving a part of their lives to protect the freedoms we all sometimes take for granted.



My Army Star

There are so many things that come to mind today, this day that my baby leaves for BCT (Basic Combat Training). Writing this I realize one of the first things that comes to mind is the many acronyms I will learn along the way. LOL

The Army star logo catches my eye and reminds me of many things. One of them is our home state, Texas, the Lone Star State... this wonderful state we love. Another is how fun it was to make the star in polymer clay... a star that I sent with her on this journey of training that I hope she uses as a reminder of how much I love her. Another is that my daughter has become a star to so many people who hold freedom so dear. She is my star and I love her.

There are so many feelings all wrapped up in that star! Pride, Fear, Love, Hope, Prayer, Truth, Training, Understanding, Unknown, Sadness, Joy, Learning, Safety, Loneliness, Belonging, Courage, Strength, Weakness, Eternity. These feelings are wrapped up in the love I have for my daughter embarking on this adventure in her life, this chapter that will change her in so many ways yet deepen her convictions of who she is already.

As I sat in the hall to see her one last time before she left I thought about what she is feeling and I wondered at her bravery. Bravery in more ways than being a soldier.

She packed up her things, put them in storage. She said goodbye to her friends and family and her little dog. You say "but it is only for a few months". Yes, but she will be unreachable, unhugable. In the past, we have talked for hours on the phone, which is a wonder since neither of us really enjoy talking on the phone. It is always different when we are talking because it doesn't matter if it is about something silly or something earth shattering, it is always important enough to share and so easy to share with each other.

She will be jumping into a whole new world that is so important. She will be doing things she has never done, required to do these things. She will not be asked, she will be told. She has given up much of her freedom for ours.

But I have to stop and think, it is not just for us. In return for some of the freedom she loses, she will learn so much, become so much more, so much stronger than I believe she already is. She will be in pain but she will have fun too. She will enjoy the pain of learning something so important. I can only imagine what the next few weeks will be like.

Also, let's be honest, it pays to be in the Army. The rewards are wonderful. She will get an education and earn her career in a way that makes her proud. She will learn about so many things she would never have learned by just going to school. She will learn about life in a whole new way, in a way she would never have learned from home. She will learn about people in a way she could never have learned in everyday life.

To sum it up I would like to explain the feelings I mentioned before, the feelings that are in no particular order but that are all very important...

Pride - The pride I feel for what she is doing, the steps she is taking to be a better person. The pride she will feel when she graduates.

Fear - A mother's fear that something will happen to her baby while she is far from home. A fear that if something happens, I can't be there for her.

Love - That should probably be 1st! I love her so much and miss her already even though it is only the first day of her journey.

Hope - Hope that even though it will be hard, she will come out of this so glad that she did it. Hope that all her dreams for this chapter of her life come true.

Prayer - I will pray for her every day... I will pray that she is strong, that she remembers what is important and that she uses her faith in prayer and most selfishly I will pray that she stays safe, a prayer that is always in my heart.

Truth - I hope everything she does will be because of a higher truth, a bigger plan that she may not see or understand but that will be true to her.

Training - She will be training to be a soldier but even more importantly, she will be training for the rest of her life. Her life from this day will be new and different and I want her to learn the best from all that she will be trained for.

Understanding - She will get an understanding of how the world works just by learning to be a part of a team. She will understand what she is capable of and what can be accomplished as a team member.

Unknown - I think we all fear the unknown. I know that she can face the unknown. She has before. I want her to face it with all the beauty of her soul.

Sadness - As I write this tears have flowed. I miss being able to hear about her discoveries and trials as they happen. I think she has shared most of the major ones in her life with me and I look forward to hearing about them later but it won't quite be the same as sharing them close to the moment they happen.

Joy - I am so thrilled that she is so excited about this and am so overjoyed that she has found a path in her life that seems so right.

Learning - We all will learn so much from this experience!

Safety - I ache for her safety as I always have as her mother. She will also hold the safety of others in her hands.

Loneliness & Belonging - She will have a taste of both. In the end, the belonging will be the most important star that shines through.

Courage - She has almost always been courageous. She can do anything she puts her mind to and she doesn't always follow the easy path to do it.

Strength and Weakness - She will learn about both. She will learn the strengths and weaknesses she has physically and mentally and she will learn from them.

Eternity - It already seems like an eternity since she left and it has only been hours.


I love you! You are my Star!
Love, Mom

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Time Flies....

Time flies when you are having fun! I have been so busy lately.

Video Clips
I have started adding short video clips to the club projects. That has been an adventure! I think I have it figured out. LOL The first clip I added lets everyone enjoy the sound from my TV in the background. Oh well...live and learn. I even added a short clip to YouTube.com of how a toy works. We made the toy in a Kid's Club project. I hope to add more short videos in the future to get people interested in the fun of polymer clay!!


Rubber Stamp Textures
I am experimenting with making texture stamps. They will be a fun addition to products if they work out like I plan. Stay tuned to the web site. I will announce them some time this summer.

Poly Clay Play Kid's Club
The Kid's Club is about to have it's first birthday. It has been a fun year...actually I should say a fun 24 kits since I have a subscription plan that delivers 2 kits per month. We have made jewelry, polymer clay tools, chalkboards and even a puppet theater to name a few projects. Whew....it has been fun and will continue! This is a great time to join! Give kids something to have fun learning this summer. The kit program starts with Kit One that teaches the basics and the projects continue to grow and expand on the basics, including canes and more.

Poly Clay Play Club
The Poly Clay Play original club is almost two years old. Wow...talk about time flying. I remember being excited about launching the club. Membership continues to grow and I am happy to say, I have many subscribers that have been with me since since the beginning so I feel like I am doing it right. When the club started, I offered 8 projects...it has grown to 12+ projects. We are making canes, recycling, having fun with photo frames, home decor and more...we cover just about anything that will withstand the heat! I love the versatility of polymer clay!!

Sales on products have grown and although I carry items mainly for my subscribers who receive a 20% discount, I am glad to offer great prices to everyone.

Cheer a Child Program
We have sent 75 cards so far. Kaitlyn is a great young lady and deserves a lot of credit for doing what she does to cheer the kids!! I would like to thank Girl Scout Troop 829 for sending all the fun cards!! I invite you to sit down and make a card to help cheer a child who has to go to the hospital. There are instructions on the site if you need a little direction. Take a look at all the cards that have been sent so far! As a thank you, I offer you a free download of my Polymer Clay Greeting Card Fun E-Book if you send at least 10 cards.

OK...back to work for me. I will try to come back here a little more often but I make no promises!

Happy Poly Clay Playing!!!!!
Trish