Busy Month!

It has been a busy month and I have kinda let this go, thinking no one was interested BUT a great subscriber sent a comment to my last post asking where I am sooooo....Here I am...

As you read in my last post, the Calendar project for this club year is so much fun! (The Poly Clay Play Club started in Aug. 2006 so Aug. 2007 started a new year for us.) Last year, I always looked forward to the Calendar project...it is hard to believe I look forward to it even more this year. October was really fun, making the costume for Callie and her friend, the spider! I am sure this will end up being my next book...when I get all the months done, that is.

I have spread myself as thin as I can, which is good and bad. The good is that club members benefit from 12 or more projects every month. The bad is, I can't seem to get ahead. I am really loving the Kid's Club too. I originally thought I would keep way ahead on that one BUT...I have a subscriber that took advantage of the great Bonus plan that means she gets 2 kits every month. I am not complaining!! I am thrilled and I have always worked better under pressure.

To tell the truth, I dreaded the jewelry projects when I added that category to the club and then when I was asked to send them to the Bead Bugle online magazine I was really nervous about them...Dreading it no more...I am having a great time with the jewelry. It helps that my daughter has fun clothes that she is always needing jewelry to match and like all other projects, when using polymer clay, there are a million ways to work with it and a million things to do with the clay.

Christmas is coming and that makes it really easy to come up with projects for October and November since I love this holiday. Also, I get to start celebrating early since I write these projects and deliver them a month ahead to give subscribers time to get them done way before the holiday.

The monthly challenge is evolving. We are on Challenge #4. It should be one that everyone, from beginners to pros, can definitely feel comfortable entering! Read more about it at http://www.polyclayplay.com/challenge/ You can also see all the entries from the past challenges there. Get busy!!! The more the merrier...especially since the more entries, the more prizes!

I always want to add a new "freebie" to the site but I don't have the time as often as I like. I would love it if everyone would send suggestions of what they would like to see or learn! I have always said, I don't mind constructive criticism. I want the site and the club to be as good as it can be and it helps when people let me know what they would like to see! It's too bad I have to focus on making money with it (husband is having a hard time finding a job). I keep hoping the club grows enough to make a living with it. If you are one of my club members and really enjoy it, please tell all your friends! If you haven't joined the club, give it a try. You can always try it for a month just to see if it is for you and in that month, you can pay for it by taking advantage of the 20% discount that club members always get to take off products they buy. For $7.95, you get at least 12 projects and that is not including all the tips and techniques pages. Some of them are projects in themselves. You can read more about both the clubs at http://www.polyclayplay.com/ There is a link at the top of the page to both clubs. The Kid's Club is a great way to introduce kid's to the fun of polymer clay! The link to the "freebies" is there too.

As with all craft endeavors I have done, selling the product is not my favorite. I am not a salesman and that has always been the hardest part! Polymer clay play has been the easiest to talk about for me! I guess because it has so much going for it as a craft. You can do so much and go in so many directions!! You can turn it into a career or keep it as an escape from the daily job of living.

I feel fortunate that I have this business and really hope it continues to grow. It is a culmination of all the jobs and hobbies I have done in the past. I love doing crafts and one of the most exciting parts of working with clay, to me, is INSTANT GRATIFICATION! I can make a project and in a short 30 minutes (usually) it is baked and ready to look at. But...when I do get tired of playing with clay, I can work on preparing the photos I take and writing the projects...then, when I am tired of that part of the job, I can work on the website. It is a little overwhelming sometimes, doing it all myself but there are pros to it too. I don't have to wait on someone else to meet my deadlines.

I am in awe of many polymer clay artists and appreciate their inspiration to me and others. My projects tend to be "cutesy" except for most of my jewelry projects...of course, I had to throw a ladybug in for one of them! I love ladybugs and flowers as I am sure my club members have figured out! LOL I have to hold myself back from making every project about ladybugs and flowers oh and butterflies too! LOL I am amazed at the work of many of the fairy makers that I have seen, mainly on EBay. I don't have the patience to learn the human body and muscles to do a fairy project justice. That is one of the examples of making a good living with polymer clay!!! I hope I can at least be an inspiration! I feel that being creative and just having fun is one of the most important things to being good at any art and teaching that is one of my main goals with the club.

OK...I have rambled long enough...Kay, I bet you are sorry you asked where I am after reading this rambling! LOL Thanks for letting me know I have at least one reader!

Happy Poly Clay Playing,
Trish