Your Company Name: Polymer Clay Shoppe
Email Address/Web Page: jhill@polymerclayshoppe.com
http://polymerclayshoppe.com
City & State: Las Vegas, NV
Type of Craft: Polymer Clay
Tell us in your own words, how you discovered polymer clay and how long have you been using it?
I've always been involved in crafts of one sort or another.
Two of my grandmother's (yup, I've got 3!) were incredibly
crafty. So they've always inspired me. About 5 years ago,
I picked up a polymer clay book and wanted to make my
mother a birthday necklace. Well, that birthday, she ended
up with nothing!! The necklace was hopeless, but I was
addicted! The following year I got a last minute chance to
attend Arrowmont. I was definitely out of my league,
sharing a hotel room with Christine Brashers,
Jennifer Patterson, and Linda Bernstein.
(Hey, can I talk forever here?)
That convention was really what HOOKED me.
Are there any special artists that you can attribute your interest to or that have inspired you?
My Grandmothers. Cynthia Toops, Peir Volkos -- my favorites.
As a group of artists--the AOL group, what incredible advice.
And locally, Lisa Pavelka--my hero.
What is your specialty?
Mirrors, Christmas ornaments, Pens.
I like to strive for more sophisticated, structured design
instead of the cartoonish, unstructured.
Can you tell us why you find polymer clay the expressive medium for you?
Immediate gratification. And so versitile. There's never been
another media that just grabs my attention and makes me
wander through my life wondering "how can I make that out
of clay?"
Have you published any polymer clay books or do you have any in the works?
No books. But BOY do I appreciate those who
have done them!!
I know it is very difficult to express, but have you won any awards for your polymer clay work?
None of the above. But last September, I created my own
polymer clay website featuring polymer clay supplies,
techniques, swaps, and as many links to other in polymer clay
as I could find. My polymer clay guild is also kind enough to
allow me to teach occasionally.
What are your expectations for the future? Where do you hope to be 5 years from now?
My life just change two months ago. I don't have a regular
8 to 5 right now which is really unusual for me. We opened
a bar and grill here in Vegas that I'm currently helping with
the accounting with, my website has been keeping me
hopping, our staffing agency calls on me for consultation
and accounting, its been weird for me. In five years I'd love
to be doing what I'm doing now, but feeling more comfortable
with how un-normal that is. (What? I don't have to get up at
6AM?) And I want to do more Art.
Do you have any advice for the beginning polymer clay enthusiasts?
Don't let your beginning attempts stop you from continuing
with clay. Do what you do best and keep refining it. Don't let
anyone tell you your stuff isn't good enough. And build
others. Helping others only helps you. Hang out in the
Polymer Clay forums . . . you'll learn LOTS.
Are you a member of any Polymer Clay group,or any other craft
organization?
National Polymer Clay Guild, Las Vegas Polymer Clay Guild.
What brands of polymer clay do you prefer and why?
I LOVE Premo. But I like to demo with Sculpy III.
But I also like some of the unique features of FIMO.
Their stone colors, translucents, and other clays with
inclusions are unique from the polyform line.
All are wondermous in their own right.
Last and most important can you tell us all about you? Your family, your
training?
I have a most wonderful, supportive husband, Victor,
a stepson, and my babies--the beagles.
I have a bachelors in Social Work, a masters in
Public Administration, and am working on a
certificate in Mixology. (That's about as artsy as my
formal education gets!!)
