I was recently interviewed by our local paper - The Burlington Free Press - for an article they were doing about the Vermont Hand Crafters Fine Craft & Art Show held annually in November. Here are some excerpts:
How long have you been working with your specific medium? Ten years ago I left a high pressure job in catalog merchandising outside of NYC due to some health issues. My husband got transferred to VT with IBM and I started looking for something to keep me busy and maybe make a little money. I was at a craft show and walked into this booth with the most interesting and whimsical jewelry that I thought would be perfect for Christmas gifts for our nieces. I started talking with the woman (Lynn Manning) who made the jewelry and she told me the medium was polymer clay - which at that time was a fairly new craft medium. She told me the book to get, the brand of clay to start with and wished me luck. So I asked Santa to bring her list of stuff to me and the rest is history. I experimented endlessly using the clay bible at that time The New Clay by Nan Roche as my tutor. By February of that year, I had decided that I wanted to make jewelry and sell it at craft fairs. I am mostly self taught and had no formal art training. How do you feel people have reacted to your crafts? I've always gotten a lot of positive comments and reactions to my work. In fact, I changed my business name from VT Hearts & Crafts to Really Unique Creations a few years ago because that was what I was hearing from my customers - how unique, your work is so unique, this is really unique. I don't do typical jewelry. I like to make pieces that have multiple functions. Necklaces that hide watches or magnifying glass, pins and necklaces that hold your glasses or a badge, reversible earrings, reversible necklaces, boxes that have lids that are also pins or necklaces or other embellishments that are actually earrings. So there is always an element of surprise. Plus, because polymer clay can be manipulated so many ways it can look like all types of materials: ivory, wood, glass, paint, it's endless. Even customers who are familiar with polymer clay are surprised to find out that is my medium.
How much do you sell your pieces for? I have quite a range of prices depending on the piece, the techniques used to create it, and the other embellishments used. Earrings are available starting around $18 and reversible earrings average around $30 - $45. Watch necklaces can go up to $150. Pins average around $30 - $40. Reversible pendant necklaces are anywhere from $40 - $100. What’s the most unique piece you have made? My Spirit Boxes are definitely my most unique item. I go to an art retreat for polymer clay artists every year. Several years ago one of the participants was sharing a technique for making an inflated bead by trapping air inside prior to curing. At that same retreat another participant had just released a new book that included several projects from various polymer artists. In that book was a project that used the same technique of trapping air to create a pillow shaped box. So I experimented a bit, but wasn't too happy with the results. So I flipped it over and raised it up on a base and baked it again. Well, that was the beginning of the Spirit box and I continued to develop it, wrote a poem that goes with it, and have published the technique in Polymer Cafe magazine. Several of them have been published in the gallery sections of other polymer clay books.
Affiliations Vermont Hand Crafters ~~~International Polymer Clay Guild~~~Vermont Craft Council~~~Vermont Arts Council~~~Exhibiting Member, Frog Hollow Galleries
Exhibitions 2001 –Artisans Center of Virginia – Juried Exhibition – Functional Boxes: Cupboards, Cabinets, & Containers.
2004 - Thinking Outside the Box – National Competition – Kato PolyCaly @ CHA Trade Show
2006 – Bottle of Hope Designer Challenge – American Art Clay Co. @ CHA Trade Show
2006 - Bigger than a Breadbox -Juried Exhibition - Shelburne Arts Center 2010 - Synergy2 Invitational - International Polymer Clay Conference - Exploring Connections
Publications 400 Polymer Clay Designs - A Collection of Dynamic & Colorful Contemporary Work, edited by Suzanne J. E. Tourillott. Lark Books. Polymer Café Magazine – Spring 2005 Issue Polymer Clay - Creative Traditions, by Judy Belcher. Watson-Guptill Publications Adapting Quilt Patterns to Polymer Clay, by Judith Skinner & Sarajane Helm. PolyMarket Press
In May 1996 a bundle of fluff came into our lives and we were blessed with having "The BESTEST Dog in the World" with us for 9 years. BONham/FerKO's BONKO was diagnosed with Lymphoma Cancer in June 2004. She fought the cancer with dignity and chemo until Sept. 7, 2005.
What a cute puppy she was!
Bonko's 1st Vermont winter
Bonko with 2 of her favorite friends
and then came BARLEY
Our hearts were broken when we finally had to let BONKO move on to whatever comes next. The house was so quiet and each day reminded us of how much we missed her. We began looking for a new puppy within a few months of her passing, but didn't seem able to connect with any of the puppies. Just a few days before Christmas we found the connection we were looking for. She had 'picked' us, just as BONKO had and we were sure she was meant to fill the void.
It took us awhile to pick her name. It was hard to come up with something as original as BONKO. We went through several names the first week but finally settled on BARLEY - officially Bonko's Bluff Barleywine - because of Andy's hobby of brewing beer.
Unlike BONKO, she was no angel the first several months. But by her 1st birthday she did a total reversal and became a well trained, intelligent, loving pup. Our hearts were filled back up with joy and we are very lucky to have two such special dogs enter our lives.
What is says about you: You are a creative person. You appreciate beauty and craftsmanship. You are patient and will keep trying to understand something until you've mastered it.
