However excited you are about the newest technique you see posted on your email list, or the awesome demo being shown at your local stamp store or even the news of the hottest product you just have to have, there is something about TIME that dulls the memory. Oh sure, for the first 24 hours or so you are giddy with thoughts of all the cool new things you're going to be able to do. And you beg, borrow and steal to buy that newest product to make sure you are not left out of the conversation. Many find, though, that once back home, things aren't going as well as they'd expected. But wait a minute, the technique looked easy at the store... the directions seemed pretty easy to follow. Frustration sets in or life gets in the way and you end up setting the product aside, sometimes without even opening the package. Then what? TIME goes by. The memory of why you had to have it dulls. Months later you submit a question to your email list... "I bought this product several months ago and now I can't remember why I had to have it. Can anyone tell me what to do with it?"

Is this you? Have you posted a similar question? No matter how experienced we are or enthusiastic about a particular product, the biggest barrier to a continuing passionate relationship between the artist and his/her materials is TIME, or lack thereof. So then how does one achieve success in this relationship and still maintain the passion? As with any kind of relationship, the more time you spend in it, with it and at it, the more familiar you become with it, the more joy you receive from it and the easier it is to be a success at it. It was about two years ago that I began to hear little snippets about coupling polymer clay with rubber stamps. The message boards and email lists were all a buzz with this latest, greatest thing to hit the stamp art world. And the frequency of polymer clay embellishments in print magazines increased rapidly. But, I paid little attention to it because I considered this highly artistic and thus way beyond my skill level. After a few months went by, my local craft store was having a sale on clays so I decided to buy a few 2 oz. blocks. The clay was very hard and stiff and made my hands cramp badly. I just couldn't get anywhere with it. My frustration increased to the point that I just put it away in the farthest reaches of one of my craft drawers and I didn't think too much about it again... until one day I got inspired. I was trying to create a project for submission to a magazine and it just wasn't turning out right. I started searching through my craft drawers looking for something to use as an embellishment. And guess what? That's right! I came across my clay. I experimented with it again and after only a few hours I had the perfect centerpiece for my project. And I've been working with it ever since. I love using polymer clay with my stamps. It's very satisfying for me to be able to mold the clay into a functional piece of art. It begins as a cold, hard clump. In my hands it warms, softens, yields to glorious textures. In effect, I feel as if I'm breathing life into my creations. But oh how I wish that I'd not wasted so much time before realizing the happiness I would gain from these two art expressions. It's amazing how perfectly they fit together, each bringing its own individuality into the relationship.

A few months ago, I had the good fortune to meet Susan Pickering Rothamel, owner of USArtquest, in person at the Hobby Industry Association Tradeshow in Anaheim, CA. What a gracious and genuine woman she is, so willing to share her vast knowledge of mixed-media arts. She has generously donated all the Premo! Polymer Clay and Lumiere Acrylic Paints used in the samples in this article.



I received additional inspiration and guidance for some of the samples from the following books: The Weekend Crafter: Polymer Clay by Irene Semanchuk Dean and Creative Stamping in Polymer Clay by Barbara McGuire.



You can check out the following websites for additional inspiration and information:

www.usartquest.com
www.amaco.com
www.fimozone.com
www.glassattic.com
rec.crafts.polymer-clay at groups.google.com
www.katopolyclay.com
www.npcg.org (The National Polymer Clay Guild)
www.polymerclaycentral.com
www.sculpey.com
I hope that this article will spur you on to a passionate, committed relationship with your art. Don't let frustration get in the way of your creativity. Enjoy what you're doing. Try something new. Who knows, you may find you love it!

Deena Canup
dcanup@dingosolutions.com