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I am so glad this magazine is being produced. I just read my first issue (May). You are right, it will get you inspired. I liked the article about the different clays. I found the same conclusions, about the clays. For me the Kato Clay is better because I have trouble conditioning firm clays. I like Sculpey but it does not hold its form as well.

I have Fibremyalgia, which greatly affected my hands. That is not really like Carpel Tunnel but it hurts much the same. I discovered a help for my condition and would you believe it is in the conditioning of the clay.

Thanks again for your great magazines.

Allison Bolm

Dear Editor:

I shiver when I read Julie's article. I just saw her at a craft fair, and what she went through took a lot of courage. However, I would like to offer a little bit of an alternative view (not necessarily relevant to Julie's experience, just some other thoughts).

Five years ago I too was diagnosed with carpal tunnel. Luckily, I was told that I didn't have any nerve damage, but the same "cattle Prod" test Julie describes said that I had quite a severe case of it. But I didn't need a test to tell me that, as I had spent several weeks unable to sleep because of the night time experience of my hands feeling like they were on fire--blazing agony.

Then my neck and shoulders became so stiff that I couldn't back up a car. The doctor felt that I had rheumatoid arthritis, which was also causing the carpal tunnel. While my rheumatoid blood factor was very elevated, I didn't have all the symptoms. At that point she said, you can consider surgery for the carpal tunnel, and I can put you on prednisone or plaquinol, or you can try alternative therapies. My mother has had disfiguring rheumatoid arthritis, and she and 2 cousins have had carpal tunnel syndrome and surgery.

I decided to look into alternative methods. Here is what worked for me.

Acupuncture: after about 5 sessions, the carpal tunnel syndrome was gone and has never recurred. When the needles were being inserted, I felt like my hands were being electrocuted. They began to get better immediately. I went from needing braces on both my hands to feed myself, to completely cleared up. However, the acupuncture did nothing for the neck and shoulders, and the acupuncturist said, whatever is wrong there, it's not something I can help--you need to try other things.

Iyengar yoga: Did this for about three months and feel it made me much more flexible, but didn't totally solve the problem.

Major diet changes: I switched to an almost exclusively vegetarian diet (meat about once a week). Got religious about only organic food, and no products that contain partially hydrogenated vegetable fat (which is in tons of prepared foods, crackers, bread and cookies--really hard to avoid).

I do eat out at restaurants and friends houses but I make a lot of meals from scratch. This was a very hard change to make given a normal urban lifestyle.

Cost? Since I track my bills on computer, I can say with confidence that it's not as expensive as you might think--it costs about 25% more to go all organic (including the little meat I buy). I believe this is the single greatest effect on all my aches and pains. I truly believe I was being slowly poisoned by all the additives and gunga in our normal food supply.

Supplements: I read pretty extensively and decided to follow Dr. Andrew Weill's recommendations (guy with a bunch of bestsellers and a website) to take evening primrose oil, omega-3, and feverfew supplements. If I go off these for more than a week, I start to get pretty creaky. However, I didn't see benefits from them until I had been taking them for a month.

I won't say I'm pain free--I am a bit stiff in the morning, but I AM 48 years old. I have chatted with so many people who have carpal tunnel and rheumatoid arthritis, and few people have even been willing to consider doing what I did. Yet, the difference in pain has been incredible. And my rheumatoid blood factor has gone from over 100 done to 21, a normal level.

I don't know if this might be of help to anyone reading Polyzine, but please consider what else you might do before surgery or drugs with serious side effects. I'd be happy to hear from anyone with any questions. I'm not a doctor, but I can tell you what worked for me. (and I don't sell anything but polymer clay artwork!)

Danielle Schultz

Dear Editor:

Thanks for putting this magazine together. I am a newbie so am keen to learn. I am interesed in clay characers right now. I am a big fan of Maureen Carlson. Thanks.

Wendy

Dear Editor:

Congrats on another great E Zine, do you think you could start putting them out more than once a month? (Just kidding!) I sure enjoy it, and thanks for putting it out for all of us clay add...enthusiasts!

Thought I would share my version of the treasure boxes, they are really fun to make, I can see one as a gift for everyone on my list come Christmas! Also I wanted to pass along a tip I discovered about the fit of the lid.

When the box is complete, and has been painted, sealed and is ready to go on to the bottom, often it is a very tight fit, and paint and sealer are torn away when the lid is put on. To fix this problem, I apply a coating of wax to the inside of the lid and the outside edge of the box. Just run a candle along it a few times and voila, it will fit on there perfectly and no more repainting or reasealing where the lid was snug.

Again, thanks for all the great info.

I hope you enjoy the pics of my treasure boxes.

Suzan Jarisz
Williams Lake, B.C.
Canada

Dear Editor:

Thank you for letting everyone know when the July issue will be out. I have been looking since July 1st. I love the site and can't wait to see what new things you have come up with.

I can say I am little disappointed but very glad to know that the July issue will be coming out and that I do not have to check the site every day!!!

I hope that the circumstances that delayed the issue are not too dramatic and are resolvable.

Happy Summer and to further issues of Polyzine,

A Devoted Reader and Learner!!!

Dear Devoted and all other readers:

Sorry about the delay this month. Read all about it in Editor's Letter. In the meantime, enjoy the issue!

Deirdre

Dear Editor:

greetings again.

while doing grocery shopping the other day i found a set of cookie cutters that has plenty of butterfly shapes in it. it was cheap and i had to buy it although i rarely use cutters in my pc work. but I got a great idea for how these could be used; you could cut a butterfly from mirror image slice (Mirror Cut Cane Pendant tutorial) and get pretty fancy butterfly without knowing anything from caning. have not tried it jet but have to share it before i forget.

pörrö
ps. sorry, no caps, i am feeding my 5 week old while writing this.

Dear Editor:

I was excited to see "Fun With Fabric" by Karen Rhodes. Thank you so much for sharing this surprising idea. I have collected scraps of fabric for decades, for a "someday" project. I am a beginner to polyclay, and loving it, but wondered if I'd ever get to using my fabrics. Now the ideas are flying right and left, and I'm eager to try this new technique. Thank you!

Mickie Hettema

Der Editor:

I am brand new to PC-actually just heard about it this week. Definitely include me on the list for recieving your next issue.

Thanks you SO MUCH. This is such a fascinating medium that leaves plenty of room for creativity and unique style! I haven't got involved and already I see the possibilites are only limited by one's imagination.

Marilyn

Dear Editor:

I loved the article on lentil beads. I've been making them for months...but being the lazy person I am...I've been baking them on small light bulbs.

The bulbs are the decorative round type that use clear glass...the smaller size. I cover the bottom with clay (about 1/2 pkg) and make sure one side of the clay is flat so the bulb does not roll. I use clay either on a number 1 or 3 setting. I warm the bulb up for a few minutes in the oven and then lay the clay circle on the bulb. I can usually fit two circles on each bulb.

Warming the bulb and then cupping the clay in the palm of my hand allows for a smooth & tight suction to the bulb.

I let them cool a bit before I pop them off the bulb.

If I use the circles for earrings I have to rough up the inside of the circle...it is a smooth as "glass".

Laurie

Dear Editor:

I read with great interest the article on how to create lentil beads but think there is a far easier way:

Design your 'fronts' on the flat and brayer flat or run through the pasta machine. Cut out the design, in a circle, with cookie cutter.

Gently, in the cupped palm, push the cut-out on to an ordinary light bulb. Press, again with the cupped palm so as not to distort the shape, until the circle adheres comfortably to the bulb.

Place the whole thing on polyfill so as not to create shiny spots.

Bake as usual, allow to cool naturally.

I've been doing this for over a year and it's foolproof!

When they're cool, sand the cut edges by placing the entire edge down on to sandpapaer on a table and move in a circular motion.

Barbara Colautti

Hi to all at polyzine,

I am a very enthusiastic beginner, introduced to polymer clay by a dear friend I am now hooked and would love to receive your magazine. Please put me on your e-mailing list. Thank you and I look forward to your next edition.

Kind regards
Shelley Byrt