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Link of the Month

So encourages Lisa Deines, polymer clay artist and webmaster of her own polymer clay site, L.A. Deines Creations.

Lisa creates wonderful polymer clay items, including masks, dolls, business card holders, and little critters. She recently answered some questions regarding her site.

1. How long have you had the site? What prompted you to create it?

I started the site in June to help promote the business, to have some fun learning how to do websites, and to give polymer clay a stage for educating those who may not know it exists.

2. Did you create the site yourself or use a professional?

I did the site myself. I am self-taught, mostly from websites I found. All you have to do is type in "html tutorials" and a whole bunch of sites pop up. I started with http://htmlgoodies.earthweb.com. I also do a website for the organization I work for, so my learning motivation has been compounded.

3. Are you soley a web-based business? What are the difficulties and joys of having a store on-line?

So far I am completely web-based, but I am looking into doing a couple of craft shows and/or flea markets now that it is the gift season. I haven't sold too much so far (mostly on the "Family and Friends" plan so far), but I know that a business takes a while to get moving, so I have mostly concentrated these past 5 months on getting inventory together and marketing the business through the web and friends.

The difficulty of selling online is that you have to get your things out there for people to see before they will buy online. People are still uncomfortable with buying tangibles on the web if they are unfamiliar with the product.

A "brand" presence is essential and takes time, just as it would if you were selling through a catalogue. Buying a book from www.barnesandnobel.com is a no-brainer in the trust department, but when you are www.someoneincyberspace.com the trust must be built. The fun part is getting to share your ideas with others and to have a creative outlet.

4. How did you get into polymer clay?

I used to dance in San Diego, and when I moved up to Sacramento I needed a creative outlet. I found Sculpey and started making little critters with it, just for fun. After a few years of playing around and doing a 9-5 job, I decided that I really wanted to take things a step further, so I started a side business to give me that outlet. I started searching websites and joined the National Polymer Clay Guild. It's like anything -- it started to snowball from there and I got obsessed!

5. What is your favorite technique/thing to make?

I love doing art dolls and scenes. Production-line items are good for experimenting with color and having fun with techniques, but I find the imagination can really soar with characters. It's like creating your own little world.

6. Who or what inspires your work? Are there other polymer clay artists who inspire you or whose work you deeply admire?

There are a lot! Katherine Dewey does imaginative scenes; Mike Buesseler does great blends; Nan Roche has some great techniques up her sleeve; and of course there is someone new everyday that I stumble across in books or on the web and I think, "How wonderful! Good for them for going for it!"

7. I love the idea of a raffle on your site [October was ghosts, November is a mask]. Where did this idea come from? Do many people respond?

I got that idea doing my "pay the rent" job. I was researching ways to increase traffic to a website and I came across an article that mentioned how people love to play games. It also said that trivia games about a company has the double advantage of educating people about your company while giving the client a chance to win something. It goes with the ol' win-win concept.

So far (as you know) not many people have played the game, even though my traffic has increased. I'm trying to figure out why they feel inhibited so I can work around it. In the meanwhile I'm having fun with it.

8. Tell me about your product lines and the work it entails.

I am desperately trying to focus more and keep to just 3-5 items. So far the most popular items are the masks. The base doesn't take much time to do since it's just a template, but the roses or other decorations take a bit of time because I like to keep things delicate.

The dragons are pretty much putting together simple forms. The mini-purses are kinda fun since they are a basic form decorated with whatever comes to mind. The same goes for the business card holders. Since I don't use color-mixing formulas and make the details different for each item, the masks, purses, and card holders are all unique.

The art dolls are definitely one-of-a-kind and take a lot of time, but I love them. I think things can have a bit of soul instilled in them, and it's when they do that we respond to them. That can happen with any item - pins, earrings, masks, etc. But with scenes the story is there for the telling, so it's easier to make that connection.

9. Do you have a link you recommend people to visit?

The National Polymer Clay Guild. It's packed with information and a sense of community.

10. Finally, any tips or pieces of advice you'd give to someone interested in playing with polymer clay?

Read lots. Be ready to apply anything to your art - metal craft techniques may translate into a great piece of polymer clay jewelry. Join the National Polymer Clay Guild if for no other reason than to commit yourself to your art (plus for great information!). Always dream and know it's never too late. And, of course,