Featured Business
Polka Dot Creations

Lisa Clarke is a long-time friend and supporter of pcPolyzine, and she also just happens to be the owner of Polka Dot Creations.  Lisa, a self-proclaimed "one-woman show," sells hand-made polymer clay jewelry, custom ornaments, beads,
and instructional books and videos on her Polka Dot Creations website. She does this in addition to her "real" job as Mom to
her four year-old and a one year-old children.

Lisa's introduction to polymer clay came on Christmas Day 1995 when her husband celebrated their first Christmas together by starting a tradition of buying her "something crafty to try. The gift he chose," says Lisa, "was a children's book by Klutz Press

which included a number of small bars of Sculpey III. In the months that followed, I made and gave away an awful lot of little clay heart pendants. I bought myself a couple more books, learned some new techniques, and started selling some of my colorful jewelry on the corner of my desk at my REAL job where I was a programmer. Before I knew it, it was Christmas again, and I started making adorable ornaments that I had seen in project books."

By this time, Lisa explains, the clay had taken over. In fact, she's not really sure what her husband's crafty gift was that Christmas. "

Soon after leaving the corporate world to become a mother, Lisa began concentrating more on her claywork than ever before. She says she developed a more focused direction, and designed a new web site to show it off. "My compulsion to buy every new polymer clay book and video that came along was what induced me to add a book store to my site. At this point, the sale of books and videos has certainly eclipsed the creative side of my business, except, perhaps, around the Holidays when orders for custom Christmas ornaments keep me hopping."

Lisa also runs the Polypubs Yahoo Group. The Polypubs group keeps members informed of new books and videos on the market as well as providing a comprehensive list of polymer clay related articles appearing in myriad artisan  magazines. If you'd like to add yourself to the Polypubs list, use this link: polypubs-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

There's no question that turning her love for polymer clay into a profitable business is a full-time job for Lisa. She says, "it's been a long time since I've had any kind of spare time." With two small children and several new orders a day, it's hard! "I sometimes think I'd like to hire help," Lisa sighs, "but I can't come up with any part of this business that I'd like to give up! (Well, except maybe packing and shipping - know anybody who wants to do that for me??)"

Publisher's Note: Do you notice anything in particular about Lisa's polymer clay work? It's her distinctive trademark color palette of blues, greens, and purples with a smattering of black added here and there. Lisa's business savvy shows in her use of a unifying element in her polymer clay pieces, her website, and her advertising materials. She has created a unique "identifier" that sets her apart from others, and registers in the minds of viewers of her work. From time to time, Lisa varies her color selection, but her "signature look" never disappears.

And remember, Lisa is a Mom, too, so go buy something from her website:
http://www.polkadotcreations.com