By Barbara Brabec

Read on....

Welcome to the Premier issue of It's All About the Clay -- a monthly, online newsletter devoted to taking your polymer hobby to new and rewarding levels. By subscribing to this newsletter, you are joining a group of people with a common interest -- making the clay pay! Some of you told me you need ideas and real-life methods for turning your polyclay hobby into a profit- making business. Others said they want tips and techniques for reaping the rewards of working with polyclay for the fun and enjoyment of it. Whatever your purpose, we will explore innovative ways to advance your journey -- together -- in a friendly, relaxed, and collaborative atmosphere.

You play a very significant part in the evolution of this newsletter. It is important to me to quickly learn and understand your perception of what information should appear in each issue. Think about this: What did you expect to find when you subscribed?

Certainly, the idea of polymer clay as a business is far from new, and it is addressed in other polymer clay publications. But in this newsletter, it is your input that will drive my selection of material and information, to best achieve our mutual goals.

I believe the information you find here will be beneficial and will encourage you to think in new and creative ways about polymer clay. As always, I am ready to listen to your comments and suggestions. I invite you to engage in open and honest communication. As with pcPolyzine, I personally read each of your emails and make every attempt to respond to you in a timely manner.

Sincerely,

Jeannie Havel, Publisher

By Nily Glaser

E-commerce is flourishing and Online Auctions are the fastest growing and most fun marketing avenue on the Internet! This article includes selling tips and links to several auction sites that feature handcrafted products.

By Maria Gracia

The wonderful, sentimental Pack Rat. So nice. So loveable. So out of space!

Pack Rats desperately need more room, but can't bear to part with their stuff.

There are boxes of old records, books since grade school, reams of old, outdated paperwork, various decades of clothing, piles of magazines, calendars and planners more than 10 years old, old board games gathering dust, toys from children that have moved out on their own years ago, plus that horrible artwork from dear Aunt Martha, taking up every last nook and cranny of space. I've known Pack Rats that are literally possessed by their possessions!

The Pack Rat keeps everything--and won't get rid of anything. There's an inconceivable abundance of opportunities to acquire things in our lives.

Here are 10 ideas to help Pack Rats free themselves from clutter and stress:

By Lisa Galvin

Arts and crafts have always been a part of my life. From placing painted rocks in my mother's booth at local craft shows as a teen, to doing projects with my own children; being creative was something that I enjoyed. After quitting my full time job as an assistant at a local elementary school a few years ago, I decided it was time for me to begin really planning a career for myself. Encouraged by my family and the teachers at our school that I had a creative talent I should be doing something with, I began my search to explore the possibilities. At a bookstore I stumbled onto the 6th edition of Barbara's Creative Cash book. Armed with an open mind and a highlighting pen I consumed it!

I had no idea that a person could actually make a living in arts and crafts! No one that I knew around my small town was doing it. With great interest I read the personal accounts written in the book--real people I could relate to telling how they began their businesses and talking about their successes and greatest strengths, as well as the turning points in their professional lives. I could not have imagined how many opportunities await a person with a little imagination and A LOT of determination! I was excited!