Finally retired...... let the claying begin!

Yes, I've done it, I've finally retired from my job as a mental health Occupational Therapist. This was a very hard decision to make, but the right one, and now I have the mental and physical energy to focus on my claying, and boy am I enjoying it!!
I decided that I needed to make the clay "wash its face". I've never heard of that expression and when my sister said it I thought she was joking, but apparently it means 'pay for itself'. As I like to make large orders of clay with Clayaround, I need the clay to make me some money so I can continue with this rather expensive, but very enjoyable habit.
My three prong approach is to sell tutorials, run workshops, and go to craft fairs.
The first is well under way, I've written four tutorials from book 2 and four brand new ones. They are sold at clayaround.com     ​https://clayaround.co.uk/product-category/helen-cruickshank-tutorials/ 

I've also been working in collaboration with Penny from Clayaround to make starter kits. I've been to several places where I've either talked or demonstrated polymer clay, and every time people want to know if there are any starter kits anywhere. Although it is easy enough to buy a basic polymer clay kit, the two starter kits that have been put together include absolutely everything you need to make either beads or cover pens. I've written a tutorial for each and you don't even need a pasta machine. 

sThe kits include five blocks of Sculpey Premo clay: black, white, cobalt blue, fuchsia and zinc yellow. With these colours you can make almost any other colour and the tutorials each explain about colour theory and how to mix basic colours. 

Okay, that's the tutorials part done, the second part of the three pronged approach to the clay face washing project is teaching. Now this is my favourite part, I absolutely love teaching. In my job I used to run groups and that's the part I miss the most so teaching polymer clay is obviously going to be my favourite thing to do. I'm happy teaching on line with zoom, but have also converted my spare bedroom which was my office, into a small polymer clay studio where I can teach up to four people face to face. I've joined craftcourses.com who organised a vast array of different craft classes throughout the UK, but so far polymer clay isn't that well known. I shall do what I can to change that!
My first workshop was going to be the flower brooch that can also be a pendant; I've had such fun designing and making these, and my mother and sister are my best customer!

I'm working on arranging an online workshop, just need to think of what to teach; the flower pendant/brooch, a cat heart pendant, or a turtle pen which I'm currently working on, and which obviously needs a little more work as my husband has named the first one I made "turtle on a stick of celery".  Mum thinks it's more like a leek - neither of which were the effect I was after. 

I played about putting it on a blue blend background and adding seaweed and starfish, but although it looked better than the celery turtle, it just wasn't good enough in my opinion, and it was also bulky to hold. I've decided to make canes of fish, seaweed, starfish and shells and add thin slices to a blue blended background. It will take a while to make nice canes but I'm hoping it will be more effective (and less resembling of a vegetable!!!).
The third part of my cunning plan is to go to craft fairs, something I said I'd never do again, partly because I'm rubbish at talking to the general public and partly because I hate selling. However, I've been persuaded to give it another go as a way of promoting my workshops, so the first one will be at the Five Parishes show in Peldon Essex where I'll be demonstrating in the main tent. I'm actually rather excited.
The last bit of news is that I'm now the President of the British Polymer Clay guild. I'm very lucky to have a good committee supporting me - especially Denise who helps me navigate the website - and we've already run one weekend retreat and are planning another one next March. For £20 a year I think it's just such amazing value for what you get - masses of free tutorials, videos, information, monthly prize draws, a facebook group and so much more. I'm hoping now covid is hopefully behind us, to have more workshops, both online and face to face, so watch this space.
I think that's enough for now, my aim is to write another blog post a little more speedily than the last one, and I'll hopefully have some better turtle pens to show you all!