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If caning be the food of love, clay on!

I've been claying since around 2012 and absolutely love it. Polymer clay is so versatile and I'm always trying to find new and fun ways to create designs. I find inspiration for my clay everywhere; in colours, shapes, patterns, nature and structures. Join me in my ramblings about my world with polymer clay.

Day two in the big blogging house...…..

9/2/2019

9 Comments

 
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Okay, I promise that not every new blog will start with "Day ……." in that Big Brother accent, it just came to mind when I clicked 'new blog'. Still a bit amazed that I'm writing one, and that the odd person may read it. 
Sharon was wondering how Gatwick airport toilets inspired me. The photo in the first blog post was the walls of the ladies toilet, and the wavy lines inspired me to play about with fish pendants; here is one of the 'in progress' photos of a fish and wave design I was experimenting with.

Looking for the other photos that I took, I realise how many hundreds of photos I've taken of my clay projects in the seven or so years I've been claying. So, how did I get started?
I'm an Occupational Therapist. Very few people know what Occupational Therapists do, and if they do, they usually say things like "oh, you raised the toilet seat for my Grandma when she broke her hip".
Yes, some OTs do this, but I'm a mental health OT, and have never raised a toilet seat in my life! I have one of the best jobs in the world, I work with people who have various mental health difficulties and help them overcome the symptoms of their conditions in order to do (the occupation part of the title) what they want to do.  A large part of my work involves teaching people strategies to manage anxiety, especially social anxiety. We used to run a group that used craft as the medium for therapy, and it was my challenge each week to find an activity that adults would find interesting, challenging (but not scarily challenging), and could be finished in two hours. 
I was in The Range and saw a pack of Fimo polymer clay at half price (the NHS likes half price bargains!) so bought it, and made beads with the group. 
I was totally hooked, and made this necklace, which was the start of my obsession, I mean hobby!
​

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I love this necklace, and although I've made other liquorice allsorts necklaces, with much better beads and proper stringing, this is still my favourite.

So, why have I decided to start a website and a blog? Well, I have an exciting project in the pipe line which requires me to have a website. Can't say any more, but will reveal all in my blog (still can't get used to saying that, I though only people like Towie people had blogs, and I'm so NOT a Towie type person). I've also been toying with the idea for a few  years. Emma, my daughter, had a boyfriend about 5 years ago, bit of a weird one,  but he said he'd set up a website for me so I tolerated him. Anyway, she dumped him before he'd finished it. While I was pleased to see the back of him, I found it quite inconsiderate that she'd not hang of a couple more weeks so he could finish my website! 
Anyway, I looked into it and found out that with a bit of effort I could do it myself, but at the time it cost too much and I didn't really need one. Now I'm starting to teach more, and my first book is out, I feel it's time to struggle into the 21st century.
I hear the oven 'ding'.  My secret project prototype two is cooked...……….must go!
9 Comments
Sharon
9/3/2019 02:59:12 am

Thanks for sharing your Gatwick inspiration, and like very much what you did with it

Reply
Michael Benfield-Thorpe
9/3/2019 03:03:12 am

Occupational therapists are supposed to make wicker baskets not beautiful clay!

Would love to see the licorice necklace Mark.2?!

Reply
Emma AKA the Inconsiderate Daughter
9/3/2019 04:34:03 am

I do apologise! So thoughtless of me.

I have always loved your liquorice alsorts necklaces, and your dolly mixtures ones too.

Also love that you're often that crazy lady taking pictures of airport toilet tiles and gift shop glasses cases!

Reply
Helen
9/3/2019 02:17:16 pm

Ooh, I’d forgotten about the glasses case. Can you send me the picture again Emma and I’ll make something with the palette. Ps I’ve forgiven you!! X

Reply
Lin Morton
9/3/2019 05:20:37 am

You have an amazing imagination, I love it that your inspiration comes from so many different things, wonder what your pinging oven contained x

Reply
Donna
9/3/2019 09:07:10 am

Love that I can read more of your musings on a regular basis. You continue to inspire me to be a better “caner”. It’s also lovely to know I’m not the only one snapping photos of tiles in the toilet. Perhaps there is a coffee table book there...❤️

Reply
Hazel Smith
9/3/2019 05:25:59 pm

Well done, thoroughly enjoyed this. How can I see the first one?!

Reply
Emma
9/4/2019 01:16:33 am

Hazel - if you go to the top of the page and click on 'blog', you'll get all the recent entries. If you're looking on a phone or similar, click on the three lines top left and blog will be listed there

Reply
Helen
9/4/2019 03:44:58 pm

Thank you Emma, and thank you everyone who takes the time to read my blog, and comment




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    Helen Cruickshank

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