Let’s make creative gifts! The 2nd side of my polymer clay business

When I first started making polymer clay art I was all into production work.

Colorfull blessing key holders as affordable gifts

At first it was millefiori all the way, inside out and around, but after about 4 years I got bored and started looking for a new adventure.
Still investigating my path, finding my artistic voice in the polymer clay world I turned to writing tutorials. This was my new way of expressing my creativity while teaching hobbyists to use this medium using the experience and knowledge I’ve gathered in time.

Over time I’ve learned that we, artists, tend to hide “production” side of our business.
Why? Mainly because “production work” is not considered too artsy, it’s something you do again and again, you don’t “invent” the wheel, you just keep duplicating it. It’s kind of 50% art, not the full 100%.

Do we loose our artistic voice when we do production work?
There was a time I believed that to be true but today, after “inventing the wheel” for more than 7 years, occasionally I’m drawn back to the therapeutic process of duplication. It’s so relaxing. Like baking the same cookies again and again.
Some people enjoy ironing, some love folding laundry and I enjoy production work :)

Hamsa wall decor with home blessing in hebrew and english

Production line can give us a steady income when we don’t feel artistic enough to “eureka” something new but it can also become boring in time.
I tend to switch between my both sides – Being creative and being productive.

While real production work reduces costs, for us, artists, the cost is nearly the same. Yes, we can fasten up the process a bit but it would be nothing like machinery or mass production. Time is still the same time and material is still the same material per unit.

I still run a small production line in my studio, it’s usually made-to-order: small souvenirs for a wedding or celebration, gifts to co-workers, retirements/farewell gifts and other events people want to give something to one another.
I even have a completely separate website for that line of work, the site is called CreativeGifts.co.il and it is for local viewers (hebrew language).

Last month I was a part of several holidays shows so geared up for the task and made mountains of key holders, charms, hair clips, bookmarks gifts fitting a small budget.
Naturally I’ve added my new polymer-macrame jewellery collection, which was a huge success.

Photos?

My table has a built set up handmade by my husband ;)
It’s a wood-plexiglass construction planned to hold 2 photo frames. I’m lucky to have an engineer at home!
This set up allow me to play with the items hung on the boards and I can use them at home too when I’m not selling outdoors.

I’ve used simple IKEA photo frames as a display for on table and used a small jewellery box to angle the frame a bit. The coloured frame gives a nice contrast to the displayed items.

See the blue, red and black frames holding the jewellery? IKEA photo frames

Black photo frame to display my polymer-macrame Stingray pendants

Stingray pendants on IKEA photo frame

I even got a beautiful picture of one of my customers – Thank you Mrs. Deirdre Gordon Stein for sending along this beautiful photo of you wearing my Stingray pendant :)

Here is a short glimpse into my table –

After returning home I had time to deal with the endless mess in my studio. I wonder where my blue genie – he always disappear when I need him!

Here are before & after shots ;)

Thank you for reading! See you soon :)

Iris Mishly.

Before :(

After! :)