Destiny Found

I come from a large family of very talented artists with deep roots in the Southern U.S. My mother's branch of the family tree is filled with artists who work in various mediums. She is a celebrated musician, singer, and painter, as well as a talented needle and fabric artist.

My family lovingly refers to Momma as the original "mother of necessity." When my brother and sister and I were growing up, almost everything we wore was created by her. We hardly ever had store-bought. She made most of our clothes until I was a teenager. It was part necessity, certainly; but Momma always enjoyed making things with her own hands, and she encouraged all of us to explore our talents and the possibilities of what we could create ourselves.

For me, that exploration led to many different artistic mediums. I started out crocheting, tatting and knitting, which I still try to find time to do, but my interest meandered toward jewelry design, even as a teenager. Back then, it was macrame jewelry with odd pieces of driftwood and shells found at the local beach. It wasn't until I discovered polymer clay a few years ago that I knew I had finally found my creative destiny.

My mother is my biggest supporter, and those times when we get to sit and brainstorm ideas, or talk creative process or color theory mean everything to me. Those rare occasions aren‘t about us being mother and daughter, or even about interacting as friends. It is a chance to learn from each other and to show our mutual respect for each other's work, artist to artist.

My confidence grew as I began to sell my work consistently on the local level. I considered opening a brick and mortar store, but unfortunately, the time and money necessary to make that work just isn't feasible, so a venue like Etsy is perfect for me. I love being part of a community that supports and encourages handmade artistry.

Diva Designs, Inc. is a one-person operation, from creating to marketing to shipping. Along the four walls of my studio are my workshop, my photography studio, my PR and marketing department, my shipping department and my storage facility.

I create wearable, mixed-media art: Earrings, pendants, brooches and beads, as well as statement necklaces. My intention is for my jewelry to become heirloom pieces. My work has been referred to as museum quality. I hope that is true, because I want them to be able to stand the test of time and changing tastes.

I am heavily influenced by history and the women who influenced history. I am a hopeless romantic, but my tastes are eclectic; and in the midnight hour when I am alone in my studio, the odd and unusual sometimes emerges. I try to let the clay speak to me and tell me what it wants to do, and my ideas are rarely executed as I originally envisioned. They are routinely hijacked by my muse and turned into "happy accidents."

One of the things I love most about polymer clay is its versatility. The possibilities are almost endless, and I love to use it in ways it shouldn't succeed. It never disappoints me, although I will admit to having a "butt uglies" jar for those rejects I look at and say "What was I thinking?"

I work in very small color and clay batches to maintain the exclusivity of my work. A batch usually only yields 2 or 3 sellable pieces. My polymer clay pieces, particularly my marbled pieces, are one-of-a-kind creations which can never again be duplicated.

Customer satisfaction is extremely important to me. I am known for my flawless finishes, the result of hours of creating, sanding and buffing. I am a perfectionist when it comes to the execution of my work. I meticulously inspect every piece before I photograph and list it.

I also write and publish my version of the polymer clay techniques I use, so that anyone who wants to can learn to create with polymer clay. I consider it an honor to bring new people to the world of polymer clay and to mentor and encourage them. I hope my tutorials will encourage attention to detail and better execution and finishing, which will help elevate polymer clay as a serious artistic medium.

I am very proud of my work and also thrilled to be able to share my vision of polymer art and mixed media jewelry design through Etsy.