Wow I never realized how long it would take to set up a blog. I have been using my blog on my artfire site http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/blog/Kimis-Jewelry-From-The-Heart for a few months now. I figured now was the time to branch out and start blogging in the real world. Im looking forward to sharing tecniques, promoting for others, sharing current creations, having open discussions about jewelry making and or questions on how to and just having alot of fun with all my future blog members. I want to have a blog that people can share new ideas on, share their links, help promote my business and blog followers business. So please feel free to email me with any requests. I may not be able to do all of them all at once. Im still learning the ropes on here but I promise to give all my friends, family and blog members as much time and love that I can. My email is Kimis_Jewelry_From_The-Heart@yahoo.com feel free to send me anything you want except requests to play games on facebook. Ugh I dont like those :).. I will get back to you as soon as I can the most important thing to me is customer service in a timely fashion and creating a fun blog we can all enjoy.
A little bit about me. Im a disabled mom of two. I decided the summer of 2010 that I needed to find something that I could do with my disabilitys that I would enjoy and could possibly share with others. I cannot ever work again and that is very hard for me. I miss working, miss saving lives and helping others. I knew that I couldnt spend my life in bed anymore I started a search for something a handicapped mom could do. Sadly there is not alot out there but Im so glad I kept up my search.
I did alot of online searching. While searching on many sites mostly on ebay at first. I always had a love for jewelry. I have a severe tremor disability from injurys in my car accident among many other injurys and I knew that I could no longer draw or paint like I used to do when I was younger. So I figured there would be some type of jewelry creating that I could do. Though my searches I found a love for pandora type beads, swarovski crystals and pearls, lamp work glass beads. I purchased many from several different amazing artists on ebay, etsy and artfire. I started making things for friends and family, but I knew there was something missing.
My search for the missing link lead me to finding polymer clay beads and I fell in love. I started talking to other artists and they told me to try creating things myself. So I made my first trip to Joann Fabrics and bought some clay and a few clay books. I got home and excitedly opened up some packages started to condition the clay (yuck - conditioning clay is not fun ). I started creating and fell in love. The more I created the better I felt inside and out. I have not had a pain free day since July of 2005. But somehow when I was claying I didnt hurt (not until I got up , lol). I was in heaven. I tried my hand at making canes. Ugh that was not something I enjoyed, so some of the artists that I had bought polymer clay beads from sold canes. I purchased some. Wow then I was hooked. I knew I had found my true love. POLYMER CLAY ROCKS!!!! I was just thrilled at the possiblitys they are limitless. I could add my lampwork glass and other beads I had to the things I created. The more I worked the steadier my hands got. I was amazed that I could create that way. I thought maybe it had cured me. Sadly it had not. When I wasnt creating I was sore, shakey and sad. So as most artist do, you sleep eat and drink your art :). It has taken me many months to finally realize I cant create 24-7 or Ill get sick. But its so hard to walk away when something beautiful is coming to life in your hands.
Many ask me if I have a plan for what Im going to make or if I wing it. Depending on my mood is basically what guides me. I never really have a plan when I sit down to clay. Just a million and one ideas crammed in my scattered brain dying to come out. I have sketchbooks and notebooks full of ideas. I decided I need to learn some new tecniques. That lead to my addiction for tutorials. Once I learned one type of tecnique I was dying to learn more. I have quiet a collecion of books, magazines and on line tutorials. I joined three sites for online tutorials that I would love to share www.claylessons.com , www.jewelrylessons.com, http://www.beadsandbeading.com/blog , I follow many blogs and artist that teach and sell tutorials. I will share more as I post items Ive made from their tutorials. I love to share ideas and or help a new artist join in the Polymer Clay Family. It give me much joy to see someone create something and how happy it makes them. Even knowing if I teach them it means no sales for me. That doesnt bother me at all. I know how happy it has made me and know that once they have clay or creating in their lives it will be so much more fulfilling. There is nothing better than creating something with love and giving that treasure to someone else to love. This art has been such a blessing in my life and my familys lives. They even enjoy clay. I should say my children do.
After several months of making many of my clay friends encouraged me to open a shop on www.etsy.com/shop/kidalski I didnt listen for months and had over 300 items created to sell. Ugh who would have thought it would take 30-45 minutes to list one item. Man I kick myself now. lol I have enjoyed Etsy. Im a member of many guilds (groups) that share the same interests as me, they have monthly challenges and help to promote for you and other artists through treasurys. Im a proud member of these guilds on Etsy : Craftcount, Artteam, Polymerclayteam, Beadsteam, Pcfteam, Pcagoe. I love all the wonderful friends I have met through these guilds. After joining this site as a seller I have not had much luck there on sales. Other artists told me to expand my options.
Expanding my options led me to Artfire where I had purchaed many of my original beads from, I loved being a buyer there and becoming a seller opened me up to so many possibilitys and a wonderful family of amazing artists, a blog site, a wonderful selling site that lets you advertise for your business they want you to succeed. Im so happy here www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/kimis-jewelry-from-the-heart . Just recently I have over 400 items listed and have marked all of my items 50% or more off and did a little 11 thing which is my favorite number just for luck. On artfire I am a member of many teams and guilds Polymer Clay Smooshers , Checked in today, Crafts4u, Jewelry Artists~Designers of Artfire, Artfire of Michigan Guild. Through these groups I have made many wonderful friends and learned so much. They promote for me and I promote for them. I love it there. I have hand many wonderful things happen from being a member of Artfire. I was awarded and a Featured Artsian of Arfire http://www.artfire.com/nosh/featured-artisan-kimis-jewelry-from-the-heart/ which was wonderful. With my artfire blog I was able to join in other challenges on ArtBeadScenes blogsite.
Art Bead Scene, wow I love this blog site. Every month they have a challenge for a art bead. They have rules that you have to write a blog about it, the give you a painting or piece of artwork to inspire you and from that you create a piece of jewelry around that artbead. The bead can be made by you or any artist (you should give credit if you use others beads) . I always make my own. Its a wonderful chance to create outside the box. The winner is chosen randomly. So the real win is if you get named in the blog after all the artists join in and share their creations on the site and on flicker. My creations for all my entrys on flicker are here http://www.flickr.com/photos/kidalski/ . My first entry which I loved was a flop, lol to see my entry and the blog : http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/blog_post/Kimis-Jewelry-From-The-Heart/6670/january_contest_on_art_bead_scene_titled__jan_abs_. I didnt win but it was so much fun I couldnt wait to join in on the next one. I look forward to it every month. The second challenge FebAbs I was chosen in the top favorites and the blogwritter wrote about my work in the blog- that was a win to me :) http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/blog_post/Kimis-Jewelry-From-The-Heart/6671/feb_abs_art_bead_scene_feburary_challenge this entry also earned me Designer of the Week on ArtBeadScene, woo hoo wow that was an honor : http://www.artbeadscene.blogspot.com/2012/02/designer-of-week-kimberly-idalski.html . I was really inspired after that to keep on trying just for the fun of it. I knew every time it would be a random winner but my goal was just to create out of the box and get noticed and put in the blog which links to your page where you sell a win win . Since then I have been in three more challenges and have been honored to be chosed in the blog every time. How exciting. MARABS CHALLENGE: http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/blog_post/Kimis-Jewelry-From-The-Heart/7245/mar_abs_-_art_bead_scene_monthly_challenge. APRABS CHALLENGE : MY FAVORITE CREATION : http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/blog_post/Kimis-Jewelry-From-The-Heart/7626/art_bead_scene_monthly_challenge_-_apr_abs. Then the most recent was MAYABS CHALLENGE : http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/blog_post/Kimis-Jewelry-From-The-Heart/8395/art_bead_scene_monthly_challenge_-_may_abs. These challenges have given me so much inspiration to make other items outside my comfort zone. Which as an artist is hard to do but so rewarding.
My most exciting honor this year was being asked to make a tutorial for the magazine From Polymer To Art. My tutorial and an article about me are going to be published in the UK based polymer clay magazine in August in the Pink issue. Im so excited, nervous and honored that they chose me. To reserve a copy visit www.frompolymertoart.com, or www.polkadotcreations.com.
I plan to publish more tutorials before then to teach other artist new tecniques and projects to make their own amazing Polymer art creations. I hope you all keep stopping by to see what is new and feel free to ask any questions, if I can help or inspire one person with each blog I will be so happy. I would be thrilled if you stopped by my shops to see what I create maybe you will find something you love for you or someone else special in your life. Remember everything is 50% off. Hugs and Love to all.
Happy creating,
Kimberly @{~
