I am Lisa Clarke, owner of Polka Dot Creations and "one-woman-show (with occasional help)"

My introduction to polymer clay came on Christmas Day 1995. It was our first Christmas together, and my husband began a tradition of buying me something crafty to try. The gift he chose was a Klutz Press children's book by Sherri Haab which included a number of small bars of Sculpey III. In the months that followed, I made and gave away an awful lot of little clay heart pendants. I bought myself a few more books, learned some new techniques, and started selling some of my colorful jewelry on the corner of my desk at my "real" job where I was a programmer. Before I knew it, it was Christmas again, and I started making adorable ornaments that I had seen in project books (I did a lot of Cecilia Determan figurines around that time). I'm not sure what my husband's crafty gift was that year - some kind of paper-cutting or something, I think. The clay had taken over. Within a couple of years I was making more interesting jewelry, and designing my own Christmas ornaments.

Leaving the corporate world in the Winter of 2000 to become a mother, I began to concentrate more on my claywork than ever before. I developed a more focused direction, and designed a new web site to show it off. My compulsion to buy every new polymer clay book and video that came along was what induced me to add a book store to my site.

I am inspired by many of the fabulous polymer clay artists out there, but if I had to choose one major influence, it would be Donna Kato. It was her Millefiori Basics video that got me started making square canes. It sounds simple enough, but it really gave me a focus I never had before. Many of my designs have sprouted from a seed that was planted while watching Donna work, either on one of her videos, on Carol Duvall, or in person. My work really looks nothing like hers, which is as it should be, but something about her techniques just "click" with me and send me off in another direction, using what I learn.

At this point, the sale of books and videos has certainly eclipsed the creative side of my business. With a 7-year-old and 4-year-old, I'm still "Mom" above all else, but I truly enjoy this side business I've got going and the great connections I've made in the clay community. I hope to be in business here for many years to come!