There is something about polymer clay that takes me back to the beginning - oh, could it be that my current career (spanning the last 16 years) began with this material?

Polymer is what drove me from home dec to jewelry to teaching to writing to editor to now. Amazing how powerful those colorful blocks of clay were.

Where the basis for change and transition truly lies is in the friendships and bonds (no pun intended) I formed along the way. The polymer community is where I forged friendships that spanned the wires (now wireless!); the polymer community is where I realized that anything was possible; the polymer community (and some encouragement from my family) is where I realized I could do more than I ever believed; the polymer community is where I was accepted as is, site unseen - no questions asked. It is to the wonderful people of this community that I will be forever grateful for taking me in.

This week in Baltimore will be very artfully filled - a visit to the Visionary Museum; a day at the ACC (American Craft Council) show; days filled with presentations and seminars on business topics and techniques at Synergy 2, not to mention the work in the collaborative exhibit, the gallery where everyone will have their work out for show and sell and all the jewelry that everyone is wearing!; nights filled with laughter, good friends, new friends and I'm sure a bottle of wine or two; time to reflect on all that has happened in the past and time to embrace all that is yet to come.

And to my sister - thanks for showing me that book on that fateful day when I was just ready for a change - and to my dear sweet husband who said no to glass and the torch that goes along with it! (which I've since purchased and use as often as I can...but let's save that for another day!)