Polymer clay artist Pippa Chandler from Pips Jewellery
Q: As I understood you have been working with polymer clay since 1990. What did you do before you became a bead artist and what made you decide to become one? Was this transition difficult?
I used to work in the Finance Sector for a large Bank, but I was lucky enough to be able to give up working when I had my Daughter, Katie. I very much wanted to be a stay at home Mum and look after her. Later after I had my Son Logan, I knew that I needed a bit more to occupy me and started attending local craft fairs with
Christmas Decorations made from Polymer.
I absolutely loved being at the craft fairs and chatting with other maker/designers, but knew that I had to come up with a unique product. Knowing that polymer was a fantastic medium for beads made me decide to try making jewellery. I knew nothing about jewellery making at all! But I learnt. I bought books and scoured the internet for tutorials and anything I could find about it. I never looked back!!
Q: Are you a full time designer?
Yes! And consider myself so lucky to be able to do this wonderful job full time.
Q: Are you self-taught?
Oh yes, I have only taken one course. I learn mainly from experimenting and from online tutorials.
Q: Why did you choose the medium polymer clay? Are you planning to explore other materials as well in the future, like ceramic, glass or metal?
I stumbled upon Polymer Clay in a little Art Shop in Bristol back in the 1980’s. It was almost unheard of then, but I loved using it, although at that time it was just for fun, for making little figures and silly things as presents for friends and family. Little did I know then what it would eventually lead to! I would really love to experience making beads from ceramic clay. I adore the look of them and the different effects you can achieve with
glazes. I have been considering getting a kiln for quite a long time but have never quite taken the plunge. I have a little problem, you see,……….I really don't like the feel of unglazed clay…….it sets my teeth on edge!!! So I really think I need to do a weekend course perhaps,
just to see if I could do it, or if that unglazed touch would send me up the wall! Probably better not to invest in a kiln until then!