Hi, my name is Niki.  I live in hot, hot, Phoenix Arizona, with my young daughter, my husband, and two cats. I currently work full time out of the home in a non-artsy related job, hoping that some day I'll be able to work either part-time out of the home, or full time at home.  It's a long work in progress, for sure. I have this need to work with my hands, creating.  It doesn't matter if it's a hand made card, a hairbow for my daughter, a knitted blanket, or a nice bracelet or something sculpted out of polymer clay - I'm simply not happy unless I'm creating something. While I have dabbled in a large number of crafts - all of the above mentioned and more - lately I tend to gravitate toward jewelry making, and working with polymer clay.  For a while I sculpted mostly dragons with polymer clay, but as I tried to steer more toward a "lifelike" look (you know dragons are real, right? 😉 ), I found creating those sculpts took quite a bit of time, of which I don't have much of between my full time job, the long commute to and from work, and then home life in general.  So I continue to search for something I can create that won't take weeks or months to complete. About a year ago, I believe, I bought my first Christi Friesen books, after pouring over her site frequently and enjoying looking at her work.  I took a couple of her online classes, and I quite like her style.  I may offer some pieces heavily influenced by her style, from time to time.  I also am interested in creating cutesy beads with polymer clay, but with the CPSIA law bearing down on everyone regarding lead content and pthalates, those might never grace my storefront and will be something I keep for myself, albeit sadly. I have also enjoyed making jewelry for family members and some friends.  It is mainly that endeavor that has led me here, to hopefully catch someone's eye with a nice piece of handmade jewelry that he or she may be interested in buying to brighten their day, or that of a friend or family member.