Sandy Rollinger

My love of crafting began as a child. I remember being in the first grade and the art teacher came in once a week to work with our class. One art day, as we called it, the art teacher asked us to get out our scissors. Of course being the organized person that I was, I began sifting through the rubble that was my desk. I came up empty handed, no scissors to be found. To keep from getting into trouble I secretly started to tear my project out. The teacher of course noticed what I was doing and came over to take a closer look. Then to my amazement she said, "My, now that is a clever and creative way to cut out your design". I have learned from that day on to "think outside the box". There is more than one way to accomplish an end.

I am primarily a self-taught artist learning from books and by trial and error. For the past 20 or so years I have had a lot of art related jobs such as cake decorator, floral designer, and a volunteer art teacher for three years for my local school grades kindergarten thru 8th. I also attended some craft shows selling my wares when my children were young. Between being a wife, mother, daughter, and having my creative employment outlets I discovered free-lance craft designing. Then I knew what I truly wanted to do with the rest of my life. And hopefully I will continue to do so.

I love delving into many crafting mediums such as paper, paper quilling, needle art, fabric art, painting, beading, woodworking, and clay both air dry and polymer. And though I go back and forth into each one of them I always seem to come back to my polymer clay. There is just something about working with polymer clay that is so satisfying to me. I love to combine the clay with the other mediums just to make my designs a bit more interesting.

I have had my work published in many national magazines and in several craft books over the years.

I am especially drawn toward designing children's crafts. And there is always room for designing ornaments. I have a tradition every Christmas of making ornaments for all the neighbors on my street as well as friends and relatives. I give or send them all an ornament instead of a Christmas card. I feel it is more personal and really shows that person that they are special to me.