Retrocraft: Fimo

One of the crafts that has been a constant since my early teens is working with polymer clay to create miniatures and jewellery. The first type of clay that I bought (and the only type that I'd tried for many decades) was Fimo, which I discovered in the big John Menzies on Princes St in Edinburgh. Going on a trip to Edinburgh was a big thing, and I think this particular occasion was probably to celebrate my birthday. This may also have been the day it rained so much we had to use plastic bags as rain hats!

When I bought my first few blocks of Fimo, I also bought a Fimo book, which I still have. Many of my first attempts at using it were projects from this book.

I soon got into the swing of using Fimo, and began a bit of mass-production, making brooches in the shape of hippos, penguins, owls, robots, and teddy bears. I also made marbled beads which I turned into earrings. I would take these brooches and earrings to school in a little tin, and sell them to my friends. My gran would save tiny safety-pins that I would use to make the brooch backs.

At my parents' house, many of the brooches hung on a padded frame by the front door, so we could choose one to wear when leaving the house. This frame stayed there until not long ago, and now I have it! A few of the brooches are a little worse for wear, with some little parts having fallen off, but most of them are in good shape after all these years (decades, even!).

I also enjoyed making other items such as Christmas ornaments and gift tags. Each October holidays I would get started on making my Christmas projects - something I still do now! I have vivid memories of how I would sit at a desk in the utility room at my parents' house to make all my clay items.