Heya!
Welcome to Dandelion Designs.
I'm excited to share my love of colour, texture and quality finish with you and hope you find something on this website that sparks joy!
For updates on products and behind the scenes content, feel free to follow me on Instagram or Facebook - you can do this by scrolling to the bottom of the site and clicking on the social media icons (or at least I think you can!).
Happy browsing and thanks for stopping by!
Jane xx
Who are you? Is this your full time job?
I'm Jane, and in my 'non-creator' life I'm a primary school teacher in Adelaide, Australia. Dandelion Designs is something of a side hustle at the moment... but who knows what the future holds!
I've always loved experimenting with different creative forms and have tried a number of different mediums, from drawing to watercolours to crochet. I even tried one large-scale experiment with macrame that still sits unfinished in my workspace three years later!
My 'art den' is testament to the variety of different things I've tried (as is my PayPal purchase history, but shhhh...), but none of my previous 'maker phases' really ticked all the boxes for me in the same way polymer clay does.
How did Dandelion Designs come about?
My early Instagram posts were all about vinyl labels and decals that I made using my Cricut. I enjoy scrolling through the creative endeavours of other people on Instagram, and in early 2020 I started seeing clay earrings pop up more prominently in my feeds. The seed of inspiration was sown!
I bought a few blocks of clay intending for it to be another 'experiment'... to keep me occupied during lockdowns, border closures and such.
It was love at first bake.
My stepdaughter (who is nearly 14) also loves clay, so it's become a creative pursuit that we very much enjoy exploring together!
Where does the name come from?
Dandelion Designs gets its name from my long-established love for what the dandelion represents. I have a dandelion tattoo on my wrist: in challenging times it's a reminder for me to pause, take a breath, and let things take their course.
A dandelion is more than just a weed. It's a symbol of hope, resilience and new beginnings. The dandelion is able to survive anything: they bounce back from adversity and keep growing in unexpected places and situations. Without heading into 'overshare' territory, I can relate.
Any advice for makers just starting out?
I'm not an expert by any means but believe that if you're not seeking to improve your skills all the time, you're doing something wrong. I've definitely had some epic failures on my clay journey.
I've learned a lot over the last couple of years, and am always happy to share hints and tips with other makers - get in touch through Instagram or via the contact page on this site.