Simplicity, geometry, graphic patterns, stripes, lines, and dots. Isn’t it cool? Francesca Santoro is a self-taught artist based in Italy who creates unique, playful polymer clay jewelry that is both retro and fun.
After purchasing a pair of polymer clay earrings on Etsy, she fell in love with this material and has been creating earrings, necklaces, and brooches often featuring an 80s touch.
Despite working a day job as a shop assistant, Francesca spends her free time creating polymer clay jewelry. She describes her creative journey as starting with a simple purchase of polymer clay and a small oven, which led her to create pieces for herself, her family, and friends.
She then opened her shop and started experimenting with different techniques and tutorials to refine her craft. The pandemic gave her more time to create, which she used to her advantage to explore the variety of possibilities that polymer clay offers.
“I love every single step of the creative process,” she says, “the idea in my mind, working with polymer clay, the sanding, and polishing. It's so satisfying looking at something that you have created totally with your hands,” explains Francesca, who remembers of her childhood when playing with plasticine. She truly takes great satisfaction in every step of the process and also values the opportunity to connect with her customers from all over the world, which is a significant part of her work.
Francesca's creative journey continues to evolve, with new projects always on her mind. "I wish I had more time to create,” she says. “I always have many projects on my mind. About a year ago I started to create necklaces and now I'm working on brooches. The roads of creativity are endless, and I wish to cross as many as possible."
