My name is Donna Hess. I live in rural Kansas with my husband, B. I adopted the name Damask for my Polymer Clay creations. I am ALWAYS working on something. The “What’s Next” part comes from our family and friends asking what I’m going to do next. I never know! If I could, I’d be in my shop/studio 24/7 creating something. With B and I both working full time, there are never enough hours in the day.

A little about us: We have one dog, her name is Holly and she is of the ‘tossed salad’ variety, very smart and such a sweetie. We also have two cats, Jerry and Desa. Jerry is a gray tom with evening house privileges. Desa is out latest additon. She is a paint Devon Rex calico with the softest coat and sweetest personality. Both are fun pets, each in his own way. Desa stays inside full time and for the most part is well behaved.

We live on 100 acres and have worked hard over the last several years in an effort to create our own little paradise. So far we have built and stocked 3 ponds and planted somewhere around 3000 trees. I am an avid flower gardener and we have a very large vegetable garden. One of my dreams is to eventually have my own little greenhouse, but for the time being I work in one part time in order to support my flower habit.

B and I have a big, big family. I have 5 siblings and about 20 nieces and nephews. Almost all live reasonably close –thankfully - as I LOVE spending time with the youngest ones. B has 1 brother and 2 nephews, all living in Colorado. Both of my parents and B’s mom live close. We are also blessed to have many truly wonderful and supportive friends and neighbors.

About my art…….. Most everything I do, I’ve taught myself. The biggest exception would be the faux finishing. I attended a school in Texas in order to learn techniques and etc…. To be honest, there is not much demand for this type of painting technique in rural Kansas so I’ve had to content myself with keeping in practice on our house, my parents and my sister’s houses. My only and biggest limitation in starting any new project is time. I have never been and can’t imagine myself ever being afraid to tackle any new project.

Occasionally, I attempt to sell some things on e-bay. My seller name there is ‘Kansasrosebud’. My mother’s name is Rose and that’s how I got the nickname ‘Rosebud’ several years ago. E-bay helps me ‘clean house’ when I get too many supplies, books and other miscellaneous art items.

My blog……….. my blog has lots and lots of pictures. I find stuff all the time that I still have not photo’d and put on there. It’s also my somewhat 'cathartic media' where I vent about things going on in my life or subjects I find ridiculous or just stupid. I have something of a twisted sense of humor but it is never my wish to offend everyone ;-). You will see in both my blog and some of the items I currently have for sale, a reflection of my American Indian heritage. Beadwork is one of my favorite avenues in which to create jewelry and other items. I frequently do custom work for people – please see the beaded tie on my blog. You can also see many of these items in my photo gallery.

Finally...........Please enjoy my website. Browse my items for sale – many are one of a kind – e-mail me with any ideas you have for your own personalized item. I’m happy to work with you and see what we can come up with.