Central Oklahoma Polymer Clay Guild

There were six members present at our first meeting of the new year. We began with Show and Tell. Angela M. has been asked to create a piece for the next Synergy. She showed her “Idea Tree,” which she had created from old spools, recycled materials, and polymer clay. She also showed two items she had bought from the new Art-O-Mat dispenser at City Arts Center in Oklahoma City.

Program

Lee Ann presented two excellent techniques, making faux wood and creating a pendant using a different mica shift technique, along with a handout with very clear directions.

Business Meeting

Old Business

Election and Installation of Officers: The following officers were elected by acclamation:

• President - Jane L.
• Vice President - April G.
• Secretary - Penni Jo C.
• Treasurer and Web Master - Angela M.

The position of librarian will be decided later.

Annual dues were collected by the treasurer.

Next month’s meeting will be held at Southern Oaks Recreation Center, 66th and South Walker, on Wednesday, February 10, from 6-9 p.m..

There was no new business.

Officers Reports: V.P April G. reviewed our upcoming meeting schedule:

• February 10 - Hollow Vessels with April G.
• March (10 or 13, TBA) - continuing Hollow Vessels with April
• April (10 or 14, TBA) - Penni Jo’s “pointy flowers” and leaf canes from Skinner Blend
• May - Color Collage project from Maggie Maggio’s color book

Treasurer’s Report: Angela reported a balance of $411.86, plus the dues that had been paid during the meeting. Our membership stands at 8.

Bottles of Hope: Nance again asked for volunteers to take over her Tuesday morning BOH project at Norman Regional Hospital, as she will have a schedule conflict beginning soon.

Library Report: Librarian Jane L. praised our latest purchase, Clay So Cute, by Sherri Haab, for having excellent tips and instructions and good “trendy” projects. She would recommend it for beginners and for teenagers.

Drawing for a new addition for the guild library: The DVD Intricate Kaleidoscope Caning, by Sarah Shriver, was drawn and will be purchased this month.

Bi-Monthly Raffle: April, Angela, and Jane were the raffle winners and will bring items for the March raffle.

Announcements: The theme for the swap at February’s meeting will be “red and/or pink.”

Jane reminded us that our own Angela M.’s segment on HGTV’s That’s Clever will be aired Tuesday, January 19th.

Our December meeting was a lot of fun, with all eight members in attendance! Most brought Christmas ideas and projects to share, so we all went home with a wealth of new techniques and projects to try. April had made a wreath in the delicate, detailed style she is known for. Lee Ann brought a little Santa on a platform, surrounded by clay “candies.” Jane made a snowman from clear ornaments and provided a detailed handout, complete with color photos! Penni Jo and Jane had decorated Christmas balls with extrusions, transfers, and jewels. Angela did an interesting project incorporating a flocking product into her clay. Nance made a snowman pin. Penni Jo demonstrated a method for coating the inside of clear glass ornaments with packaged snowflakes, and Sue demonstrated her recent success making lentil beads. Pictured here are the projects by April, Lee Ann, Jane, and Penni Jo and Jane:

Business Meeting: Old Business:

• Field Trips: Jane asked whether we would like to have more “field trips” like our November meeting at Elements Beadery, and several members were in favor of more such trips.
• Meeting Location: We also continued our discussion about changing our meeting place to Southern Oaks Recreation Center, the second Wednesday of each month, from 6-9 p.m. Penni Jo will check to see whether that time slot is open, and if it is, we will try to meet there in February to try it out.

New Business:

Annual Guild Elections will be held in January. Descriptions of the duties of officers are available online. We were reminded that it has been advantageous for an officer to serve for two years, although this is not mamdatory. After two years, Angela said she feels it is beneficial in most cases for a new person to take the position. We did make exception for treasurer/web master, as it is simpler to have one person continue in those positions. Although there were some conditional volunteers for librarian, the position was left open until storage issues can be addressed. After some discussion, the following slate of officers emerged:

• President - Jane L.
• Vice-President - April G.
• Secretary - Penni Jo C.
• Treasurer and Web Master - Angela M.
• Librarian - TBA

Nance R. will continue in two volunteer positions, BOH Coordinator and Photographer.

Officer Reports: Program Schedule: Vice-President April G. reviewed our upcoming meeting schedule. Some of the dates depend upon whether we permanently change our meeting place and time:

• January 9 - Mica Shift with Lee Ann
• February 13 - (first evening meeting) - Hollow Vessels with April
• March (10 or 13, TBA) - continuing Hollow Vessels with April
• April (10 or 14, TBA) - Penni Jo’s “pointy flowers” and leaf canes from Skinner Blend

Treasurer’s Report: Angela reported a balance of $387.37 and 8 members.

Bottles of Hope: Nance asked for substitute instructors to teach at Norman Hospital beginning toward the end of January, as she will have a schedule conflict. Nance will be teaching children who are cancer patients at Baptist Hospital on Tuesday mornings. She asked members to check for other area hospitals with cancer units, so we can begin more projects to give away Bottles of Hope. She also mentioned that we are running short of the medium-sized bottles, and those will be the best size to use with the children.

Library Report: Jane talked about our November purchase, Food Miniatures, and found inspiring ideas in The Best of Stringing, one of our December purchases. She found Beading 101 and Beyond a great resource for basic information.

Library Drawing: Clay So Cute, by Sherri Haab, was the winning book and will be purchased for our library this month.

Announcements: Angela Mabray’s taped segment for the television show That’s Clever will finally be aired on January 19th.

After the meeting, members who wished to participate did an exchange of Christmas projects.

This month our guild met at Elements Beadery in Bethany, OK, to learn about jewelry finishing techniques and the use of appropriate findings. Seven members were present. Thanks to Elements staff member, Pat Dorety, we had two delightful hours learning to solve our jewelry-making problems and exploring the many wonderful beads and findings at the store. Pictured (right), Pat helps several members complete projects they had brought with them.

After our visit, we held our business meeting over lunch at a nearby tearoom.

Business Meeting:

Old Business:

• HOLD IT: THE CONTAINER SHOW: Congratulations are in order for members Penni Jo C.and Jane L., (polymer clay) and April G., (pottery/ceramics) who all have had pieces accepted in the Paseo Art Association’s juried competition. The show will run until November 28th. The Paseo gallery is open Wed. - Sat., noon until 4 p.m. The artists and their works are pictured at the end of this article.

• Use of Guild’s Flickr Site: Angela reported that she had carried out the group’s decision to reserve the use of our Flickr site for paid members only.

New Business:

• Meeting Space: Penni Jo reminded us to visit the larger meeting space at Southern Oaks Recreation Center, at 66th and S. Walker. The facility has good equipment, including an accurate baking oven. It is only available 6-9 p.m. weekdays, however, so we would have to change our meeting time.
• One of Our Members is an Author: Angela Mabray has been asked to be a co-author of a new polymer clay book, and has been working on the chapters she is responsible for. We congratulate our talented Angela on this well-deserved opportunity!

Reports: Upcoming Meetings: V.P. April G. reviewed our revised meeting schedule:

• December 12: Members will show and explain Christmas items they have made
• January 9: Mica Shift with Lee Ann K.
• February 13: Hollow Vessels with April G.
• March 13: Hollow Vessels, continued
• April 10: Flowers from Skinner Scraps with Penni Jo C.

Treasurer’s Report: Angela M. reported a balance of $410.31, and a total of 8 members.

Bottles of Hope: Chair Nance R. reported that she will be doing the bottles with cancer patients who are under age 18 soon, at an (as yet) undisclosed location.

Librarian’s Report: Angela reported that our newest purchase, The Polymer Clay Cookbook, by Jessica and Susan Partain, contains a great recipe for a sugar scrub to help remove clay from your hands.

Library Drawing: Instead of drawing this month, we purchased for our library two books from the bead shop, Beading 101, published by Hot Off The Press, and The Best of Stringing 2009, an Interweave Press publication.

No raffle was held this month.

After a delightful lunch in a beautiful setting, several members went to the Paseo gallery to see our members’ work in the container show. Pictured are (l-r) Penni Jo, Jane, and April with their work. All works: © all rights reserved.

Many thanks to Nance R. and Jane L. for graciously writing up these meeting notes in the absence of the secretary.

Seven members were present at our October meeting. We had a great demonstration of the “Starry Night” technique from Jane Linn, with reminders and a graphic to show us to be sure to include three intensities of color in our design: very light, medium, and fairly dark, so it would make the design pop.

Penni Jo gave us a demo in making feathers using the Starry Night pattern we had just completed.

Business Meeting: Reports:

Upcoming Meetings: April G. reviewed the meeting schedule:

• November 21: We will meet at Elements Beadery in Bethany, where a staff member will give pointers on finishing our jewelry.
• December 12: Christmas Decorations/Giftables
• January 9: Mica Shift Technique with Lee Ann

Treasurer’s Report: Angela reported a balance of $476.77.

Librarian’s Report: Jane L. reviewed our newest library purchase, PolyPens: Polymer Clay Pen Sets by Linda Peterson. She felt that it provides beginners with good instructions for making some fun and practical pen projects, as well as providing inspiring ideas for more advanced clayers.

Old Business

• State Fair Guild Demo and Competition: The group evaluated the project and made the following suggestions for the future:

  1. Have a sign-up list at the demo table where interested visitors could list their phone numbers and e-mail addresses.

  2. Add to the back of our guild handout flyer some basic information about polymer clay and supplies to bring to the first meeting or to get started.

  3. Consider having members do the demonstration in shifts.

  4. Members thought the display of our banner, raised and behind the demo table was excellent.

  5. On the demo table, have a display of finished projects that show the diversity of the medium, along with a sign that says, “You can do this with polymer clay.”

  6. We discussed adding two additional categories for the competition, one for childrens’ work, and one for miniatures. It was also suggested that we break beads and buttons into two separate categories.

New Business:

• Meeting Space: Penni Jo invited us to visit the spacious facility at Southern Oaks Recreation Center, where she teaches her Thursday night class. We have discussed the need for more space at our meetings, and this space would give us room to grow. However, it is not open on weekends, so we would have to change our meeting time.

Announcements: Angela updated us on several crafts shows and competitions in the area.

Library Drawing: The winning suugestion for purchase this month was The Polymer Clay Cookbook: Tiny Food Jewelry to Whip Up and Wear, by Jessica and Susan Partain.

Show and Tell: Guild members brought their state fair entries to show, and all were incredible! Most were put in the Hobby Lobby display case at the front of the store.

No raffle was held this month.

The Central Oklahoma Polymer Clay Guild made its first official appearance at the Oklahoma State Fair this year, taking part in both competitions and demonstrations.

Creative Arts Competition

The group sponsored the new Polymer Clay Creations category in the Creative Arts competition. There were 20+ entries (including at least 1 entry from outside the group) in the 4 classes. Esteemed group president Jane Linn walked away with first prize in 3 of the 4 classes, with Penni Jo Couch taking first in the other class. Jane also won the $25 Best of Show award donated by the group. See full results here. [PDF]

Polymer Clay Demonstration

On September 20, several group members spent the day demonstrating various polymer clay techniques to fair visitors. The demo tables were set up near the Creative Arts display cases, which proved to be a great spot. The group handed out lots of fliers and talked to many friendly and interested passers-by. Hopefully a few will join us at our next meeting!

Thanks to all who took part in the competitions and the demonstration — great work!

Photos courtesy of Shirley (top photo), Ed (middle), and Angela (bottom). More photos here.

After beginning September’s meeting with Show and Tell, we got right down to business, with six members in attendance.

Angela Mabray’s lesson involved making nametags embellished with 3-dimensional molded items. Angela, whose Crafty Goat blog is widely known for its carefully researched reviews of books and materials, began by discussing several mold-making compounds, noting their strengths, weaknesses, and their appropriateness for different applications. This was accompanied by a detailed handout. We then made a nametag base and transferred a toner-based printout of our name to it. Last, we created molds of some small items from colored clay and attached them to the tags. Pictured is a nametag in progress.

Thanks to Angela for a well-organized lesson! Few finished during the meeting, but we hope to see some beautiful nametags next month.

Business Meeting:

Old Business:

• Oklahoma State Fair Competition: Entries will be accepted September 12th from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., and September 13, from 12:00 noon until 5:00 p.m. Enter the grounds through Gates 3 or 4, located off May Avenue.

• State Fair Guild Demonstration: Angela distributed fair tickets and parking passes. She will e-mail everyone a map. It was decided that each member participating would choose a separate technique to demonstrate.

New Business:

• Hobby Lobby Display: Jane L. announced that she had a new sign made and had purchased a new stand for our Hobby Lobby display.

• Polymer Cafe Competition: Jane announced a contest sponsored by Polymer Cafe Magazine featuring faux techniques. She urged members to enter.

Reports:

Vice President April G. led us in planning topics for our upcoming meetings:

• October: Starry Night Cane and weave canes with Jane
• November: Share a Tip Day
• December: Faux Wood with Lee Ann
• January: TBA
• February and March: Hollow Vessels with April, a 2-part lesson

April asked whether we would be interested in a class on jewelry findings and their use. Everyone was in favor, so April will check with area bead stores to find a presenter. Additional program topics under discussion are calliedoscope canes, pietre dure mosaic, rose canes, polymer clay portraits, and mica shift.

Treasurer’s Report: Angela reported a balance of $501.01. We have 8 members.

Bottles of Hope: Nance R. reported that beginning next Tuesday, she will be teaching bottles of hope for the cancer support group during the second Tuesday of each month at Norman Regional Hospital.

Librarian’s Report: Jane L. brought attention to our newest issue of Polymer Cafe Magazine and Angela M. reviewed our newest library addition, Polymer Clay Color Inspirations: Techniques and Jewelry Projects for Creating Successful Palettes, by Lindly Haunani and Maggie Maggio. She described it as an excellent and exhaustive workbook, akin to a college course in color, which might be too thorough for some, but very helpful for others. Angela also praised Maggie Maggio for her newly begun online “Saturday School”, with weekly excercises that go along with the book. Her web site is www.MaggieMaggio.com

Announcements: Angela Mabray will be teaching a class September 27th at the Craft Weekend at Downtown DIY. She distributed cards. Craft Weekend will provide a location where people can come to participate in a full two days of crafting.

Drawing for a new library book: Polypens, by Linda Peterson was the winning item and will be purchased by the guild this month.

Bi-monthly Raffle: Winners of the raffle items were Nance, April, and Lee Ann. As winners, they will be responsible for bringing items for the next raffle, in November.

October Swap: October will be a swap month, and the theme will be “canes.” Any member may participate by bringing one, two, or three canes, adding up to a total of 3 inches of cane to swap with others.

Special thanks to our treasurer, April G., for once again taking notes during the August meeting in the absence of the secretary.

Seven members attended our August meeting, and President Jane L. also welcomed two guests, Julie and her daughter Anna.

We began with Show and Tell, with the majority of members present participating! Angela M. brought a necklace and bracelet. Penni Jo C. showed a tile made with the Pietra Dure technique, from Sue Heaser’s book. Sue M. brought a bracelet made with an unusual technique and a Bottle of Hope she made using one of the techniques we learned at our July meeting. Jane L. showed a small fish sculpture she made using the “lamella” technique. What an active and creative group of clayers we have! Reflecting our concern about transporting our clay in the car in the summer heat, Nance R. displayed an insulated bag she purchased to carry her clay. She bought it at Barnes and Noble.

Program: April Gregory taught us her technique for making several different flower canes. As always, she presented a great lesson.

Business Meeting:

Old Business:

• State Fair Entries: Jane reminded everyone of the August 15th deadline for submitting entry forms for the new polymer clay category. She handed out entry forms , although it is possible to register online at www.okstatefair. com/creativearts.asp.

• State Fair Clay Demonstration: Angela discussed our demonstration at the fair, scheduled from 2-7 p.m. on Sunday, September 20th. Six members, Angela, Jane, Nance, Sue, Lee Ann, and Penni Jo, stated that they would be available to participate. Angela suggested that everyone choose their own individual technique to demonstrate, and Penni Jo suggested that everyone could work on covering a medicine bottle for the Bottles of Hope program. Angela will be contacting the fair authorities to obtain parking passes and tickets for those participating.

New Business:

• Guild Hobby Lobby Display: Sue moved that the group replace the guild display board at the entrance of the Norman Hobby Lobby because it has become badly worn. The group voted to approve an expenditure of about $10.00 to replace it.

• Jane brought magnetic name tag clips for purchase. They are $1.00 each.

Reports: Treasurer’s Report: At last count, our balance was $506.46, and Angela said that about $10-12 more had been received since then. We currently have 8 members.

Meeting Schedule: Vice President April G. reviewed our program schedule as follows:

• September 12 - “Starry Night” Cane and Weave Cane, with Jane
• October 10 - Mold Making and Nametags, with Angela
• November 14 - Share a Tip Day
• December 12 - Faux Wood with Lee Ann

Bottles of Hope Report: Nance announced that the Bottles of Hope which we donated to Norman Hospital in June are on display in their cancer ward.

Library Report: Angela reviewed the book we ordered last month, Polymer Clay and Mixed Media Jewelry: Fresh Techniques, Projects, and Inspiration, by Shirley Rufener She stated that while she appreciated the variety of mixed media techniques introduced, the book itself seemed disjointed and lacking in cohesion.

Library Book Drawing: This month, the book Polymer Clay Color Inspirations: Techniques and Jewelry Projects for Creating Successful Palettes, by Lindly Haunani and Maggie Maggio.

Bi-monthly Guild Swap: This month was swap month, and items were to reflect a nautical or ocean theme. Angela and Nance participated.

Reminder: September will be a raffle month. July’s raffle winners were April G., Sue M., and Shirley C., and they will be responsible for bringing items for the next raffle.

Six members and two guests came to our July meeting. Our two guests had seen our Bottles of Hope at Norman Hospital and wanted to learn how to make them.

We began with Show and Tell. Sue M. brought some of the lovely work produced by the Full Circle Senior Day Care, where she volunteers. Nance R. showed two beautifully done clay-covered pens. She also circulated photos of a wonderful pottery sculpture made by our own April G., entitled “Hopi Woman.” The piece has been in an exhibit at a Tulsa gallery and was recently sold. Congratulations, April!

Program: We had a good time as April G. taught us two useful techniques: First, we made lamella, a loaf consisting of alternating layers of translucent clay and gold leaf. Slices of it can be used to decorate clay projects. Second, we learned a simple way to make a polymer clay striped slab. April provided excellent written instructions, complete with diagrams. By the end of the meeting, some had already applied their slabs to empty medicine bottles, well on their way to finshing Bottles of Hope! Thank you, April!

Business Meeting:

Old Business

• 2009 State Fair Polymer Clay Competition: August 15th is the deadline for submitting entry forms. It is now possible to register online: [http://www.okstatefair.com/creative_arts.asp].

• State Fair Polymer Clay Demonstration: Angela received confirmation that our demonstration is scheduled for 2-7 p.m. on Sunday, September 20. All members are asked to check their calendars bacause next month we will need to give the fair officials the exact number of particpants in the demonstration.

• Jane reminded us that Angela’s segment on HGTV’s That’s Clever is scheduled to air on July 20th.

New Business: There was no new business.

Reports: Vice President April G. announced the program schedule for upcoming meetings:

• August: Mica Shift with outside instructor and former member Christy Wright

• September:Starry Night Cane with Jane L.

• October: Mold Making & Nametags with Angela M.

• November: Share a Tip Day

• December: Faux Wood with Lee Ann K.

Treasurer: Our balance is $518.09, and our membership remains at 8.

Bottles of Hope: Regarding our donation of bottles to the oncology section at Norman Hospital last month, Coordinator Nance R. reported that they love the bottles. They requested cards with information about Bottles of Hope, and Nance will provide them. Nance also reported that she will be doing a BOH project with the hospital’s cancer support group in September. The support group meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month.

Library: LIbrarian Jane L. pointed out two articles of special interest to our guild in the newest issue of Polymer Cafe magazine, one on translucent layering, and one on steampunk. Jane had not seen our newest book purchase, Ancient Modern: Polymer Clay and Wire Jewelry, by Ronna Sarvas Weltman, before the meeting, so Shirley C. gave a review and included parts of a review Angela had published on her blog [http://blog.craftygoat.com].

Drawing for a New Library Book: Polymer Clay and Mixed Media Jewelry: Fresh Techniques, Projects, and Inspiration, by Shirley Rufener was the winning title and will be purchased for our library this month.

Bi-Monthly Raffle: Items were provided by the winners of May’s raffle. There were three winners this month, Sue M, Shirley C., and a mystery person who shall remain nameless until she comes forward and refreshes the secretary’s memory - at which time her name will be inserted here.

August Swap: The theme of our next swap will be “nautical/ ocean.”

Our June meeting included a special, long-awaited event. The Central Oklahoma Polymer Clay Guild presented a number of Bottles of Hope to the cancer care center at Norman Regional Hospital. These empty medicine bottles, decorated by our members with original clay designs, will be given to cancer patients at Norman Regional as a message of hope and encouragement. This was the first event toward culmination of a long-term project by guild members. The guild hopes to give away many more of its Bottles of Hope to cancer patients or survivors at other facilities. Pictured at right are, back row L-R: Penni Jo Couch; Lee Ann Kelley; Guild Bottles of Hope Coordinator Nance Ross; Eva Dilks, representing Norman Regional Hospital; and Guild President Jane Linn. Front row: Sue McCarrell and Guild Treasurer Angela Mabray. For an enlarged view, click on the image.

Seven members attended our meeting, and several brought items for Show and Tell.
Jane L. showed magnetic nametag backs that eliminate the necessity for clothing-piercing pinbacks. They can be ordered in bulk. Angela M. brought two projects she had made trying out Bakeshop Clay, using ideas from Polymer Clay Mixed Media Jewelry, by Shirley Ruffner. Sue M. brought a stamped pendant painted with metallic paint. Penni Jo C. brought projects she will be teaching at Southern Oaks Recreation Center in Oklahoma City in September. She also explained a method of laser image transfer using baking parchment. Jane L. and Shirley C. showed finished and partially—finished pieces they had made in the Kathleen Dustin workshop in Albuquerque, from which they had just returned the day before. A third member, April G., was still in Albuquerque, attending a second Dustin workshop. We look forward to seeing her projects.

Program: Nance R. led the group in a steampunk project. Nance provided some hardware for the steampunk look, and other members brought their own items. Each member designed a project, with some very creative results.

Right: Steampunk projects by (l-r) Penni Jo C., Lee Ann K., and Angela M.:

Business Meeting: Old Business:

• COPCG Banner: Jane thanked Angela for making a pen and pencil set as a thank you gift for the owner of Fast Signs, the company that made our banner. The group voted to reimburse Angela for expenses incurred.
• 2009 State Fair: Angela reported that the State Fair booklet has listed our new polymer clay category correctly. She brought entry forms and urged members to enter as many items as possible, in order to support the new category. Entrants are permitted one entry per class.

There was no new business.

Reports:

Program Coordinator: April G. reviewed our upcoming meeting schedule, as follows:

• July 11- Flower Canes with April G.
• August 8 - Mica Shift with guest Christy Wright

Treasurer: Angela M. reported a balance of $541.44 in our treasury. We currently have 8 members.

Librarian: Librarian Jane L. announced the arrival of our latest library purchase, The New Clay, by Nan Roche. Penni Jo gave book reports on two books in our library, Elegant Gifts in Polymer Clay, by Lisa Pavelka, and Creative Canes, by Barbara McGuire. She told us that the latter is crammed with great projects, but that the instructions are not very thorough. Jane conducted our monthly library drawing, and the winner was : Ancient Modern: Polymer Clay and Wire Jewelry by Ronna Sarvas Weltman. This book will be purchased for the guild library this month.

Tulsa Guild Swap: The swap with the Tulsa Polymer Clay Guild was completed, as swap items received from that group were distributed to those of our members who had participated.

July Raffle: Members who won the raffle in May will bring items for the July raffle. They are: Angela - one, Nance - one, and Lee Ann - two.

Announcements: Our own Angela M. was taped for a segment of HGTV’s That’s Clever some months ago. The segment may be aired on HGTV on July 20th.

Special thanks to April G. for taking notes and writing up these minutes in the absence of the guild secretary.

Our May meeting was held at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, where we did demonstrations at the Deluxe Craft Fair Bazaar. Members present were Angela, April G., Jane, Lee Ann, Nance, and Penni Jo. Various people attending the craft fair stopped by and chatted. Nance hosted several mini Bottles of Hope demonstrations for people who stopped by. Other members also participated in telling interested people about the merits of polymer clay. Angela’s new little son, Sam, paid the group a visit, and he is getting bigger and handsomer than ever. He was all smiles and quite the cutest thing around.

Show and Tell: Angela, April, Lee Ann, Nance and Penni Jo all brought many lovely items to display for the public.

Old Business:

• Guild Banner: The banner was generously supplied to us at half the original cost by the owner of Fast Signs. However, due to communication errors, our web address and the wording, “That’s Polymer Clay?” were left off the banner. The options are to either place the web address on the banner at a later time for no additional cost, or to have Fast Signs create a new banner with our original design concept, at an adfditional half price cost. It was decided to have the company add the web address and not incur any additional costs. Angela will be making a pen and April will be sending a note along with it as a thank you gift from our group to the owner of Fast Signs for his kind discount.

• State Fair Competition and Demonstration: Angela had no new information to report, but is still in communication with the State Fair staff. The demonstration will be at the state fair grounds during the fair in September.

• Guild Hobby Lobby Display: Jane presented instructions on how to set up the display case.

New Business:

• April informed the group of the upcoming Celebration of Life and Art Exhibit at the Troy and Dollie Smith Cancer Center at Integris Baptist Medical Center on May 15th. The exhibit is free and open to anyone wishing to express with their art form how their lives have been impacted by some experience with cancer. Entry forms were handed out.

• Angela will be attending the International Polymer Clay retreat in Chicago July 11-14. The Cost is $275.00 for the 3-day event. Several demonstrations and classes will be offered by well-known polymer clay artists.

Reports:

Upcoming Meetings:

• June 13: Steam Punk with Nance
• July 11: Flower Canes with April
• August 8: Mica Shift with former member and guest artist, Christine Wright
• September 12: Starry Night technique with Jane
• October 10: Mold Making and Nametags with Angela
• November 14: Share-a-Tip Day
• December 12: Faux Wood Grain with Lee Ann

Treasurer’s Report: We have six members, and our bank balance is $532.76

Library Report: Color Works, by Deb Menz is the newest addition to our library. It is a great reference book which discusses color in depth.

Bottles of Hope: Nance has been having trouble getting a response from the people she has contacted. April spoke with Pat Lynn Moses who is the art therapist for Integris Hospital’s Troy and Dollie Smith Cancer Center. She is interested in having somebody teach a Bottles of Hope class and is a great contact for possibly hosting a BOH event. The information was given to Nance, who will contact Pat Lynn Moses.

May 30th is our 5th Saturday, and Jane will ask Hobby Lobby if we can use the facilities.

Library Drawing: The title drawn for purchase next month is The New Clay, by Nan Roche.

Raffle: Angela and Lee Ann were the winners of the raffle. In June, we well have a swap. The theme will be “fruit.”

President Jane Linn led us through a multi-stepped technique for creating faux granite with clay. Choices of colors and additives led each of us to different, but equally convincing results. Thanks to Jane for working very hard to prepare this project! We ran out of time and had to postpone the lesson on the Starry Night effect for a future meeting. There were six members present, and we welcomed three guests.

Business Meeting:

Old Business:

• Deluxe Craft Fair: The guild will do a Bottles of Hope demonstration from 1-4 p.m. on May 9, at the state fairgrounds on Oklahoma City. Jane reported that we will have tables, chairs, and electricity available. Since the fair falls on our regular meeting day, we will try to hold our regular business meeting during the demonstration. Jane will notify everyone regarding what building we will be in.

• Display Case at Norman Hobby Lobby: Since no one volunteered last month to be responsible for an entire year of keeping our guild display updated, we decided to rotate the responsibility among members. Each member signed up to take responsibility for a two-month period. The schedule will be: May-June 2009, Nance; July-August, April; September-October, Lee Ann; November-December, Jane; January-February 2010, Shirley; March (unfilled); April 2010, Penni Jo.

New Business:

We decided to investigate the cost of having a sign or banner made for the guild to display when it does public demonstrations and projects. April G. will check on costs, and Penni Jo will design a banner with our logo. We set a $100 limit for the project and gave Penni Jo full authority to place an order within those guidelines.

Reports:

Programs: April surveyed the group regarding our interests for program topics. Our upcoming meeting schedule will be:

• May 9: Bottles of Hope Demonstration at the Deluxe Craft Fair
• June 13: Steampunk with Nance
• July, August, September: mica shift, mold making for nametags, flower canes (schedule pending)

Treasurer’s report: In the absence of our treasurer, Jane reported a balance of $587.38 and a current membership of 8 people.

Bottles of Hope: Coordinator Nance R. said our bottles now umber about 70. She has not heard back from Norman Regional Hospital.

Library Report: Jane announced last month’s new purchase had arrived: Making Miniature Food and Market Stalls, by Angie Carr. Also the February choice, Elegant Gifts in Polymer Clay, by Lisa Pavelka, had arrived.

Library Drawing: We held our library drawing, and the book ColorWorks, by Deb Menz, will be our next library purchase.

Bi-Monthly Swap: Nance, Jane, and Penni Jo all brought items to swap. The next swap will be held in June, and the theme will be Fruit. At our May meeting, we will have a raffle. As winners of last month’s raffle, Nance and Shirley will bring the items to raffle.

Show and Tell: Everyone enjoyed the items brought by Lee Ann, Jane, and Penni Jo.

We had fun at our March meeting, as member Nance Ross showed us how to make four different styles of bookmarks. The results were creative and varied! To see pictures of some of the completed projects, just click on the link to our Flickr site in the right hand column of your screen.

There were seven members present at the meeting, plus four guests who pariticipated enthusiastically!

Report of our business meeting:

Old Business: Jane pointed out that our Hobby Lobby display had not been updated for a long time and asked whether anyone would volunteer to take on this responsibility. No one present volunteered, so anyone who wishes to do this is asked contact Jane.

New Business

• Deluxe Craft Fair:- Angela had new information on the fair, which will be May 9, at the State Fair Grounds, and thought we might wish to reconsider our decision not to participate. She reported that we have been offered a free table for demonstrations. We decided to take advantage of this as a good time to demonstrate making Bottles of Hope. Since the fair falls on our May meeting date, we will count it as our meeting and hold our business meeting, if necessary, via e-mail.

• Oklahoma State Fair: Angela updated us on her discussions with the staff of the state fair. Our guild will have two 6-foot tables to do a demonstration on Sunday, September 20th, from 2 pm to 7 pm. Angela will need a count of participants at some point, and each participant may demonstrate a technique of his/her choice. Another exciting development is that we decided to initiate a separate polymer clay category for the state fair and sponsor a $25.00 prize for the “Best of Show.” We set up 4 classes for entries: 1. Sculptured; 2. Jewelry and Accessories; 3. Beads and Buttons; 4. Household and Functional

• Opportunites for future demos: - Shirley asked whether the group would like her to list our guild with the Art in Public Spaces Program. The coordinator of the program often receives inquiries regarding groups that will do public demonstrations. The members voted to do this.

Reports:

Upcoming Meeting Schedule: Vice President April G. led the group in revising our schedule as follows:

• April 11: - Faux Marble Stones with Jane and Flower Petal Cane with April
• May 9: - Meeting and demo of Bottles of Hope at Deluxe Craft Fair
• June 13: - Inclusions in Clay with Nance
• July 11: - Mica Shift (presenter not decided)

Treasurer’s Report: Angela reported expenses of $89.88 for our library, leaving a balance of $579.59. Currently, we have 8 members.

Bottles of Hope: Coordinator Nance said arrangements are being made to do an event at Norman Regional Hospital, date to be decided. The involved staff seems very supportive and has urged us to put messages in the bottles. Nance mentioned other possible partnership ideas she wants to pursue with the hospital.

Librarian’s Report: Jane gave glowing reviews of our two purchases for last month and also the newest issue of Polymer Cafe. Angela pointed out a useful tip in the magazine for maximizing oven space for group projects, suggesting we might want to adopt it for our meetings.

March Library Drawing: The book Making Mini Foods and Market Stalls, by Angie Scarr was selected for purchase this month.

March Raffle: Four raffle categories were brought for our bi-monthly raffle. Winners were particularly lucky this time: Nance (two items) and Shirley (two items). Nance and Shirley will bring raffle items for the May raffle. April will be a swap month, and the theme is “blue.” That should get creative imaginations flowing!

Show and Tell: Everyone admired the beautiful items brought by Lee Ann, Jane, and Nance.

We all felt so liberated after Sue McCarrell taught us to make our own shape cutters for use with clay, using galvanized metal and solder. How great it is to be able to create shapes that are not found commercially! We were also treated to another demonstration by Penni Jo on multicolor skinner blends for flower petals and laser transfer. She showed us some wonderful examples she had made. Such talented members! It was a great meeting!

Business Meeting:

New Business: April G. discussed the possibility of participating in the DeluxeOK Craft Fair on May 9, in Oklahoma City. Some wondered whether we could get one booth as a group, but it was decided not to pursue the idea at this time.

President Jane L. asked members whether they had preferences regarding placement of the business portion of our meetings. We decided we should be flexible, tailoring the schedule around the needs of the instructor each time.

Reports:

Our upcoming meeting schedule, as reviewed by Vice President April G.:

• March 14: Polymer Clay Bookmarks with Nance
• April 11: Faux Stone with Jane
• May 9: Making Nametags, Share a Tip Day, & Rose Cane Technique with Penni Jo
• June 13: Inclusions in Clay with Nance

Treasurer: Our account balance is $657.50, and we currently have 8 paid members.

Bottles of Hope: Coordinator Nance is trying to get in touch with the publicity coordinator of Norman Regional Hospital to arrange ana event. We have a good number of bottles ready to give away to cancer patients.

Guild Library: Jane gave our newest purchase, The Best of Bead and Button Magazine Polymer Pizzazz a very good review.

Library Drawing: We decided to purchase two suggested additions to our library this month. They are Elegant Gifts in Polymer Clay by Lisa Pavelka and Adapting Quilt Patterns to Polymer Clay by Judith Skinner and Sarajane Helm.

Swap: No one brought items for this month’s swap. March will be a raffle month. Last month’s winners, Sue M. and Angela M. will bring items to raffle, and our president asked that anyone else who would like to participate bring raffle items also.

Upcoming swap themes will be: April: Blue; June: Fruit.

Show and Tell: April, Jane, Nancy, Penni Jo, and Shirley brought items to show.

Eight members attended our January meeting, when Lee Ann Kelley shared her “Swirlies” technique for covering three-dimensional shapes, such as boxes or glass balls. She brought some inspiring examples for us to see. Using our extruders, we made long strings of clay in our chosen colors and used them to create intricate designs to cover an object. Everyone seemed to love the process and several commented how relaxing it was. Many thanks to Lee Ann!

Business Meeting:

Vice President April G. reviewed our upcoming program schedule:

• February 14: Soldered Cookie Cutters with Sue M.
• March 14: Polymer Clay Bookmarks with Nance
• April 11: Open

April circulated the list of suggested program topics, and the group brainstormed for more ideas. April will follow up on them.

Other Reports:

• Library: Jane L. reviewed our newest issue of Polymer Cafe Magazine. Penni Jo talked about a good book that is not in our library; The Art of Polymer Clay: Millefiori Techniques, by Donna Kato.

• Bottles of Hope: Coordinator Nance R. reported no new information. She will contact the PR Department of the hospital in Norman.

• Treasurer: Angela reported a balance of $379.47 and a total of 13 members. She also reminded us that annual dues are due this month.

New Business:

The following new officers were elected: - President: Jane L. - Vice-President: April G. - Secretary: Shirley C. - Treasurer and Webmaster: Angela M. - Librarian: Jane L. - Bottles of Hope Coordinator: Nance R. - Photographer: Nance R.

Announcements:

Angela talked about the DeluxeOK Craft Fair to be held on May 9, at the Oklahoma State Fair Grounds in Oklahoma City. Applications are now being accepted for this juried event. The booth fee will be $30. More information is available at [http://www.deluxeok.net].

Penni Jo announced that she had 1-ounce bottles of high gloss polycrylic varnish for sale for $1.00.

Library Drawing: Polymer Pizzazz, from Bead and Button Magazine won the drawing and will be purchased for our guild library this month.

Raffle: November’s raffle winners brought items for this month’s raffle. January winners were Sue M. and Angela M. These winners will bring raffle items for the March raffle.

February will be a swap month, and the theme is Birds. Other upcoming swap themes are: April - Blue and June - Fruit.

Member Nance Ross’s instruction made making leaf canes easy, as she led the five other members present in making a Christmas tree ornament. Thanks also to Nance for her excellent instructional handout. Some participants managed to go on to decorate their trees, while others will finish them at home.

Business Meeting: Angela reviewed the schedule as it stands for our upcoming meetings:

• January 10: Curly Strings with Lee Ann
• February 14: open
• March 14: Polymer Clay Bookmarks with Nance

Reports:

• Library: Jane gave a quick review of our two most recent purchases, Making Beautiful Beads, by Suzanne Tourtillott and Polymer Clay and Mixed Media Together At Last, by Christie Friesen.
• Bottles of Hope: Nance said that we have about 50 bottles completed. No firm plans have been made for how we will give them away.
• Treasurer: Angela reported income from the November raffle was $20. We spent $5.23 to ship our swap items to the Tulsa guild and to send a Bottle of Hope to Cindy M., leaving a new balance of $393.04. We currently have 13 members.

New Business:

Elections: Angela reminded everyone that new officers will be elected in January. The current list of nominees, including those who volunteered at the meeting, is:

• President: Jane L.
• Vice-President: April G.
• Secretary: Shirley C.
• Treasurer & Webmaster: Angela M.
• Librarian: Jane L.
• Bottles of Hope Coordinator: Nance R.
• Photographer: Nance R.

Angela asked that anyone else who would like to run for an office notify her by December 19th. She also thanked the current officers for their service this year.

Membership Dues: Angela reminded the group that our annual dues will be due in January. She will send out notices in the next couple of weeks with each member’s final amount due after discounts.

Inclement Weather: Members can watch the website and email list for meeting cancellation notices.

Library Drawing: Donna Kato’s new book, The Art of Polymer Clay: Millefiori Techniques was the winner and will be purchased for our library.

Bi-monthly Swap: No one brought items to swap this month. The theme for our next swap, to be held in February, is Birds. Next month’s raffle items will be brought by last month’s winners, Magi, Nance, Penni Jo, and Shirley.

There were ten participants at our November meeting, including two guests. We all had fun as Angela Mabray led us in making cute Christmas ornaments. Everyone seemed to have a slightly different take on the little mouse.

Member Sue M. gave everyone metal clay scrapers she had made. Thank you, Sue!

Business Meeting:

After introcuction of guests and members, Angela asked for reports.

Reports:

April G. announced our updated meeting schedule:

• November 29: Play Day in our regular meeting room at Hobby Lobby
• December 13: Christmas Trees with Nance
• January 10: Filigree with Lee Ann
• February 14: open
• March 14: Polymer Clay Bookmarks with Nance

Other reports:

• Library: Jane announced that the new issue of Polymer Cafe magazine had arrived and was ready to check out.

• Bottles of Hope: Nance announced that she had more bottles in her car, if anyone wanted to take some to work on.

• Treasurer’s Report: Angela announced our current balance at $386.42. Our membership currently stands at 14.

New Business:

• Workshop in Albuquerque: Shirley announced that Kathleen Dustin is scheduled to conduct two workshops in Albuquerque, NM in 2009: The first will be on June 10-11 and the second June, 13-14. Two members of our guild have signed up, and there is still more space. Shirley will email the contact information to anyone who is interested.

Announcements:

• Craft in America Exhibit: Shirley spoke about the current fine craft exhibit at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Center, which continues through January 18, 2009. The show is a traveling exhibit of work featured in the PBS documentary series, Craft in America. She urged members to see the exhibit and will e-mail members the dates of scheduled lectures.

• Penni Jo and Jane announced that they are having their first show during the craft show at Cleveland County Fairgrounds on Robinson in Norman, on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Everyone wishes them well!

For our library drawing, we selected Polymer Clay and Mixed Media Together At Last, by Christie Friesen, to be purchased for our library this month.

We held our bi-monthly raffle. Guest Magi, and members Nance, Penni Jo, and Shirley were winners. They will be responsible for bringing the items for our next raffle, which will be in January. December will be a swap month, and the theme is Angels..

What an interesting technique Jane Linn presented at our October meeting! With her guidance, eight members and three guests tried the layering effect, using layers liquid polymer clay, inclusions, and stamping. Thanks to Jane for all of her research in preparation for the meeting! Thanks also to new member Sue M., who had made sets of triangle cutters and very generously gave them away to any of us who wanted them!

Business Meeting:

Reports:

April G. reviewed our meeting schedule:

• Nov. 8: Christmas Ornaments with Angela
• Nov. 29: 5th Saturday Play Day
• Dec. 13: Christmas Trees with Nance

• Jan. 10: (Open)

• Library Report: Jane L. gave a very positive review of one of last month’s purchases, Polymer Clay Techniques, by Sue Heaser. It is available to check out.

• Bottles of Hope Report: BOH coordinator Nance R. announced that we may have about 50 bottles. Telemundo aired a story on our BOH project on September 19 at 5 and 10 p.m. It included interviews with Angela M. and Nance R. Angela said she had sent members a link where they could view the broadcast. Angela also reported that she has taken initial steps to set up a BOH donation event for our guild at Mercy’s Cancer Resource Center and was expecting a call back to set up a time to show them the bottles and discuss details.
• Treasurer’s Report: Angela reported a balance of $386.42 in our treasury. She had spent $11.74 to purchase more group clay at Hobby Lobby’s last sale. (Group clay is kept available for the use of first-time visitors.) Our membership currently stands at 14.

New Business:

• Guild Website: Angela has set up a section where members can set up individual pages listing their specialties, linking to their websites, etc. She has sent an email with instructions and asked whether anyone had questions.
• Elections: New officers will be elected in January. Angela reported that members may look at the list of officers and their responsibilities at [http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddcr7zzx_31ct2grp]. As officers are limited to serving two years, Angela will be stepping down as president.

Library Drawing: There were no suggestions for a new title to purchase this month.

Bi-Monthly Swap: Four members brought items to swap. Next month we will be a raffle month. Winners of last month’s raffle, Lee Ann and Sue, will bring raffle items.

Swap themes for upcoming months are: December: Angels; February: Birds; April: Blue; June: Fruit.

Our meeting ended with a show of beautiful items made by members, including some wonderful necklaces and very creative Bottles of Hope.

There were seven members and one guest at our September meeting. Before we adjourned, our guest became our newest member. Welcome Sue!

We had lots of fun trying out the mokume gane technique, under the tutelage of Nance Ross. Nance brought in lots of finished projects to show us, including pendants and covered pens and boxes. Thanks, Nance!

Business Meeting:

The schedule for upcoming meetings is:

• Oct. 11: Translucent Layering with Jane
• Nov. 8: Christmas Ornaments with Angela
• Nov. 29: 5th Saturday Play Day
• Dec. 13: Christmas Trees with Nance

Reports:

• Library: Jane called our attention to the newest issue of Polymer Cafe magazine, which will be added to our library. The August book selection had been postponed until September.

• Bottles of Hope: Angela reported that our news story, taped at Studio Mid-Del, was aired on News 9 five different times during the day on Tuesday, September 9. BOH Coordinator Nance reported that we have had several calls and one email regarding the story. A woman who is a shut-in cancer survivor, and credits her cure to a miracle from the angels, requested an angel-themed bottle after seeing Penni Jo’s angel bottle in the news story. Nance is working with the Telemundo television station on another BOH story to be taped sometime this coming week at Studio Mid-Del and invited the participation of anyone who can come. BOH Donation Event: Our BOH mentor, Cindy, has asked that, if possible, we hold our event at Mercy Hospital’s Cancer Resource Center. Angela has a contact name there and will follow up. Angela said she believes we could hold our event when we have at least 50 bottles completed. Nance said that we now have about 30.

• Treasurer: Angela reported a balance of $403.97 in our treasury and a total membership of 13.

New Business:

• Temporary Replacement for Vice President and Webmaster: April S. will have to step down from her duties for a while. April G. offered to take over program scheduling duties, and Jane offered to take pictures at the meetings. A replacement for Webmaster was not found.

Old Business:

• Meeting Space: Because we are growing too large for our current meeting space, Studio Mid-Del has been approached about the possibility that our guild could meet there. They will discuss it with their board.

• Swap with Tulsa Guild: Angela has not heard back from her contact at the Tulsa Guild, so no date has been set.

The themes for our bi-monthly swaps are:
- October: Harvest - December: Angels - February: Birds - April: Blue - June: Fruit

We held a drawing for library purchases for both August and September. The two books to be purchased are Polymer Clay Techniques, by Sue Heaser and Making Beautiful Beads, by Suzanne Tourtillott.

The three winners of July’s raffle brought items for this month’s event. Winners were Lee Ann and new member Sue. The winners will bring items for November’s raffle.

For Show and Tell, we had an outstanding display. April G. brought an experimental bowl in which she combined pottery with polymer clay. Penni Jo brought kimono pendants and earrings that she had made, using the brocade effect. Angela brought some Bottles of Hope she had completed.

Six members and two guests were present for our August meeting. Shirley led us in using two techniques to create ink jet transfers. Each transfer became a “tile” which can be used to make an elasticized bracelet. The instruction handout is available as a pdf file. Here is a link. InkJet Transfer Handout [PDF]

Future meetings are scheduled as follows:

• August 30: Play Day
• September 13: Mokume Gane with Nance
• October 11: Translucent Layering with Jane
• November 8: Open
• November 29: Play Day
• December 13: Open

Angela volunteered to lead a Christmas-themed project for our November meeting. She will try to reserve our Hobby Lobby meeting room for the August 30th play day.

In the business portion of our meeting, we discussed:

Bottles of Hope Project: Coordinator Nance announced that she now has about 30 bottles ready to donate to cancer patients. She requested that members help by e-mailing her some messages of hope that she could place inside the bottles.

TV News9, which taped some of our members making the bottles in July, has postponed airing the segment until a planned interview for the story can be completed. They will call Angela when it is set to air.

We discussed possible places for our first Bottles of Hope donation event. Angela will contact our project liaisson, Cindy Matteson, for recommendations.

Treasurer’s Report: Angela reported that we have a balance of $388.97, and our members currently number 13.

New Business: Bottles of Hope Challenge: The theme of this year’s national BOH challenge is “A Message of Hope.” The deadline for sending entries is December 15. For more information, contact Angela.

Munro Crafts Order: Jane reminded everyone who wishes to add items to her order to send her their lists, as she plans to place the order on Monday, the 11th. Items will be discounted fifty percent because of the size of the order.

Holocaust Children’s Memorial Butterflies: Nance talked about a request for handmade butterflies to be displayed at a memorial to the children of the Holocaust in Texas. She gave specifications for the butterflies and will make information available through our web site.

Meeting space: With our recent increased attendance, our present meeting space is becoming too crowded. Angela asked members for ideas for new meeting places. We discussed various possibilities. Nance will check with a place in Midwest City.

Swap with Tulsa Guild: Angela announced that the Tulsa Guild has chosen vessels as the theme of our inter-guild swap. She sent around a sign-up sheet for those who wish to participate. TheTulsa group has 6 members.

August Swap: Several people brought items for the birthday-themed swap. Jane’s item was birthday brownies, and she even allowed those of us who didn’t bring a swap item to have one! Angela asked for new ideas for the themes of our bi-monthly swaps. Our theme for the October swap will “Harvest”, and for December, “Angels.”

Reminder: Next month, instead of a swap, we will hold a raffle. July winners will provide the raffle items.

Library Drawing: As there were no nominations for the library drawing, we decided to postpone our August drawing until the September meeting.

Show and Tell: What a creative group! Several members brought beautiful items they had made.

Nine members and two guests gathered in July for our informal program on making beads. April S. demonstrated tools she has found helpful, including several bead rollers. Several members brought beads they had made in the past and shared tips. Everyone enjoyed experimenting with bead-making techniques.

Show and Tell: Members brought some beautiful things to show. Penni Jo brought clay thunderbirds she had designed for a customer. Nance and April showed beads they had made. Jane and Angela brought Bottles of Hope.

During our business meeting, Vice President April S. reviewed the upcoming meeting schedule, which follows:

• August 9: Ink-Jet Image Transfers with Shirley
• August 30: Play Day
• September 13: Mokume Gane with Nance
• October 11: Translucent Layering with Jane
• November 8: Open
• November 29: Play Day
• December 13: Open

It was noted that the August play day falls on Labor Day Weekend. We will discuss this at our August meeting.

Reports:

Library: Librarian Jane L. announced that the June selection for our library, The Human Figure in Clay, had arrived. She commented that it has wonderful detail.

Bottles of Hope: Coordinator Nance R. announced that she now has accumulated lots of finished bottles for our project. She still has lots of empty ones for anyone else who wants to decorate them. The Norman Newcomers Club may do more bottles this summer, and we will include them in our publicity when the time comes. Angela commented that Cindy Matteson has inquired about our progress with the project.

Treasurer’s Report:: Angela reported our balance as $405.44. Lisa became our newest member in June, bringing our membership to 13.

New Business:

Liability for Minors: Penni Jo voiced concern about the safety of children working with polymer clay tools at our meetings and the resulting liability issues for the guild. She suggested that we add wording to our “About ” page on our Web site, specifying an age (possibly 18) below which a person could not attend our meetings without a parent or supervising adult. There was general agreement that we should do this.

Tulsa Guild: Angela announced that the Tulsa group would like to get together for a play day. We discussed our scheduled play days as possible dates and churches or libraries as possible venues in the Oklahoma City area. Angela will call the guild to discuss possible dates.

Angela asked whether anyone would be interested in giving private lessons in jewelry making. We have received an inquiry through our Web site.

Library Drawing: The book selected for purchase this month is Polymer Clay Beads: Techniques, Projects, Inspiration, by Grant Diffendaffer.

Raffle: Penni Jo, April S. and Nance brought raffle items. Winners were Angela, Lee Ann, and Shirley. The winners will bring raffle items for our next raffle, which will be at our September meeting. We will have a swap at our August meeting.

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There were twelve people at the June meeting, nine members and three guests. Angela Mabray gave us an extensive handout detailing stamping techniques and various types of ink and their effects. She led us in making coasters using a stamping technique, with optional ink and various ways of coloring the clay. As always, there were lots of interesting and creative results among the members.

Business meeting: The meeting schedule, as far as planned, will be:

• July 12: Beads (all members sharing tips about bead rollers, making beads, etc.)

• August 9: Ink-Jet Image Transfers with Shirley

• August 30: Play Day

• September 13: Mokume Gane with Nance

• October 11: Translucent Layering with Jane

Treasurer’s Report and Membership: Angela reported that we have a balance of $418.20. She withdrew $14.00 in petty cash to help make change on raffle days. One member has had to drop out, bringing our membership to 12.

Library and Drawing: Jane reported that May’s library choice, Creative Canes: 30-plus Cane Techniques with Polymer Clay, by Barbara McGuire, had been received. This month, the book selected for the library is The Human Figure in Clay, by Mark A. Dennis.

Show and Tell: In addition to several Bottles of Hope brought by members, Penni Jo, April S., and Nance brought things for show and tell. Penni Jo announced that she will be teaching a polymer clay class for Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation. She also showed more of her inro projects and announced that she will be hired as an artist to teach inro at the Orlando Clay Fandango in Florida next March. Nan reported that her Bottles of Hope lesson at the Norman Newcomers Club was a great success.

Swap: This month was our first swap, and items followed a floral theme. Nance, April S., April G., Lee Ann, Jane, Penni Jo, and Angela swapped some beautiful floral clay creations.

Angela reminded the group that next month we will return to the raffle. Prizes will be provided by Penni Jo and April S.

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Nine people attended the May meeting, including 8 members (2 of whom had to leave before the lesson) and 1 returning guest. Penni Jo demonstrated the faux zebra wood technique, then showed us all how to make inros from a PVC pipe mold she provided. As always, the resulting projects were diverse & wonderful. Thanks to Penni Jo for providing such an in-depth lesson!

If you missed the meeting (or just need a refresher on some of the steps), you can find the handouts here.

Our upcoming meetings are:

• May 31: 5th Saturday Play Day at Penni Jo’s home
• June 14: Rubber Stamp Techniques with Angela
• July 12: Beads (all members sharing tips about bead rollers, making beads, etc.)
• August 9: Ink-Jet Image Transfers with Shirley
• August 30: Play Day
• September 13: Mokume Gane with Nance
• October 11: Translucent Layering with Jane

During the business portion of the meeting, we discussed the following items:

• Swap Theme: Starting in June, we will be doing a swap every other month (alternating months with the raffle). Our June theme will be Florals. If you would like to take part, just bring 1 polymer clay item that fits that theme. Everyone who brings an item will swap with another member. The type of object you make is completely up to you, as long as it fits with the theme. Participation is completely optional.
• Membership: Lee Ann K. became our newest member, which brings our member count to 14. Our balance is $417.26.
• Bottles of Hope: Several members brought back finished Bottles of Hope. Penni Jo told the group about a possible lead for obtaining classroom space to teach Bottles of Hope workshops. April G. entered one of her Bottles in the Integris Hospital Celebration of Life & Art Exhibit.
• Show & Tell: We took a few minutes after the business portion of the meeting to do a quick Show & Tell. It was a lot of fun to see what members have been working on. Jane suggested members also bring their completed projects from the previous month to show.
• Drawings: Nance donated 2 prizes for this month’s raffle. Penni Jo and April were the winners. The new library book selection is Creative Canes by Barbara McGuire.

Ten people attended our April meeting, including three guests, two of whom became our newest members. Welcome, Carole and Sharon! We all had a lot of fun as Nance Ross taught us how to make an articulated teddy bear. She brought three delightful examples, as well as pictures. As expected, each participant’s bear developed its own unique personality. Some participants had time to bake their bears, and others will finish at home.

Our raffle featured four drawings with items donated by April S., Nance, Penni Jo, and April G. Cassy won one drawing. It is alleged that the other three drawings were won by Nance’s three teddy bears, but they’re not talking, and neither is Nance!

The book selected in the library drawing was 400 Polymer Clay Designs, published by Lark Books. It will be purchased for our guild library this month.

Our upcoming schedule is as follows:

• May 10:Inro Box with Penni Jo
• May 31: Play Day. Location TBA.
• June 14: Rubber Stamping Techniques with Angela
• July 12: TBA
• August 9: Ink Jet Transfers with Shirley

During the business portion of our meeting, we discussed the following:

Angela, our treasurer, reported that our checking account total is $357.24. We now have a total of 14 members.

Angela read an e-mail message thanking the guild for its donations to Hearts for Heroes.

Angela announced that she is making application to the IRS for 501(a) non-profit status for the guild and asked for help from anyone who had been through the process before.

Angela recapped our play day discussion with Cindy Matteson regarding the guild’s future involvement with the Bottles of Hope project. She voiced her hope that we would commit to it, perhaps doing a once-a-year event at which we would donate our bottles to cancer patients. Nance has volunteered to be coordinator of our effort. It was suggested that members find out whether their local church youth groups might be willing to participate. Nance volunteered to teach these groups how to work with clay. Some members took home more bottles to decorate. Angela suggested that if members know a current cancer patient, they could give their bottle directly, rather than saving it for our event.

April G. brought up the possibility of bringing in a nationally known polymer clay artist to present a workshop, as the North Texas Guild has done. It was noted that the cost would be prohibitive for our small group, but we may look at the possibility of partnering with other groups in the region at some future time.

Thanks so much to everyone who came out to the Bottles of Hope Play Day, and thanks especially to our speaker, Cindy Matteson. Cindy was very sharing about her journey with breast cancer & her ideas for setting up a Bottles of Hope program locally. She even brought each of us a pink ribbon teddy bear!

We discussed the following:

• Cindy would love to see us have a special event in conjunction with a local hospital (perhaps Baptist or Integris Cancer Centers), where we deliver our Bottles of Hope to cancer patients & survivors. According to the organizer of the Kansas City event, we would need 75-100 bottles to make such an event worthwhile.
• Cindy suggested we might get high school art classes involved — not only would they enjoy learning about the clay and helping create the bottles, but this would help us build up our bottle supply. She knows some folks at the local high school and will help us look into this. Other similar possibilities mentioned were girl scouts and the YMCA.
• Cindy mentioned the possibility of putting together a few sample bottles, then making contact with the media, to start getting the word out about the program.

Angela created a handout with information on Bottles of Hope. She has made the handout and a video available on her site.

We had five people in attendance, and after Cindy’s talk, folks stayed around for several hours creating gorgeous Bottles of Hope. We ended up adding several bottles to our collection, and each person took home a few bottles to cover at home. We have lots of bottles (over 200), which will be available at all of our meetings for folks to take home and cover.

Thanks to all for a creative & fun-filled play day!

Seven members were present at our March meeting, along with two guests, Diana and Teresa. What fun we all had, as April Salcedo showed us how to make several types of canes using the extruder. Everyone was pleased to learn how much easier caning can be, using this tool. There were some beautiful results to take home and use in projects. April provided some excellent handouts.

We held our first raffle to benefit the library fund, and it brought in $16.00. Angela, April S., and Nance donated mold putty samples, texture sheets, a book, and a necklace. Raffle winners were Angela, April S., April G, and Nance. As we discussed in February, this month’s winners will bring the items for next month’s raffle.

The schedule for future meetings is:

• March 29: Play day hosted by Angela. Bottles of Hope will be discussed.

• April 12: Articulated Teddy Bear with Nance

• May 10: Inro Box with Penni Jo

• June 14: Rubber Stamping Effects with Angela

During the business portion of the meeting we discussed the following items:

• Treasury and Membership - Angela announced that we now have twelve members. Our treasury balance is $312.15.

• Dues - Because member points are awarded for service, we voted to make our membership year coincide with our administrative year, for easier accounting. Those whose membership renewal falls due before next January will pay a pro-rated amount. A full year’s dues will be collected from all members next January.

The library drawing was held as a raffle this month, with the winner choosing our next purchase. Stamping Effects in Polymer Clay, by Sandra McCall, was chosen.

Angela reminded the group of contest deadlines she had previously forwarded by email from the National Polymer Clay Guild. The deadline for Bead Dreams is April 14 and for Fire Mountain Beading Contest, April 15.

It was announced that www.artdolls.com is offering a free disk about Pro-Sculpt Clay with a dual order of art doll books.

Six members and one guest were present at our February meeting. Guest Nance Ross became our newest member. Welcome, Nance! Several members wore their own new polymer clay nametags, each unique and very creative.

In keeping with the season, heart projects were the order of the day. April Salcedo taught a technique for making pillow hearts with inserted wire loops for hanging. Most made hearts no larger than a quarter, regulation size for the Hearts for Heroes Campaign, and we produced quite a number to donate. Angela Mabray then taught how to make candy hearts, using molds she had made from actual candies. She provided laser-printed transfer sheets with typical candy heart messages, and in the end, we had produced some very realistic candy hearts suitable for a necklace or charm bracelet. Last, Cassy Salcedo demonstrated how to make a beautifully encased heart.

Our tentative schedule for the next few meetings is:

• March 8: Extruder Canes - April Salcedo
• March 29: Saturday Play Day - Bottles of Hope. Angela will host.
• April 12: TBA
• May 10: Inro Box - Penni Jo Couch

During the business meeting, we discussed the following:

President Angela Mabray announced that the first issue of Polymer Cafe had arrived for our library. She also reported that she had also used some of our funds to purchase a supply of clay for the group, as agreed last month. This clay can be used when needed for new attendees or for other purposes.

New member Nance brings experience from her former guild in California. At her suggestion, we decided to try holding a raffle at each monthly meeting. Members may bring anything they wish to donate that is related to polymer clay. The winner of the raffle will then be obligated to bring something for the raffle the following month. Although a price of three for $1.00 was suggested, no decision was made as to price. Nance and Angela volunteered to bring items for the March meeting.

Annual membership dues, which are $36, are coming due for some of the earliest members. According to the points-for-service schedule agreed upon in 2007, the first allocation of points has been made, resulting in a discount on this year’s dues for some members.

April reported that a representative of the Makins Corporation said the company would sponsor any event our group might decide to hold, by sending tote bags and other items. She also said that they stand by their products and will work with any customer who has problems.

The Norman Hobby Lobby, which provides our meeting space, also generously provides a small display space where we can promote the guild. We discussed recurring difficulties with the stand for display of our guild poster. April was again able to get it to stay upright, but the stand is showing wear. No decision was made about replacing it.

We held our monthly drawing for an additional purchase for the guild library. The DVD, “Sculpting Babies in Clay” was the winner for this month.

Note: Thanks to our newly-elected secretary Shirley for providing these meeting notes.

Six members and one guest, April Gregory, attended the January meeting. April became our newest member at the end of the meeting, giving us two Aprils among our membership.

Jane Linn led us through the fun process of creating faux pewter picture frames. Everyone had good results, and each person’s frame was unique. She also showed other ideas for faux pewter, including a cleverly constructed wine stopper and an intricately decorated knife handle. Jane also demonstrated how to make faux abalone and showed us multiple beautiful samples she had made as she tested and perfected the technique in preparation for the meeting.

The schedule for the next few meetings is below:

• February 9: Hearts for Heroes, which will be taught by three members.
• March 8: Extruder Canes - April Salcedo
• March 29: 5th Saturday Play Day - Bottles of Hope. Angela will host this meeting.
• April 12: To be announced

During the business portion of the meeting, we discussed the following items:

• Election of officers: The following slate of officers were elected for 2008:
  • President - Angela Mabray
  • Vice President - April Salcedo
  • Secretary - Shirley Conaway
  • Treasurer - Angela Mabray
  • Librarian - Jane Linn
  • Photographer - Cassy Salcedo
  • Web Master - April Salcedo
• Library Fines: The question of setting library fines for overdue books was discussed. The group decided that if a book is not returned after two months, the borrower will be fined $1.00 for each succeeding month. After six months, the borrower will be required to purchase the book.
• Silver Clay: Penni Jo suggested that rather than going to the expense and effort involved in preparation for a lesson about silver clay, those interested might do better to find a local silver clay group to visit. She announced also that she has a set of DVDs about silver clay which anyone may borrow. April mentioned that the Firehouse Art Center in Norman periodically teaches classes.
• Group Clay Purchase: Penni Jo mentioned that no more members had submitted orders for clay.
• Library Drawing: Making Polymer Clay Beads by Carol Blackburn was chosen to be purchased this month for the guild library. Angela announced that last month’s choice, a subscription to Polymer Clay Cafe, has been ordered and should be arriving soon.
• Membership Dues: Angela announced membership dues are due next month from the first three members who joined the guild.

We had 7 members and 1 returning guest at our December meeting, and with Penni Jo’s help, we all got to create cute snowman light switch covers. Penni Jo Couch did a wonderful job teaching the lesson — showing us not only how to cover the light switch plate, but also how to create a faux knit effect with polymer clay. Several members raved about how much fun they were having! If you missed the meeting, you can find all the instructions here.

Our upcoming meetings are:

• Jan. 12: Faux Techniques with Jane
• Feb. 9: Hearts for Heroes with Cassy, April & Angela
• March 8: Extruder Canes with April
• March 29: 5th Saturday Play Day
• April 12: Bottles of Hope (tentative)

During the business portion of the meeting, we discussed the following items:

• Bottle of Hope: Angela recently met with a local cancer survivor who shared information about a Bottles of Hope reception in Kansas City and offered some medicine bottles for our group to cover. The group agreed to schedule a Bottles of Hope-themed meeting, tentatively in April. Angela will check whether her contact would be available to share with the group during that meeting.
• Hope on a Rope Challenge: In other Bottles of Hope-related news, Amaco is holding a Hope on a Rope Challenge. Entries should include a mini-bottle, decorated for children, hanging on a necklace with beads made using AMACO Bead Rollers. Entries are due January 5, 2008.
• Group Clay Purchase: Munro Crafts sells clay and various other crafting supplies, and they offer 50% off retail prices on purchase totals over $200.00. Some of our members plan to put together a group purchase, coordinated by Penni Jo. Please get in touch with her ASAP if you would like to participate.
• National Polymer Clay Guild: Angela mentioned that the NPCG has started sending out regular e-newsletters including member news. If any members have polymer-clay related news (articles published, etc.), please let Angela know so she can pass the info along.
• Group Clay: The group voted to purchase a few bars of “group clay” the next time there’s a sale. The idea is to have some on hand in case members or guests need a little extra of a particular type/color of clay for a meeting project.
• Officers: Officer elections will be next month. People have expressed interest in running for all of the offices except Treasurer and Webmaster. Please contact Angela if you’re interested in running for one of these offices, or if you’re interested in running for President, Vice-President, Secretary, Guild Librarian, or Photographer.

We had 8 people at our November meeting & had a wonderful time learning all sorts of nifty things! April showed us how she does the watercolor/torn paper effect with polymer clay. She also squeezed in a clay extruded cane demo (which was met with much ooh-ing & ahh-ing) plus a demo on sanding and buffing polymer clay pieces for a great shine. Here’s copies of April’s handouts, in case you missed the meeting:

• Watercolor / Torn Paper Steps
• Quick Hand Sanding & Buffing Tips

And for those of you who missed the sanding/buffing demo or just want more info, April recommends checking out fellow member Christie’s sanding & buffing video.

Thanks to April for a great lesson!

Our upcoming meeting schedule is as follows:

• Dec. 8: Covering Switch Plates with Penni Jo
• Jan. 12: Faux Techniques with Jane
• Feb. 9: Hearts for Heroes with various member demos
• March 8: Extruder Canes with April

In the business portion of the meeting, we drew a new item for our library, a 1-year subscription to Polymer Cafe magazine. And speaking of Polymer Cafe, our own Penni Jo is in the latest issue — she’s even mentioned on the cover! Way to go, Penni Jo!

Dana joined the group (welcome, Dana!), so we’re now up to 11 members.

We discussed the Hobby Lobby display. Angela expressed concern that our poster had disappeared, but April found it after the meeting — it had just fallen behind the display case. April and Jane offered to help keep the display “fresh” by updating it with new items after the monthly meetings. If you have an item you would like to loan us for a month to display, please bring it with you to the next meeting.

We also discussed the upcoming officer elections in January. Shirley requested that the officer duties be posted, so that folks can read through them and consider which office they would like to volunteer for. Angela agreed & will be sending this information out to the email group.

We had seven people at our October meeting, & everyone seemed to have a spooky-good time. Cassy kicked things off by showing everyone how to sculpt Halloween pumpkins, then “angel” and “deviled” eggs. After that, Angela & Penni Jo demonstrated how to make a beaded spider using glow-in-the-dark clay & alcohol inks. (See Penni Jo’s beading diagram here.)

It was a free-for-all when card-swapping time rolled around. The five members who signed up for the ATC Swap (based on September’s ATC project) eagerly grabbed up each others’ cards. All the swappers brought — and took home — beautiful creations!

In the business part of the meeting, we discussed the schedule for the next two meetings:

• November 10: April will be teaching the Watercolor/Torn Paper technique (unless there’s a game conflict — in which case Angela will have a fall project to share)
• December 8: Penni Jo will be teaching how to cover light switch plates in polymer clay

Other upcoming classes include the extruder/cane technique and an inro project.

We drew two new book selections for the guild library:

• The Art of Polymer Clay Creative Surface Effects by Donna Kato
• The Art of Jewelry, by Katherine Duncan Aimone

Penni Jo showed us her preview copy of the Fall 2007 Bead Unique magazine, where her “Circling Dragonfly” article will be appearing. The article looks great, & she even mentioned the guild in her bio — so we’re all famous now!

Angela offered guild business cards for members to help spread the word about the group. The business cards, along with the fliers Penni Jo created, are now available on our new “Member Resources” page — so members can feel free to print these out as needed.

Angela also mentioned that officer elections will be held in January, and that we’re looking for interested volunteers to fill these roles: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Photographer, & Guild Librarian. Please be thinking about which role(s) you would be interested in filling.

We look forward to seeing everyone at the November meeting!

Three members showed up for the September Play Day, where we snacked on goodies provided by our host, Penni Jo (thanks!), and learned all about photographing our work. Penni Jo showed us her photography set-up, where we snapped a few photos. We then moved to the computer to learn how to optimize those photos (and scans) using Photoshop. A very informative & enjoyable meeting!

In the business portion of our meeting, we discussed the following items:

• The National Polymer Clay Guild will be having its Synergy Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, February 21-23, 2008. Registration begins tomorrow. Angela handed out postcards to the attendees with additional information (more postcards will be available at the next meeting). Or you can find out more on their website.
• Penni Jo offered additional ideas for future meeting topics: how to make an Inro box, and how to do the torn paper technique. Anyone interested in demonstrating these techniques for the group? If so, give me a holler!
• Jane suggested we might consider holding the Play Days in a different section of town for the members who don’t live in the Moore/Norman area. Those in attendance agreed.
• Angela handed out some business cards she made up with guild information on them. These will also be available at the next meeting.

Thanks to Penni Jo for hosting a very enjoyable Play Day!

Six members and one guest attended the September meeting. We had a fun time making Artist Trading Cards (ATCs), with members trying various techniques — skinner blend backgrounds, transfers, rubber stamps with mica powders, molding, antiquing — and even a beach scene complete with sand & shells! April also shared a successful inkjet transfer she had done using JetprintPhoto Imaging & Photo (Matte) paper (available at Wal-Mart, $10.00 for 100 sheets). Thanks to everyone who attended. And a special thanks to Jeanne Rhea of Heart of Clay for sending along gorgeous sample ATCs for us to drool over!

When we finished playing, we discussed the following business items:

• Group Swap: We will hold a swap at the October 13th meeting for anyone who wants to swap ATCs. You may participate regardless of whether you attended the September meeting. To get an idea of the number of cards each person needs to make, please RSVP by September 22nd if you’re interested. We will be organizing this swap via our mailing list, so be sure to sign up for the list if you haven’t already.
• Other ATC Swaps:
  • There’s a polymer clay tree-themed ATC swap listed on Swap-bot with a sign-up date of September 15th. This one is open to newbies, so it’s a good place to get your feet wet if you haven’t done a swap before. You might even consider incorporating one of your leaf canes from our June meeting.
  • Looking for more swap action? Here’s a list of all of Swap-bot’s current ATC swaps.
• The group modified, then voted on, the points reward system. Here is the system we unanimously decided on:
  • Members will earn 2 points for each book or video they donate to the guild library.
  • Members will earn 4 points for each lesson they teach or co-teach.
  • Members will earn 8 points for holding an office for a year.
  • At the end of the year, points will be calculated. For members who’ve earned 11-20 points, their yearly dues will be discounted $2. For 21-30 points, dues will be discounted $4. And for 31+ points, dues will be discounted $8.
• We held our first drawing to start populating our guild library. The two winning books (which should be ordered in time for the next meeting) were:
  • Faux Surfaces in Polymer Clay: 30 Techniques & Projects That Imitate Stones, Metals, Wood & More, by Irene Semanchuk Dean
  • Polymer Clay Jewelry, by Debbie Jackson.
• We discussed holding a joint meeting with the Tulsa guild, probably next spring. We’ve been emailing them to start arranging something like this and will keep everyone posted.
• We discussed the schedule for the rest of the year, and decided we should not have the 5th Saturday Play Day that would normally be scheduled for December 29th, since most people will probably be out of town or otherwise busy with holiday festivities.
• We decided on plans for the next two meetings & discussed additional ideas for meeting topics. If you are willing to teach us one of the unassigned topics, please get in touch.
  • September 29th Play Day - Photographing your Artwork - Penni Jo.
  • October 13th - Halloween Project - Cassy (Deviled & Angel Eggs) & Angela (glow-in-the-dark clay)
  • Covering Switch Plates - Penni Jo
  • Extruders & Canes - April
  • Christmas Projects
  • Ink-jet Image Transfers
  • Rubber Stamps & Clay
  • Faux Techniques
  • Beads & Bead-Making

We look forward to seeing everyone at our September 29th Play Day!

We had a smallish-turnout for our August meeting — but we still had a lot of fun! There were 4 people present for our “Sculptures Inspired by Christi Friesen” lesson — our teacher April Salcedo & her daughter, Cassie; Angela; and first-time visitor (and brand new member!) Shirley. April explained how to make the starfish first, then a baby turtle. She also went over some of the goodies in Christi Friesen’s various books. Everyone seemed to have a great time creating beautiful marine life.

Because we had such a small group, those in attendance decided to hold off til September on the library and points system discussions. We decided that the September 8th football game would probably not cause traffic problems since the game starts at 11. No other games’ times have been announced, so we’ll play it by ear on the next few meetings.

The next meeting will be September 8th, when Angela Mabray will be teaching how to make polymer clay Artist Trading Cards. Hope to see you then!

Our July meeting was in a new location — the Hobby Lobby in Norman — & I have to say I was impressed. The store is right off the interstate and easy to find. Not only did they give us a nice big spot to advertise in their front display case, but they were also extra-friendly — peeking in on our meeting a couple of times, asking if there was anything they could get for us. The longer meeting time was nice, too — allowing a much more leisurely pace for finishing & baking projects. We had more than enough room for the 7 people in attendance — and we think creative table arrangements would be possible for seating our larger groups. Those in attendance seemed happy with the new meeting location for now, though football season may create some challenges (more on that below).

Penni Jo & Sue did an excellent job teaching us the Explosion Accordion Folded Album. Not only did the group get instructions on folding the paper into an album — but we also learned about using Ultra Thick Embossing Powder (UTEE) with polymer clay to create a glass-like window. As usual, there were lots of different artistic interpretations of the project & plenty of creativity to go around. See a few photos of completed projects here. If you were at the meeting, we’d love to see photos of your project too — feel free to contact us if you need help adding your photo to our Flickr pool.

In the business portion of our meeting, we talked about the following items:

Our leaf cane demonstration went great — with various members “catching the caning bug.” Pictures are available on our Flickr! group — & thanks to our new group photographer, April, we even have pictures from during the meeting! Thanks to everyone who came, and thanks especially to Christie Wright of DragonflyLane for doing a great job teaching.

A few notes from the business portion of our meeting:

• Our next play day will be held June 30 — but it’s being held at a new time and place! Angela has offered to host the June Play Day at her house, starting at 5 p.m. and continuing as long as folks want to stay. We’ll plan to have some snacks & drinks available — if you have something special you’d like, please bring it. And bring a couple of bucks if you’re interested in pitching in for pizza. We thought we’d try having the play day at a home so our time isn’t as limited. Hope you’ll come join the polymer clay party!

For the May meeting, Angela Mabray (who sells crafts at CraftyGoat.com and blogs about crafts at CraftyGoat’s Notes) taught the group how to cover pens with polymer clay. The pens were a lot of fun, & we ended up with some very nice ones. Check out our Flickr pics for some examples.

Pen-covering Notes

Angela brought the following types of pens, all of which are oven-safe:

• Papermate FlexGrip Ultra (difficult to find) or Papermate Flexgrip Elite (available at Office Depot)
• Amazing Twist Pen from Boston Clayworks
• Keychain Pens from Penn State Industries

Some other potential oven-safe pen candidates are listed below — but you may want to check these in the oven without clay first, to make sure they hold up okay:

• Bic Round Stic (white, not clear)
• Bic Soft Feel Stic
• Pilot Bettergrip
• Rose Art’s Great Grips
• Zebra F-301 ball point pens

Angela showed the group how to cover the barrels and re-assemble the pens. She also pointed out a couple of interesting alternatives to standard pen-covering:

• Covering a copper tube with clay, then inserting a pen refill.
• Covering a bamboo skewer with clay, removing the bamboo skewer while still warm, then inserting a pen refill.

See more about these ideas, along with a full list of potential pens to try, at Glass Attic’s pen page.

Other Group Business

• Angela reminded the group that the Bottles of Hope Challenge deadline was extended til June 1st, so members still have a chance to submit their entries. She also mentioned the National Polymer Clay Guild’s request for Synergy presentation proposals.
• Penni Jo had forwarded information about Munro Crafts, an online craft store that gives a 50% off orders over $200. Angela told the group about it, saying she’d send out the link so folks could decide if they wanted to put together a group order.

We had a new record attendance at the May meeting with 12 people. We’re so glad y’all came out & hope to see you again soon!

Christie Wright did a great job demonstrating the mica shift technique at April's guild meeting. Mica shift involves using metallic clays and rubber stamps, then shaving off the top layer to leave an illusion of texture. We had five people there -- and at one point of another, I think every person ran their fingers over the clay surface and expressed amazement that it was smooth instead of textured. It's a fun technique, and Christie was a wonderful teacher. If you couldn't make the meeting, be sure to catch her mica shift video.

Although time didn't allow us to properly sand and buff the beads -- which really heightens the illusion -- Christie brought some of her tools and explained the process. She also gave us a handy tip about a place called Harbor Freight, which has a location just around the corner from the Hobby Lobby where we meet. That's where she got the tools she showed us -- a Chicago 3" Multipurpose Bench Grinder and an Enkay 5 Pc. Buffing & Polishing Kit. The prices she mentioned sounded great, so it might be worth a visit. You can also order on their website, but Christie said their online selection varies a bit from their in-store selection.

In the business portion of the meeting, we discussed the following items:

• Penni Jo Couch won the group's logo design contest. She also created the miniature logo we're now using as our Flickr! group logo, and a "Proud Member" logo that's available to everyone who's paid their dues. Thanks to Penni Jo for her excellent logo work!
• Angela has sent out membership profile pages for those who have paid their dues. Members have the option of including their information on okpolyclay.com.
• Our group has 6 members, with $189.37 in the treasury. A check for $25 will be issued for the contest award. [Note: Another member joined after Saturday's meeting, so we're now up to 7!]
• Angela recommended a points system for rewarding members' contributions to the group. Members could earn points over the year by doing things like teaching a lesson or holding an office, then the next year's dues could be discounted based on points earned. She offered to write an email to the group with more specific suggestions.
• Upcoming Events:
  • Bottles of Hope Designer Challenge Contest: Entries must be received by May 1st.
  • May 12 Meeting: Artist Trading Cards with Angela Mabray
  • June 9 Meeting: Leaf Canes with Christie Wright
  • June 30 Play Day: Open
  • July 14 Meeting: Accordion Books / UTEE with Penni Jo Couch and Sue Kerr

Our March Play Day focused on Bottles of Hope — and while this was our first experience with Bottles of Hope, it almost certainly won’t be our last! We had a wonderful time creating these bottles while sharing stories about loved ones. Amaco (makers of Fimo clay) very generously donated packets of their clay for us to use in creating the Bottles of Hope. And Penni Jo brought Cracker Barrel bottles for everyone to cover. Thanks to everyone for their generosity!

The group brainstormed topics for future meetings — and it sounds like we’ve got a lot to look forward to! In addition to our mica shift project in April, we discussed the following (still-tentative) items:

• May: Artist Trading Cards
• June: Christie will teach us how to make and reduce leaf canes. Her lesson will include the Skinner blend technique
• July: Penni Jo and Sue will demonstrate how to make an accordion book, featuring Ultra-Thick Embossing powder

A couple of other ideas were mentioned, such as suspending something in liquid clay (similar to Donna Kato’s layered dichroic effect) or a glass-like heart necklace. Interested in teaching something? Interested in learning about a different technique? Please get in touch.

The group also discussed discounting membership for multiple members in the same family. The group voted to set the policy as follows: For family members 18 years old and up, the charge for the additional family member will be 50% of regular dues ($18/year). For “junior members” (less than 18 years old), the yearly dues will equal their age — e.g., $10 for a 10-year-old.

Our next meeting will be April 14th, when Christie Wright will be teaching us to make mica shift beads.

Thanks to Penni Jo Couch for writing up the minutes for the March 10th meeting.

Penni Jo started the meeting by showing three necklaces that could be made using similar techniques. Each person picked up a project sheet for the necklace of their choice.

• Faux Silver with AB crystal
• Burgundy Rose with leaves and earrings
• Spring flower cluster with Jonquil crystals and matching butterfly earrings with Peridot crystals

Members then followed these steps:

What a great meeting! We had our biggest crowd yet & the creative juices were really flowing.

Our February project was heart-shaped polymer clay boxes, inspired by one of Lisa Pavelka’s projects in Elegant Gifts in Polymer Clay. Angela Mabray demonstrated making cookie-cutter boxes by wrapping a long strip of polymer clay around the outside of the cookie cutter. Bake the clay on the cookie cutter, then slide it off for a cool all-clay box. The box sides can be used as a template for the matching box top and bottom. And if you need an extra-special touch? Penni Jo Couch showed the group how to glue PolyFill and velvet onto a cardboard cutout to make a wonderful box bottom. This simple step made the boxes look like very nice gift or jewelry boxes.

We had a great time playing with clay at our first 5th Saturday Play Day. Three people attended: Penni Jo, Sue, and Angela. We created — and ate — fortune cookies, and we all learned a thing or two. Read on for more details…

Central Oklahoma Polymer Clay Guild held its December meeting on Saturday, December 9th. We had a brand new meeting place and a bunch more faces -- and we had a blast making Christmas ornaments together. Read on for all the details...

The Central Oklahoma Polymer Clay Guild held its first meeting Wednesday night — and we had a great time! There are still some questions that are up in the air — the most pressing being where to meet (ideas, anyone?). But this meeting was a great start & we’ve got a lot of fun things planned already! Have anything you want to add to the discussion? Please let us know! And we hope you’ll join us for next month’s meeting, on December 9th!

Read on for the notes from the meeting…