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May 2007

May 2007 Meeting Notes

Watercolor PenFor 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!

May Meeting: Polymer Clay Pens

Since several people had asked about pens recently, May’s meeting will be about covering pens with polymer clay. Angela Mabray will show the group the basics of covering pens with clay and will share some ideas for creating your own. Angela will also demonstrate the mailbox pen she’s making as part of her upcoming taping for That’s Clever.
Here are the meeting details:
* When: Saturday, May 12, 2007, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.
* Where: Hobby Lobby at I-40 and MacArthur, 6104 West Reno, Oklahoma City, OK. (The classroom is in the very back of the store.)
* What to Bring:
* Clay: If you would like to make a mailbox pen, then brown and silver work well. Otherwise, bring whatever you like! Angela will have some Ultralight Sculpey to share if you’re doing a big design.
* Oven-Safe Pens. Note: If you don’t have pens & don’t want to invest in a whole package, Angela will have these options available at cost: PaperMate FlexGrip Elite ($0.75), Penn State Industries Mini Keychain Pen Kit ($3.25), Boston ClayWorks Amazing Twist Pens ($3.25)
* Tools: Pasta Machine, a clay cutting tool, TLS, and anything else you think you might want
Pens are an addictively quick and fun project — we look forward to seeing you there for this great meeting!

Read More »May Meeting: Polymer Clay Pens

NPCG Seeks Proposals for Synergy Conference

The National Polymer Clay Guild (NPCG) is looking for presentations for their February 2008 Synergy Conference in Baltimore, Maryland.

“Is there something you are doing or information that you would like to share with the polymer community? If you have an idea for a seminar go to http://www.npcg.org for easy directions on how to submit your proposal. You can submit up to five separate proposals, so be creative!”

The deadline for proposals is May 15th. See the NPCG site for more information and the online proposal form.