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September 2008

September 2008 Meeting Notes

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:
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**Oct. 11:** Translucent Layering with Jane
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**Nov. 8:** Christmas Ornaments with Angela
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**Nov. 29:** 5th Saturday Play Day
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**Dec. 13:** Christmas Trees with Nance
**Reports:**
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**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.
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**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.
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**Treasurer:** Angela reported a balance of $403.97 in our treasury and a total membership of 13.
**New Business:**
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**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:**
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**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.
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**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:
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**October:** Harvest
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**December:** Angels
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**February:** Birds
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**April:** Blue
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**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.

September Meeting: Mokume Gane

This month, Nance Ross will be teaching a Mokume Gane project. Here’s a summary from Nance:
Most of our Guild members have already done some makume gane projects in the past, so for the benefit of new members, we will do a basic stack of thin layers of clay, do the usual holes and/or texturizing, and add a few inclusions. The end result is to make some slices that can be used to cover an altoid tin, a ball of scrap to make a fan pull, or pendant, or other useful and attractive project.
This is planned to be an interactive exchange of ideas on what to add, what products work well with clay (inks, foils, leaf s of various kinds, paints, inclusions etc.) and ways in which to add textures and depth to impressions in the brick prior to stacking. Ways to use the patterns produced on useful and decorative item will also be discussed.
* When: Saturday, September 13, 2008, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
* Where: The new Hobby Lobby in Norman, 2417 W. Main, Norman, OK. (The classroom is up front, near the check out stands. Go right after entering & it’s the first door on the right.)
* What To Bring:
* Your ideas to share.
* The usual rollers, slicers, work space, plus three or four of your favorite colors of clay that work well together, pre-rolled to the desired thickness (new members will have the chance to roll their own at the meeting, if you are not sure how to do it for Makume Gane), and any product or inclusion you wish to use, knitting needles or other implements for making holes through the stack of clay, and any example you wish to share of completed projects done with makume gane as a start to creating the project.
* Also might be useful to bring materials for taking notes, as this should be a meeting packed with lots of ideas…..just in time for making Christmas gifts!
Reminder: We will be having a raffle this coming meeting. The prizes are to be provided by Angela, Lee Ann, and Shirley. Members will purchase tickets and place their tickets in a container for the prizes they would like to win. The winners take home the prize and are to provide a prize the next time we have a raffle (every other month).

Bottles of Hope Program Featured on News9

News9.com Bottles of Hope VideoThe Central Oklahoma Polymer Clay Guild’s participation in the Bottles of Hope program was featured on News9 This Morning (see Group Bottles Hope under Featured Videos).
Our group became actively involved with Bottles of Hope in March after local cancer survivor Cindy Matteson shared her story with us. Since then, we’ve created about 40 bottles (view some of them here). Some of the bottles were created in guild meetings, some in classes with community groups like the Newcomers, and many by group members working on their own at home.
Once we have 50-75 bottles, we plan to hold an event at a cancer treatment facility, where we can give these bottles to cancer patients and survivors.
If you have questions about Bottles of Hope, please contact us. If you would like to get involved, we welcome you to create and donate your own polymer clay-decorated Bottles of Hope. (Here’s more info on making Bottles of Hope.) And as always, feel free to visit one of our meetings to learn more about using polymer clay. We meet the second Saturday of every month at the Hobby Lobby in Norman.
Thanks to the group members and class participants who came out and made bottles, to Studio Mid-Del for hosting our bottle-making session, and to News 9 for the great story!