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June 2009

June 2009 Meeting Notes

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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.
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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.

June 13, 2009 Meeting: Steampunk

Our next meeting is June 13, 2009, 1-4p.m., and we’ll be back at our normal location, the Norman Hobby Lobby (2417 W. Main, Norman, OK). Nance Ross will be sharing her knowledge. Here’s the write-up, straight from Nance:
At our meeting, we will have a guest from Norman Regional Hospital to pick up 20 BOH for distribution in their cancer ward. Eva Dilks will be representing the hospital.
Also, we shall be playing with the latest craze in Polymer……Steampunk! Sooooo start designing your project to do on Saturday, incorporating the nuts and bolts of the mechanical world into your clay designs. I have some on hand…..and they weren’t easy to find, since the watch shops are mainly messing with electrical watches these days, and cog wheels and such are rare. I had fun shopping in many places, and will have some free supplies on hand, and others for sale for what I paid for them. Usual clay and tools will be needed…..and lots of creativity and original ideas!
If you are looking, I suggest you hit sporting goods/bait shops (one of the few mechanical things readily available are parts for fishing reels….check out 10th St. a block from Douglas in Midwest City for a good supply and a friendly shop owner. Another likely place is hobby shops that sell to model airplane makers….and they are helpful!
I will have a limited supply of examples, plus lots of fun things you may want to use in your designs…..so we will have a good time designing some fun stuff, and donating some of our hard work on Saturday, June 13th.

May 2009 Meeting Notes

*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.”