Crafty

Good news! I just heard from Mary Davis in Tulsa, and she reports that the new Tulsa Polymer Clay Guild will have their first meeting on March 3, 2007. They’ll be meeting at the Martin Regional Library on the first Saturday of every month. I’ve added the listing to our calendar (see sidebar) so folks can keep track of the meetings.
Mary asked about the possibility of a joint meeting sometime, which sounds like fun — and I know Penni Jo’s already expressed interest in a swap with our neighbors to the north — so it’s great to hear that the group is coming together. Best of luck, Mary!

*** UPDATE 1/12/07: Due to the ice storm that’s just rolled into town, we’re cancelling the January 13th meeting. We’re looking into the possibility of re-scheduling, so watch this space (or sign up for our mailing list) for updates. ***
Have you heard of Artist Trading Cards (ATCs)? They’re 2.5″ x 3.5″ cards that artists make and trade — a great way to meet other artists, share techniques, and show your personal style. (Read more about ATCs here.)
At the Central Oklahoma Polymer Clay Guild’s January meeting, we’ll learn how to make Artist Trading Cards from polymer clay. Deena Parsons has offered to demonstrate how to make these cards, so we can all be ready for the ATC swap we’ll be doing at our next meeting!
If you haven’t taken one of Deena’s polymer clay classes (she teaches at and Bear Makes 3 in Moore and the Firehouse Art Center in Norman, along with various other places around the country), you’ve gotta come see what you’ve been missing! Deena was active in the Dayton area polymer clay guild before she moved back to Oklahoma (hmm… maybe she can give our guild some pointers, too!). Now she’s a full-time artist, and she owns an up-and-coming rubber stamp company called DP Artworks. Deena’s a lot of fun — we guarantee you’ll have fun and learn a ton when she’s in the room.
Angela will be bringing a few ATCs she received in a recent swap to show as examples. If you’ve got some, feel free to bring them along, too.
Here are the meeting details:
* When: Saturday, January 13, 2007, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. [See weather update above]
* 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 (any colors you like) and any clay tools you think you’ll want.
* Any embellishments you might want for your ATCs — i.e., small beads, trinkets or charms. If you want to transfer words or images, bring toner-based mirror-image print-outs/copies.
* Dues! It’s time to pay club dues of $36/year. (If you need to break it up into smaller payments, that’s fine.)
We will provide a couple of toaster ovens and a couple of pasta machines… and lots of fun and encouragement! It’s going to be a great meeting. Don’t miss it!

Feeling a little stressed from all of the holiday events? Come play with clay with us — it’s guaranteed to be relaxing and fun! This December has 5 Saturdays, so we’re holding our (first) “5th Saturday Play Day.” Play days are less structured than our regular meetings — a chance to come and work on whatever you like.
Since the new year is upon us, a few members plan to make one of these Chinese New Year bracelets. If you want to make one too, the necessary supplies are listed on the project instruction page — but keep in mind that you may need extra supplies if you want handmade vs. store-bought beads. Or if you want to work on your own thing, bring whatever you’ll need for that.
Here are the meeting details:
* When: December 30, 2006, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.
* Where: Hobby Lobby at I-40 and MacArthur, 6104 West Reno, Oklahoma City, OK
* What to Bring:
* Whatever clay and tools you think you’ll want for your project.
We’ll provide a toaster oven or two, and some real fortune cookies for us to use as models… or, well, to eat! Hope you’ll join us for a fun time!

Come make this cute polymer clay ornament with us at the Central Oklahoma Polymer Clay Guild meeting on December 9th. Penni Jo Couch has offered to bring some of her Sweetbrier Studio Let It Snow molds for us to use. We’ll be making a holiday ornament like #4 on this page. We’ll also do a show-and-tell of *your* holiday ideas — polymer clay ornaments, gifts, jewelry, whatever! Come share some holiday spirit with us!
Here are the meeting details:
* When: December 9, 2006, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.
* Where: Hobby Lobby at I-40 and MacArthur, 6104 West Reno, Oklahoma City, OK
* What to Bring:
* Clay: pearl, white, blue, black — or any other colors you think you might like for your project
* A 3″ diameter Glass Ornament (or you can purchase them at meeting time for $1.25 each)
* Any clay tools you think you’ll want, additional acrylic paints if desired, a paintbrush or two, etc.
We will provide the molds, a few colors of acrylic paints (black, orange, white, & gold) and a few paintbrushes.
Hope you’ll join us!
[Note: Updated 12/5/06 with place AND new time. We had to push it back a bit because of classroom availability at Hobby Lobby.]