News

No meeting this month, instead we have our wonderful retreat!  I thought it would be good to post the list of items you will need to bring for the classes.

There are  a few things that we need to do in preparation for our retreat.

Eugena has listed a few items that will be needed for her classes.

For an expanded description of the classes check out her blogposting:

http://polymertutorials.blogspot.com/p/eugenas-classes.html

In the OPENWORK PENDANTS class, you will be making a pendant using just one 2-oz pack

of Premo polymer clay in any color.

Eugena will provide the second material needed for this technique.

The only tools needed for this class are the following:
– a working surface (a ceramic tile, for example);
– a roller or a pasta machine (optional);
– a small knife or spatula;
– a round cutter, about 1″ to 1.5″ in diameter;
– a tool for shaping concave polymer clay pendants*.

* There is a detailed description of such tools in the following post in my blog:
Cool Tools, Concave Forms for Polymer Clay

In the SEA CREATURES class, the tools and materials needed for this class include the following:
– at least one 2-oz pack of Premo polymer clay in white color;
– some black acrylic paint;
– alcohol inks in at least three colors that look nicely together;
– small brushes for applying the paint and the inks (cheap ones from a Dollar Store will work);
– some paper towels;
– a working surface (a ceramic tile, for example);
– a roller or a pasta machine (optional);
– a small knife or spatula;
– any tools you may have for sculpting polymer clay (such as knitting needles of various diameter, tooth picks,  disposable drinking and mixing straws, etc.);
– a tool for shaping concave polymer clay pendants*.  (see link above)

Also REMEMBER to bring a seat cushion, we’ll be on folding chairs.  See you all there!

**Welcome** to those of you who are stopping by after seeing our display and/or our demo at the Oklahoma State Fair! We hope you’ll consider attending our next meeting, which will be held Saturday, October 8th. All levels of clayers are welcome!
If this is your first visit to our website, you may be interested in these pages:

• About Us: Answers questions about our group’s meetings, membership fees, and more.
• Annual Retreat: Our 2nd OK Poly-Clay Twisters Retreat will be held April 19-21, 2012. Features classes with Christi Friesen!

You may also want to sign up for our email list or connect with us on Facebook — both great ways to get notifications of upcoming meetings and other polymer clay items of interest.

For the third year, the Central Oklahoma Polymer Clay Guild is sponsoring a Polymer Clay Creations division in the Oklahoma State Fair’s Creative Arts competition.
If you want a chance to wow us (and the general public) with your polymer clay skills, you need to register by August 15th. There’s an online registration page or a mail-in option (see the “Entry Form” link on this page).
The registration process just lets them know you *intend* to enter something in the specified categories… you don’t have to actually bring in your entries until the weekend of September 10-11. And remember, you can enter one item in each of the 4 classes.
Here’s the info on this year’s polymer clay competition:
All entries must be handcrafted by the exhibitor. The primary decorative elements of the piece must be at least 60% polymer clay. (Items used to support the polymer clay are not included in the 60% requirement.) Judging will be based on:
* Workmanship:30%
* Creativity: 30%
* Appearance: 40%
**Classes:**
1. Sculpture
2. Jewelry and accessories
3. Beads and buttons
4. Household and functional
Good luck!

Interested in how the Central Oklahoma Polymer Clay Guild got started? Or perhaps you want to start a group with a different medium as its focus…? Then check out guild co-founder Angela Mabray’s recent articles on the Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar blog:
* This post talks about the group’s early days
* And here’s some suggestions for starting your own crafting group
And if you’re coming to our site from the Deluxe blog, welcome! Whether you’re a polymer clay user from way back, or someone who’s just interested in trying a new medium, we’d love to have you visit our next meeting on Saturday, August 13th.

Congrats to our guild members for the awards they won in this year’s “Polymer Clay Creations” creative arts competition at the Oklahoma State Fair. The works were spectacular — thanks to everyone who took part! The glass display cases made it difficult to get good photos, but here’s a look at a few of the entries.
The Central Oklahoma Polymer Clay Guild will also be doing a polymer clay demonstration on Sunday, September 19th, from 2-6 p.m., in the Creative Arts building. We would love to chat with anyone who is interested in learning more about our group or about polymer clay in general. Or feel free to email us anytime with questions you might have about our group. We always love to hear from fellow polymer clay artists in central Oklahoma!

A big congrats to Jane Linn for winning “Best Use of FIMO” in the AMACO Bottles of Hope Designers Challenge CHA-Summer 2007. The challenge winners were announced at this week’s Craft & Hobby Association show:
* Best Use of FIMO – Jane Linn
* Best Mixed Media – Karen Mitchell
* Best Expression of Hope – Lynne Ann Schwarzenberg
* People’s Choice Winner – Dee Dye
* Best Children’s Theme – Patricia Lynn Hillman
* Best of Show – Tommie Howell
If you haven’t seen Jane’s bottle, check it out here (#8). Her award-winning bottle (along with the rest of the top 25) will be auctioned off to benefit Gilda’s Club Chicago.

Our very own Jane Linn got an email from Amaco last week saying she’s a “member of the top 25 winners of the AMACO Bottles of Hope Designers Challenge.” The Bottles of Hope project provides small glass medicine bottles covered with clay to cancer patients as a symbol of hope. Amaco — who generously donated clay when our group made these bottles in March — sponsors this challenge to help create awareness of the Bottles of Hope project.
Congrats to Jane!