Tom opened the meeting with Show and Tell. Lisa showed tools that she made using the alcohol inks and gold leaf techniques we learned last month. She is sending them and some pens to another guild for their retreat. LeeAnn passed around a jar she made by slicing layers from button molds and then placing them on an underlying sheet. It was a natural color with the details highlighted with acrylic paint. Penni Jo showed her turtle mold and the cabs that she had made to fit in its shell. She also displayed the newest cab mold they have developed. Jane showed the necklace that Penni Jo brought her from Fandango. It was a skinner blend with gold leaf crackle. It was woven with chain as the weft and clay as the warp. It had companion earrings. Kay presented a square bead that was baked in multiple sessions adding round embellishments as she went. Gregg showed his completed fisherman’s sculpture. It is absolutely magnificent with the dog standing in the boat holding a net and the fisherman pulling in a great fish.

Myra presented the technique of inlaying mother of pearl. We used mica powders to create the mother of pearl look and put it into stamped pendants. It was finished by sanding thoroughly. It is a very pretty look.

The June minutes were approved with a motion by Penni Jo and a second by Nance.

LeeAnn announced that our August program is open and asked for volunteers. In September Nance will teach. Lisa and Penni Jo will teach polymer clay on gourds in October. Connie will teach in November and Angel will teach in January. The December meeting will be our annual show and tell and exchange.

Angela gave the treasurer’s report. The guild now has 24 members. She noted that next month’s race held at the fairgrounds should not interfere with parking for our meeting.

Nance said she would be very busy at work in the foreseeable future. She will continue as Bottle of Hope coordinator but will no longer be able to hold classes at hospitals.

Jane reported that we received Betina Welker’s new bracelet book. We also received a Polymer Arts magazine and a Polymer Café magazine. Polymer Café’s challenge for this time is “Canes, Canes and More Canes.” The deadline for submission is August 31st.

Angela said that the deadline for registration for your fair entry is August 15th. You can register online and she sent out the link by email. There are several categories in the polymer clay division. The details are on the state fair site. We have not yet received confirmation that we are invited to demonstrate at the fair. When Angela receives confirmation, she will email us to see who will be able to attend.

In new business, Penni Jo presented the possibility of inviting Patty Barnes to hold a class on making polymer faux dichroic glass and malachite. The all day class would cost $60. The guild would pay for her travel and hotel expenses. There was a lot of interest in the class. We would hold it in October. Penni Jo will check with Patty to see what dates she would be available.

The church has penciled us in for the second weekend in April for our annual retreat. We will continue to see if there is an all in one location that might be available. Penni Jo will check with the artist who said she would love to come to see if she is available that date. If she is not, then we will send out a call for teachers.  We will stay with the Safari theme. Nance mentioned that her work has more African stuffed animals if anyone was interested in purchasing them and then loaning them to the guild for retreat.

We discussed moving our guild meeting to the Bridge room in the OKC Arts Center. The lighting is better and the sound is better. There is a possibility that we would have to do more set up. Angela will check on it.

The meeting adjourned. Our next meeting will be August 10th from 1:30 to 4:30 at the OKC Arts Center on the state fairgrounds.

Our June meeting opened with Show & Tell. Gregg showed the armature he is making for the fishing scene he is creating. He also shared his Bottle of Hope where he used gold metallic and black acrylic paint to do a bronze technique. Jane displayed a ruffle bracelet she made from the instructions in the Polymer Arts magazine. She showed a tool she covered using the labordorite lesson we had at our May meeting. She also displayed a reversible transfer bracelet colored with Inktense pencils. Cheryl showed a necklace also made using the labordorite technique. Those who created pearl themed inchies show them.

Tom announced that Penni Jo, our retreat director, requested that we review the retreat in July when she will be able to attend. However, she asked that we decide about the location for next year so we could reserve a place quickly. A general discussion ensued regarding the positive and negative factors of our current facility. We agreed that placing the ovens outside of the kitchen worked much better. The general consensus was that we would try to reserve the same location for next year.

The May minutes were approved with the correction that both Lisa and Penni Jo will teach the October class on polymer clay and gourds. Jane made the motion which was seconded by Lisa.

LeeAnn announced the lessons for the next meetings will be:
July – Myra will teach mother of pearl inlay.
August – Angel will teach the hound’s tooth cane.
October – Lisa & Penni Jo will present polymer clay on gourds.
We need volunteers to teach in September and November.

Janice will see about reserving the club house at her complex for the September meeting. We will be required to hold our meeting at another location because of the state fair. It was also suggested that we move our February meeting to a different Saturday so we can avoid the traffic of the Affair of the Heart.

Angela gave the treasurer’s report. She also announced that we now have 24 members with Kathy being our latest addition.

There is a fair amount of treasury monies. We discussed reducing the annual dues to $24 per year. It was proposed that we do away with the point system that has been used in the past to reduce dues. It was also recommended that we reimburse teachers for supplies when they teach. The guild will reimburse them $10 without receipts and up to $25 if they submit receipts. These changes will be effective immediately. Marsha made the motion and Angel seconded it. The motion was passed.

The new library purchase for this month will be Betina Welker’s new bracelet book.

In new business, the state fair has asked if the guild will again do a demonstration on Sunday, September 15, from 2 – 6 pm. Angela will send out an email to determine how many members will be able to attend.

Lisa presented the lesson on making your own alcohol inks. We each made several colors and then tried them out on translucent clay and clay with metallic leaf. It was a lot of fun.

The meeting was adjourned. Our next meeting will be July 13 at 1:30 pm at the OKC Arts Center on the state fair grounds.

Tom called the meeting to order. There were 13 members present. Kathy and Craig were our visitors this month.

We began with Show and Tell. Craig showed a sculpture, a chess set and a marionette. Lisa showed a faux opal.  Myra showed a cinnabar bead and a mother of pearl inlay example.

The March minutes were approved.

Lee Ann announced the upcoming classes.  In July Myra will teach mother of pearl inlay. October will be polymer on gourds taught by Lisa. Lee Ann will talk with Penni Jo regarding the previously discussed September guest teacher. Any suggestions for classes or volunteers to teach would be appreciated.

Angela gave the treasurer’s report. We currently have 23 members, including 3 new members this month. Angela related her meeting with the tax advisor. Per his recommendation, we will continue operating as we have in the past.

We considered using the monies in the treasury to provide scholarships for members to the annual retreat. We also discussed revising the membership discounts for teaching, etc. Both items will be addressed again at a later meeting.

Nance reported that bottles are available for the Bottles of Hope project.

Jane announced that we have received Christi Friesen’s latest book, Flourish. It is an excellent book with many techniques and very reflective of Christi’s fun personality. The library drawing was for Exploring Canework in Polymer Clay by Patricia Kimle.

We will do a post-retreat evaluation in June when Penni Jo will be able to be at the meeting.

Jane, Lee Ann, Connie and Tom were the winners of the raffle. They will bring prizes for the July meeting.

The June inchie swap theme is pearl. Come prepared to tell the techniques you used to create your inchie.

Our next meeting will be June 8 at 1:30 pm. We will meet at the OKC Arts Center at the fairgrounds.

Tom opened the meeting. There were 14 attendees. We began with Show and Tell. Connie showed the Easter bunny pin and the 3D inchies she made for the Safari inchie swap. Lee Ann showed a jasper necklace and examples of labradorite with which she is experimenting. Penni Jo displayed stamped clay. She made a stamp by putting hot glue in a silicon mold and then removing it and using it as a stamp.

Tom asked for approval of February’s minutes. Penni Jo made the motion and Jane seconded it. The minutes were approved.
Cheryl taught the program this month. We made Easter rabbits that could be mounted on a candle ring to make a 3D Easter vignette.

Lee Ann announced that May program will be learning how to make labradorite. She will teach the lesson.

Angela gave the treasurer’s report. We now have 20 members with two new members joining in January. Tom announced that Janice will also be joining.

Jane showed the new Polymer Café magazine. It has a great article about our own Penni Jo. The challenge for this issue is “Seasons.” The deadline is April 30th.

In old business we discussed the upcoming retreat. We will have access to the church at 6:30 on Wednesday night. We will cover and arrange tables. Ruth is in charge of decorating. Several folks volunteered to help her. Penni Jo showed the new table cloth. It reaches to the floor on all sides and is very attractive. At retreat check in, everyone will be asked to sign up for kitchen and oven duty. Everyone is asked to bring inchies in groups of five to make the distribution easier. Please also bring one extra for the guild inchie board. Remember to bring snacks. Cheryl volunteered to bring a toaster if needed.

We will meet at 1:30pm at Jane’s house to stuff goodie bags. Tinker Credit Union donated the bags again. They are a terrific insulated lunch bag.

There will be no meeting in April because we will be at retreat. The raffle will happen in May. February winners will bring goodies. Our June inchie swap theme will be “Pearl.”

Our next meeting will be May 11 at 1:30 pm. We will meet at the OKC Art Center on the fair grounds.