**December 10 2011**
**Introduce / welcome guests**
Shirley greeted visitors, newest member Kay and passed around the attendance sheet. Since it is Christmas time only 8 of our members were in attendance.
Shirley had a recent copy of USA today with a photo of artist Elise Winters in an article about breast cancer. From the black and white photo and the jewelry it looked like her . PJ said she would try to find out more and contacted the IPCA. Yes, it is our Elise.
**Show and Tell & Program:**
The show and tell / lesson was to bring an item to show and tell how we made it. Most brought something made using a lesson learned during the year.
Stacie, new to our polymer clay guild, brought a project started before joining. She told us that her home had only one tree. Every other tree was either killed or died so she made a decorative tree of polymer clay. As yet unfinished, the trunk and branches are sculpted, baked and antiqued. The tree has a sweet face and the branches have wires ready to add beads and or polymer clay leaves on to.
Tom brought a snowflake ornament made using the Angelina film. The polymer clay glitter covered ornament had spaces in the pattern where the Angelina film was applied. The film has a most magical feeling.
Nance showed several of her Christmas tree ornaments and jewelry that she has made through the years. One was a class she taught at guild a few years ago. The class included a lesson on how to make a leaf cane and then used the leaf cane slices to make the tree. After making the tree with leaf cane slices, decorative cane slices and tiny candy canes were added to make “ornaments”. One pin began with a tiny tree that she made. After baking it was molded so that many little tree pins could be made from it. These were also embellished with cane slices. A third tree was a clay tree with glass millefiori beads for ornaments. A fourth was a pendant with a tree decorated with sea shells on a mica shift background. Lovely Christmas tree jewelry. She also showed a wreath pin made of cane leaves and slices.
Kay showed an ornament made of a very large bottle cap that was embellished with a molded hummingbird, holly leaves and flowers. The background and the hummingbird were tinted with metallic green. She also showed a stunning three strand beaded necklace.
Lee Ann brought a beautiful snow lady wearing a delightful cape of quilt squares in soft green, deep green red, white etc. The border of the cape was wrapped using matching clay ‘ribbon’. Her sweet face was wrapped in the fur lined hood of the cape.
Jane showed a purchased tassel with the top wrapped with molded poinsettias. She made a darling clay ornament with a great sentiment on a white background, a twisted red, green and white border and the most darling, hand sculpted clay tools dangles. A stack of clay blocks, long tissue blades and a pasta machine!!! It was amazing in it’s detail. She finished the embroidery project started in class, a tiny house with great details on it. She finished it as an ornament by gluing it to a large glittery turquoise colored snowflake.
Penni Jo showed a Victorian style embroidered design that will go onto the face of a Badge Reel. Since the design had to be concave and curved, she showed step by step how to mold the plastic curved surface of the Reel, make a clay image of it, bake the clay image, cover with foil and then shape the final artwork over the baked, foil covered image. She made the design, baked it on the foil covered image and removed it after baking. The concave design can be glued to the front of the Badge Reel. She gave every member in attendance a Badge Reel. She also showed the finished heart pin/pendant that was used to show various stitches using the embroidery technique.
**Business Meeting: **
**1. Approval of Minutes:**
Minutes were emailed and posted on line. Jane moved to approve, Nance seconded, approved.
**2. Officers Reports:**
**Vice President ~Angela Upcoming Programs**
– January: Faux Bois (fake wood) by Lee Ann
– February: Layering and Imprinting by Shirley
– March: TBD
**Treasurer ~ Angela**
– Balance: both regular and retreat funds are in the account.
– Members:16
**BOH Report ~ Nance**
February and March, Nance plans to become more focused and to do some teaching. She will be sending the next group to the Norman Hospital Breast Cancer clinic.
**
Librarian ~ Jane**
The new book is in but she did not review it as Myra will be telling us about it.
**Old Business**
**1. Guild Retreat 2012 Penni Jo**
We covered the highlights of the retreat meeting. More detailed minutes from the meeting will be sent to members.
We have 16 donors to the goody bags.
We are one third full.
We will separate the goody bag stuff from the raffle/auction donations.
We are planning on 38 goody bags. Any left over bags to be raffled.
We’ve asked members to touch base with local businesses to see if the could donate to our guild or goody bags. One example is Lowes or Home Depot may have broken lots of ceramic tiles as they can be used as baking surfaces, heat sinks in small ovens etc.
Auto stores might donate sanding film for bead makers.
Perhaps we can ask if Hobby Lobby can donate anything?
Nance will donate a new rock tumbler for an auction/raffle item.
Nance will donate a new Sander for an auction/raffle item.
Ask if Polymer Clay Express .com would donate a dream machine. Angela reported that she has requested an auction/raffle item and has not heard back yet.
It was agreed that members would make at least two items to donate to the school for the secretary, pastor and office help. Any extras might be used if they have a bazaar or as prizes for the members.
The three toaster ovens have arrived and are at Jane’s house.
Attendees will be encouraged to bring snacks for themselves and or to share.
Tom and Kay will be the oven monitors chairpersons and will be in charge of the sign up sheet at the registration desk.
We will need two sign up sheets for Kitchen Duty and Oven Monitors at the registration table. Myra make the posters?
Nance will be compiling the program but will be traveling. Do NOT email her with information until after February 12th as she will not have access to her computer until then.
Members are encouraged to give Jane and or Ruth ideas for meals and food choices.
It was suggested that we let the attendees know if they have any dietary/food requirements. Peanut allergy and other allergies were mentioned. Should we ask Angela to add this line to the retreat page? Angela reported that this is already on the retreat info.
My most grateful thanks to the group for your willingness to jump in and help with the many, many things needing to be done for the retreat.
**New Business**
1. Slate of officers for January Election: (Thank everyone for stepping up!)
– Pres. Shirley Conaway (unless someone else volunteers)
– Vice Pres. – Lee Ann Kelly –
– Secretary – Cheryl Rains
– Treasurer – Angela Mabray
– Web Master – Angela Mabray
Any other nominations from the floor?
~~ Stacie Bebber volunteered to act as Web Master
**Slate of officers,** (cont’d):
**Volunteer Positions:**
– Photographer – Ruth and Stacie as a team. Both or either can take photos. Stacie can crop and PhotoShop photos as needed for the website and for the minutes.
– Bottles of Hope Coordinator – Nance can continue and needs medium sized bottles. She will be teaching classes on making Bottles Of Hope.
– Librarian – Jane will continue
– Librarian Helper – Lee Ann will continue.
Dues are due in January. Members will receive an email with amount owed.
**Announcements**
None of record.
**Library Drawing for a new book ~~ Jane:**
Winning Title: Magazine Subscription for Polymer Arts Magazine.
**Swap:**
Five members swapped this year.
**Winners:**
– Kay got the embroidered pin by PJ
– Lee Ann got the Christmas tree pin with glass millefiori ornaments by Nance.
– Nance got Lee Ann’s snow lady.
– PJ got the ornament by Kay. (because she did not notice that Tom would be left with his own ornament. She feels very bad about this.)
– Tom kept his snowflake ornament saying that his wife wanted it.
No one really wanted to play dirty Santa.
**Next meeting:**
January 14, 2012
At Hobby Lobby in Moore.