Our meeting began as usual with members visiting with each other while setting up for the meeting, unloading tools and clay. The April meeting will be at the**Southern Oaks Recreational Center, 400 S. W. 66th Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73139-8720 starting at 6:00 PM.**
**1.Introduce / welcome guests**
There were no guests this week.
**2.Show and Tell**
Along with the visiting and set up, we had a rather casual “Show and Tell”. Members showed their beautiful clay creations while we oooohed and ahhhed and unpacked out tools and clay.
After everyone had begun to work on the clay for the project; President Jane Linn began our meeting.Those that had not participated in the earlier “Show and Tell”, passed their artworks around.
**Program:** April was not able to teach the second half of her project ‘Hollow Vessels’ due to a death in the family. Penni Jo offered to teach a bead lesson that she saw while visiting the Corpus Christi Polymer Clay Guild in January. ‘Ruphia’s Indian bead using the Inside-Out Bead Technique’
This intriguing bead has a four sided face with braids and is a great use of scrap clay. The fabulous patterns formed by turning the twisted clay inside out looks like a colorful blanket. Ruphia is the president of the Corpus Christi Polymer Clay Guild. Penni Jo offered to teach the lesson after receiving permission from Ruphia.
**3.Old Business:**
Angela has been working on a new book and even though it arrived overnight a day late at the publishing house, the publishers were delighted with her work and projects. So much so, that they may be using one of her project pics on the cover! We were all so excited over her success and enjoyed seeing samples of 13 of the projects she designed, executed and photographed for the book. She is also working on a DVD to go with the book. Go Angela!!!
**4. New Business:**
Kay Strange was officially introduced as our newest member. Welcome Kay! This is a great group of helpful and kind folks.
Jane showed the new PolymerCafe´ magazine. Jane and Angela both placed in the magazine challenge “Faux Finishes” Jane won second place, Angela won third. Way to Go Gals!!!
Angela also had an article in the magazine and a pic of her project was on the cover!!!!
Next month’s challenge is ‘Leaves, Leaves Everywhere’. Entry Deadline is April 10th for the September/October Magazine.
Shirley will be displaying her work maybe this year. She will email the group with more info.
Since there is no secure area at the Rec Center for our books, it was voted to allow the Librarian, Jane to buy one or two rolling boxes with collapsible handles in which to store and move the books from her car to the meetings. Our library has grown and is more cumbersome to move.
**5. V.P. Report (upcoming lessons):**
We talked briefly about the idea of having a quick cane making demo or other quick tip at the start of each meeting. This was well received. Next, members to volunteer? This way we all can grow in our knowledge of this beautiful craft.
April – Hollow Vessels part 2 April – can’t wait for this lesson!!
May – Faux silk embroidery using slivers of old skinner blends to emulate the shapes formed in silk embroidery. Flowers and delicate detail created on a clay pendant or bead using slivers or tiny balls of ombre or verigated clay made from skinner blends.

Also demonstrated, by Penni Jo, late in the meeting was “Unraveling the mystery of Skinner Blends” answering, to the best of her abilities, questions such as “How can I make a very narrow blend?” (a row of round magnets on the rollers to prevent the clay from spreading out) and “How do I choose colors to achieve a specific blend”. (Value is as important as color and darks can overwhelm a lighter color if the color is even slightly transparent. Adjust a lighter color to be more opaque when blending with a much darker color.)
**6. Treasurer’s Report ~~ Angela**
Balance – $648.69
Members – 10
**7. BOH Report ~~ Nance**
Nance was absent but we were reminded Angela reminded us of the North Texas Guild’s Bottle of Hope contest. Here is the link – http://www.ntpcg.org/boh.html Entries must be shipped to arrive by April 18, 2010. There are cash prizes for the winners. Check it out.
**8. Librarian Report ~~ Jane:**
Jane showed our newest book Lisa Palveka’s ‘Complete Book of Polymer Clay’.
**9. Drawing for a new book ~~ Jane:**
Be sure to bring the name of that ‘I just have to read this’ book for the book drawing.
**10. April Swap ~~ Jane and April:**
The March raffle was won by Jane, Penni Jo and Ruth. The next raffle will be in May. Each winner will bring items for raffle in May. We talked briefly about one of the canes to make might be a **Poker Chip **cane, slices of which could be used to ‘buy’ chances on the raffle. ( Wouldn’t it be fun to have a poker chip swap? Everyone’s would be so very different. )
The April swap will be Spring Flowers. Bring your happy spring item and join the swap. Any spring themed item can be entered. Think birdies, flowers, rain, violets, pansies, lavender, pale pink, blue and yellow, think new life and new joy.
**Next meeting April 14, 6:00 at the Rec Center.**
Looking forward to finishing my Hollow Vessel and seeing all of you. Please excuse all the exclamation points, but it was such an exciting meeting.
Your excitable secretary,
Penni Jo.

There were six members present at our first meeting of the new year. We began with Show and Tell. Angela M. has been asked to create a piece for the next Synergy. She showed her “Idea Tree,” which she had created from old spools, recycled materials, and polymer clay. She also showed two items she had bought from the new Art-O-Mat dispenser at City Arts Center in Oklahoma City.

Program

Lee Ann presented two excellent techniques, making faux wood and creating a pendant using a different mica shift technique, along with a handout with very clear directions.

Business Meeting

Old Business

**Election and Installation of Officers:** The following officers were elected by acclamation:
* President – Jane L.
* Vice President – April G.
* Secretary – Penni Jo C.
* Treasurer and Web Master – Angela M.
The position of librarian will be decided later.
Annual dues were collected by the treasurer.
Next month’s meeting will be held at Southern Oaks Recreation Center, 66th and South Walker, on Wednesday, February 10, from 6-9 p.m..
There was no new business.
**Officers Reports:**
V.P April G. reviewed our upcoming meeting schedule:
* February 10 – Hollow Vessels with April G.
* March (10 or 13, TBA) – continuing Hollow Vessels with April
* April (10 or 14, TBA) – Penni Jo’s “pointy flowers” and leaf canes from Skinner Blend
* May – Color Collage project from Maggie Maggio’s color book
**Treasurer’s Report:** Angela reported a balance of $411.86, plus the dues that had been paid during the meeting. Our membership stands at 8.
**Bottles of Hope:** Nance again asked for volunteers to take over her Tuesday morning BOH project at Norman Regional Hospital, as she will have a schedule conflict beginning soon.
**Library Report:** Librarian Jane L. praised our latest purchase, Clay So Cute, by Sherri Haab, for having excellent tips and instructions and good “trendy” projects. She would recommend it for beginners and for teenagers.
**Drawing for a new addition for the guild library:** The DVD Intricate Kaleidoscope Caning, by Sarah Shriver, was drawn and will be purchased this month.
**Bi-Monthly Raffle:** April, Angela, and Jane were the raffle winners and will bring items for the March raffle.
**Announcements:**
The theme for the swap at February’s meeting will be “red and/or pink.”
Jane reminded us that our own Angela M.’s segment on HGTV’s That’s Clever will be aired Tuesday, January 19th.

Our December meeting was a lot of fun, with all eight members in attendance! Most brought Christmas ideas and projects to share, so we all went home with a wealth of new techniques and projects to try. April had made a wreath in the delicate, detailed style she is known for. Lee Ann brought a little Santa on a platform, surrounded by clay “candies.” Jane made a snowman from clear ornaments and provided a detailed handout, complete with color photos! Penni Jo and Jane had decorated Christmas balls with extrusions, transfers, and jewels. Angela did an interesting project incorporating a flocking product into her clay. Nance made a snowman pin. Penni Jo demonstrated a method for coating the inside of clear glass ornaments with packaged snowflakes, and Sue demonstrated her recent success making lentil beads.
Pictured here are
the projects by April,
Lee Ann, Jane, and
Penni Jo and Jane:



**Business Meeting:**
**Old Business:**
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**Field Trips:** Jane asked whether we would like to have more “field trips” like our November meeting at Elements Beadery, and several members were in favor of more such trips.
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**Meeting Location:** We also continued our discussion about changing our meeting place to Southern Oaks Recreation Center, the second Wednesday of each month, from 6-9 p.m. Penni Jo will check to see whether that time slot is open, and if it is, we will try to meet there in February to try it out.
**New Business:**
**Annual Guild Elections** will be held in January. Descriptions of the duties of officers are available online. We were reminded that it has been advantageous for an officer to serve for two years, although this is not mamdatory. After two years, Angela said she feels it is beneficial in most cases for a new person to take the position. We did make exception for treasurer/web master, as it is simpler to have one person continue in those positions. Although there were some conditional volunteers for librarian, the position was left open until storage issues can be addressed. After some discussion, the following slate of officers emerged:
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President – Jane L.
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Vice-President – April G.
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Secretary – Penni Jo C.
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Treasurer and Web Master – Angela M.
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Librarian – TBA
Nance R. will continue in two volunteer positions, BOH Coordinator and Photographer.
**Officer Reports:**
Program Schedule: Vice-President April G. reviewed our upcoming meeting schedule. Some of the dates depend upon whether we permanently change our meeting place and time:
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**January 9** – Mica Shift with Lee Ann
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**February 13** – (first evening meeting) – Hollow Vessels with April
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**March** (10 or 13, TBA) – continuing Hollow Vessels with April
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**April** (10 or 14, TBA) – Penni Jo’s “pointy flowers” and leaf canes from Skinner Blend
**Treasurer’s Report:** Angela reported a balance of $387.37 and 8 members.
**Bottles of Hope:** Nance asked for substitute instructors to teach at Norman Hospital beginning toward the end of January, as she will have a schedule conflict. Nance will be teaching children who are cancer patients at Baptist Hospital on Tuesday mornings.
She asked members to check for other area hospitals with cancer units, so we can begin more projects to give away Bottles of Hope. She also mentioned that we are running short of the medium-sized bottles, and those will be the best size to use with the children.
**Library Report:** Jane talked about our November purchase, *Food Miniatures*, and found inspiring ideas in *The Best of Stringing*, one of our December purchases. She found *Beading 101 and Beyond* a great resource for basic information.
**Library Drawing:** *Clay So Cute*, by Sherri Haab, was the winning book and will be purchased for our library this month.
**Announcements:** Angela Mabray’s taped segment for the television show *That’s Clever* will finally be aired on January 19th.
After the meeting, members who wished to participate did an exchange of Christmas projects.