After beginning September’s meeting with Show and Tell, we got right down to business, with six members in attendance.
Angela Mabray’s lesson involved making nametags embellished with 3-dimensional molded items. Angela, whose Crafty Goat blog is widely known for its carefully researched reviews of books and materials, began by discussing several mold-making compounds, noting their strengths, weaknesses, and their appropriateness for different applications. This was accompanied by a detailed handout. We then made a nametag base and transferred a toner-based printout of our name to it. Last, we created molds of some small items from colored clay and attached them to the tags. Pictured is a nametag in progress.
Thanks to Angela for a well-organized lesson! Few finished during the meeting, but we hope to see some beautiful nametags next month.
**Business Meeting:**
**Old Business:**
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**Oklahoma State Fair Competition:** Entries will be accepted September 12th from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., and September 13, from 12:00 noon until 5:00 p.m. Enter the grounds through Gates 3 or 4, located off May Avenue.
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**State Fair Guild Demonstration:** Angela distributed fair tickets and parking passes. She will e-mail everyone a map. It was decided that each member participating would choose a separate technique to demonstrate.
**New Business:**
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**Hobby Lobby Display:** Jane L. announced that she had a new sign made and had purchased a new stand for our Hobby Lobby display.
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**Polymer Cafe Competition:** Jane announced a contest sponsored by *Polymer Cafe Magazine* featuring faux techniques. She urged members to enter.
**Reports:**
Vice President April G. led us in planning topics for our upcoming meetings:
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**October:** Starry Night Cane and weave canes with Jane
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**November:** Share a Tip Day
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**December:** Faux Wood with Lee Ann
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**January:** TBA
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**February and March:** Hollow Vessels with April, a 2-part lesson
April asked whether we would be interested in a class on jewelry findings and their use. Everyone was in favor, so April will check with area bead stores to find a presenter. Additional program topics under discussion are calliedoscope canes, pietre dure mosaic, rose canes, polymer clay portraits, and mica shift.
**Treasurer’s Report:** Angela reported a balance of $501.01. We have 8 members.
**Bottles of Hope:** Nance R. reported that beginning next Tuesday, she will be teaching bottles of hope for the cancer support group during the second Tuesday of each month at Norman Regional Hospital.
**Librarian’s Report:** Jane L. brought attention to our newest issue of *Polymer Cafe Magazine* and Angela M. reviewed our newest library addition, *Polymer Clay Color Inspirations: Techniques and Jewelry Projects for Creating Successful Palettes*, by Lindly Haunani and Maggie Maggio. She described it as an excellent and exhaustive workbook, akin to a college course in color, which might be too thorough for some, but very helpful for others. Angela also praised Maggie Maggio for her newly begun online “Saturday School”, with weekly excercises that go along with the book. Her web site is www.MaggieMaggio.com
**Announcements:** Angela Mabray will be teaching a class September 27th at the Craft Weekend at Downtown DIY. She distributed cards. Craft Weekend will provide a location where people can come to participate in a full two days of crafting.
**Drawing for a new library book:** *Polypens*, by Linda Peterson was the winning item and will be purchased by the guild this month.
**Bi-monthly Raffle:** Winners of the raffle items were Nance, April, and Lee Ann. As winners, they will be responsible for bringing items for the next raffle, in November.
**October Swap:** October will be a swap month, and the theme will be “canes.” Any member may participate by bringing one, two, or three canes, adding up to a total of 3 inches of cane to swap with others.

*Special thanks to our treasurer, April G., for once again taking notes during the August meeting in the absence of the secretary.*
Seven members attended our August meeting, and President Jane L. also welcomed two guests, Julie and her daughter Anna.
We began with **Show and Tell**, with the majority of members present participating! Angela M. brought a necklace and bracelet. Penni Jo C. showed a tile made with the Pietra Dure technique, from Sue Heaser’s book. Sue M. brought a bracelet made with an unusual technique and a Bottle of Hope she made using one of the techniques we learned at our July meeting. Jane L. showed a small fish sculpture she made using the “lamella” technique. What an active and creative group of clayers we have! Reflecting our concern about transporting our clay in the car in the summer heat, Nance R. displayed an insulated bag she purchased to carry her clay. She bought it at Barnes and Noble.
**Program:** April Gregory taught us her technique for making several different flower canes. As always, she presented a great lesson.
**Business Meeting:**
**Old Business:**
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**State Fair Entries:** Jane reminded everyone of the August 15th deadline for submitting entry forms for the new polymer clay category. She handed out entry forms , although it is possible to register online at www.okstatefair. com/creativearts.asp.
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**State Fair Clay Demonstration:** Angela discussed our demonstration at the fair, scheduled from 2-7 p.m. on Sunday, September 20th. Six members, Angela, Jane, Nance, Sue, Lee Ann, and Penni Jo, stated that they would be available to participate. Angela suggested that everyone choose their own individual technique to demonstrate, and Penni Jo suggested that everyone could work on covering a medicine bottle for the Bottles of Hope program. Angela will be contacting the fair authorities to obtain parking passes and tickets for those participating.
**New Business:**
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**Guild Hobby Lobby Display:** Sue moved that the group replace the guild display board at the entrance of the Norman Hobby Lobby because it has become badly worn. The group voted to approve an expenditure of about $10.00 to replace it.
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Jane brought **magnetic name tag clips** for purchase. They are $1.00 each.
**Reports:**
**Treasurer’s Report:** At last count, our balance was $506.46, and Angela said that about $10-12 more had been received since then. We currently have 8 members.
**Meeting Schedule:** Vice President April G. reviewed our program schedule as follows:
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**September 12** – “Starry Night” Cane and Weave Cane, with Jane
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**October 10** – Mold Making and Nametags, with Angela
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**November 14** – Share a Tip Day
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**December 12** – Faux Wood with Lee Ann
**Bottles of Hope Report:** Nance announced that the Bottles of Hope which we donated to Norman Hospital in June are on display in their cancer ward.
**Library Report:** Angela reviewed the book we ordered last month, *Polymer Clay and Mixed Media Jewelry: Fresh Techniques, Projects, and Inspiration*, by Shirley Rufener She stated that while she appreciated the variety of mixed media techniques introduced, the book itself seemed disjointed and lacking in cohesion.
**Library Book Drawing:** This month, the book *Polymer Clay Color Inspirations: Techniques and Jewelry Projects for Creating Successful Palettes*, by Lindly Haunani and Maggie Maggio.
**Bi-monthly Guild Swap:** This month was swap month, and items were to reflect a nautical or ocean theme. Angela and Nance participated.
**Reminder:** September will be a raffle month. July’s raffle winners were April G., Sue M., and Shirley C., and they will be responsible for bringing items for the next raffle.

Six members and two guests came to our July meeting. Our two guests had seen our Bottles of Hope at Norman Hospital and wanted to learn how to make them.
We began with **Show and Tell.** **Sue M.** brought some of the lovely work produced by the Full Circle Senior Day Care, where she volunteers. **Nance R.** showed two beautifully done clay-covered pens. She also circulated photos of a wonderful pottery sculpture made by our own **April G**., entitled “Hopi Woman.” The piece has been in an exhibit at a Tulsa gallery and was recently sold. Congratulations, April!
**Program:** We had a good time as April G. taught us two useful techniques: First, we made lamella, a loaf consisting of alternating layers of translucent clay and gold leaf. Slices of it can be used to decorate clay projects. Second, we learned a simple way to make a polymer clay striped slab. April provided excellent written instructions, complete with diagrams. By the end of the meeting, some had already applied their slabs to empty medicine bottles, well on their way to finshing Bottles of Hope! Thank you, April!
**Business Meeting:**
**Old Business**
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**2009 State Fair Polymer Clay Competition:** August 15th is the deadline for submitting entry forms. It is now possible to register online:
[http://www.okstatefair.com/creative_arts.asp].
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**State Fair Polymer Clay Demonstration:** Angela received confirmation that our demonstration is scheduled for 2-7 p.m. on Sunday, September 20. All members are asked to check their calendars bacause next month we will need to give the fair officials the exact number of particpants in the demonstration.
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Jane reminded us that Angela’s segment on HGTV’s *That’s Clever* is scheduled to air on July 20th.
**New Business:** There was no new business.
**Reports:**
Vice President April G. announced the program schedule for upcoming meetings:
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**August:** Mica Shift with outside instructor and former member Christy Wright
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**September:**Starry Night Cane with Jane L.
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**October:** Mold Making & Nametags with Angela M.
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**November:** Share a Tip Day
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**December:** Faux Wood with Lee Ann K.
**Treasurer:** Our balance is $518.09, and our membership remains at 8.
**Bottles of Hope:** Regarding our donation of bottles to the oncology section at Norman Hospital last month, Coordinator Nance R. reported that they love the bottles. They requested cards with information about Bottles of Hope, and Nance will provide them. Nance also reported that she will be doing a BOH project with the hospital’s cancer support group in September. The support group meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month.
**Library:** LIbrarian Jane L. pointed out two articles of special interest to our guild in the newest issue of *Polymer Cafe* magazine, one on translucent layering, and one on steampunk. Jane had not seen our newest book purchase, Ancient Modern: *Polymer Clay and Wire Jewelry*, by Ronna Sarvas Weltman, before the meeting, so Shirley C. gave a review and included parts of a review Angela had published on her blog [http://blog.craftygoat.com].
**Drawing for a New Library Book:** *Polymer Clay and Mixed Media Jewelry: Fresh Techniques, Projects, and Inspiration*, by Shirley Rufener was the winning title and will be purchased for our library this month.
**Bi-Monthly Raffle:** Items were provided by the winners of May’s raffle. There were three winners this month, Sue M, Shirley C., and a mystery person who shall remain nameless until she comes forward and refreshes the secretary’s memory – at which time her name will be inserted here.
**August Swap:** The theme of our next swap will be “nautical/ ocean.”