WHO
WE ARE
We are a group of polymer clay enthusiasts, with varied backgrounds and skill
levels. We meet to share ideas, techniques and to encourage and learn from each
other. Our first meeting was in September, 1997 with 13 people and we've been
growing ever since. We have members from Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey as well as all around Connecticut.
WHERE
WE MEET
We get together on the third Saturday of each month at 11 am at the Rock
Garden, 17 South Main Street, Branford, CT 06405. December
meeting is on the second Saturday of the month. For driving instructions,
call the Rock Garden at (203) 488-6699,
or visit their Web page at: http://www.rockgarden.com
WHAT
WE DO
Guild activities include a traveling exhibit, Bottles of Hope, bead
strands, swaps, raffles, Clay Days, and retreats.
Guild meetings incorporate demonstrations of techniques by our members and
show-and-tell.
Please check out our Traveling Exhibit page for a listing of our scheduled exhibits.
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Bottles of Hope, or Wish Bottles, are small glass bottles that are decorated with polymer clay or other materials and given to cancer patients with the hope for their recovery. For more info go to The Bottles of Hope page, or our retreat page Clay ConneCTion 2000
We now have a Bottles of Hope Website and Message Board!
Please go to the Bottles of Hope Website http://www.bottlesofhope.org
Please go to the Bottles of Hope Messageboard http://forums.delphiforums.com/boh1
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Our three annual Bead Strands consist of beads donated by members, each person contributing three identical beads. One strand is part of the Traveling Exhibit, another is on display at the Rock Garden and the third will be raffled off at the end of the calendar year.
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Our first swap was a black-and-white-with-one-accent-color bead swap. In honor of our third anniversary we had a clay "paper" swap! We will be hosting other swaps, both within the Guild and with other guilds.
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Unique to the Guild is our on-going "raffle chain", in which the winner of a raffle donates the next item. Each raffle ticket is $1.00, with proceeds to benefit the Guild.
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March 15, 1998 was the date of our first Clay Day at the Guilford Handcrafts Center, Guilford, Connecticut. It was a resounding success due to unbridled enthusiasm and the joy of sharing polymer clay ideas. Clay Days are scheduled every 2 to 3 months throughout the year at GHC and other locations. Please check out our messageboard for upcoming dates or contact us if you want to participate.
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Demonstrations are scheduled for the beginning part of our meetings. Past demos have included the Tearaway Transfer Technique, Liquid Sculpey, Mokume Gane, Face Canes, Finishing Techniques, Egg Covering, Book Making, and Bead Stringing.
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"Show-and-tell" is a very popular segment of our Guild meeting. Members may bring up to two items to display per meeting.
- We have sponsored 4 weekend retreats at Quinnipiac University in
Hamden, CT. The last retreat was on July 23-25,2004. See our Retreat
Page for a recap and pictures.
Please see our other retreat pages ClayConneCTion2002, Clay ConneCTion 2000 and ClayConneCTion99 for pictures and information from previous retreats.
FURTHER
INFORMATION
Dues are $15 for the calendar year. Additionally, the donation of three
similar beads of your own creation for the Guild's three bead strands is not a
requirement, but strongly encouraged. You are most welcome to attend one meeting
before deciding to join the Guild.
CONTACT
Please feel free to contact:
Sharon Mihalyak sharchar@aol.com
Diane Villano dianev_scpcg@yahoo.com
Bottles of Hope Coordinator bottlesofhope@hotmail.com
We now have our own message
board
Graphic Alphabets courtesy of Web Diner Inc.