SCPC Guild membership is Jan – Dec. Membership dues are now due and are still $15 for the year.
Dues can be paid at the meeting or mailed to: Sue Rankin 477 Church Hill Rd. Trumbull CT 06611
We need volunteers for demos. Are there any you'd like to give / any you'd like to see? Please let us know. Email Sharon sharchar@gmail.com or we can discuss it at the meeting.
Demo: Demo: Melinda Hayes - Sugar Beads
Discussion and voting on Weekend of Clay Classes. Votes will be accepted by email to sharchar@gmail.com for members interested in attending the classes, but not in attendance at the Jan meeting
Challenge discussion
NPCG = IPCA discussion
Show-n-tell
Weekend of Clay Classes: March 7&8 at St Paul's in Wallingford. Sat and Sun 10-1 and 2-5 both days.
The hall will be open until 9-ish on Sat.
Membership Brochures will be handed out at the March meeting. If your contact information has changed, please let Sharon know either at the meeting or email sharchar@gmail.com (sharchar@aol.com still works, but I am slowly switching over)
To borrow any items from the Guild Library, please email your request to:
Cynthia Douglass
bldoug1950@yahoo.com
203-885-6206
The library list can be found in the Membership Brochure.
(Please note that you MUST sign out all books with Cynthia before taking them, even if they do not have a sign out card attached. Thank you)
Welcome to Quassia, a new member from New York, NY
The Traveling Exhibit reflects who we are as artists and as a guild, with this in mind we are asking you to please contribute something new to display in the exhibit. You can donate the item for as long as you are willing to part with it. Our goal is to inspire and create interest in the medium we all love so well. Any contribution you can make will be greatly appreciated.
Traveling Exhibit items should be given to Wendy Oestreicher
Recommendations for Traveling Exhibit venues should be emailed to Gerry Pieper at Gerryssilver@aol.com
The Traveling Exhibit is scheduled to appear in the following locations:
National Polymer Clay Guild is changing to International Polymer Clay Association and there will be changes coming to their website. Go to npcg.org and check it out.
Cabin Fever Clay Fest February 22-26:
Registration for the 2nd annual Cabin Fever Clay Fest - Mardi Gras Mania to take place in Laurel, MD from 22-26 Feb. is now open! If you have an interest in enjoying some time away from home in the middle of winter - just spending time creating, using your imagination and making some new friends, this may be for you. Instructors include Tony Aquino, Jana Roberts Benzon, Christi Friesen, Victoria Hughes, Kim Korringa, Kathryn Jo Ottman, Lisa Pavelka, Julie Picarello, Lynne Ann Schwarzenberg, and Sarah Shriver.
Please keep in mind that we have limited space and it is on a first come-first registered basis. But, we want you there! Check out the workshop offerings at Polymer Clay Fests, fill out the form and get it in the mail as soon as you can! It's going to be a Mardi Gras Party!
To download the registration form, click on the link below:
http://polymerclayfests.wordpress.com/cfcf-2009-registration-mardi-gras-mania-now-open/
Check out the blog at: http://polymerclayfests.wordpress.com/
Diane Villano
Jo-Ann's in Hamden, January 20th, Mitten Beads 9:30-11:30
Bead & Button Show, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
June 3, "Woven" Beads
June 6, Enchanted Garden Caned Beads
June 7, Balinese Allure Necklace Slide
Lynne Ann Swarzenberg (Dates to follow) Bead & Button Show, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, June 1, Tone on Tone Floral Pendant June 2, Hooray for Poly-Wood June 3, Awesome Blossoms (dimensional cane work flowers)
Maggie Maggio will be teaching a 5 day Smashing Color Workshop at North Country Studio Workshop to be held at Bennington College, Bennington VT Jan 28 - Feb 1 2009 Further details may be found at www.northcountrystudioworkshops.org
NYCPG Workshops (from Ilene Goldman):
I just wanted to let the SCPCG know about an upcoming workshop at the NYCPG. Members of the CT Guild pay the membership price for any of our workshops. More details are on our website at www.nypcg.org . If anyone is interested in one of our workshops, they can contact me at pcclayer@aol.com .
Maggie Maggio - Smashing Color Jan 24-25, 2009
Terry Kovalcik - PMC workshop March 14-15, 2009
Jana Benzon Roberts - Arabesque Caning April 18-19, 2009
Lindly Haunani - June 6-7, 2009
Dayle Doroshow - Oct 3-4, 2009
Use 2 thermometers in your oven by different manufacturers as they can vary by as much as 10%. Take the average of the 2 temperatures for the best accuracy.
To get rid of the fine powder that comes on many inexpensive beads, place them in the dishwasher in a fine mesh bag and run through the cycle, they will come out shiny and clean.
Tips on conditioning clay by Jana Benson (being published):
While Donna's method is great (the one Val said is "everywhere"), mine is a bit different and I love using it. It's being published in a few different places now, so others may have seen it (as well as the others who were using it years and years ago with super crumbly FIMO Classic). I wasn't aware others had used it all that time back, but came up with it for myself because it made sense (as, I think it was Des said, 'what's old is new again' :)....
Place a thin placemat or some plastic on a solid surface (like a cement floor). Set the unwrapped block of clay on one of it's four sides (not the larger, flat 'ends') on top of the placemat/plastic. Using a hammer or hard plastic mallet (not rubber...rubber will work, but it's not as effective), start smacking the block of clay until it's compressed to about 1/2 it's original height. Now, turn the block to another of the four sides and repeat. It's important to
really compress it to at least 1/2 it's original height because it's this action that warms up and "pre-conditions" the clay. After doing this on a few sides, you can now take the block to your work surface, unwrap it and slice into 1/4" thick slices. Run them through the pasta machine. There is no need to brayer each slice individually.
Basically, this procedure alleviates the need to brayer each slice as the hammer pounding accomplishes the same thing. Personally, I find it works better than brayering in helping to avoid the frustration of crumbling clay. The force applied with the hammer is much more than is produced with a brayer. Anyway, it's perfect for that crumbly
Kato and works beautifully at bringing 'back to life' super hard clay. Some of my older blocks of gold or pearl seemed so far gone that I'd thought I needed to toss them. When I tried this method on them, it brought them right back! cool. If you are doing this method on an older block of clay, be sure and perform the pounding on
each of the four sides...maybe even repeating it a few times before slicing and pasta machine-ing....
The newer Kato formula may not need this aggressive method; Donna's method works wonderfully on new, fresh blocks....
I really like sharing this method because I constantly hear from people who say they *hate* Kato and will never use it again. This because of their frustration over trying to condition it with the slicing and brayering method....often, it still crumbles. And, once it begins to crumble, it's a nightmare to get back in line! I so love Kato and its many wonderful properties (it's super strong, very minimal color shifting, ideal for caning), and so hate to hear that
people won't use it because of an initial conditioning problem. Once folks learn to condition it easily, they love it! Spread the word! :)
MINUTES FROM THE NOVEMBER 2008 MTG OF SCPCG
11/11/08
17 members and 1 new member in attendance
Faux Lapis Demo and Lapis History Lesson from Jeanne Peters (Also description of characteristics and variations of colors)
Discussion on classes, teaching, selling
Discussed alternative venues for the Traveling exhibit such as Senior Centers, schools, etc.
Genevieve elected permanent #1 on the January Tag Sale by Quorum.
Raffle donation by Diane: Basket with Studio Flower décor and 18 packages of clay!
Shopping Trip: Discussion about the trip to Wolfe Nyron- they were closed. Made detour to Walagris.
Creative Re-use Challenge- Due January meeting: Must change an object with Polymer clay to create a new use. Try to take a picture of “Before” if you can and bring it. Debbie to send reminders.
Show-and-Tell
A brief discussion on Freecycle.org to get rid of stuff, or get free stuff.
November meeting notes submitted by Lisa Gauthier
NaN Respectfully Submitted by,
Michelle Pini
mpini0072@gmail.com