Gwen & I got there early, to find that the South Jersey crew was already prepared. They must have been Girl Scouts! We went for some lovely Thai food (ramathainj.com) and had a little adventure in A.C. Moore.
And then, let the claying commence!
There were numerous demos over the weekend, including a multi-part demo by guest artist Melanie West (ravensclay.com) on using brass bangle forms and Ultralight to make delicious bracelets.
Many folks pulled all-nighters, and good for them. I was recovering from a cold, and so tried to get a good night’s sleep every night.
As usual, the crews at the Days Inn and the Shore Diner took good care of us all.
The only bummer is that I forgot my camera. If you want to see pictures, check out Martha’s blog (ornamento.wordpress.com).
I just want to thank the South Jersey Polyaddicts for putting on such a lovely event. A good time was had by all, and we look forward to doing it again next year!
Terri Powell, deputy to the deputy blogger
Edited to add: I can’t believe I forgot to mention Polymer Clay Express. Rob & Wilma were there with us for the weekend, and were their usual charming, generous selves. They had a drawing for an Ace Extruder, which I won! Wilma gave me a quick demo on how to use it, but maybe somebody will be able to give me remedial extruder training….
The venue is confirmed! Mark your calendars and get out your piggy bank. This class will be a great investment in your claying skills. Join us in April!
The class will be posted in time for our February Meeting.
We still need to confirm with our venue at Hillman, but we expect to be hosting Mona Kissel (www.monakissel.com) for a two day Master Class May 1 & 2!
Mona will be teaching her fabulous Texture Workshop – 8 techniques done in her own unique style. This class has been well received by clayers of all levels of experience. You can see the details here: http://www.monakissel.com/workshop.html
So mark the date and start saving up for this incredible opportunity!
Ellen Marshall offered to teach a class on surface design and donate the proceeds to the Guild for our Master Class and Visiting Artist programs. Talk about a win-win situation!! She shared a bunch of new ideas and techniques she developed after she wrote her fabulous book, Polymer Clay Surface Design Recipes.
For everyone who is already sorry they missed it, here is a taste of the class:
And here are samples of some of the beautiful veneers Ellen taught how to make:
Kathleen Halverson Dustin I’m showing at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show this week from November 11-15. It’s at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th and Arch Streets. Please stop by and see me and my latest work! This is truly a magnificent fine crafts show so there is a lot of beauty and awe-inspiring craftsmanship to see everywhere you look.
So take in Ellen’s class, the Guild Meeting and a side order of The Art Craft Show!
Friend of the Guild, Mona Kissel has this announcement about the mixed media retreat next July:
Hello Everyone! We are spreading the word about our second annual Polymer Clay Collaborative & Mixed Media RetreatRetreat dates: July 19-25, 2010, in beautiful Shepherdstown, West Virginia Please feel free to share this information with others who may not know about this retreat opportunity. Second Annual Polymer Clay Collaborative & Mixed Media Retreat
Follow your muse to the groundbreaking, 2nd annual
Polymer Clay Collaborative & Mixed Media Retreat 2010 July 19-25, 2010 on the campus of Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, WVDemonstrate your special talent! Sell your creations at the sales table! Explore what can be accomplished through collaboration. The possibilities are endless! Get a group of your artistic friends together! Be a teacher and a student! Come as a Guild! Come to explore! Come to create! Come to innovate! All accommodations in lovely air-conditioned campus residence halls! Three meals/day at the bountiful campus buffets! Generous 4×4 work area for all artists! Daily demos! Mixed-media vendors on site offering supplies! Sale table! Sell your art – open to the surrounding communities and university campus! Silent auction (to offset costs for following years)! Must-have goodie bags for the first 40 reservations!
Take the artistic collaborative path to this mixed media event in a creative and learning environment – your muse will be there!
Reserve your space now on the retreat website. Review the additional workshops offered this year and sign up while space is still available!!
Single rooms are still available!
Looking forward to seeing you next summer!
The Polymer Clay Collaborative Retreat team,
Anne Bowers, Mona Kissel, Heidi Spicer, Sydney Wellman
Friend of the Guild, Kathyrn Ottman, sent us this reminder about this wonderful event right in our backyard:
Don’t forget Cabin Fever Clay Fest coming up 19-24 Feb. with hands-on workshops in Laurel, Maryland. Featuring pre-conference instructors Jeff Dever, Lindly Haunani, Nan Roche, Maggie Maggio, Cindy Silas, and newly added Jana Roberts Benzon.
Conference instructors include Tony Aquino, Maureen Carlson, Dayle Doroshow, Louise Fischer Cozzi, Grant Diffendaffer, Laurie Mika, Kathryn Ottman, Lisa Pavelka, Sarah Shriver, and Ronna Sarvas Weltman.
Well those who were able to attend Sunday’s meeting took full advantage of the new library books: Amulets & Talismans, by Robert Dancik, Artful Polymer Clay by Gail Ritchey and Polymer Clay Color Inspirations by Lindly Huanani and Maggie Maggio. These are all great books that I am sure you will all like to browse through or take out at a future meeting!
There has been a request to secure a copy of Jana Roberts Benzon’s DVD: Secret Shapes Inros. We should have our copy in time for the next meeting!
If there is a book or DVD you would like the library to acquire, then let us know at a meeting. You can also drop us an email using the contact form on our website, www.papcg.org.
The library is a great benefit of Guild Membership. Make sure to check it out when you are at the next meeting.
Our meeting yesterday was lightly attended, allowing for a smaller, more intimate grouping. We had an absolutely spectular demo on filling channel bracelet blanks with polymer clay. The first part of the demo involved filling the channel with a solid color of clay. The second part of the demo involved laying in a patterned sheet of clay….like maybe something you will make in Ellen’s surface treatment class next month. Everybody jumped right in, and it wasn’t long before people were filling their bracelet blanks with old canes and pretty scrap! The handout will be posted on our website, so everyone will be able to join in the fun.
We also got three new library books–”Artful Polymer Clay” by Gail Ritchey, “Amulets & Talismans” by Robert Dancik, and “Polymer Clay Color Inspirations” by Maggie Maggio & Lindley Haunani–all of which were checked out immediately. Hopefully, we’ll get reviews on them next month from the folks that checked them out.
Well those who were able to attend Sunday’s meeting took full advantage of the new library books: Amulets & Talismans, by Robert Dancik, Artful Polymer Clay by Gail Ritchey and Polymer Clay Color Inspirations by Lindly Huanani and Maggie Maggio. These are all great books that I am sure you will all like to browse through or take out at a future meeting!
