October Meeting Demo

The October meeting will take place Tuesday, October 11, at Heartland Bead Market in Lenexa...our usual meeting place. Anne Rowe will lead us in a creative exploration for ideas and inspiration....

Sound intriguing? Read her description below!
HANDS-ON DEMO:  Bring some scrap clay and hand roller, tile or work surface


Anne: "Looking around for ideas - polymer clay, mixed media and where did you say you found THAT?" 

• Hear about the rubber fish that got away - a fine art opportunity missed, I'm afraid.
• Hands on demo involves heat guns, miscellany and scrap clay. Yes, you, too, can make a custom clay stamp in under 30 seconds - no mixing chemicals, cutting, carving or baking. No sanding, buffing or otherwise fussing around. No polymer clay or mixed media art experience required.
• Bring a lump of scrap polymer clay and clay roller (hand rollers only). We'll be testing our stamps on scrap clay so there will be ABSOLUTELY NO PRESSURE TO SUCCEED on the first, or any try!
• There will be valuable, my-trash-can-be-your-treasure freebies and door prizes.

Sounds like fun. See you there.

August meeting is a Saturday Play Date

Once per quarter we get together on a Saturday to have more time for a hands-on learning experience. So get ready for Saturday, August 13 - from 12 - 4 at Heartland Bead. Robin Young will teach us about Kashigata mold use with polymer clay.

 

To participate bring these Materials:

♢ 2 oz black clay
♢ 2-3 oz red clay mixture: 2/3 part red (such as cadmium red Premo--), 1/3 part burnt umber
(if using Kato, try blend 4 parts Brown, 1 part Red, 1/2 part Black, as per the recipes found here.)
♢ metal foil, optional

Tools
♢ Basic tool kit (including pasta machine; roller; work surface; blades)
♢ corn starch pounce if available

Note: KCPCG members receive a reminder email from Teri with this same information. If you'd like to join, we welcome to come to the meeting....bring your clay, tools and sense of adventure and clay along with us.

Directions to Heartland Bead Market in Lenexa and more info about our group is on our website.

Summer Updates

Thanks to everyone who helped with the KCPCG table at the KC Maker Faire at Union Station. If you saw us there and are interested in learning more about polymer clay, join us at a meeting. Check out our website for dates and location.

We welcomed several new clayers at the July meeting, where Kim Keane shared her experiments with Zentangles and clay. Kim made a variety of black and white Zentangle inspired canes, which she applied to discs baked on lightbulbs...then combined into lentil beads.

She also used her pens to draw directly onto clay -heat-setting as she went to keep the clay from smearing.

Those who know Kim know she works on a grand scale, with wonderfully large beads, exciting combinations and she's prolific. She brought a whole box of black and white Zentangle canes.

Teri also announced a September challenge: Come up with ideas for a KCPCG logo. Make something in clay or draw on paper and bring in September. We won't decide immediately - the process could take time - but let's start thinking about logo ideas that would represent us all.

More of our talented members getting published...

Congratulations to Robin and Kim for being selected for Polymer Cafe's Steampunk Challenge. Robin Young's Steampunk Fish Necklace place 3rd! Both appear in Polymer Cafe's June 2011 issue, received today in my mail.

Kim Keane's Steampunk Heart is one of the Runners Up.

 

Linda Lee and MariEtta Adams were both included in the February 2011 issue of Polymer Cafe. MariEtta's pendant was a runner up in the Mica Shift challenge.

Linda Lee sent in photos of her entry into KCPCG's Mixed Media challenge from last fall and both were published in Polymer Cafe's Reader's Gallery

April Demo - Faux Antique Coral Beads

The April KCPCG meeting will be Tuesday, April 12, at Heartland Bead Market in Lenexa, Kansas - our normal meeting spot. Thank you, Carol Hooper, of Heartland Beads!

The April demo by Lynette Fisk will show you how she made the Faux Antique Coral beads that were her 2010 Christmas exchange beads.

This demo is easy to follow along so if you come, bring this stuff to create your own beads that night:

Materials
Clay in red, yellow and/or orange, turquoise, translucent – pre conditioned.
Wire (brass or craft wire – non-shiny is better)
Ink or acrylic paint for antiquing (burnt umber, brown, or black)

Tools
Tile or work surface
Tissue blade
Wire cutter
Chain nose pliers (for twisting wire)
Small bowl or cup for water
Sponge or brush
Paper towel
Needle tools or skewers for roasting beads upon
Flat acrylic square or whatever you use as bicone roller


I’ll bring a handout, hopefully some pictures and the secrets!

March Free Play day moved to Sunday

Our normal 4th Saturday free play day is being moved to Sunday March 27 from 12-4 due to some schedule conflicts. Join us at Heartland Bead Market for fun.

Kim Keane, who has been making pieces based on the lesson Industrial Scrap Pendant by Lynn Reno
as seen on the cover of the most recent Polymer Café http://www.scottpublications.com/pcmag/
is going to demo that lesson.
If you want to learn it & play along, here's a supply list:

-basic tool kit, including pasta machine
-1  1/2  oz polymer clay, black (extra if you want to make more than one pendant)
-Clear Liquid polymer clay (optional)
-20 Gauge Gunmetal artistic wire
-10mm watch gears or whatever size, shape you would like to use
-Pearl Ex Mica Powders in Silver, Sunset Gold, Misty Lavender, and Antique Copper
-Acrylic paint, black
-Rub'n Buff in Antique Gold and Silver Leaf; I use copper as well
-Sealer of choice
-Clay cutters in a variety of shapes

Otherwise, just bring along whatever you want to work on and clay with friends!

March 2011 - Tuesday March 8

Free Play--Bring your own project or work-in-progress to the meeting. If you made a skinner blend at the February Saturday Play Day, bring it along. If I get a chance, Teri will see if there's something else on the Hunani DVD, since she had so many possibilities of uses of the blend.

Some of us will be either very tired or very inspired (or both!) from the Jana Roberts Benzon class over the weekend. If you were there, please bring along your pieces for the rest to see.

You are also welcome to our monthly Footloose Crafternoon (usually on Saturday), which will be on SUNDAY,  March 27 from 12-4. 

Kim Keane, who has been making pieces based on the lesson Industrial Scrap Pendant by Lynn Reno (as seen on the cover of the most recent Polymer Café http://www.scottpublications.com/pcmag/) is going to demo that lesson.
If you want to learn it & play along, here's a supply list:

-basic tool kit, including pasta machine
-1  1/2  oz polymer clay, black (extra if you want to make more than one pendant)
-Clear Liquid polymer clay (optional)
-20 Gauge Gunmetal artistic wire
-10mm watch gears or whatever size, shape you would like to use
-Pearl Ex Mica Powders in Silver, Sunset Gold, Misty Lavender, and Antique Copper
-Acrylic paint, black
-Rub'n Buff in Antique Gold and Silver Leaf; I use copper as well
-Sealer of choice
-Clay cutters in a variety of shapes

Otherwise, just bring along whatever you want to work on and clay with friends!
 
Bring your projects and clay with the rest of us!

If you signed up for Anne Rowe's Charm Exchange - bring your charms!

February 2011 Saturday Play Day

Our quarterly play day is next week:
Saturday, February 12, 2011
12 noon - 4:00 pm
Heartland Bead Market
13440 Santa Fe Trail
Lenexa, KS 66215

HANDS-ON LEARNING: DVD Confident Color: Exploring Textile Patterns by Lindly Haunani–facilitated by Kim Keane
Make a series of color-coordinated stripe blends to use in 11 laminated textile-inspired patterns, including Ikat, Seminole Stripes, and Flame stitch. 
Disc 1 is 120 minutes; Disc 2 is 97 minutes.  I'm not sure we will get to Disc 2.
SUPPLIES:
*Basic clay tool kit (including pasta machine, work surface, blades, etc)
*A few 4" x 6" index cards
*At least 6 pieces of copy paper
*Sandpaper 200 or 50 grit (for texturing)
*For making bails: Wire Or vinyl paper clips in assorted colors (If you use the paper clips you will need to cut them with heavy- duty wire cutters from the garage)
*Ruler
CLAY (brand of your choice):
Please have all the clay conditioned ahead of time. This will make it easier for everyone to follow the DVD. 
For Rainbow Skinner blend
*2 oz blue
*4 oz yellow
*2 oz red or magenta
For Stripe blends
*3 oz white
*mix of 1/3 oz black & 1/2 oz blue
*mix of 1/3 oz black & 1/2 oz mud
*mix of 1/2 oz & fuchsia 1/3 oz black
*at least 4 oz black or scrap clay for making pendants or other items

2011 Program - Posted

Hey, all you members - please check the 2011 meeting schedule and let Lynette know if there are corrections. Thanks!

2011 Program Planning

Our first 2011 KCPCG meeting is Tuesday, January 11....snow permitting. Bring your calendars and be prepared to have ideas for or volunteer for a demo  . . .