Robin demoed skinner blends and some ways to her them. She showed a rolled and a new trick for me, rolling the blend lengthwise, then pushing in into a gradient plug, much each than the usual fold plug.

Susan, demoed Maggie Maggio’s polymer clay split rings. Joyce has had a lot of experience with them so she showed a slight variation on the shape that she came up with. The rings are closer to actual split rings. In fact the necklace show is made by Joyce using split rings. It is of course highly polished, just about anything Joyce does is.

check out the great items people brought to show off on Facebook. Our next workshop is June 5, I’m already forward to it!

For our March workshop this month, Susan Averello did a demo making filigree snowflakes. Using just an extruder and a template, these snowflakes are deceptively easy to do. They are delicate and lacy but the technique is simple.

Some suggestion were to tweak the template and use different colors to change the snowflakes into shamrocks and flowers. So much can be done with this technique.

The group is already revving up for the April 3 work shop. Robin will be doing a demo on mica shift techniques. Demos are a great jumping point for a new projects

Today in our workshop, we all made Christi Friesen inspired wrap vessels. Everyone had a different take on this project. The vessel is made by wrapping a sheet of clay around a wet ball of toilet paper. After that anything goes! This vessel is just one example- there were vessels with fish, parrots , branches, everyone had a different idea of how to do this. Once you make the vessel, you can add beads, colors, powders, anything. Check out here for more pictures.

This year we now have a president, Robin Milne, and a co-president, Susan Averello, to be able to organize more activities. This month Susan will be demoing Christi Friesen’s new technique for making wrapped vessels. Everyone is welcome to join it. Clay and a pasta machine are needed but embellishments like beads and 28 gauge wire as well as the basic clay tools. Toilet paper will be supplied- you have to come to understand that one.

This month on September 14, the New Jersey Polymer clay Guild will be having a workshop to explore some of Christi Friesen’s techniques and styles. We’ll be making polymer clay mini wrap vessels that she has described making in her Yahoo group, CFOriginals. This vessels are made using a simple technique of wrapping polymer around wet toilet paper as a base. The method is simple but the beauty lies in the embellishment after. Check out Christi’s site to see what she has done with this idea

Membership is only 30 dollars a year and the guild meets all year long. There is also an extensive library of books, magazine, DVDs and videos to borrow and take home to enjoy at your leisure. Clayers at all levels are welcome. Demos and workshop are given frequently but members are encouraged to bring supplies to work on projects or follow along.

Meetings are in Thompson Park in Lincroft- it’s right off exit 109 on the Parkway. It’s just 1 right hand turn of exit 109 on the Parkway so it’s easy to find. A big plus for those of us not familiar with the area.

Have I got you interested? want to be part of this vibrant group? You can check out our Yahoo group or email Robin for more information.

Oh, and you can now subscribe to the website by email, so you won’t miss any announcements.  See the sidebar for that, too.

Creating a Faerie Figure, and Advanced Doll Making are multi-day sculpting classes. The demo will allow you to watch Wendy create a figure from start to finish and will be followed by a book/DVD signing.

Visit The Complete Sculptor website for more information.

Here be Dragons, Rising Up, and In the Bush are sculpting classes open to all skill levels. The free book release party celebrates the latest CF Originals title, Down Under.

Visit The Complete Sculptor website for more information.

Class Description:
In this fast paced and very hands-on workshop, you will learn to make 3-dimensional forms in metal without having to solder a single thing! The forms you’ll make are beautiful, strong, unique and perfect for combining with polymer clay, resins, Faux Bone, and almost any other material you may like. We will cover making the hammer most used in fold forming (a hammer “conversion” actually) and with little more than that hammer and a block to hammer on, you will be able to make forms that seem complex and technically difficult but are actually fast and easy. Much of this work can be done at home with a minimum of tools and equipment. We will explore the use cold connections in order to add these forms to the work you do now and we will cover the use of several different patinas to give your finished pieces a professional finish and look.
Students can expect to leave with numerous examples and or a finished piece. There will be a $20 materials fee payable to the teacher for the hammer, and a small kit of connectors.

Date: Thursday May 22 & Friday May 23, 2008
Cost: $150 for both days

Please email Lisa to reserve one of the 8 available spots.

Visit Robert’s website for more examples of his work.