CGPCweblogo by Shelly Crossencolumbia gorge polymer clay guild

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Help!

Our librarian had to resign for personal reasons, so we are looking for a replacement. If you can fill this void, please see any guild officer at a meeting or e-mail to CGPCG@Yahoo.com Remember, the librarian gets to see all the library materials first!

CGPCG Library Borrowing Guidelines: Only CGPCG members in good standing may borrow materials from the Library. If borrowed materials are to be mailed, you will pay the postage and insurance to receive and return materials to the CGPCG. (We recommend the use of padded envelopes to protect materials; videos should be shipped in the video-sized hard box [available free from the post office].) Borrowing is free for one month from checkout date, during which time we will hold your borrowing deposit check (amount of deposit depends on the type of item borrowed). If the borrowed item is not returned within the free borrowing period, or if the item is returned damaged beyond reasonable wear and tear, the check will be cashed. If the borrowed item is returned in usable condition subsequently, your deposit amount will be returned, less $10 handling fee. First-time borrowers are required to sign the borrowing guidelines agreement.

Back issues of our newsletter (from 1999 to present) are kept in the library and are available at a nominal cost. Click here for an index to the newsletter contents.

Julie, our wonderful past librarian, compiled a listing of polymer clay-related articles in Jewelry Crafts and Bead & Button, from 1995 to present. The list shows the magazine issue date, page number, and article title. Thank you, Julie!

Contact us at a meeting or send e-mail to CGPCG@yahoo.com if you wish to check something out, or you want a copy of a past newsletter or the list of the magazine articles.

Donations are always welcome! We can never have enough books, magazines, videos, etc.

If you want to own your very own copy of any of these items, most of them available for purchase at Amazon.com.

Videos

Books

Other Publications

For a copy of the listing of polymer clay-related articles in Jewelry Crafts and Bead & Button, from 1995 to present, contact our librarian at a meeting or by e-mail.

Other

Reviews

Marie Segal's Advanced Millefiori 1 by Tonja Lenderman

(reprint of article in Nov/Dec 2001 newsletter)

Marie Segal does a fantastic job of showing how to build and reduce millefiori canes. The easy to follow, step-by-step instructions make it possible for even a novice clayer to create some of the canes covered in the video.

The canes shown are a woven cane, a cathedral cane (stained glass cane), the rose and leaf canes, a sunflower cane, and a butterfly cane. Also included are two projects: an angel vessel (covered votive) and a lesson on making beads.

They may give you some ideas of what to do with your newly created millefiori canes. I found the tape to be quite informative and the quality of the filming to be superb.

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Marie Segal's Advanced Millefiori 2 by Tonja Lenderman

Marie Segal is back with the second video in her millefiori caning series. Like the first, with a bit of patience, even a beginner can obtain wonderful results following the easy step-by-step instructions.

The canes covered in this video are a plaid cane, a spider web cane, a signature cane (the concept of putting your name into a cane), a face cane, and a moon & stars cane.

As in the first video, two projects are included. Learn to make a “mobius” and a heart mobius bead using the plaid cane and cover a votive with the spider web cane for a wonderful Halloween decoration.

I also found this second video to be very informative and the quality of the filming to be superb.

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Marie Segal's Imitating Metal by Tonja Lenderman

(reprint of article in July/Aug 2002 newsletter)

Learn to imitate the look of metal effects using metallic pigment powder, texture, molds, foils, and metal leafing.

The objects you will learn to make are a covered glass vessel, a cabochon using aluminum foil, a carved and back-filled switch plate and a variegated metal leaf outlet cover, and beads made using scrap clay, appliquéd millefiori slices, metal leafing, and pigment powders. In the bonus section learn to make a paper clip bookmark. Marie also shows the proper way to sand and buff or varnish when necessary, your new projects.

This is a wonderful video for the beginning clay artist. Although, I’m sure everyone could learn a new trick or two watching this wonderful video. The project directions are clear, easy to follow, and have beautiful results.

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Irene Dean's The Weekend Crafter: Polymer Clay (20 Weekend Projects) by Shelly Crossen

(reprint of article in June 2000 newsletter)

A new addition to the Guild library is the new book by Irene Semanchuk Dean titled The Weekend Crafter — Polymer Clay (Lark Books, ISBN 1579901689). It contains twenty projects with clear step-by-step instructions and a thorough materials list. In addition to her own great designs, Irene is featuring some very talented polymer clay artists who are not yet nationally known, as well as those who have been hiding their light under a bushel somewhere. Although its focus is the novice clayer, even old-timers can get energized and get new ideas by looking at some of the way the featured artists applied common techniques in unusual ways.

It teaches a gamut of techniques: two- and three-color Skinner blends, mokume gane, transfers, Liquid Sculpey, using powders and inclusions, etc., to make useful and practical items, ranging from a faux jade footed bowl to a mosaic face clock to a capped pen . . . and more.

The book is highly recommended to novices who want good, solid, information and practical project ideas.

The book is available from the author at www.good-night-irene.com/TheBook.html, and she will even autograph a copy if requested.

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Judith Skinner's Precision Caning by Tonja Lenderman

(reprint of article in Jan/Feb 2002 newsletter)

This may not be the most exciting video to watch, but the amount of information makes up for it. Precision is definitely the key word and I will probably use it often. This video, in my opinion, is not for the beginner. Some clay experience would be highly recommended before attempting these canes. I was even a little intimidated, not that it will stop me from trying. <grin>.

First off, you will see the Skinner Blend technique. Then she shows you how to use it to mix your own colors. From here you jump to the “precision” part of this video. Using diagrams, Judith Skinner shows you how to cut all the pieces you will need to build the first part of your “precision cane.” After putting together all those pieces, you have two canes that resemble quilt blocks.

Next comes the part I always have trouble with, reducing a square cane. Though after watching Judith reduce her canes, I have a feeling I will be able to do a better job next time. She does all of the reduction by hand. I tried it in the past to reduce with an acrylic rod. Take my word for it, it doesn’t produce the best results. She only used it to sharpen the corners of the cane at the end of the reduction.

You are now shown how to take those first two canes that you just reduced and combine them into that “precision cane” we are all hoping to perfect. And to top it all off, Judith Skinner will go through a few jewelry projects to give you some ideas on what to do with the wonderful cane you just made. I have no complaint about the cost, mostly because I borrowed it from a friend. <grin> But I would have gladly paid the $30 for everything I learned.

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Gwen Gibson's Ancient Images by Tonja Lenderman

(reprint of article in Mar/Apr 2002 newsletter)

I learned so much from this video. Gwen did a wonderful job of teaching several transfer techniques that use black and white photocopies.

The first lesson shows a faux enamel process with colored pencils and gold leafing. The second is called acrylic etching. The clay sticks to the copied image and when the paper is ripped away it leaves a mirror image on the clay. Very cool technique!!! The third project uses acrylic paint to create a collage effect. And the last one also uses the rip-away technique, but with a different finishing process. Oil-based paints are used to capture the image left on the clay surface

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The possibilities are endless for all polymer clay users alike. Though some clay experience would be helpful.

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Dotty McMillan's Transfer Magic by Tonja Lenderman

(reprint of article in Mar/Apr 2002 newsletter)

This video explores different ideas for transferring images onto clay. Whether it’s photocopies, a T-shirt iron-on, or rubber stamps, there is a project here for everyone.

The first example is an easy photocopy transfer. The second project uses several different copies to create a collage that is colored with pencils before it is transferred to the clay. Technique three uses a T-shirt transfer for ink jet printers and translucent Liquid Sculpey. The next idea, which also uses a T-shirt transfer, gives you the end result of faux pottery shards. I just love this idea!! The last type of transfer uses a rubber stamp, which is used to make a mold. This new mold is then used to create the final image for the project.

After watching this video my poor brain went into project overload. I didn’t know where to start first. I think some clay experience would be helpful, but the instructions are so clear and easy to follow that a confident beginner could get the same results as a pro.

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Margene Crossan's Sculpting Whimsical Faces by Tonja Lenderman

(reprint of article in May/June 2002 newsletter)

Normally I would have to say I couldn’t sculpt my way out of a wet paper bag. But after watching the in-depth details and directions by Margene, I may be having second thoughts

She covers every aspect of sculpting from making a mold of your personal designs for easy reproduction, to creating those extra details in your faces to make them realistic. Like wonderful laugh lines, toothy grins and painting great eyes. Margene even goes so far as to explain the difference between women’s, men’s, children’s, and ethnic facial features. Also shown in detail is how to make your own sculpting tools using dowels and wood carving tools.

Keep in mind that this tape really isn’t for beginners. I would personally suggest trying some beginner level sculpting first or at least have some polymer clay experience so you can get the feel for what the clay can do. I highly recommend this tape to anyone interested in the finer techniques of sculpting.

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