It’s more than just a lump of plastic....      Editorial by Lizzi Bucklow-Holt

What are the benefits of polymer clay? Here are some pleasant side-effects I have experienced....

Mindfulness: When I am claying, I am in my happy place where thoughts can drift in and out of my consciousness. Even if I am making something repetitive, I find myself in a zen-like state. It’s a great stress-reliever.

Exercise: Claying can be a whole-body workout! Of course, our hands and arms get the most exercise, but you should see me hula when I’m making those swirly beads!

Transferable skills: polymer is so versatile, that it can be used in a similar way to other creative disciplines – from quilling to sculpture, embroidery-like effects to card making, origami to painting, or cake decorating to wood turning. I’ve even seen it made into shoes and clothes! Not to mention that you can make and repair your own tools with it.

Accessible: Apart from babies and very young children, polymer clay can be used and appreciated by anyone and you do not need a fine art degree to enjoy it and produce something you are proud of. I started out with a limited range of tools, most of which were found in my craft stash or kitchen cupboard!

Therapeutic: not just mentally but physically too. Need to fidget? Grab a lump of clay and squish it! Feeling angry? Grab a lump of clay and squeeze it! Laid up in bed? Watch YouTube tutorials and plan your next project!

Observation skills: I’m now more acutely aware of shapes, colours and textures. I constantly snap photos for inspiration. I’ve even heard of people carrying around clay or putty to preserve interesting textures!

Giving: Not only are polymer people giving of their skills and expertise, but I have found great pleasure in giving back too. Whether that be through encouraging a newbie or by abandoning some of my creations for people to find. It’s such a thrill!

Friendships: Before I really got into polymer clay, I might go to a weekly craft club, or the occasional workshop and meet people, but mostly I would create alone at home.  But now I have friends with benefits, wherever I am in the world. I have joined my local claying group, participate in collaborative art projects and swaps, teach workshops, attend exhibitions and if I’m travelling, I always try to meet up with fellow clayers. Even when I’m home alone, I can chat online with people who share my passion. I’ve never before been part of such a friendly and giving group of creative people.

Role models: although polymer clay has been around for 50+ years, it’s still young compared to the majority of the creative arts. But the upside of this is that the pioneers of the medium are still with us today. It’s truly wonderful to observe their creative process, connect with and become friends with them. And oh! the joy I get when they ‘like’ my attempts to emulate even a fraction of what they can do. We are truly blessed to have living, breathing teachers and artists we can learn from and look up to.

It's a wonderful world!

What has the world of polymer clay done for you? Has it changed you as a person? What’s your favourite side effect?

Happy claying!

Lizzi

Send us your articles, show us your work and share your story with us. Email us at britishpcguild@gmail.com or post on our Facebook page or in our community group.

Regional Groups and Branches of the British Polymer Clay Guild 

As many of you will know there are a number of groups and branches around the UK affiliated with the British Polymer Clay Guild. Indeed I know a lot of you manage to visit your local groups on a regular basis, which is fantastic. We thought it may be of interest for you to have an update on where the groups are, and some newly formed groups too.

The Guild now has 16 groups around the UK, and on our website, if you go to the Branches page, you will see a map with a pin for each one. Just click on the pin and it will take you to the Branch’s/group’s page. The link to the Branches page is here: http://www.bpcg.org.uk/branches .

Within the last few weeks we have had two new groups form. Valerie Anderson has very kindly agreed to act as a liaison officer for the whole of Scotland, so there is now a page for that group, and they had their first meeting on 3rd June in Edinburgh. Susan Valentine and Janice Bradley, have started up the Oxfordshire Branch and met at Weston-on-the-Green on 28th May. Please do support either of these groups if you live nearby, by going along to the meetings.

So we now have, from North to South, West to East, groups/branches and associated Guilds in: Scotland, Embsay (Skipton), North West, West Midlands, Midlands, East Midlands, Wales, Kidderminster, Coventry, Oxfordshire, South Midlands, Anglian Guild, South Wales, Bristol, Devon and Southern, so we cover quite a lot of the country.

There is also (not affiliated with the BPCG) the London Polymer Clay Group who in addition have their own branch ‘South of the River’ which meets in Croydon, and a group who meet in Chichester.

We are currently in discussion with people thinking about starting groups up in Sheffield, Leeds, Epsom, Northumberland and Bournemouth, so whilst I am not putting those people under any pressure to start a group, if any of you are interested in going along to one of those groups, do get in touch with me, if you haven’t already done so. Often the worst worry someone has about starting a group is that no one will come, so knowing that people are interested goes a long way to helping.

Have a look at the article below from Lisa Walker on how to start a group in your area, and how the Guild can help, as this may help encourage some of you to do something you have been thinking about for a while.

Not every group meets regularly, some meet monthly, some bi-monthly, some only when they manage to find a date that suits them all. The groups all have different ways of running too, some are formal workshops, some informal demos followed by ‘play’, some simple play days, and often a mix of all of these, so check out the group nearest to you, and see what they are up to.

In fact, you could help the Coventry group if you live in that area, as they are currently looking for a new venue – thoughts anyone? Get in touch with Nikki Killinger and Fiona Potter via the Coventry page on the BPCG website if so.

To finish this round up, let me tell you which groups have meetings scheduled for the next few weeks, they are:

Embsay (Skipton) – 6th June - Silk Screens, 4th July – Skinner Blends, further details from Andrea Moorhouse, via the BPCG website

Wales – 24th June – Play Day, near Welshpool, further details from Penny Vingoe, via the BPCG website

Kidderminster – 17th June – Fairy House, 24th June – Candle Holder, 25th June – play day,  further details from Lisa Walker, via the BPCG website

Oxfordshire - 2nd July, Weston-on-the-Green village hall, near Bicester

East Midlands - 2nd July, Long Eaton Art Room

APCG - 16th July, 17th September, 5th November - Wortham village hall, near Diss, Norfolk

Midlands – 9th July in Longdon, near Lichfield, further details from Ange Smith, via the BPCG website

South Midlands - 8th July, 13th August, 10th September, 21st October and 11th November 2017 at Hanslope village hall, near Milton Keynes

Bristol – 7th June in Bristol, contact Cara Jane Hayman via the BPCG website for more details

Scotland - 15th July, venue in Edinburgh - to be confirmed

So do support your local groups and branches if you can, the people who organise these do so on a purely voluntary basis, in order to provide a local venue for Polymer Clay enthusiasts, but are of course completely reliant on your support in order to survive.

Fiona Abel-Smith

Group Liaison Officer BPCG