This months featured artist is

Joy Gregory 

This amazing Kingfisher wall art piece really caught my eye, Joy was one of the people who donated pieces for the last NEC show in November. At these events the BPCG get to share knowledge and group information with the public and this piece really shows how versatile this medium can be.

Thank you Joy for allowing us to display your beautiful work.    

Happy New Year to you all 

Welcome to the first newsletter of 2020, as we enter a new year we all tend to make new year resolutions or targets to reach, why not make some of those about your amazing hobby. Take a workshop, try a new project, get more involved with the Guild by going along to a monthly meets or help out at one of our exhibitions. You could take part in the monthly draw competition. Make use of the mentor program we have linked to the members-only Facebook page or use the destash page we run.

Later in the year, we will have our annual Inchie Swap we are hoping for this to include BPCG, the Irish guild and the Florida guild, we will also be running a retreat at some point in 2020 so watch this space. 2020 will see the book library return to the BPCG but until then check out the DVD library; there are some great titles to choose from, some of them are no longer available to buy, so for the cost of postage it's well worth it. 

2020 will also hopefully see the return of PolyAnglia and of course, Polymania will be held in March care of our very own Cara Jane. 

I would also like to mention a few things I have spotted on Facebook: Polymer Clay Adventure 2020 looks good this year, its a year-long course you can work along at home costing around £100 it's a considered purchase but certainly worth a look. Also 52 weekly cane projects are back which is perfect for advancing your caning. ( please note the BPCG have to affiliation with either group).

Finally, on a sad note, we have not received any entries for the Clay to Carpet competition as this is a huge time-consuming thing for the sponsors to do if I do not receive 10 or more entries this will not be going ahead,so if you are interested in entering please let us know asap    

 Once again Happy New Year to you all 

Editor 

Lisa Walker 

BPCG President 

Regional Groups and Branches Round-up 

January 2020

Hi everyone, hope you all had a great Christmas and are looking forward to lots of adventures with clay in 2020.

The clay dates for 2020 have been updated.  Please check out each branches’ page on the BPCG website 

We’ve had a few enquiries for groups in the following places

Leigh-on-Sea/Southend, Essex

Orpington

Plymouth

Liverpool

If any of you are interested in starting a group anywhere please contact me.

If you are not already a member of a Branch, do consider joining one.  They are great fun and you will have the opportunity to learn, and to share your skills.  The people who organise these Branches do so on a purely voluntary basis, in order to provide a local venue for Polymer Clay enthusiasts.  You will find an up to date list of Branches and a map on the BPCG website, where, if you click on the Branch name (not all the pins on the map are linked to a branch), it will take you to that Branch’s page.  If you don't have a branch near you, how about starting one of your own?  The Guild can give you some help with this, just contact Rosie Hutchinson.

All the very best for 2020 

 Members Only

Prize Draw 

To start 2020 we have a copy of A New Generation of Polymer Clay, this draw will close on the 26th of February which gives you nearly two months to complete your projects,  

A new Generation of Polymer Clay 

book review 

by Debby Wakeley 

ISBN 978-80-270-6448-9

www.polymerweek.com

Lucy Struncova 

Firstly, what a wonderful experience, I asked Lucy to donate a copy of the book for the Guild to review. She was really lovely to deal with and very graciously gave us a copy. The book came with a lovely personal message, which was a lovely touch.

My initial impression on first flicking through the book is it’s a beautiful book. Very well put together, glossy, professional and certainly good eye candy for the coffee table!

27 artists are featured including our very own Fiona Abel-Smith (congratulations Fiona) but mainly European artists so there is a large diversity of project to look at. Each artist has 8 feature pages, a biography and portrait of the artist, and feature photographs of their work. Giving you lots of visual clues to the work they are best known for. Some truly beautiful work.

Then you come to the tutorials. Each tutorial is laid out the same so the book has a great sense of uniformity 9 photos per page so 18 for each tutorial and this to me is where I became frustrated. Dare I say a little letdown.

The style overrides the substance.

I was asking questions like:- which brand of clay? 

Where did you get your cutters from?

Which brand if texture sheet did you use?

I have enough claying knowledge and knowhow to interpret the vagueness in some of the tutorials but I did

asked myself if I was being too picky. So I got my 18 year old to have a look at the book and tell me what she thought.

“It’s a lovely book but it assumes you know what you are doing, it would not be suitable for beginners or novices”.

Will I be doing any of the projects from the book? Yes, 9 of them really appeal to me. Personally I would photocopy the project and use those notes to guide me though the project. The book is way too nice to get all messy in your studio.

On a side note I was really curious about one of the projects and had “questions” so I contacted the artist via Instagram, she was lovely, very kind and helpful giving me the info that I felt was missing from the tutorial. This as always is my experience within this wonderful world of polymer clayers.

It’s a great polymer clay book, full of beautiful glossy photos, certainly a good read, you won’t regret the purchase however it is not a step by step tutorial book for beginners so beware of that.

Update on Exibititions for 2020 

Here is a list of exhibitions for 2020, can anyone suggest a group that could look after a stand? would you be interested in getting involved? 

ICHF run the Creative Craft Shows around the country and are free to the Guild. 

5-8th March and 22-25th October at the SEC Glasgow

Confirmed date: 19-22 March in Birmingham - Nikki Killinger to run the stand plus volunteers

Confirmed date: 5-8th November in Birmingham - I will run this stand with some volunteers

24-25th April at Excel London

3-5th Sept at Event City Manchester

24-27th Sept at Westpoint Centre Exeter 

Has anyone visited the following shows, if anyone wants to visit and let me know if we should have a stand that would be great:

Essex Bead and Jewellery Show in Cowdray Avenue, Colchester on 23rd February

Country Craft Show in Tonbridge on 4-6th September

I have confirmed the Big Bead Show on 28th March and the next one will be on 17th October. I have a stand at the show so I have asked for a table next to mine so I can help.

Many thanks,

Debbie Bulford 

Exhibition Co-ordinator 

Clay to Carpet Competition  

Have you ever thought about designing your own carpet?

This is an amazing opportunity to win something truly unique.

At the BPCG's 20th Anniversary celebrations, which were held in a former carpet mill in Kidderminster, the owners, Bondsworth Carpets, offered to make a carpet from a polymer clay cane design. If you attended the event, you would have seen the sample created from Fiona Abel-Smith's cane. Fiona Abel-Smith has also kindly created a short video to help interested Guild members take part.

The competition is open to members only.  The video and entry form can be found on the website using the link button below.  Details will also be posted on the Facebook members page, so keep a lookout. 

ENTER NOW!

Rules 

• You must be a current member of the Guild

• You must include your membership number with your entry. If you need a reminder of your membership number, please contact us.

• You must download and complete the official entry form. Paper copies are available on request and at Guild meetings. Only one entry per member is allowed. The form includes a useful size template.

• Any make of clay can be used.

• You may use a maximum of 9 unblended colours.

• You must include a finished and cured sample of 10 cm x 10 cm (4 x 4 inches) firmly secured to your entry form. Please ensure you package your finished piece securely. The Guild takes no responsibility for samples damaged in transit.

• The sample must include a repeat such as a kaleidoscope, design or repeat of 2.5 cm (1 inch) or 5 cm (2 inches) square.

• The cane must be your own original design. 

• All entries must be submitted before the closing date.

• The judges will be the management and design teams of Bond Worth Fine Carpets.

• The winner will be announced in February 2020.

• The winner will be informed of the progress of the carpet. We have been advised that it will take around a month to produce depending on current workloads at the time.

The closing date is 31st January 2020 

" Art washes away from the soul the dust of every day life "

Pablo Picasso