New Location for Clay Day!!

Please join us Sunday, January 20, 10 am - 3 pm at our new Clay Day location in the new Swissvale Fire House.

The address is: 7400 Irvine Street, Swissvale PA 15218

Directions to the Swissvale Fire House are below. Each will open a link in a DropBox account. (The link is safe. Give it permission to open if it asks you.)

1Mb PDF:
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/35064034/PPCG_Directions%20to%20Clay%20Day.pdf

4 Mb Word doc (.Docx):
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/35064034/PPCG_Directions%20to%20Clay%20Day.docx

The new location has great lighting, plenty of tables (on wheels!), kitchen, bathroom, no steps, plenty of outlets, some on-street parking and a lot across the street and down a bit that we can use. We can park in front of the entry door (NOT the fire truck garage doors!) and drop off our supplies, then park the car in the lot or on the street.

There is a sub and pizza shop nearby (and an ice cream place for summer treats.) You can also bring your own lunch if you wish.

Join us for the PPCG Retreat Weekend!

Wanna get some "me" time away from home to do nothing but play with the clay for 48 hours? (And of course, take a few cookie breaks...what are we, barbarians?!) Join us for the PPCG retreat weekend!
Click the picture to launch a downloadable flyer.

Pittsburgh Polymer Clay Guild Show opens April 7

Join us for the opening of the

Pittsburgh Polymer Clay Guild Show

April 7, 2012 - 6:30pm until 9:30pm

Gallery in Saxonburg, 215 Main St, Saxonburg, PA 16056

Exceptional jewelry and unique small sculptures in vivid colors fill the Gallery...
Members from across the Pittsburgh area will be there to meet you and discuss their works and processes...
If you missed it last year this is a show worth the trip!

Join us for refreshments and a reception for the Artists on Saturday Evening, April 7 from 6:30-8:30 at the Gallery in Saxonburg.
The show will run through April 21 during regular Gallery hours or call 412-260-5779 for additional hours

DATE CHANGE: JUNE 2-3, 2012 - Pittsburgh, PA - Sarah Shriver Intricate Kaleidoscope Caning

PPCG Spring Workshop  -  June 2-3, 2012  - Pittsburgh, PA

Sarah Shriver

 Intricate Kaleidoscope Caning

Sarah's description of the class:
Students will create a polymer clay cane with the illusion of depth and movement by using a repeat interlocking pattern and the Skinner blend. We will take time selecting colors and work on the visual texture and quality of this fairly simple cane. Then I will show you some ways of kaleidoscoping the image to create infinite and intricate variations. Lastly, I will share my ideas on bead construction and finishing techniques.

Read About Sarah's process

All skill levels welcome  More details to come. Watch this space for cost, location, supplies list.

PPCG Workshop: Ronna Sarvas Weltman

Go check out news from the first day of our workshop with Ronna Sarvas Weltman on the Pittsburgh Polymer Clay Guild blog. Visit there again tomorrow to see members' work from the class.

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And, just because it's pretty, here's the redbud tree in my front yard in full bloom! I love the redbud. It hides inconspicuously all year, but then, for two weeks in the spring, you catch a splash of that distinctive orchid-pink color everywhere, in yards and wild woods alike! There are wind-sown babies from this tree throughout the yard. Unfortunately, they like to sprout in the most undesirable spots. I managed to replant one successfully in the backyard, but another is too large to dig up and almost too large for where it is, right next to the road. Another is growing in a tiny crack between the retaining wall and the driveway. I will have to cut it down but can probably salvage another still-tiny tree growing in my flower garden.

This is the view from a few doors up the street from my house (the peaked roof of my front porch is visible at the left edge of the photo.

And in other fun news, I bowled a 148, 122, and 133 on Friday and got the prize for highest average score of the ladies in the group.

Exhibit: Fashionable Fish

Getting ready for the PPCG's upcoming show. I made these fishies today...

PPCG Workshop: Ronna Sarvas Weltman

Ronna Sarvas Weltman

April 30 & May 1, 2011

With much excitement and anticipation, the Pittsburgh Polymer Clay Guild (PPCG) is hosting artist, author and teacher of polymer clay, Ronna Sarvas Weltman, for two days of  instruction. Wire beginners will learn how to work with wire, and those with experience will learn new tricks, including how to enhance their organic aesthetic in their wire skills. 

We will also play in depth with polymer clay, paying particular attention to incorporating wire into polymer clay (and polymer into wire). This is not a project class; students will learn a whole bunch of tricks. Ronna's classes are focused on helping every student feel empowered in articulating her or his own "artistic voice."

The workshop will be held at:

 Georgetown Clubhouse  Valley View Drive  |   Lawrence, PA 15055  

Please contact Laura Tabakman to reserve your place.  

lauratabakman (at) yahoo (dot) com

Member fee $170.  Non-member $185.

Fun: PPCG October Retreat:

The Pittsburgh Polymer Clay Guild's annual retreat is coming up soon...October 22-24, 2010. Clayers of all skill levels are invited to attend. The workroom is a great big, well-lit space. We clayed from 9 am - ? pm  last year, pausing only to eat (hot meals are provided), and sleep for a few hours.
If you're new to clay, or even if you've never tried it but think you'd like it, this would be an easy way to dive right in. We'll have mini-workshops to learn techniques and you would only need basic tools and a few blocks of clay to get started.
What if you're an old hand at clay, but don't live near Pittsburgh? That doesn't matter either...we have attendees who travel from Michigan, New York, and Ohio every year. If you'd like to join us for the weekend, let me know!
Click on the flyer at left to enlarge it.