IPCA Logo
In This Issue
Synergy2
From the Int'l. Liaison
Election of Officers
ACREs of Opportunity
Polymer in Print
Clay Carnival 2009
Cabin Fever Clay Fest 2010
Charitable Efforts
Related Events
From the President
smaller Suz
Our Executive Director, Kathy Reynolds has reached the end of her contract period with the International Polymer Clay Association. However, it gives me great pleasure to tell you that Kathy has become a polymer clay enthusiast, like the rest of us, and will continue her relationship with us as an active member. I join the other members of the IPCA board in thanking Kathy for her service and wishing her the greatest success as an Arts Consultant and a polymer clay artist.

Sincerely,
 
Suzanne Ivester
Exploring Connections
by Listening
synergy logo
We've been reviewing the responses of members surveyed after Synergy 2008, and we're taking your preferences seriously!

The most important aspect of the conference, according to our 140 respondents, was the Synergy Gallery, followed by the Exhibition, the Vendor Fair, the Closing Banquet, and visiting the ACC show. Souvenirs were considered the least important aspect.

To keep up to date on all the  plans for Synergy2, visit our new website often. See you in Baltimore!
Cover Art
Silas pendant
Congratulations to Cindy Silas for her fabulous cover article in Art Jewelry Magazine.
Polymer Polyglots Wanted
International Liaison Kylee Milner is compiling a list of useful polymer clay and mixed-media terms in as many languages as possible. The completed multilingual glossary will be available to all our members. If you'd like to help compile this list or can submit terms in your own language, please contact Kylee.
Classes/Workshops

For a current list of classes and workshops, visit the IPCA website often. And be sure to enter information about your events on our calendar. We rely on you to keep us up to date.

Online Resources

Calls for Entry

Exhibitions
--Niche Awards Student Division, deadline Sept. 30, 2009
--Lafayette (CA) Library and Learning Center: Small Works Purchase Program, deadline Sept. 11, 2009
--Indianapolis Art Center: Art from the Heartland, deadline Sept. 11, 2009
--Border Art Biennial 2010 (US/Mexico), Deadline Jan. 31, 2010
--Assistance League of Houston Celebrates Texas Art, deadline Sept. 30
--Rise & Fall: Breaking Down Barriers, deadline Sept, 30, 2009
--Torpedo Factory Art Center (VA): Pandora's Box, deadline Oct. 5, 2009
--Visual Arts Center of New Jersey: 24th International Juried Show, deadline Oct. 1, 2009
--Wayne Art Center, Craft Forms 2009, deadline Sept. 17, 2009

Publishers' Challenges
--Somerset Studio Challenge: Alice in Wonderland, deadline Oct. 15, 2009

alice

--Polymer Cafe Challenge: Faux What?, deadline Oct. 10, 2009
--GreenCraft Magazine, featuring found-object art in mixed media, deadlines Sept. 15, 2009 and March 15, 2010
Volume 2, Issue 9                           September 2009
2009 Board Elections:
Toss Your Hat in the Ring!
We know our members have energy, enthusiasm, and varied talents and life skills. So we're inviting all of you to take an active role in shaping the future of the International Polymer Clay Association.

Slated for election this year are the offices of Vice President, Membership; Webmaster; Web-Content Editor; and Member-at-Large from Virginia. Each of these positions is fully described in the FAQ section of our website.

If you'd like to accept our invitation to serve (and have fun!) for the next two years on IPCA's board, please submit your candidacy to our Recording Secretary and  Elections Chair, Kaaren Poole, by September 9. Please don't hesitate to contact Kaaren with any unanswered questions.
Wholesale Opportunity
ACRE logo Once again the IPCA is proud to sponsor "ACREs of Opportunity," a juried competition to assist three member artists in entering the wholesale market. In conjunction with the American Craft Retail Exposition (ACRE), the IPCA will offer a shared booth space for the winning members to take orders for their work at the ACRE show in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2010. The details will be posted soon on our website.
Polymer in Print: What's New?
ancient modernBooks
Magazines
  • PolymerCAFÉ - October 2009
    • Drummer, Kathy Shield,  "Copper Nouveau Donut Pendant" Pt.1
    • Fisk, Lynette, "Apple Core Bead"
    • Palumb, Jill Yvonne "Painting Your Signature in a Clay Cane"
    • The Black and White Challenge Winners
    • J, Pamela, "Miniature Bread and Cheeses"
    • Hodgens, Trish, "The Patch Keeper's Cottage"
    • Ransfield, Toni, "Polymer Clay 101:Simple Elegance"
    • Dukic, Jeannie, "Alcohol Ink Pendant"
  • Art Jewelry - September, 2009
    • Silas, Cindy, "Three Surprising Ways to Integrate Polymer Clay and Metal Clay"
  • Bead and Button - October 2009
    • Wilkes, Lori, "Domestic Diva: Stamp Words and Vintage Images onto Polymer Clay Tiles."
  • Ornament - vol. 32, no. 4, 2009
    • Hughes, Tory, "The Path from Nothing to Something"
  • Step by Step Beads - September/October 2009
    • Ivester, Suzanne, "Easy Stacks"
Clay Carnival 2009
las vegasRegistration is now open for Clay Carnival 2009, to be held
November 5 - 8 at the Imperial Palace Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. We hope you'll join us in Las Vegas for 4 exciting and unforgettable days of clay, fun, and friendship! Instructors are Donna Kato, Judy Belcher, Leslie Blackford, Kim Cavender, Cathy Johnston, Sue Kelsey, and guest artists Maureen Carlson and Lynne Ann Schwarzenberg. The $485 registration fee includes eight 4-hour classes and our famous pizza party. You'll receive a $50 discount if you make your hotel reservations from our reserved block of rooms at the Imperial Palace, which are priced at $55 per night double occupancy. Share with a friend and save even more!

Visit http://claycarnival.com/ to register. To reserve your room at our special rate, call 1-866-523-2781 and mention Code #SIPOL9. And don't hesitate, because space is limited!
Cabin Fever Clay Fest 2010
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Registration is now officially open for the third year of this internationally promoted hands-on conference. It will be held in Laurel, Maryland, February 19-24, 2010. Ten wonderful instructors will share their inspirational processes and tap into your creativity. They include Tony Aquino, Maureen Carlson, Grant Diffendaffer, Dayle Doroshow, Louise Fischer Cozzi, Laurie Mika, Kathryn Jo Ottman, Lisa Pavelka, Ronna Sarvas Weltman, and Sarah Shriver.

The 3-day pre-conference program will include a 2-day Master class with Jeffrey Lloyd Dever; full-day workshops with two of the premier color experts in the polymer clay world, Lindly Haunani and Maggie Maggio; one of our favorite instructors, Nan Roche, author of the first book on Polymer Clay; and Cindy Silas, polymer and metal clay artist.

We've made some exciting changes this year! Registration now includes 6 workshops instead of 5. Our early-bird discount offers all 6 workshops for the price of 5, only to those who you register by September 30. Our new, lower room rates are $89 per night, or $105 with a full breakfast. This year's auction will benefit the Children's Defense Fund and the American Cancer Society.

To register, visit the Cabin Fever website, and for further information, contact Kathryn Ottman at cabinfeverclayfestival@yahoo.com.
CASA Kids Studio:
Creating Smiles Nationwide
charm braceletJenny O'Brien and the polymer clay artists of CASA Kids Studio in Lawrence, Kansas, use their talents and skills to serve the community in a unique way. Since 1997 they have been making handcrafted polymer clay jewelry to benefit Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) programs all around the country. They market their kid-friendly creations on their website and in their Etsy store.

CASA trains volunteers to advocate for the needs of abused and neglected children so that they can thrive in safe, permanent homes. If you or your group would like to learn more about CASA Kids Studio or assist in their efforts, contact Jenny at casakids@sunflower.com.
Art Therapy Conference
AATA logo The American Art Therapy Association invites us to join them at their 40th Anniversary Annual Conference: "Inspiring Frontiers for the Next Generation in Art Therapy," Nov. 18-22, 2009, at the Fairmont in Dallas, Texas. 

Over 150 sessions will cover current trends in the field of art therapy. The event will offer superior networking opportunities and featured events including: the Open Art Studio, where you can create your own art using complimentary materials; the Arts and Crafts Marketplace, offering  jewelry, pottery, prints, sculptures, and more created by conference attendees; and the Service Project, in which you can help to create centerpieces for the USO Dallas/Ft Worth's annual Thanksgiving Dinner. (All the materials are provided; we just need your creativity).