Our favorite time of the year! Nah, I don’t care about the weather, I mean Clay Camp! To prepare for the big event, here’s a little guide about what to expect.
What To Bring
Registration has ended for this event; we’re at full capacity this year!
Bring:
– Polymer clay and your favorite tools, cutters, pasta machine/roller, inks, etc.
– A work surface (some laminate sheets will be available to use)
– Task lamp for you work space
– Timer for your clay in the oven
– Your most creative self!
Optional:
– Your Brown Bag of goodies for the Friday Gift Exchange
– Your swap items for the Saturday Swap
– Items to donate to the Sunday Raffle
– Items for the Free Table
– Food items for the Snack Table
– Potluck dish for Saturday Dinner Potluck
– Things you’ve made that you would like to sell with clearly listed prices and your name so buyers know who to pay
– Cash for Raffle tickets, and/or purchasing other clayers’ wares
– Cushion/backrest for your chair
– If you want to listen to music, bring your personal ear buds or headphones. No radios, speakers, etc. in the workroom.
Claying: When you are inspired to create, looking for inspiration or just want to socialize, Clay Camp is the place- it is always full of clayers to talk with and learn from. In place of formal classes this year, there will be several demonstrations of techniques taught throughout the weekend in the classroom area if you choose to attend; times and days of demos will be posted at Clay Camp. Large clay ovens are available so you can cure your finished creations. Everyone will have at least three feet of table space (7.5 sq ft) and are responsible for cleaning up their space and putting away their chair when they leave.
Snack Table: We usually have one table in the work area overflowing with snacks people brought to share. Anything that doesn’t require refrigeration is welcome.
Free Table: The volunteers who organize Clay Camp have asked that you bring your free items in a box marked with your name. This year there will be only one Free Table so make sure your box is small. If there’s no room on the table for your box, keep it in your workspace until there is room. When you leave, take your box of leftover free items home with you.
Volunteers Needed!
We are a volunteer-run organization and need help from members to continue hosting Clay Camp. Able-bodied volunteers are needed for setting up our workroom on Thursday evening, May 30th at 6:00pm. We set up tables, place extension cords, put up signage, etc. If you help Thursday evening, you may also bring your clay stuff and choose your workspace AFTER we’re set up- so please leave your clay stuff outside or in your car until we’re ready.
Activities
FRIDAY, MAY 31st
Demonstrations- 10:00am, How to use Hotcoat Powder
Having trouble with liquid topcoats and varnishes dripping off your beads? Maria will demonstrate clear Hotcoat powder coat (in gloss, satin, and matte finishes) applied to polymer clay rounded surfaces like beads. Easy to use, cures instantly, protects surface treatments, and no volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Maria’s favorite: Eastwood HotCoat®.
If you’d like to try it out yourself, bring a few beads, a needle tool, and an optional paper mask bc the powder is fine.
Moldmaking with 2-part Silicone Molding Putty
Maria will demonstrate her tips and tricks for getting a clean, perfect replica of your object every time. Most importantly, she’ll show you what doesn’t work- because she’s had a lot of experience with that, too. Bring small items (with no undercuts) you would like to replicate. The Guild will provide some silicone putty to try, but if you want to go crazy with it, consider bringing your own supply. Here’s an Amazon link to Kim’s current favorite, Pixiss Silicone Mold Putty.
Demonstration- 1:00pm Simple Canes
Are you new to polymer clay? Or do you just need a refresher course on caning? Join Sharon as she demonstrates how to make some simple canes.
Demonstration- 3:00pm Swirl Eggs
Kim will demonstrate how to use and cover plastic Easter eggs with polymer clay. She will use templates, textures, and maybe glitter to make her beautiful swirl designs. Eggs and templates will be provided as well if people want to make their own after.
Brown Bag Gift Exchange- 4:00pm
Each participant brings a gift in an unmarked brown paper bag (about $30 in value; popular gift ideas are clay-related items and chocolate!). This is not a ‘white elephant’ gift exchange; bring something that you would want to receive. Write your name on a slip of paper and put it INSIDE the bag. Add your bag to the Brown Bag Gift Exchange table on Friday evening after dinner.
Everyone randomly draws a number. They select gifts in that order — with a twist… The person assigned with #1 picks out a gift and opens it so all can see what it is. Then the person assigned with #2 gets the choice of ‘stealing” #1’s unwrapped gift or choosing a wrapped one from the pile. If #2 steals #1’s gift, then #1 must choose and open another wrapped gift. Gifts can only be stolen once!
As subsequent players take their turns, they either select a new gift or take an already opened gift from any of the other players that has not been stolen before. Any player who has a gift ‘stolen’ either choose a new gift or take an already-opened gift from another player. Continue until everyone has had a turn for a gift. After the last turn, the person who started (since she/he didn’t get a chance at the beginning) can put back the gift and “steal” a gift according to the rules.
SATURDAY, JUNE 1st
Demonstration- 10:00am Natasha cabochons and beads
Do you have lots of scrap, (or only a little), and you don’t know what to do with it? Sharon will be showing how to make Natasha beads and how you can use cutters to make perfect cabochons. She will also show her tips to get rid of seam lines.
Demonstration- 1:00pm Using Metallic Foils
Explore creating dazzle with metallic foils on clay! Meredith will cover several options.
Demonstration- 3:00pm Using Texture Rollers on Clay- Mix of Techniques
Kim will demonstrate several techniques using 3d printed texture rollers. She will show making faux cloisonne (with a resin top as a bonus technique) and faux stained glass using tinted liquid clay, black polymer clay, silver mica powder and a stamp pad. If there is time, there will also be quick demonstrations of mica shift and mini mokume gane, also using texture rollers. Rollers will be available to use during camp.
Potluck Dinner- 5:00pm
Bring a dish to share on Saturday for the evening meal. Please mark your dish if it’s vegan, wheat-free, dairy-free, or contains nuts. There is a kitchen with an oven, microwave, stovetop and one refrigerator if needed. Dinner is served at 5pm.
‘Non-raffle’ Raffle- 6:00pm
You may donate any item to this NWPCG fundraiser. Donated items will be displayed with a cup in front of each. Tickets are sold for $1 and you place your ticket(s) in the cup corresponding to the item you want to win. We typically see donations in the form of lovely handmade clay creations, crocheted or knitted items, clay books, clay supplies and other craft supplies. It is also a fun show to watch!
SUNDAY, JUNE 2nd
Demonstration- 10am Using Transfer Paper
Joy will show how to make bookmarks using transfer papers. You will need 5.5″x 2″ inch rolled out piece of white or light colored clay if you’d like to make one. Joy will provide papers and the use of her bookmark cutters.
Artist’s Swap/ 12:00pm
The theme of the 2024 swap is: THINGS WITH WINGS.
Please give your creations for swap to Kim Day by noon in groups of five. That means you can give her 5 items, 10 items, 15 items, etc. Whatever you give you’ll get that many items back made by other participants. 10 items can be the same but if you give more than 10, please make the next group of 5 (or 10) different from the first 10. And yes, every single item can be different.
Demonstration- 1:00pm Mini Book Necklaces
Lynn will demonstrate the construction of mini polymer clay book necklaces! We’ve been told that Lynn is also going to demonstrate her newly-honed skills in high-wire tricks while on horseback!
Bottles of Hope Challenge- Afternoon (Voting starts at 1:00pm and ends at 2:00pm)
We decorate small medicine glass bottles (provided) and donate them to cancer patients at a local treatment center. These are always amazing! After lunch, we all vote on our favorites in each category and the winners get an extra special handmade ribbon to show off. You may donate as many additional covered bottles as you wish, but for voting purposes, only one is entered into the challenge.
Leaving Camp- 7:00pm to 9:00pm Clean and Pack up
Each camper is responsible for cleaning up their workspace- table and floor- and putting their chair away. Remember to take any food you may have left in the kitchen, the Snack Table, and take your leftover items from the Free Throw away your garbage outside the front door in the bin. This event happens completely by the grace of volunteers so let’s make sure to share the load!
Can’t wait to see you at Clay Camp!