WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU AND SEE YOUR WORK!

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Creative Arts Fests is going on 11 years of bringing first rate instructors to you.  We’ve had 10 Cabin Fever events, soon our 5th Master Class Camp, and two years of Fall Foliage Festival.  We’ve seen some of the work up close and personal, but we’d like to see how far you’ve  come too!

If you’ve attended any of these Creative Arts Fests events and want more people to see what you’ve accomplished, send us your pictures! Photos of your work may show up on our blog or Facebook page!  A number of our earlier students have gone on to teach and have their work published in magazines or on PCD.  We are so pleased and proud of you all!

So, if you’ve got something you want to share, send your .jpg photos to: creativeartsfests@yahoo.com with the subject line: (your name) and title of your work.  Please include info on what event you attended, the year, and who your teacher was.  Don’t be shy – this will help encourage others to explore their talents.

Can’t wait to see what you’ve done!

CFCF 2014: REMEMBERING AN INNOVATOR – GWEN GIBSON

Gwen Gibson 1934-2013

As the Summer closes and Fall begins, I look back and think about why we are here. What happens as the seasons of our lives change?  Earlier this week, seasons changed in the polymer world as a true icon left us. Gwen Gibson (1934-2013) was truly an innovator, not only in the world of polymer, but in the world of the creative and inspiring spirit.  In her words, she had  “An appetite for fresh experience and the need to keep moving (to) take me places I would never have imagined beforehand. Because I find the unknown tempting, I’m often drawn to projects that have no predictable outcome…” We lost the physical person of Gwen this week on September 24 at 4PM PDT, but her spirit and influence will live on, driving many to experiment in their work and take the next step, not knowing where it will lead, but knowing that they will enjoy the journey getting there. With the approval of her husband, Jerry, we will be paying tribute to

Gwen Gibson – Kabuki Cuff photographer unknown

Gwen during the CFCF 2014 evening celebration, including awarding a CFCF creative scholarship in Gwen’s honor.  Dayle Doroshow, Sarah Shriver, and some of Gwen’s other friends will share with us many good memories about her gentle spirit and creative genius.  In addition, attendees are invited to make Gwen-inspired beads to donate and trade. If you’d like to help us celebrate Gwen’s life and to join us for one, two or up to eight days of creative fun and celebration, click HERE to download the registration form and workshop descriptions.  Then, warm up your clay, put on your thinking cap and let your imagination take you to where you’ve never been before.

CFCF 2014: REGISTRATION NOW OPEN – IT’S GONNA BE A GOOD ONE!

SHRIVER Intricate Kaleidoscope

First, I sincerely thank you all for your patience these past couple of months and in the months to come as I deal with some important family issues.  But, I have not forgotten about you…it’s just taking me a little longer these days to get the work done and out. The good news is we completed our first Master Class Camp in between trips to Wisconsin and it was a great success.  Dates are already set for MCC 2014 and whew, I’m exhausted! More good news is that I am certain that the wait for CFCF 2014 info will be worth it. First, we have two honorees this year for the Creative Pioneer and Innovator Award.  Congratulations to Sarah Shriver and Elise Winters.  They have both, in their own way, contributed so much to the polymer community and we are excited to be able to recognize their contributions at the Awards Celebration on Tuesday, February 18, 2014 … more to come on this. Below is the line-up for CFCF 2014.  We’ve added a couple of pre-pre-conference workshops for those who like longer classes and our favorite 4-hour workshops for those who like to get the most from their travels.  Note:  workshops will be held simultaneously.

CLICK HERE FOR REGISTRATION FORMS AND WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS

Pre-Conference Instructors (1-2 day workshops) include:

• 2/12-2/13  Jeffrey Lloyd Dever  – Robert Liu  (select one)
• 2/14  Nan Roche – Sarah Shriver – Cindy Silas  (select one)
• 2/15  Heather Campbell – Doreen Kassel – Sarah Shriver  (select one)
• 2/16  Jana Roberts Benzon – Dayle Doroshow – Marie Segal   (select one)

Conference Instructors (4-hour workshops) include:

• 2/16 6:30PM Doreen Kassel – Sharyn Neuwirth – Kathryn Ottman (select one)
• 2/17 8:00AM  Jana Roberts Benzon – Louise Fischer Cozzi – Dayle Doroshow  (select one)
• 2/17 1:00PM Louise Fischer Cozzi – Marie Segal – Sarah Shriver  (select one)
• 2/18 8:00AM  Ann and Karen Mitchell – Marie Segal – Sarah Shriver  (select one)
• 2/18 1:00PM  Jana Roberts Benzon – Heather Campbell – Dayle Doroshow  (select one)
• 2/19 8:00AM  Penni Jo Couch – Heather Campbell – Lindly Haunani  (select one)
• 2/19 1:00PM  Penni Jo Couch – Lindly Haunani – Ann and Karen Mitchell (select one)

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CFCF 2010: Over, but far from forgotten!

CFCF 2010 Instructors

 With claying enthusiasts and incredible instructors gathering from all over the world, the time spent together was much too short, yet extremely rewarding. From the very beginning, we had clay and tools lost on a train, a wallet lost at the airport, and boxes from Nordstrom’s piled high (I wonder whose those were???) A credit card machine that died (sorry all!) and several dead car batteries. But as always, someone was there ready to jump in and help those in need.

All-in-all, new friendships were forged and old ones renewed as we gathered for the six days of non-stop claying fun. Each and every class was filled with new tricks, some technical information, inspirational instructors and plenty of students with minds like a sponge, ready to soak it all in.

Thank you again to all of our instructors: Jeffrey Lloyd Dever, Lindly Haunani (missing from above photo), Nan Roche, Cindy Silas, Maggie Maggio, Jana Roberts Benzon, Tony Aquino, Maureen Carlson, Dayle Doroshow, Grant Diffendaffer, Louise Fischer Cozzi, Laurie Mika, Kathryn Jo Ottman, Lisa Pavelka, Sarah Shriver, and Ronna Sarvas Weltman. CFCF 2010 would not have been possible without them.

Wendy Rosen, Nan Roche, and Jeffrey Lloyd Dever

The closing night celebration brought the presentation of the first Creative Pioneer and Innovator Award, presented to Nan Roche. Jeffrey Dever first spoke of the knowledge and inspiration he gained from Nan in his early days playing with clay, then continued with how Nan has influenced an entire generation and then some. Wendy Rosen of The Rosen Group was gracious enough to attend and along with Jeff, present Nan with the award. She spoke of her first experience with polymer clay, taking a class from Pier Voulkos, and being fascinated by the medium. She recognized several attendees as NICHE magazine award winners, helping to move polymer clay to the forefront of the art/jewelry world.

A HUGE thank you goes out to all those who volunteered and helped keep things on track as best we could during the event. Barb P., Doris M., Mary F., Nancy T., Tony A., Jana RB, Carol L., Ann S., Donna D., Laura B., Nancy S., Lindly H., Sue G. If I forgot anyone, please forgive me but know that your help was invaluable and greatly appreciated. Thank you to Katrina Marsh Sarlin for making the delicious gluten-free cake (it really looked like polymer clay on top!)

Additional thanks go out to The Rosen Group and American Style and NICHE magazines, Tony Aquino and Van Aken International, Iris Weiss and Polyform Products, Marie Segal and Clay Factory of Escondido, Jaquard Products, Kalmbach Publishing, Kathryn Ottman Designs, The Queen’s Ink, and Caldron Crafts. We had one of the best years with plenty of goodies in our goodie bags, both at check-in and at the closing night celebration.

And finally, thank you to all of our attendees…you made CFCF 2010 a success. As we move on, we begin preparing for our mid-west event later this year and CFCF 2011. So, start saving and planning…we don’t want you to miss a thing! Stay tuned here and on the yahoo group…more news to come!

CFCF 2010: Just One Day til the FUN Begins!!

Ottman Bangle Bracelets

We are just one day away from the official start of CFCF Pre-conference workshops.  Everything has come together and we will have a great group coming this year! 

We will try to bring you updates throughout the event with photos, etc. … you can also catch us on TWITTER!  Once you see the fun we are having, you’ll start saving your pennies and making plans for next year!

Time to get some more errands done…and boxes loaded.  Thanks to all of our many sponsors and patrons.  We couldn’t have done it without you.  List soon to follow.

Happy claying to all!  Stay tuned………….

CFCF 2010: More Auction items for Charity

Tony Aquino 12"x16" Dots Wall Hanging

This 12″ x 16″ wall hanging and auction donation was made by Tony Aquino of Van Aken International.  Tony’s use of the Skinner blend technique along with texture and shapes makes this piece really stand out.  As a chemist at Van Aken and a professional “experimenter”, Tony is always coming up with new and exciting techniques to be used with the medium.  In some cases, he has used tempra paints, powdered colors, and liquid clay to add layers and complexity to his work. 

Weltman Pod #2 Auction Donation

This is the second pod pendant donated by Ronna for the auction.  Again, her use of color, surface texture, and the simplicity of the piece makes it a stunning necklace that anyone would like to add to their collection.

Aquino Faux Stone Photo Frame donation

Another interesting piece from Tony Aquino.  This was made using Kato clay, liquid Kato clay, and paint.  The flow and feel of the frame gives it a very organic look almost like marble.

Stay tuned for more auction items to come.

CFCF 2010: The Blizzard of 2010 has arrived!

Cabin Fever Clay Fest is less than two weeks away and I am so glad…the blizzard of 2010 is giving me some time to get caught up on much needed paper work and clay time (as long as the electricity continues! – it’s flickered off and on several times already this morning.)

The 1st part of the blizzard began yesterday morning with light snow and not much accumulation.  Then, the big one hit and overnight, we gained about 22 inches of snow here.  The photos above were taken this morning at about 8:15AM.  The fence posts you see in the photo are about 4 feet high.  I attempted to walk down the sidewalk, but as in my days living in Wisconsin, I get stuck when the snow comes up nearly to my hips!  It makes it difficult to move your legs!  The second blast has already begun and they are calling for another 10-20 inches before the days out.  Looks like instead of a snow day, it will be a snow week…lucky me! 

Believe it or not, that is my car in the middle of the photo under the snow…again, this was at 8:15 this morning and it is still snowing at 12:40.

In the meantime, I thought I’d give you some links for projects that might inspire you.  Send me photos of your projects and we may post on our blog!

http://www.hgtv.com/crafting

http://www.sculpey.com/projects

http://www.polymerclaycentral.com/masterindex.html#lessonsprojects

http://craftstew.com/polymer-clay

CFCF 2010: Win a Prize-Registration extended through January!

My snowy backyard

Blizzard at 10 AM

Merry Christmas to all from blizzard struck Maryland!    While the blizzard is over, the snow remains.  I went out yesterday morning and took photos just as the bad snow started to set in…at that time, we had approximately 8 inches on the ground.  I went out this morning and measured…we are officially at 20 inches!  Snowman time! 

If you’ve been waiting to get your holiday shopping out of the way to make plans for attending Cabin Fever Clay Fest in Feb. 2010, now’s the time to make your dream a reality.  We still have space available in many CFCF workshops as well as some of the pre-conference workshops (see list below.)  And, as our gift to you, we are extending the registration deadline through January with a little incentive for you to visit our blog, refer others, and register for CFCF.  

 

HERE ARE THE THREE WAYS YOU CAN WIN.

1. Send in your registration for CFCF.  One lucky registrant will be selected to receive a $30 gift of products from all registrations received with postmarks between 12/21/09 and 1/20/10.

2. When you visit our blog at www.polymerclayfests.wordpress.com and make a comment … one lucky winner who adds a comment on the blog between 12/21/09 and 1/9/10 will be selected randomly to receive a $10 gift package. 

3. If you have a blog of your own, link to www.polymerclayfests.wordpress.com and send visitors our way…the second lucky winner will be selected randomly to receive a $15 gift package, based on blogs referrals of visitors to www.polymerclayfests.wordpress.com between 12/21/09 and 1/16/10.

  

HERE’s THE UPDATE: (visit www.polymerclayfests.wordpress.com and click on the Registration Tab at the top of the site for forms and descriptions) 

The following pre-conference workshops still have space available:

 * Nan Roche (2/20) *  Cindy Silas (2/20)  * Jana Roberts Benzon (2/21)  * Maggie Maggio (2/21)

 The following  CFCF (4 hour workshops beginning 2/21) still have space available:

* Tony Aquino (2/21 and 2/23)  * Maureen Carlson (2/21 and 2/23)

* Dayle Doroshow (2/23)  * Laurie Mika (2/24)   *  Kathryn  Ottman (2/22 and 2/23)

* Lisa Pavelka (2/22)  *  Ronna Sarvas Weltman (2/24)  *  Sarah Shriver (2/24) 

CFCF 2010: Nan Roche to be honored with Creative Pioneer and Innovator Award

As registrations continue for the 3rd Annual Cabin Fever Clay Fest  in Feb. 2010 in Laurel, MD, we are pleased to announce that a special award will be given at the event.

Nan Roche, author of “The New Clay“, the first comprehensive book published on Polymer Clay (1991 Flower Valley Press), will be honored with the first Creative Pioneer and Innovator Award at the closing celebration for Cabin Fever Clay Fest, Wed. 24 February 2010 from 7PM til 11PM.  Jeffrey Lloyd Dever will be presenting Nan with this inaugural award on behalf of Cabin Fever Clay Fest and Polymer Clay Fests.    Nan, who has been a scientist working at NIH for many years, was one of the founding members of the National Polymer Clay Guild and the Washington Polymer Clay Guild. 

She was chosen for this first time honor for her numerous contributions to the polymer clay community, specifically having authored the first comprehensive book on polymer clay, or as Jeff refers to it –  “the pc bible“.  It was a labor of love for her and many others who helped her to pull the book together, including her late mother, Sue, who created all of the book’s illustrations; her brother, Chris, the photographer; her husband, John, who was/is her greatest supporter; and many other friends and colleagues who donated their time and artwork for the venture.  It’s wonderful to know that after 18 years, the book has withstood the hands of time and is still looked upon as a valuable resource in the polymer clay community.

Many of us may not be where we are with polymer clay without Nan’s insight into its origin and techniques.  She credits Kathleen Dustin as her first instructor at the Torpedo Factory and Pier Voulkos as her first inspiration to learn more about the medium.

Nan continues to teach periodically  when time allows and she derives great pleasure and energy from teaching her signature techniques.  For those who have not yet taken a workshop from Nan or who are interested in learning a new technique, she will be teaching a NEW one-day Celtic Knots, Braids, and Plaits pre-conference workshop on Saturday, 20 Feb. 2010 at Cabin Fever Clay Fest and we still have space available. Visit the registration page on this blog for forms and additional information.  

If you are not able to attend Cabin Fever Clay Fest but are interested in showing your support and appreciation for Nan, tickets are available for the closing celebration on 24 Feb. for $40 per person. Please email  cabinfeverclayfestival@yahoo.com  for additional information. We would be pleased to have you join us at this celebration.

CFCF 2010: Supporting the Polymer Collection Project at RAM

The Polymer Collection Project at RAM is a dream realized by Elise Winters and the polymer clay community.  It represents years of planning and hard work and a major step moving forward to have Polymer Clay works by renowned artists recognized by the Fine Arts World as a true art form.

Roche Celtic Knot Pendant

Shriver Tessilated Bead

Doroshow-Fold Book

Maggio Poetry Bracelets

Haunani Petal Lei Bracelets

Dever Pin

 Elise will be the first to admit that she hasn’t done this alone, relying on many in the polymer world to help bring this dream to fruition.  Some of those include Rachel Carren, Nancy Travers, Nan Roche, Lindly Haunani, Carol Watkins along with Laura Tabakman and Lili Velez.  Also a key element in this project is Bruce W. Pepich, Executive Director and Curator of Collections at RAM, many thanks to him.

We at CFCF are pleased to support this project by donating a portion of each registration fee to the project.   We are also please that we’ve had the great fortune of bringing some of the talented artisans, whose works are included in the collection, to teach hands-on workshops at CFCF this year and in years past.  Just a few of the artists included in the collection project are: Jeffrey Lloyd Dever (CFCF 2010), Dayle Doroshow (CFCF 2010), Lindly Haunani (CFCF 2010), Tory Hughes (CFCF 2009), Donna Kato (CFCF 2008), Maggie Maggio (CFCF 2010), Nan Roche (CFCF 2008-2010), and Sarah Shriver (CFCF 2008-2010). 

We urge you to ponder where we polymer clay artists might be without these pioneers and innovators…and consider a donation to the project.  You can learn more by following this link.  Once again, congrats to Elise and all who have worked so hard on this project.