Monday, February 25, 2013

16 February 2013 Guild Meeting



 Glad to come in from the cold (brr!), we started this month’s meeting by finalizing the year’s schedule. There are some interesting challenges coming up. At our April meeting, we will celebrate Easter and spring with a rabbit exchange. Small rabbits, please. You know how fast they can multiply! The challenge for the Indy/Cincy joint meeting in May is Alice in Wonderland—any character, but potentially more rabbits there, too. And we are gathering children’s storybook-themed dolls for our library display in June. Children’s books are just chock-full of rabbits!


Pattern Book

We reviewed our back-burnered pattern book project (passed to Holly from Cody), and noticed that many of the doll patterns that were submitted were from former club members. We’d really like to have the greater proportion of the patterns be from current members, so we’re inviting everyone to submit a small, not-too-complicated sample doll with a short pattern (1-3 pages) for consideration for the book. We’re hoping to sell copies of the book at shows and joint meetings and get wealthy.

Zentangle Workshop

Katie dazzled us all with a zentangle workshop. Hope you all got her emailed pattern. She demonstrated both direct-fabric and pre-gessoed methods. Our practice-dolls were a bit more tangled than zenned, but by the end we were beginning to get the hang of it. Katie also gave out suggestions for the best books and online tangle patterns.



Take a look at our colorful Show and Tell


In answer to our heart charm challenge, Kathy brought two bright Valentine dolls, one who was mostly heart, and one who was a fresh interpretation of a Julie McCullough pattern from Soft Dolls and Animals Magazine.

Below: Kathy also sported a new purse she had knitted.
  



Left: Liz answer to the heart charm challenge is an elegant lady with painted legs in an equally elegant chair that her husband found for her.
 


Right: Sue made a charming “un-fay” polymer clay and wrapped armature character, a-la Dawn Schiller. A great warm-up for her impending AFIC Fetch class.


Holly brought a page for Liz’s altered book project (no image available).  Her answer to the heart charm challenge was a small fairy that she made as a prototype for her library dolls—Bob Grahame’s April and Esme (the tooth fairy’s daughters). 

Katie's answer to the heart charm challenge was to add a heart to one of her cute Charlie Charm dolls. 


She also brought in a lovely quilt panel from a monthly challenge issued by CQAFA (Contemporary Quilt & Fiber Art Guild).



Below: Debbie passed around a basket of her fabulous embellished spirit dolls.


Next meeting, March 16, 2013

March 16 will be a working meeting. You can bring your pre-work for AFIC, or help Holly stuff bags for the make-and-take we’ll be pedaling in Columbus.

Reminder:  Liz is still looking for contributions for her altered book project. The page needs to be 4” wide x 6-1/2” tall.  It should be about you. Any media. So you can also work on those. Or bring your mending. But don’t miss the fun!

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Happy New Year 2013

January 19, 2013 - First Meeting of the Year


Liz Marten's display at our November 2012 show.

We had a blast!  If you weren't with us this is what we did:


We were treated to a "King Cake" and a bag of Mardi Gras Goodies from Liz and Bill Marten.  Thanks to both of them for the thoughtful goodies.

And Carole Staples wowed us with a still-warm pumpkin pie.  Needless to say, all calories are welcome.  Thank you, Carole, for your hard work in the kitchen this morning!

We discussed Guild activities in 2012 and reviewed our favorites in order to incorporate more of the same this year - plus MUCH more! 

We have loved the meeting room here at the UC Blue Ash College so much that we have decided to make it our primary meeting place.  Therefore, the February through April meetings will be held in Room 119 Walters Hall.  The address is listed on the right side of this screen.

Again, we will meet with the Indy Doll Club in May - location details forthcoming.  The doll challenge is any character from Alice in Wonderland.  The August meeting will find the Guilded Lilies (Columbus group) coming to Cincinnati to meet with us.  This year we will be presenting various demonstrations on manipulating fabric. If you have a special technique, please let us know!

If you look at the Events page, you will see the beginning of our annual plan of events in more detail.  This will be updated as new details are available.

Show and Tell:

Holly Alder (left: Zombie Girl - right: holly felt ornament)



Liz Marten (Mardis Gras Doll - Happy Mardis Gras!)

Katie Storer (Christmas ornament worn as necklace!)

Robbie Porter (new wall doll in many incarnations)


Carole Staples (designs new fashion statement dolls!)

Sue Odell taught a workshop on painting fabric to immitate antique dolls.  Here is the master herself!



That is all for now - please know that all are welcome to our meetings - if you are at all curious about what we do, please come and visit!  We will see you again next month.  Katie and Holly