February 2008 – Ornamento

Synergy I Banquet.

The highlight of the Banquet on the last night of the conference was Cynthia Tinapple’s keynote speech, Watch Where You’re Going Effects Ripple Out. You can see the slide show from the speech on her blog, Polymer Clay Daily.

The conference organizers asked us to bring items to decorate the banquet tables. Aside from the occasional snapshot of someone wearing something interesting (“Please, would you mind if I took your picture?”) these are the only pictures of polymer clay I took at the conference. I will post more pictures soon, but you can feast on these for a while. And yes, the dessert was as good as it looks.

Synergy I: Looking Back

The National Guild asked Synergy attendees to bring memorabilia to pin on a giant bulletin board in the back of The Big Room. The idea was to commemorate milestones in polymer clay. If I’d been more attentive, I would have noted things like Marie Segal adapting the pasta machine and Judith Skinner’s invention that ranks up there with antibiotics and air conditioning. But I didn’t. I was having too much fun. This is what I got. I hope these pictures bring back some memories for you.

Synergy I: The History of Polymer Clay in Bead Making

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Polymer clay came into use before the Internet and before pasta machines, tissue blades and the other tools we now take for granted. Kathleen Dustin was there from the beginning, so she was well qualified to deliver a talk at Synergy on the history of polymer clay in bead making. (Most of us know that it was originally developed as a doll making material). If you want to see some of the pictures from the slide show, they will be posted soon on the Polymer Art Archive

In the coming days, I plan to put up slide shows from the pictures I took at the Synergy conference. Keep checking for updates. The most convenient way is to add this blog’s feed to your news reader. You can also subscribe by email using the tools in the bar on the right hand side.

Synergy I: Moving Forward/Looking Back

Counting down the days before I leave for Baltimore Md for the National Polymer Clay Guild’s Synergy I Conference. In the meantime, here are two copper bracelets I am donating to the auction. One has polymer clay beads and the other is made with my lampworked beads.

If all goes will, I will post a slide show of pictures when I get back. Stay tuned!