Meeting Recap Archive 2004

Meeting Note Archive 2004

December 2004 MEETING NOTES (from Nita VanTil - Corresponding Secretary)

The December meeting was held at Beads by Design in Marietta , GA on Saturday, December 4, 2004, at 6:30 p.m.

Michael Barley did a demo using Satake glass to start the meeting. This Japanese glass is much softer than Moretti and it was really interesting to see how it works. The demo also included applying ‘hanobi’, or fireworks, cane to the bead. The beautiful pink and blue bead had a lovely ethereal quality about it. Once the demo was done, we had a great pot luck dinner. Thanks to everyone for the wonderful meal! We also had our Christmas Tree raffle with lots and lots of Christmas beads donated by our generous members on it. We raised $151 on raffle tickets that will be used to help support Southern Flames activities like ventilation for the torch rental area and the Gathering Scholarship. Congratulations to Margo Knight for winning the tree!! Check out pictures from the meeting in the scrapbook on our website (SF December Meeting Pictures).

Announcements

In the past few years the number of lampwork artists who offer classes overseas has been increasing. Now, there is an organization called BEADVENTURES which is sponsoring a series of workshops including one in Ireland next year with Michael Barley as the teacher. For more information about the offerings of this group call 602-326-7513 or go to www.beadventures.com.

ISGB dues are usually due by the end of the year so look for your notice. You must be a paid up ISGB member to be eligible for a Gathering scholarship Also, since Southern Flames is part of the ISGB network, you must be an ISGB Member as well as a SF member to serve on the SF Board. If you have never been an ISGB member and are interested in joining, go to the ISGB website.

Sara Hoyt is putting together the 2005 Calendar for the glass art forum on Wet Canvas. Photo submission deadline is December 15. Click here for details on WC. Details in the thread on WC.

The 36th Glass Art Conference will be held in St Louis in 2006. The G.A.S. Board of Directors is requesting proposals for lectures, demonstrations, and panels for the St. Louis conference that incorporate the theme, "Glass Gateways: Meet in the Middle." Proposals are due February 1, 2005. For detailed information go to their website.

Beads by Design will be offering a fusing class on December 11 at the store. Call the store for details (770-425-3909).

Leah Fairbanks will be teaching two 2-day classes for Southern Flames in March (10-11 & 12-13). Cost for members will be $315. The lottery will be at our January meeting. Details will go out in a separate email this week.

Our own Sylvie Lansdowne will be teaching two 2-day classes for Southern Flames in April (14-15 & 16-17). Sylvie is generously doing this to help benefit our members and the cost will be just $125 for members. The lottery will be at our meeting on February 12.

Brad Pearson will give two 1-day classes on May 14 and 15. He will probably offer another set either right before or after. The price will be announced when it is finalized. The lottery will be at the March 9 meeting.

Matt Janke Studios (glassblower) is having ‘WinterFest 04’ on Saturday, December 11 from 12-6 pm at Studioplex, 659 Auburn Ave. There will be glassblowing demos and Stephanie White will be doing a beadmaking demo. Admission is free. You can get more information at www.jankestudios.com.

Spruill Gallery and Gift Shop, 4681 Ashford Dunwoody Road, is having its annual Holiday Artist Market through December 23 from 10am to 6pm Monday through Saturday. Spruill has some beautiful items by local artists, including our own Margo Knight, so you may want to check it out.

November 2004 MEETING NOTES (from Nita VanTil - Corresponding Secretary)

The November meeting was held at Beads by Design in Marietta , GA on Saturday, November 13, 2004, at 7:00 p.m.

It was a very busy meeting including our Holiday Party, Annual Silent Auction and two class lotteries. We had many wonderful donations from members for our Silent Auction. We made $1952.00 on the auction of items from members and visiting instructors!!!!

Proceeds will be used to fund the SF Gathering Scholarship, to purchase glass for making beads for the Louisville Gathering Totes and to help with costs of ventilation for the torch rental area (see announcements below).

We also had lots of really good food for our Holiday Party – many thanks to Carl Andrews for taking care of the catering and set up for the Party. The meeting also included the lotteries for Jen Geldard’s class in January and Corina Tettinger’s class next October. Both classes have filled and have small waiting lists. The meeting was lots of fun with many new members and long time members attending!!

Announcements

We have an opening in the Michael Barley class on Monday and Tuesday, December 6 & 7! The first check in to Kim Runge ($350 for members) will get the spot. See SF Michael Barley Class Details for Kim’s address and a copy of the registration form (the lottery form). Michael is a great instructor, so you may want to sign up – what a great gift to yourself for this time of year!

Thank you to our members from Athens for helping Kim Runge with the Silent Auction. Your assistance was really appreciated. It was a great success with a total of $1952 raised. If you would like details on your donations, please contact Kim Runge via email (klrkimzoo@aol.com) or at the next meeting.

Southern Flames has agreed to help out the Louisville Gathering committee by making the beads for the conference tote bags. They will need approximately 500 beads in flame colors (red, yellow, orange, etc.). The beads should be between ¾” and 1” in size and made on 3/32 or larger mandrels. We are hoping to hold some torch events after the first of the year for members to come and make beads together. Some of the proceeds of the silent auction will be used to purchase glass for making the Gathering Tote beads.

We have a new ‘Swap and Shop’ section on our website. It is not for retail sales, but for sale and trade of your used equipment, tools, etc. Check it out at Swap n Shop.

Southern Flames is sponsoring a scholarship for the Louisville Gathering. The scholarship award process will be administered by the ISGB with preference given for Southern Flames members. Applicants must be current ISGB members as of January 15, 2005, to be eligible. Details can be found on the ISGB website at http://www.isgb.org/gathering/scholarship.shtml.

Gerry will be having an Open House at Beads by Design this weekend: November 19, 20 and 21, 2004. She will have a torch set up for bead making demonstrations. Demonstrators can sell beads during their demo slot (with no percentage to the store). There are still a few times slots open, if you would like to demo at the open house, please contact Gerry at Beads by Design (770-425-3909) to sign up

We'll have a little Christmas tree at the December meeting to decorate with member's beads. The meeting will be early in the month (December 4^th) so you may want get working Christmas beads to contribute. This tree will be raffled to go home with a member at the end of the meeting. You’ll get one raffle ticket for each bead ornament donated for the tree. Additional raffle tickets will be available for purchase.

Thank you to Gerry White for continuing to let us meet at Beads by Design.

Doug Remscheider’s Boro Color Recipe Cards have been added to the Resource Center. Check out all the cool things you can borrow at the Resource Center.

Just a reminder, for those of you that are also members of the ISGB, you should be receiving information about your ISGB membership renewals soon. The ISGB membership year is the same as the calendar year. Be sure to renew promptly, so you'll get the first mailing of packets for the Gathering next year in Louisville , KY (and be eligible for the SF Gathering Scholarship if you choose to apply).

Future classes include Leah Fairbanks (March 10 & 11, 12 & 13), Sylvie Lansdowne (April 16 & 17, and two days to be determined), and Brad Pearson (At least 2 one day classes on May 14 & 15, with 2 more one day classes probably on May 12 & 13).

Ventilation equipment for the torch rental area has been ordered and received. Once installation is complete, we’ll let you know and we will reinstitute torch rental at Beads by Design.

Larry Brickman, a well known beadmaker who presented at the Gathering in Portland this year, recently suffered a stroke. He will be out of commission for some time and lots of beadmakers are helping to raise money for him. Check out the ISGB and WetCanvas forums for information on various events and auctions for Larry.

October 2004 MEETING NOTES (from Nita VanTil - Corresponding Secretary)

The October meeting was held at Beads by Design in Marietta , GA on Saturday, October 23, 2004, at 7:00 p.m.

The meeting began with two wonderful demonstrations by Lauri Copeland using borosilicate glass from Glass Alchemy. Lauri started with an off-mandrel ammonite bead. Before she started the bead, Lauri made a small bead on a mandrel and set it aside. She also made some twisted cane to use on the bead. She then began to make the bead by heating a rod and 'rolling' it into an ammonite shape. She continued using the twisted cane on the sides of the bead and using some transparent dots for the final touches. Once the bead was complete, she attached the small bead from earlier to provide the hole for stringing the bead. Next Lauri made a lovely shell shaped bead on a mandrel. Lauri prefers to strike the colors in the flame rather than in the kiln. She discussed various methods for striking colors of boro glass and some of the differences between borosilicate and soda lime glass. Many thanks to Lauri for a great demo!!

The bead challenge this month was "Boo!" and was won by Stephanie White. Check out pictures from the meeting on our website at in the Scrapbook.

Announcements

The Annual Silent Auction will be a part of our November meeting. Please bring beads to donate to the auction. It's our main fund raiser each year. Since we are holding it in conjunction with our Holiday Party this year, it should be lots of fun!

We need volunteers to help Kim Runge with the Silent Auction at the November meeting. Please let us know if you can help check in beads and set up the auction! You can contact Kim Runge, or just reply to this email and I'll forward it on to her.

Leah Fairbanks will be teaching for us in March (3/10 – 3/11 and 3/12 – 3/13). The lottery will be in January. A separate email with class details will be sent out at another time.

Please let a board member know if there are any teachers that you would like us to try to bring in for a class. You can email a board member or even just put a note in the Southern Flames Suggestion Box at Beads by Design. We really want to bring in instructors that you will enjoy.

Gerry will be having an Open House at Beads by Design on November 19, 20 and 21, 2004. This is the weekend before Thanksgiving. She will have a torch set up for bead making demonstrations. Demonstrators can sell beads during their demo slot (with no percentage to the store). If you would like to demo at the open house, please contact Gerry at Beads by Design (770-425-3909) to sign up.

We'll have a little Christmas tree at the December meeting to decorate with member's beads. The meeting will be early in the month (December 3^rd) so you may want to start thinking about Christmas beads to contribute. This tree will go home with a member at the end of the meeting!

Thank you to Gerry White for continuing to let us meet at Beads by Design.

Thank you to Robert Simmons for operating the camera during the demo. The display on the TV really helps everyone see the details during the demonstration.

Just a reminder, for those of you that are also members of the ISGB, you should be receiving information about your ISGB membership renewals soon. The ISGB membership year is the same as the calendar year. Be sure to renew promptly, so you'll get the first mailing of packets for the Gathering next year in Louisville , KY.

September 2004 MEETING NOTES (from Nita VanTil - Corresponding Secretary)

The September meeting was held at Beads by Design in Marietta, GA on Saturday, September 11, 2004, at 6:15 p.m. The meeting began with a wonderful demonstration by Stevi Belle. It was the highlight of the meeting. Stevi made a beautiful long vessel shaped bead with a core of copper tubing. The demonstration was just great and really appreciated after a full day of teaching!

The challenge this month was “Red, White and Blue” and was won by Joan Houghton-Theall.

The September Southern Flames Member of the Month is Stephanie White. Check out details and pictures from the meeting on our website, http://www.southernflames.org.

Announcements

Don’t forget the lottery for Michael Barley’s class in early December will be at the October 4^th Board Meeting, instead of at the member meeting. Members may attend the beginning of the board meeting for the lottery if they wish. Be sure to get your lottery form and check in to Kim by October 1^st!

We’ll start accepting beads for the Silent Auction at the October meeting. This is our main fund raiser each year and will be during our November meeting. Bringing your beads to the October meeting will help with easing the setup of the auction. If you’d like to volunteer to help organize the auction, please contact Kim Runge.

The Christmas Tree raffle will be at the December meeting. Each bead donated to go on the tree will get one ticket for the drawing to win the tree.

Tote bags picturing the new 2004 Southern Flames postcard are available for $10. Last year’s bags are discounted to $5.

Don’t forget about the new Southern Flames suggestion box at Beads by Design. Thank you to those that have already made suggestions.

Beads from the Smyrna Library display will be returned at the October meeting.

Health insurance is now available to ISGB members. Visit the ISGB Forum “Other Topics” area for details.

Someone left a cell phone at the meeting. The battery is dead so we can’t turn to on to figure out whose it is. It is at Beads by Design if it’s yours.

AUGUST 2004 MEETING NOTES (Written this month by Margo Knight - for Nita VanTil Corresponding Secretary)

The August meeting was held at Beads by Design in Marietta, GA on Wednesday, August 18, 2004, at 7:00 p.m. The meeting began with announcements and the lottery for Lauri Copeland’s classes.

The meeting focused on ‘Show and Tell’ for recent bead related events. Numerous beads, tools and other goodies brought back from the Gathering in Portland were on display. The highlight of the meeting was a wonderful slide show presentation by Andree Kozak and Stephanie White about their trip to Provence where they took classes from Kristina Logan and pate de verre artist Marie-Odile Savigny. The beads and pate de verre objects they brought to show from the classes were wonderful!

The challenge this month was “What I Learned this Summer” and was won by Marcia Manuel.

The Featured Member of the Month for August is Don Meadows. Pictures taken by Walter Green from the August meeting are

Announcements

Welcome to our new member, Angie Mulder.
The next class Southern Flames will sponsor will be Michael Barley in early December (lottery in October). The October member meeting is late in the month and his class is early in December, so the lottery for Michael’s class will be at the October 4^th Board Meeting, instead of at the member meeting. Members may attend the beginning of the board meeting for the lottery if they wish. Details will be sent in a separate email.
The remaining 2004 Southern Flames postcards will be distributed at the next meeting to members whose beads are on the card.
The results of the Member Survey are in. Items ranked as important to our members as follows: Guest Instructors (27%); Demonstrations (26%); Camaraderie (25%); Group Buys (13%); Use of Equipment (8%). The Board will use these results to help plan future events.
Ventilation is being added to the torch rental area. After considering several options, we chose the Glass Craft hood. Once ventilation is in and working, the torch rental will be available again. We’ll keep you posted on the details and any new guidelines that are created.
Due to some "horror stories" that were heard at the Gathering, the board would like to reiterate safety concerns and place an even stronger emphasis on safety, especially with children attending our meetings and when demonstrations are taking place. Parents are asked to be sure their children are seated with them during demos and that they sit at least two rows back from the demonstration area. We don't want to endanger our future beadmakers! Also, we don't want to distract our guest demonstrators and compromise their safety or comfort level while they are presenting to our group.
New additions to the Resource Center include Doug Remschneider’s DVD: Boro Bead Magic, Jim Kervin’s book, The Enamel & Electroform Decorated Beads of Kate Fowle Meleney and Lark Books' 1000 Glass Beads .
We’re working on a new version of the member directory. If you attended the meeting and filled in a Member Directory form, it is greatly appreciated. Forms will be available again at the September meeting. After that meeting, Nita will be emailing individuals who have not yet completed forms for their information and preferences.
Tote bags picturing the 2004 Southern Flames postcard are available for $10. Last year’s bags are discounted to $5.
Don’t forget about the Southern Flames suggestion box at Beads by Design. All suggestions are welcome!! Each suggestion is discussed at the next board meeting.
Southern Flames members Jo Hoffacker and Renee Mulder announced that they are starting a new beadmakers group in South Carolina. If you would like further information about the group, contact Jo at dogmaw@earthlink.net
ISGB member Martha Giberson recently posted a request on the ISGB Forum for slides to be used in a lecture she will be giving in Kansas City . If you are interested in participating, information can be found on the ISGB Forum under “Other Topics” in a thread titled “I Need Slides.”
Marjorie Langston advises us that there are openings for a class with Brad Pearson on Thursday, November 4. The class will be held at Marjorie's studio in Chattanooga. If you are interested in further information, contact Marjorie at Mlangston00@aol.com
The Southern Flames annual Silent Auction will be at the November meeting. You can start bringing beads to the October meeting for the auction. Beads that have already been donated for the auction are displayed in the Resource Center case. Proceeds are used by the Southern Flames to help improve member benefits (ventilation for our classes, resource center items, etc.).
Thank you to Margo Knight for handling Member Communications while Nita is out of town.

JULY 2004 MEETING NOTES (from Nita VanTil - Corresponding Secretary)

The July meeting was held at Beads by Design in Marietta, GA on Wednesday, July 22, 2004, at 7:00 p.m. The meeting began with announcements and the lottery for Stevi Belle’s classes. The highlights of the meeting were demonstrations by Joan Houghton-Theall, Kim Runge and Sylvie Lansdowne. The demonstrations were shown on a video monitor that helped make it much easier to see the details.

Joan did an in-depth demo of how to rivet metal bead caps to a bead. She provided a wonderful handout with detailed directions and tools information. Kim demonstrated how to make striped can using one of the Steinert molds from the Resource Center. Sylvie showed an alternative ‘cheap’ solution for a murrine mold (metal scrap booking punches).

A new monthly feature, ‘The Flamer of the Month’, was introduced. A different Southern Flame will be featured on the website each month. This month’s Flamer, Miss July, is Joan Houghton-Theall. The Vacation / Travel bead challenge was won by Marcia Manuel. Check out details and pictures from the meeting on our website, http://www.southernflames.org.

Announcements

Congratulations to Marcy Lamberson for winning the election for our new Regional Director. She was presented with a beautiful crown of beads at the meeting. Marcy will do a wonderful job representing us to the national organization. Thank you to Linda Edmunds for making the crown and to all who contributed beads for it.
Congratulations to Sara Hoyt, Margo Knight, and Don Meadows for their inclusion in Lark’s new book: 1000 Glass Beads. All of their beads are beautiful in the book. Sara’s even made the back cover! The book is scheduled to be released in early September. Gerry already has a few copies at Beads by Design and it’s available for pre-order on amazon.com.
Congratulations to Kristy Nijenkamp on her contributions to Margie Deeb’s new book, The Beader’s Guide to Color. It also lists our Southern Flames website as an online resource in the Appendix!!
Welcome to visitors: Jeremy & Cathy Armstrong and Kathy Benson. Also, welcome to new members: Robyn & Ross Taylor, Katherine Robinson and Bob Rubanowice!
The lottery for Lauri Copeland’s borosilicate class in October will be in August. A separate email will follow this one with details. This will be a beginner/intermediate class on borosilicate bead making using Glass Alchemy products. It’s only $225 for members in good standing!!
Michael Barley will be teaching for Southern Flames again in early December (lottery in October). Other instructors scheduled for 2005 include Jen Geldard, Leah Fairbanks and Corina Tettinger.
Thank you to Gerry White for providing video equipment (camera, monitor and tripod) for our use during the demonstrations. It really made it much easier to see the details! Also, thank you to Robert Simmons for operating the camera.
Tote bags picturing the new 2004 Southern Flames postcard are available for $10. Last year’s bags are discounted to $5.
Thank you to Sylvie Lansdowne and Kristy Nijenkamp for putting up the Smyrna Library Display. It will run through the end of August, so if you happen to be passing by – stop in and take a look!
Kate McKinnon was kind enough to donate a copy of her Project Workbook 2003 to our Resource Center.
Don’t forget about the new Southern Flames suggestion box at Beads by Design. Thank you to those that have already made suggestions. All suggestions are discussed at board meetings. Based on one suggestion that we help with the New Orleans Gathering, we will be contacting those in charge to see if they would like our help.

JUNE 2004 MEETING NOTES (from Nita VanTil - Corresponding Secretary)

The June meeting was held on Wednesday, June 16^th at 7 pm at Beads by Design in Marietta. The meeting theme was ‘Razzle Dazzle’. The challenge beads were dichroic and were just gorgeous. We also had challenges for Best Appetizer and Best Dessert. Congratulations to Lewanda Hardy and Sara Hoyt on their scrumptious treats!

Since we will be displaying members’ beads at the Smyrna Library starting later this month, we had a discussion on Displays with lots of great examples from several different members. (Click here for photos) Sylvie Lansdowne demonstrated a quick and easy way to make a wire stand for displaying a bead. There was plenty of time to enjoy the food, check out the displays, practice making a bead stand and to visit.

Announcements

Stevi Belle will be teaching two classes focusing on Surface Decoration and Texture in September. One class will be September 11 & 12 (Saturday and Sunday). The other will be on September 13 & 14 (Monday and Tuesday). The class fee will be $325. The lottery will take place at next month’s meeting on July 21^st. Details on the lottery process and Stevi’s class will be sent out in a separate email later this week.
The next class Southern Flames will sponsor is Lauri Copeland’s borosilicate class in October (lottery in August); followed by Michael Barley in December (lottery in October). Other instructors scheduled for 2005 include Jennifer Geldard, Leah Fairbanks and Corina Tettinger.
We are looking into getting some video projection equipment to help make it easier to see demos at the meetings. Sylvie asked for members with experience in this area. Thanks to Robert Simmons who will be helping with this project.
Please remember to put your cell phones on vibrate during the meetings.
There have been some complaints from allergy sufferers, so please do not bring your pets to meetings or classes. A request was made for suggestions on dealing with child care challenges for meetings. If you have any ideas on keeping the kids entertained and safe, please contact a board member.
The Resource Center is now FREE to members! You can check out items from the Resource Center from meeting to meeting. There is still a late fee if an item is not returned on time. The Resource Center includes lots of different items from tools to books and videos.
Southern Flames now has a Suggestion Box! If there is something you’d like to suggest for the group, you can either put a note in the box at Beads by Design or contact a board member.
The annual silent auction and Holiday bead tree raffle will be at the November meeting. So, you may want to start working on beads for these events.
The pictures for the Southern Flames 2004 postcard for the Gathering have been taken. Kristy Nijenkamp is returning the beads to participating members. Sylvie is working on the layout and it’s going to be lovely! Rick Hidding will be making tote bags with the new postcard when it is complete. Meanwhile, we still have some tote bags with the 2003 postcard available for $10. They are really great bags!!!
Vote for Bonnie Anderson’s Ugly Necklace! Southern Flames member, Bonnie Anderson, is a finalist in an ‘Ugly Necklace Contest’. Please vote for her necklace, ‘I Lived Through the 60s’. It’s number 7 at http://www.landofodds.com/store/ugly2contest.htm. Bonnie appreciates your vote!

Welcome new members! May – Lesa Bolton and Colleen Wendlandt. June – Jo Hoffacker, Renee Mendola and Renee Wright.