January 2016

January 2016 Scribnote

COMMENTS FROM OUR CHAIRPERSON

The holidays are over and we can stop making presents for others and make something for ourselves for a change.  I swear I start shopping and sewing months before Christmas, but so many things get in the way like addressing envelopes for a bride, Christmas cards or a workshop, that I need to start earlier so that I can be finished by December 25.  In the end, we are proud of our work that we have completed and ready to continue on our art journey. 

We invited Cindy Bowles, Certified Zentangle Instructor, for a one-day workshop October 3 and she was very giving about all the zentangles she has learned and has been teaching the past couple of years.  I have been having so much fun making cards for birthdays with Zentangle designs.  I have a long way to go, but I now have some basics to work with.  There are several Facebook sites on zentangles and one I especially like is Square One: Purely Renaissance.  Check them out.

On October 25, Pat West and I drove to Boyne Falls, Michigan, near Charlevoix, for an Art Retreat with instructors Rosie Kelly,  Pam Paulsrud and 18 other ladies, including our own Anna Schlemma, Rose Kopec, Marianne Burke, and Meg Jung  Some drove from as far as Iowa and as close as Lake Louise.  Rosie and Pam were instructors last year also and come loaded with new ideas and lots of help along with Pam bringing several of her Native American Flutes to guide us through our morning meetings.  We did quite a bit of Eco Printing with the leaves from the Lake Louise grounds and found what works and what doesn’t with steaming them in big pots.  But the results we did get were phenomenal.  It really is a magical week, away from phones, computers, cooking, cleaning, etc. Anyone with Verizon phones couldn’t get any signal anyway!  The weather wasn’t as beautiful as last year, and it was a week later, so the trees had just passed its peak season.  But, the beauty of the Lake and surrounding area was gorgeous.  A bunch of us even took a walk in the rain to the Piney Forest to see the historic area where President Roosevelt had kept the men working during the war planting trees.  Pat and I took a walk just before we headed back to Elkhart and wound up in the Piney Forest again.  There was absolutely no sound except for our footfalls and thankfully there are marks on the trees so we wouldn’t get lost!

Our November meeting was very productive and we coordinated a whole year of activities for our guild meetings. Please see the calendar below to have a glimpse of what we will be doing for 2016. We also had show and tell of our quote we did after the demo from Angie West in September; followed by the cards we designed for our “deck of cards” we created with Marty Mitchell’s leadership.  The cards will be fabulous and I hope we can share it on our blog soon. 

We also decided on which organizations we would like to donate to this year.  Christ the King Church, where we meet, the Food Bank and the Midwest Museum of Art are the recipients. 

December brought our regular meeting and luncheon which is always a great time together.  We talked about what we will be doing for the next few months, had show and tell and then ate a marvelous lunch together. 

 

 We also got to see the deck of cards we created and Marty Mitchell had printed for us.  We loved all the different designs on the cards and hope to use them in a real game!

Calligraphy classes were discussed and Angie West and I have committed to doing some teaching in 2016.  We still have to iron out the details, but we have some new members and they are eager to learn new hands. We will let you know as soon as we have all the details ironed out. 

Another suggestion for next year was to make a calendar where everyone would design a page and then we would send it out for printing.  MCG made a calendar many, many years ago so it is time to create a new one. 

We raffled off three poinsettia plants during the meeting and the winners were Maureen Trubac, Lauren Matacio and Angie West. 

Hope you got to see the book display that Maureen Trubac coordinated for us at the Frances Branch Library for the months of November and December. The library has been recently renovated and is beautiful. 

Happy New Year everyone!

Ginny

Julie Wildman will again be doing a 2-day workshop on April 2 and 3.  Please put these dates on your calendar.  Cost will be $100 including supply fee. We are hoping for Whispering Pines as the venue and Sharon is checking into that.  Julie will be leading us in “What’s Next – Taking your Art to the Next Level”. Please check out her website to see details on what we will be creating.  Supply list will be coming soon. If you wish to participate in the workshop, please bring a check to the next meeting and give it to Maureen Trubac.  http://wildmandesigns.com/Julie_Wildman_Calligraphy_Lettering_Art.html (Look at classes and you will see what she will be working on with us)

Policy for MCG

Our workshops seem to have people sign up and then decide not to attend. We have been very generous in returning monies paid for the workshop if someone decides not to attend at the last minute, but we are going to have a change in this policy.  There will be a nominal fee if you drop out of the workshop.  If there would be an emergency, for instance, a birth of a child or grandchild, illness, etc., then the board will take this under advisement to decide on a course of action regarding a refund.  Also, if the workshop is filled and there is someone to take your place, that would also quality for a refund. So please, if you want to sign up for the workshop, make sure that you put that date on your calendar as a commitment.  We have a small calligraphy group and we struggle to fill workshops at times.  We need all of you to attend as many as possible so that we can continue to have quality instructors. 

Are you on Facebook? If so, look up your favorite calligraphers because they are on Facebook also.  I like to look at Barbara Close, Reggie Ezell, Julian Waters, John Stevens, Rachel Yallop, Pendragons, Capital City Scribes, Yukimi Annand, etc.  There is a lot of beautiful calligraphy on these pages that will get your inspired.  Also look at Joanne Fink and Barbara Lever’s Facebook Page.  And then, there is always Pinterest.  Oh my, so many places to be inspired!

 

PO Box in South Bend – Due to a lack of much mail at our Post Office box in South Bend, we have suspended any mail sent to that address.  If you have anything to send to the MCG, please send to Maureen Trubac 50685 Mercury Drive, Granger, IN 46530 or Ginny VanderHey 51854 Stoney Creek Drive, Elkhart, IN 46514. When monies are due for a workshop or dues, they will now go to one of these addresses. 

 

 

/WEBSITES TO ENJOY

 

Acornarts.org – Harvest will be doing another beginning Spencerian in January 2016

 

I enjoy sharing new websites that I have come across in our blog.  If you come across something that you think would interest the whole group, please email them to Ginny or Renee, and we will get them on the blog for the next quarter. 

American Frame – Just a reminder that if you order from American Frame, please mention MCG, and they will give us a small stipend.

 

MCG Meetings for 2016

 

January 9 – Bring in a favorite hand and tool you use to do it. Angie West will do an embossing demo.

February 6 – In November Ginny gave a new challenge to everyone and that is to teach yourself a new hand. Something you’ve never done before. We will have some “consultants” helping you to achieve your goal of a new hand, and/or tool to use. Also, Barbara Fedder will be doing a demo using watercolor on Yupo paper.

March 5 – Ginny and Anna will do a Pointed Pen Demo. Bring your finished project for the challenge of teaching yourself a new hand.

April 2 & 3 – Julie Wildman…”What’s Next, How to take your calligraphy to the next level”.

May 7 – Julie Wildman Show and Tell

June 4 – Suminagashi demo by Ginny and Pat

July 11 – Laurie Henley demo on Leaf Script

August 6 – Annual Picnic at Ginny’s house

September 10 – Maureen Trubac demo on backgrounds

October – Tunnel Book Demo by Marty Mitchell

November – Calendar page due –

December – 2017-18 Calendar Exchange

 

Cut the schedule of dates in the newsletter out, and put it on your fridge for future reference.

 

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP
Annual dues of $15 are due at the July meeting. Our annual dues have not changed in many years and are put to good use for supplies for our make it/take it meetings, annual raffle in August, and, at the end of the year, we give to local charities. Please remember to bring your dues to the July meeting or send it to Maureen Trubac, our treasurer.

OFFICERS
Ginny VanderHey, President 574/262-1345 gvanderhey@hotmail.com
Sharon Esmont, Vice President 574/272-5481 Sesmont@aol.com
Maureen Trubac, Treasurer 574/272–0733 maureentrubac@hotmail.com
Pat West, Secretary 574-612-9328 pwpatwest@gmail.com

Jo McPherson, Study Group Chairperson, jobakestwo@centurylink.net
Renee Tuveson – Blog Coordinator

If ever you would like to add to the newsletter/blog, please contact one of the officers, and we will get that information to Renee Tuveson. Something you have done or have seen would be welcomed into our information.