The last few months have seen an explosion of polyclay activity in various regions of the UK, with four or five new groups starting or about to start around the country.

Kerrie Venner has contacted the Guild to let us know that she would like to start a group based in Bournemouth. If you live in the vicinity or are able to travel there for meetings, please contact Kay Vincent who will pass on your details to Kerrie.

If you are a current member of the BPCG you should have received an email today telling you how to access the "Members' Section" parts of the website. If you have not received this email or other recent messages, please contact Kay (membership secretary and webmaster) to check whether we have your correct contact details.

Member Sheila Smith has contacted the Guild to let us know she is starting up a polymer clay group in Skipton, North Yorkshire. For the moment the group is called the "North Yorkshire" branch.

The first meeting is 7 February 2012, so if you live in Yorkshire or are able to travel there, please do get in contact with Sheila and go to the event.

You can contact Sheila by clicking here

Would you like to receive regular email updates from the BPCG about forthcoming events, workshops, demonstrations etc? Then please sign up for our newsletter by clicking here and submitting your name and email address.

We have been given notice that the second 'Polymer Pamper Play' event will be held on 16-18 March 2012 at the Cotswolds Conference Centre. Further details here: www.polymerpamperplay.co.uk/

Rebecca Thickbroom from the London Polymer Clay Group has extended an invitation to BPCG members who may be interested in attending a workshop by Christi Friesen, an internationally-renowned teacher:

"At our recent LPCG gathering we were delighted to announce that Christi Friesen will be joining us for 2 workshops on 6th and 7th May 2012 (May Bank Holiday weekend). Christi is a wonderful polymer clay artist who is a talented, funny and generous teacher. If you are not familiar with her work then visit her website (http://www.cforiginals.net/) to see the range of her work. In each workshop Christi will teach 3 different projects so you will go away with some amazing work and buzzing with ideas. You can sign up for one or both workshops."

For more information, click here and here

_If you are a current member of the BPCG then by now you should have received an email newsletter from Rachel Warren, Chair of the Guild. (There is a copy here in case you missed it.)

If you are a member and you have NOT received the newsletter, please contact the membership secretary Kay Vincent here, to check whether we have correct email address for you.

_Penny Vingoe has also started a Welsh Polymer Clay Group and has her next meeting on Saturday 4th February near to Welshpool on the border of Wales. The usual format - starting around 10am and finishing around 4pm. Bring your lunch, your favourite tools and your pasta machine. Penny will provide drinks and home made biscuits. Bring your own clay, but of course you have the option of buying clay from ClayAround whilst you are there! Oh, and don't forget to bring your latest projects to 'show and tell'. We have no particular theme for the day - it depends on what people want to share.
If you intend to go to beautiful Wales on 4th February then let Penny know. Email: clayday (at)clayaround.com and she will give you directions to her home.  The last meeting was a great success with a real 'buzz' so it looks as if our group is a goer....

_Member Sue Margetts has emailed us to say "I started what we are calling the North West Polymer Clay Group (or possibly the Manchester PCG, we haven’t really decided) about 18 months ago. There are now about 9 of us and we meet every 6 – 8 weeks in my house in Wilmslow as it is central for the other members who live in Northwich, Southport and (a new member) in Skipton. I have been a bit reluctant to contact you as I haven’t had time to set up a blog or website, but we feel we are well established now and would welcome some extra members, although this would probably mean we would have to move into a rented hall.

Our next meeting will be on Saturday 21 January in Wilmslow"

As Sue does not currently have a blog or website, if you would like to join in with the northern group's polymer clay adventures, please contact Kay Vincent here and she will forward your details to Sue.

Congratulations, Sue, on setting up such a successful group, and we hope to hear from you soon.