The August meeting of the BRPCG took place on August 14, 1999 in Bristol, VA at Byrd Tetzlaff's studio in the Bristol Art League.

Byrd teaches polymer clay classes and her teaching skills were apparent as she led the group through cane-making. We started out with the simplest bullseye, jellyroll and striped canes. Then combined these into more complex canes. Byrd then explained the folded cane and then demonstrated a kaleidoscope cane.

Everyone put slices of their canes in Byrd's oven so we were all able to swap cane slices of what we had made.

There was lots of Show and Tell to pass around and discuss. Sara Jane Whyte shared a clever and easy way to put a stop on the pasta machine rollers to restrict the width of the clay slab. She got a rectangular refrigerator magnet fastened to a plastic back with a hook on it--the kind you might stick on your refrigerator or stove to hang a pot holder on. The hook helps in removing the magnet after use.

We all had a fine time and learned a lot, and we thank Byrd for the generous gift of her time and talent.

It was agreed that our September meeting will once again be at the Asheville YWCA.

submitted by Edie Siegel, August 18, 1999