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24 | OHCC LIVING | FEBRUARY 2021 | Papercrafting Club Hello OHCC Living readers! February greetings from the Papercrafting Club. This month we're highlighting Group 1. This is the gang that officially became a club four years ago. A few years before that, eight members of the sewing club developed an interest in papercrafting and began working as a subgroup of the sewing circle, creating cards, scrapbooks, and journals. But once their membership hit 20, they started having trouble scheduling time in the Art Room. (Getting bumped by an official club is never fun!). So, they decided to form a club of their own. Rhonda Anchales volunteered to be president and got help from the Billiards Club in drafting the By Laws. Each year they continued to grow and soon went from two groups to five! Before COVID-19 hit, the club had reached a membership of 80. Group 1 meets on Friday's in the Art Room at 8:45 am. Way too early for some, a few founding members migrated to other groups that meet later in the day on other weekdays. Group 1 currently has 11 members, and they include: Co-leaders, Rhonda Anchales and Kerry Peyton, Mary Ann Barbee, Lynn Head, Sandy Jones, Lorraine Kleeman, Jan Malone, Irma Ojeda, Betty Ruehle, Alison Vincent, and Kathy Wilkerson. Some members of Group 1 have been doing papercrafting, scrapbooking, and journaling for over 20 years. They are the "master" crafters of the club and although they have a leader and co-leader, each member is fully capable of teaching a class. They rotate their "teaching" assignments through their roster week by week. Most of them have made every possible card and learned every possible technique known to cardmaking. These days, their card projects are presented to the group as a "challenge." For example, "Here's a color, here's a theme, here's a required component (must contain a die cut flower, e.g.) now go make a great card." Group 1 has an eclectic group of crafters. Some prefer coloring with special markers and paints; some prefer certain papers and folding techniques. Everyone has their niche but is happy to learn new things and always ready to share. A few take turns helping the new Papercrafters during their orientation. Right now, the only Group 1 member participating in any outside craft fairs is Rhonda, and she has been selling her cards for years. Jan had some of her cards for sale at our October outdoor Craft Fair. You can also find Jan's cards on Pinterest, posted alongside her many other boards and pins. Thanks to these and other papercrafting pioneers at OHCC, along with their savvy spending practices, the Papercrafting Club, has amassed a giant quantity of paper, stamps, tools, ink, die cut machines and stamping platforms over the years, all safely locked in the Art Room cabinets. Rumor has it that a couple of Cricuts might soon be added to the inventory. Alas, these great resources used by all members during their weekly meetings, are unavailable to them during the closure of the clubhouse. Papercrafting is as much a social experience as an art form with friends enjoying the camaraderie as much as the crafting. COVID-19 put the brakes on the weekly routine of fun with friends. Papercrafting here at OHCC has become a somewhat solitary experience which is never as good as being together. Luckily, the club invested in a Zoom account and many groups have made use of this resource these past months to stay connected while crafting, as they remain safe and properly distanced. Papercrafting has lost a few of its members this year and not just to attrition. We fondly remember Sue Krull who passed away last month, may she rest in peace, and whose family generously donated her massive supply of crafting materials to both the club and the local Goodwill. And we're not sure if there will be a dues day in 2021 with a Group 6 added to our ranks. However, the hardy and faithful are still crafting along and we hope to bring our straying members back to the happy fold later this year! Enjoy the accompanying photos of Group 1's creations from a couple of recent "challenges." This month, Papercrafters will be focusing on Valentine's Day cards for the 14th, and we hope you all have someone sweet with whom to share the day. Until March's issue, stay safe, Happy President's Day, happy winter break and most of all, happy crafting! DC Just in case: Check with your club contact to confirm meeting place, date, and time.

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