What You Can Expect

Leave the real world behind and join us on a Polymer Claycation!

Polymer Claycation, formerly Clayathon, will have many of the features you’ve come to know and love. For those of you who’ve never attended a polymer clay retreat, here’s what you need to know.

New Name, New Location

The DoubleTree Resort in Lancaster, Pennsylvania will be home to the premiere gathering of Polymer Claycation.  For help with your travel plans, please check out our travel guide. You can also check out the shopping and dining guide to see the many choices within walking distance or a short drive from the hotel.

The hotel offers a fun mix of function and recreation. Spacious grounds boast a golf course and scenic walking trails. Indoor features include a heated pool and water park, as well as an arcade, a fully-equipped fitness center and a small snack shop. The restaurant onsite is currently being renovated and will reopen in July. (We’ll update that info as we get it.) Right outside our workroom is a large multistory atrium called The Palm Court. Some of our events will be held there, and we can use it as a lounge the rest of the time. The entire hotel is fully handicap-accessible.

The DoubleTree is giving us a special rate of $149.00 a night per room, with a choice of 2 queen beds or one king bed. Rooms may be split, and there are options for 2 or 3 people. They even have a rate for 4 people if you are extremely close with your friends. Handicap-accessible rooms are available if you contact the hotel directly.  Be sure to mention the event name to get our special room rate.

Each room is equipped with a refrigerator and coffee maker. There will be a microwave in the workroom and also one in the lobby. Your room rate includes a daily breakfast buffet that offers many choices including gluten free, vegan and foods for those with allergies. If your spouse is coming with you to the retreat and wants to join you at breakfast, inform the hotel.  You will need to purchase breakfast tickets for $10/day. If you’d like them to attend the nightly events, there is a fee of $50.00

Polymer Claycation

The retreat will start on Sunday, November 10th. The workroom will open at 11am. Upon arrival at DoubleTree Resort, you can pull your car up and unload your clay gear directly into the spacious well-ventilated workroom. Parking is free and plentiful and close by. Here is where you’ll get to meet and interact with your fellow attendees, all 80 of them. Each attendee will receive their own 6ft table in the workroom, which is open 24 hours.  You are welcome to sell finished work or supplies from your table.

For those of you who have never attended a retreat, the best part is the energy in the workroom — getting to see all the different ways that fellow attendees are creating with this never-ending medium. You’ll get to enjoy lively conversations with your table mates, (we will have the tables arranged in sets of four). The camaraderie of all of us enjoying our Polymer Claycation is what sets in person retreats apart from those online.

Due to popular demand we’ll be allowing pasta machine motors in the workroom. We will have earplugs for those with sensitive ears. The ovens will be nearby and monitored during daytime hours. We are allowed to have a snack table and will have snacks and drinks for all to share. Feel free to bring something to contribute.

Optional Master Class with Jana

Our special guest artist Jana Roberts Benzon will offer a separate master class prior to the retreat. The class will be held at the event hotel on Friday November 8th and Saturday November 9th. This is a separate event from the retreat and will in no way impact the retreat.  Sign-up information for the class will be released with our registration information but registration and payment for the class will be handled by Jana. If you are signing up for the class you will use the same link to book your hotel room for those nights at our discounted rate.

Demos – Oh So Many Demos!

All demos will be in our demo room, which is equipped with an overhead screen to make sure you don’t miss any of the action.

First and foremost are the 6 hours of demos by our talented guest artist Jana Roberts Benzon. Her demos will be held on Monday and Tuesday. Besides those we will have demos by our talented attendees, starting Sunday afternoon through Wednesday evening. The schedule will be posted daily in the workroom and on social media.  Want to give a demo? We will be putting out a call once the event is closer.

Events at the retreat

Polymer Claycation will have lots of fun events. You can do them all or just ignore them and hang out with friends or work away in peace in the workroom.

‘Welcome to Paradise’ Party

Put on your finest polymer creations and join us for some sweets and treats and a cash bar at our ‘Welcome to Paradise’ party. Here’s your first chance to really meet new friends and catch up with old ones.

Game Night

Join us for a series of games, including Left-Right-Center, a simple dice game where you’ll have a chance to win polymer clay tokens made by your fellow attendees.  To play each round you’ll need to make 3 polymer clay tokens. We usually play three rounds. We will have light refreshments and a cash bar.

Auction

We will have a raffle auction of many items, ranging from tools and supplies to finished work and the work of well-known Polymer artists. Here’s how it works – each item will have a bag in front of it to hold tickets.  We will sell tickets for a dollar apiece.  You’ll then put your initials on the back of each ticket and drop it into the bag of your choice. We will serve light refreshments and have a cash bar.

But wait, there’s more

As if all the above isn’t enough to sway you into signing up there’s even more.

Coffee and tea service

We’re pleased to say there will be a selection of coffee and teas daily at the event. Perfect for a little get-up-and-go energy.

Junque table

The ever-popular junk table will be making a return. Bring all the stuff you’ve acquired that’s cluttering up your studio. Tools you bought but never liked.  Duplicates bought by accident.  Beads and baubles, stuff you used to use but don’t anymore or things you were gifted but don’t want. You’ll drop them off with Sherm, who will pull out anything auction-worthy before adding them to the pile. Will you go home with more than you brought? Only you will know, we won’t judge.

Warm cookies

Lastly, each and every day of the retreat you’ll enjoy a delicious warm cookie courtesy of the hotel. How’s that for a perk?

Registration

Registration will be open to past attendees of live Clayathon events first in mid-May. If spots are still available, we will open it up to everyone on June 1st. Keep an eye on your inbox for further details, which will include a link to reserve rooms. Please wait and reserve your room through the link to receive our discounted rate and so your room counts towards our total.  Jana will be handling registration for her master class directly. We will have all the registration information coming to your inbox in May.

Social Media and Website

• Check out our Facebook group: Polymer Claycation for the most up-to-date information.
• Explore the other pages on this website for travel information, shopping and dining ideas, and a bit of our history