Polymer Clay Canes for Beginners 27 videos, step by step, beginner cane workshop
What people are saying about this tutorial.
jennifer rose
Just finished this first workshop on how to make canes, and I must say I learned so much. This is exactly what I have been looking for, someone who could explain cane making in a step by step that process that I could replicate. I watched the videos, went into my studio and began to create all of the canes Alice showed. I finally have results I can be proud of, and I say thank you so much for doing this workshop. My only question now is when do we get more workshops. If you are only going to take one online class let it be this workshop. Thank you Alice for your hard work, and your dedication to helping others learn the joys of polymer clay.
Online Workshops with Alice Stroppel
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Thank you Kim and Sydney for the photo. The always fun group at Florida Gulf Coast Polymer Clay, thank you all for having me.
Well everyone’s smiling, that’s always a good thing I think. I know I had a great time and was so excited to see the canes everyone made. The exciting thing is that there is going to be a part two to this workshop.
I’m going back in June and we’ll explore how to turn all those canes into wall art, objects and more. So everyone has homework hehehe.
I also shared my new Stroppel Cane #2 with this group. It’s a little different and fun. I’m going to film it today and post it tomorrow so you can play with your scraps tomorrow if you like the way it comes out.
Here’s a picture of some of the Premo blends and the canes we worked on in this workshop. I have to send a big shout out to Iris Weiss and Polyform. they generously donated all the Premo clay for this workshop. Everyone went home with clay to “do their homework”. Thank you so very much Polyform and Iris.
I’ve always used Premo polymer clay. I wasn’t interested in putting forth the effort to condition the harder clays and I was so invested in Premo by the time the others came out with a softer clay that I just never switched. I love many of the Premo colors. I make my face canes with Premo and they are more complicated for sure, so Premo works for me with my more complex canes.
My approach to caning is a bit different than the norm. I don’t worry too much about everything being perfect, I don’t mind if my canes are a bit wonky so my caning style may make some want to look away.
Some caners are producing more than just a few pieces for sale. Either in their online shops, in galleries, at festival, or they are wholesaling to stores. Others are doing precise design work and have refined their caning skills.
I don’t sell that many finished pieces, so I never make very large canes. There a several more reason why my canes tend to be small to tiny. I don’t want to surround them with translucent, I don’t want to have to reduce then very much and I want to create a new design each time I make something from the canes.
Example: I could have made a large cane for this cat bracelet but I used lots of smaller canes. There will never be another one exactly like this one, I like that. I call my process Cane Mapping but you could say it was like mosaic work without the grout.
This fish is made the same way
 As are all my wall pieces.
 Explorations – Alice Stroppel I have a very laid back approach to cane making. there truly are NO mistakes with my canes. It kind of takes the stress off of building canes, at least it does for me.
The artists that can be exact and create those fabulous intricate designs have my complete admiration, their work is stunning, I just can’t do it so I don’t try.
There are lots of you out there that are just like me, I know it. You want to cane but are afraid, you don’t want to waste all that clay, it makes you nervous to even think about it, you don’t think you’re good at it.
By starting with a bit of freedom attached to you caning, you can learn without stress and then later if you want to evolve, move on, learn to make the more complex canes. Or stay here with me, it’s all good.
Online right now is a great group on Facebook led by Rian Sanderse called 52 Weekly Cane Projects. It’s a fantastic way to practice canes with any pressure and it’s free. It’s a pretty wonderful thing Rian is doing for the pc community. This last week she featured my Stroppel Cane and Ronit Golan’s scrap cane. go join, you’ll have fun.
If you or your group is interested in taking my canes and/or cane mapping workshop/s please leave me a message on the comment page or on Facebook. I’d love to come met you all if I could.
 I just finished making goody bags of Premo for my cane workshop on Saturday and wanted to give a big shout out and thank you to Polyform and Iris Weiss for providing the clay.
I’m teaching a cane workshop with Florida Gulf Coast Polymer Clay Guild. I’m going to share my method of stocking my cane draws with canes of different colors and sizes. It’s all about having a variety of canes and cane components ready and waiting for your next project. It certainly makes me more productive.
Polyform is always so generous and provides clay for my workshops and I can’t tell you how nice it is to have it to share with my students. Thank you again Iris and Polyform.
There is still space available in this cane class on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014 in Palmetto. Leave a comment here if you’re interested. Or send me a message on Facebook.
Sometimes things appear when you aren’t expecting them. Well, I guess that isn’t entirely true. I wanted to create something new to teach that could incorporate several skills and still have my love of whimsey and pops of color. So I was kind of hoping something would come to me.
I’ve been busy getting ready for my trip to GA to teach at Creative Journey Studios and to have a few things to add to my inventory there when this sunshine piece popped into my mind. I worked on another sun a couple of weeks ago and had thought about teaching that, but it’s complicated and I wanted something I could teach in a day.
The closure on this necklace was a bonus thought that came to me. I was impressed with the closure that Melaine West came up with using magnets. I was having trouble with the closure on my appleman and Jan Montarsi aka Jembox, suggested I use magnets. I haven’t gotten around to playing with them yet and was happy to be able to share in Melaine’s solution on how to use the magnets. She has saved me hours of testing and I think it is so generous of her to share her method. Thanks Melaine, your work is simply stunning.
I thought I might use Melaine’s idea somehow in this necklace that I envisioned, but I hadn’t ordered any magnets so another idea pushed that one right out of my head.
Here’s my answer when you don’t have magnets, not as sophisticated as Melaine’s but this is a different kind of necklace……. cut a channel for your necklace cord to slide into, drill a hole in the back of a small accent piece made from pc and glue in your cord. Easy!
Now, I’d love to teach this class for your guild or group. Complete with a bit of easy to master sculpting… yes you can…..some fun cane work…teaching you to jump out of that box…….(I’ll be working on some new and different canes to include) plus some contouring work. I had so much fun making it that I know it will be a fun class.
Anyway, I’m happy with this guy and wanted to share my new closure with you and show you a bit about how my crazy mind works…jumping from one thing to the next until something just has to spill out.
How one project can lead to another and other artists can spark an idea that ends with an finished product that is my own is an amazing thing and something I hope I never stop doing.
I gather inspiration from everyone and everything, I hope you do too.
Surprise, a second post in one day. I just wanted to share what I’ve done today at my clay table.
I’m still working on appleman and the concept. It’s a sweet little cabinet ( Doreen, I just need to figure out how to add a shelf or drawer) or box with a quick surprise inside and room to hold a special treasure or two.
I’ve added canes to the inside with my mosaic technique (modified) and baked him one more time. One of the things I want to work out is fewer baking sessions.
 This one will end up on my shelf and I’ll enjoy him for a very long time. I have ideas for more in my head and am looking forward to translating them into clay.
 I’ve been creating new fun but easy canes for my newest cane/bracelet workshop I’m teaching at Beads F.O.B. in Sarasota this weekend. Many of the students have taken a cane class from me before and I wanted to add new, to them anyway, canes and just gereral tips on working with polymer clay. I’ve had a good time, added considerably to my stock of canes and am packing the car right after this.
My problem is, I get distracted by all the other ideas that come into my head. The bracelet above contains simple yet vibrantly colored canes and I just couldn’t help myself, I had to make this outrageously (choose one of these dictionary definitions……..1. shockingly bad or excessive 2. very bold, unusual, and startling.) fun to wear bracelet.
Naturally, each people can choose their own colors and don’t have to be crazy, so I think we’ll have fun. I have flower canes and several more complicated canes to share as well. There is still room for a couple more people in this class, we have a large space, so if you’re in the area, come join us.
Oh and I’ll be showing the Stroppel cane too. But some of these woman were the first ones I showed it too but it’s grown just a bit since then.
I also got some dies and the new book from Tracy Holmes and Dan Cormier right after Christmas. I have some ideas that I want to try out, but haven’t had time, so my thoughts drifted in that direction for a few minutes. Then the idea of translucent clay being colored and looking like sea glass caught my eye on Polymer Clay Daily, my brain began drifting again. This conversation started on FB as a result, ( I tried to link directly to the conversation but couldn’t figure that one out. So here’s the link to my page, you’ll have to scroll down about half way on the lefthand side.) While you’re there, friend me. lol.
So many patterns and colors on Pintest now that it has my mind jumping all over the place. I have a sculpting workshop here next month and I’m very excited about a couple of ideas I want to add to the workshop, but I have had to keep those ideas simmering until after the workshop this weekend.
Plus….information from artists is starting to pour in for Suzanne Ivestor’s and my new magazine Polymer Portfolio. The work is amazing, the artists sterling and well, the whole project is exciting.
So I’m starting off the new year with a full plate and very excited to be so actively involved in this wonderful world of polymer clay, thanks to you all.
I’ve been busy this week making slices to exchange at a retreat I’m going to in September. Very excited about it and I’ll tell you more about it another day.
I’ve also been making a zillion, yes that many, skinner blends for a fun new workshop I’ll be teaching in Sarasota, FL at Beads, F.O.B., Inc. on Saturday, August 20th – 10am – 4pm and Sunday the 21st from 10am – 1pm.
Marty Montague is the owner of Beads, F.O.B., Inc and she and Karen Johnson is manager, designer and teacher at the shop. They both attended my pen and ink class last month and we all had such a good time Marty asked me to teach a cane/bead class for her. I’m delighted.
It’s a two day workshop for people new to polymer clay, don’t worry you won’t have to buy lots of equipment, I have pasta machines to share, but you will be investing in lots of clay. The up side of that is you will be “stocking” your cane pantry with enough colors, blends and canes to make hundreds of beads or pendant with the techniques I’ll show you.
It’s also a workshop for those who have been playing with clay for awhile but have just never tried caning and are ready to take the plunge.
I’ll be showing you how I make reasonable sized to small canes to use all kinds of fun projects. I never make giant canes because I don’t like to have lots of one cane, I’d rather use my clay stock to make hundreds of small interesting canes. It makes it easier on your pocketbook if your just starting out.
I’ll spend some time with skinner blends, I’ve learned a few important things over the years that I’ll share. Plus we’ll be using the skinner blends to make many different canes and beads.
So here’s what you’ll be learning
- Create a Skinner blend
- Make these basic canes: stripe, checker board, jelly roll, bulls eye,
flowers and some fun little accent canes.
- Use tons of tips gleaned from my years of practice. If there is an
easier way, I’m going to do my best to find it.
- Learn several ways to make beads.
- Finish a simple yet striking pendant.
This strand of beads are just a sample of the beads you’ll be able to make from the canes we produce in this workshop.
 I’m still making samples for this class and will be posting them over the next couple of week. To find out more about this class download my pdf, to register call Karen or Marty at 941-921-0871
I’m not sure if their August newsletter is out yet, but it will be shortly. You can download it from the front page of Beads, F.O.B.
I started out yesterday to continue to list more items in my Etsy Shop, but ended up here instead. I had this idea…..I know, so what else is new? I’ve been wanting to make larger items to hang on the wall for quite some time. The clay part of this one is 8″x 10″
It was another one of my wild ideas that turned into The Most Fun. I find that when I let go of the goal of making something to sell, I enjoy myself so much it makes me laugh out loud and realize that I should Never, Ever, Worry about sales. There are many things that I would do differently, but I learned alot and had a ball.
But taking sales out of the equation is a hard thing to do since it’s what I’ve done all my life. And now is really no different, I have to sell things, it’s just the way it is.
I’ve always known that letting go is the best way to create, I just have to keep remembering it. This one was for me…..however, I was thinking about turning this into a greeting card…….(grinning here) ……….. what do ya’ think?
I’ve been on a roll, covering these ornaments and creating these girlfriend ornaments. By using different skinner blends for backgrounds I’m not using traditional Christmas colors for a reason. I want these ornaments to be able to be viewed and displayed at other times of the year too.
We all have one of those ornament stands that will display one special ornament. Well why not add one of those to a polymer clay ornament that has a special message for the recipient. I did a google search and found them for 2.50 and up.
Order an ornament from my Etsy Shop (adding a couple by the end of the day today) or create one yourself. But get started, Christmas is just around the corner.
 Leaf Cane- four ways Yesterday I worked on colors, today I blended and cut and shaped polymer clay into one main cane. I cut the large cane in half and then cut that half into three pieces.
The first piece I shaped it into the first leaf and you can see how I shaped the other two pieces. I now have three different leaf shapes to use and all from the same cane.
Then I cut another piece from the original cane and cut and formed the bud/pod thingy. Not happy with the white part, but I’ll fix it later.
I love the way the colors make me feel. As I blend, I can feel myself getting excited about the way things are beginning to look. That’s what keeps me coming back for more, the excitement of what’s just around the crank of the pasta machine.
Now on to making more leaves and things to go with these so I can get excited about putting them all together to create something else. Sweet!!
 Eye Cane for New Face Cane - Alice Stroppel Okay guys, here’s a peek at what’s on my work table. A new face cane with a new look. I don’t want to show you everything I’ve done yet because I’m still working out colors. I think it looks kind of painterly don’t you?
That’s it for today and I’m going to try to stay away from the net so I can get those colors mixed.
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