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.
I’ve left Barbara McGuire for last because I had a chance to get to know her better than the other artists at Fandango. I’ve already posted about the incredible face class I had the opportunity to take with her and how much fun it was.
One of the demos Barbara McGuire gave was placing one of her faces on a base to make a large focal bead like the one in the photo above. I purchased this one from Barbara that night. She used her new stamp on this one and demonstrated those as well.
But before that, I was truly excited to watch her demonstrate her color mixing techniques. This demo had Barbara with her pasta machine and an array of colored clay. After watching Sarah Shiver and Julie Picarello mix their colors using the skinner blend method, I was finally driven TO the edge by watching Barbara. It actually took attending that small face class to send me OVER the edge and soaring into a world that I have been just sticking one tiny finger in. I haven’t been this excited since I made my first face cane almost 10 years ago. The combination of all of the artist’s techniques came together for me and I was gobsmacked.
I loved learning how to make a face the way Barbara does, but I have my own voice that I am still training. I may never produce anything but jingles, but I will continue to strive for a symphony. Just this last few days I feel like I’ve been set free. Mixing colors will never be the same again.
It was such a pleasure to get to know Barbara and I appreciate all that she shares with us.
I feel that finding our own creative voice and a way to use it is what we are all striving for and I know Barbara has started a new publication to help us do just that. She was kind enough to share a bit about her Woman Creative postcards in the following video. Enjoy.
To find out more about Barbara, her products, where she’s teaching next visit her website. Be sure to take a minute to check out Woman Creative.
My first class at Orlando Clay Fandango was with Sarah Shriver. We learned “to mix beautiful colors of polymer clay using Sarah’s in depth Skinner blending techniques”.
Okay, so mine doesn’t look anything like Sarah’s sample bracelet. (third one down on the linked page) But I had to make my shape a little bit different and do another piece with my cane. Plus I didn’t take a very good picture of the bracelet.
I still have miles of cane left and am going to spend some time trying to remember what I’m suppose to do with it. Most of the other students produce beautiful pieces.
If you haven’t taken a class with Sarah, I want you to know that you should. She is such an experienced polymer clay artist that she just naturally is able to explain her process easily. Just her color mixing approach alone is worth seeing.
She has a quick wit and is very entertaining. She moves her class along but has time to spend with anyone that needs it. After class she was right back at her desk to answer questions and help anyone that wanted it. Everyone had time to drill holes in their beads and end up with a finished piece.
Visit Sarah’s website for more information about her classes, her DVD’s and her Show Schedule.
This should be added to my Don’t Waste That Little Bit of Skinner Blend video. I had some old skinner blend sheets that I made a couple of months ago and was going to get back to them right away. So instead of storing them in the loose leaf binder under the protective sheets, I just put them between sheet of deli sheets. After all I was going to get right back to them. Right?
I “found” them today and decided to finish them up, make some canes from them. Well, they were pretty dry. The deli sheets had leached them pretty badly.
I worked with them and turned them into plugs and logs. When I trimmed the ends, because they were so dry, I ended up with these fluffy little flower shapes. I started to smash them, but if you know me at all, you know I had to save them some how. So I added this one to the bracelet above.
I also added the first cut from either side of a skinner plug. It won’t win a prize, but it’s interesting, full of texture, and kind of funky.
Made me start to think of ways to create texture in my work that’s different from using a texture sheet or pressing things into the clay. More organic….hmmm…
Today I made more canes using the Skinner Blend method. Judith Skinner invented this way of blending polymer clay in 1996 and is working on a book with Sarajane Helm. I can’t wait for it to come out.
It is one of my favorite techniques. If you don’t know what a skinner blend is or have just never tried to make one, there are many sites out there with instructions. I think the best written tutorial is by Desiree from Desired Creations. She has some wonderful information on her site. You should spend some time there. I learned how to clean my pasta machine from Desiree’s site. Eugena from Eugena’s Creations also has clear picture instructions.
I’m working fast and furious on all kinds of bracelets for the galleries that show my work and to stock my Etsy Shop. thanks for stopping by today.
A funny thing happened. I was so happy that the shop I stopped in while I was in Tampa wanted to buy some of my pieces. So happy I shared it with you. Now I have to tell you that I emailed the shop and haven’t heard a word since.
Because of that shop, I realized that there were so many other possibilities out there that I wasn’t looking at. So It’s okay!
I began to look at dress boutiques and other speciality shops. I found quite a few and have emailed several. I’ve heard back from one, but she only carries local artists. she still was a bit interested and asked for some time to think about it.
As you can see, I am still stuck on Zentangle canes. I really have had fun with them.
I did my emailing on Friday and this week end was Halloween, so I’m not discouraged yet. Besides, I still have the whole United States and Canada left….and I’ve started receiving commission checks from Julia’s Art Gallery on Pine Island. I told you about that trip in September.
So all of these items are now listed in my Etsy Shop with more to come. Life is sweet.
Still having fun after all these years! I’m still amazed that there are so many people that don’t know anything about polymer clay. Have never even heard of it. But I guess there are hundreds of things I know nothing about. Okay thousands……Millions? But polymer clay is such apart of my life and has been for the last 15 years, with it the main focus for at least 10, that it’s hard to imagine that there are people that haven’t heard of it.
Even when I wasn’t “into” pc, I had tried my hand at it. In the ’80 I made fruit ring candle holders. I know I have them somewhere and I’m going to look for them and see if they are anything like I remember them.
Anyway, I’m always so happy to hear from people who have found my blog and say they want to find out more about pc. The more interest we have the more related product there will be. Besides, it’s such a satisfying art form. Anyone can do just about anything with pc. So if you’re new to pc, go get yourself a few ounces and just play. Find a class near you or online. Do a search online and you’ll find hundreds of free tutorials for you to try.
The bracelet in the photo is a Skinner blend, roller into a plug flatten out and cut into two equal parts and formed into a cane. I cut this cane into four equal part to form the final cane (shown below). I covered a bracelet with a thin layer of black clay, then cut and place slices of the finished cane on top of the black, covering the whole bracelet.
Skinner Blend Cane
Okay, cheerleading over. Go forth and have fun! Christmas is coming, gifts to be made. But if you want, I have bracelets for sale on my Etsy site. Just in case you run out of time…….
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