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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When Randee Ketzel sent me two of her Stroppel cane bracelets, well I was blown away by her thoughtfulness. I will always treasure them. I wanted to send Randee something in return so I decided to make a girlfriend wearing something well…..Stroppel! If you want to see her in her Stroppel cane sweater, she’s on Randee’s flickr site.
I sat down to make more girlfriend slides and thought why not do a series of Stroppel Sweater Girls. So now I’m just laughing and making sweater girls. I figured you can wear one or two or even three. You could collect as many as your neck will hold. lol… Okay now I’m just being silly.
Both of these girls are for sale in my Etsy shop and there will be more to come. Thanks Randee for the inspiration.
Have you ever had that “slap your forehead” moment, you know the one, the one where you say to yourself “why didn’t I think of this sooner?”
Well that was me yesterday, here is the result……….girlfriend slides. And why not I ask you, why not slides to go with the bracelets or instead of a bracelet? I know pins are good too but I love the necklace idea.
Sorry I know it sounds bad to say you love something you just did, but hey…..I would not be playing with clay if I didn’t kind of love what I was doing right?
So I’m off now to list these plus a fish slide in my Etsy shop. Dancing girl la la la girlfriend queen da da la la \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
 More to come of these I’m telling you, just watch!
I sold the last of my girlfriend galore bracelets at Fandango and needed to make more and here’s the new gaggle of girlfriends.
I was honored to be asked to donated something to the International Polymer Clay Association retreat this year and I’m sending one of these cuffs. I only wish I could go this year. I would love to meet all the other wonderful clayers that are going to be there. Maybe next time.
I’ve also made the largest GG bracelet yet, showing in the photo above are all sides of this 1 1/2″ wide cuff. It really looks great on a large girl like me. This bracelet is listed in myEtsy Shop.
It’s hard for me to decide which size I like the best, I like them all I guess. Someday I have to save one for myself. Maybe it’s one of these because I’ve used the last of at least one of my face canes and so these really represent my faces over the last few years. Kind of a road map of my journey.
The next group of bracelets will be welcoming some new faces because I’ll be making more this month. I can’t wait to see the new personalities that show up. That’s really how I feel about my face canes, each one kind of decides who they are going to be and sometimes I don’t have alot of say in the matter. Kind of fun.
 If you’re looking for my OWOH giveaway it’s here
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 I finished these Girlfriend Galore bracelets yesterday and popped them in to cure last night. Spent the morning taking pictures and cropping etc., loading two of them on my Etsy site and flickr, and now here. Yikes. It’s 2pm and I’d rather be claying……
But that’s the way it is and I guess I just need to get over it. But I am glad to be using backgrounds instead of cutting each item out in Photoshop. My printer has gotten a bit sad and I’ve just ordered a new laser printer. I’ve wanted one for years and could never justify the expense when I had a perfectly good inkjet sitting right here.
But to tell you the truth, this “free” printer really costs more to operate because of the ink. Anyway, I’m waiting for it now and I can’t wait to print all those background with the laser.
Anyway, back to the “girlfriends”. I’ve listed two of these bracelets in my Etsy shop. The wider one below……
and this smaller one…..
I made one of these to go to the auction at Orlando Area Polymer Clay Guild’s Fandango coming up in May. It’s a super fun event and if your thinking about going…..stop thinking….just go, you’ll love it. Beautiful place, beautiful weather, beautiful people. Check it out on their website here.
What are you working on? Thanks for stopping by today.
I’ve added some Girlfriend Wine stoppers to my Etsy Shop. I’ve made so many of these and they still make people laugh.
They’re fun to do and if you want the perfect gift for that girlfriend of yours who is always there for you, and that is the first person you call for the “leave the husbands, boyfriends, or significant other at home” night out. Then this is the gift for you! All my girlfriends have one. So stop in my shop to see what else is new.
Or make one yourself, I buy my bottle stoppers at Boston Craftworks. You don’t have to make a girlfriend stopper, I’ve made some funky flamingos that I’ve posted in my shop too. I really laugh at these guys.
The flamingo is several canes that I put together directly on the piece. It takes more time, but I like the results.
Alice
P.S. If you own a blog and would like to win one of my bracelets, just click on the link below to participate in One World One Heart.
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If you’re looking for my OWOH giveaway it’s here
It was a busy day yesterday as I uploaded item after item to my Etsy Shop. This Flame Necklace is an interesting piece with large unusual beads.
It will prove to be the same tomorrow I believe. Most of the items I’ve made in the last few months and just haven’t taken the time to do all the legwork needed to get them ready for Etsy.
 Another crazy girlfriend bracelet. She’s a single lady.
 This is one bracelet in a series of 13. I really want to make more of these interesting face canes. Maybe after Christmas.
 Thanks to Mira Pinki Krispil for featuring my girlfriend bracelet in her “like like like A Virgin” Etsy Treasury. Lots of fun and funky things in this treasury.
Mira is an amazing polymer clay artist and you can see her work in her Etsy Shop and on her website. She also posts pictures of her work on flickr. Grab a cup of coffee before you click on any of those links, you’ll be there awhile.
 Rocker Girls Okay, here’s the last of my creative streak this week. Actually these paperweight rocker girls are the start. I had this idea to cover rocks with clay and my face cane slices, I made the black haired girl and smiled the whole time. (that’s when I know I have an idea that at least I think is fun)
These are rocks out of my French Drain behind my porch. The blonde is about 3″ x 2″, black haired girl is 2″ 1/2″ x 2″ and the brunette is 2′ x 1 1/2″ . All perfect sizes for a funky addition to your desk as a paper weight or just sitting around on a shelf or counter. They make me laugh.
It was hard to make the clay stick to the rock. (the next girls I made I covered with craft glue and let dry, then it was fine, I was just too much in a hurry for the first girl)
Because the clay wasn’t sticking, it made me think of using my old clay as the core, so I made a girl with clay instead of the rock. Half way through I had the idea to make this business card holder. So I made the slit for cards to fit and there you go.
I had a plastic business card holder on my desk and I had this idea to make something that used less clay. After all, not everyone has tons of scrap clay.
 Business Card Holder So there you have a peek inside my strange mind. Not that anyone really wanted to look…:) Thanks for stopping in today.
P.S. All of these would make great projects for kids.
Business Card Holder My playing around yesterday resulted in the business card holder from the last post and this one that was glued on a plastic holder. It was easy breezy and maybe a great gift for kids to make for the adults on their list. Any design will do, it doesn’t have to be a girlfriend. Geometric, flowers, or more manly designs for the guys. You could match any profession.
I googled the plastic holders and found tons of them from .50 on up. Office Depot had them for .99.
Make your design, cure it and glue it to the holder with super glue. Do not bake the holder.
I put this girl on the wrong side for my cards, I didn’t realize it until it was already baked. But I’m not keeping it anyway, I’m keeping the one from the last post.
Tomorrow? The last idea from my day of the clay. Hint…..remember Pet Rocks?
 Funny Girl I made a new face cane today, a bit different than all my other girls, but that’s the fun of it all. I’ve put the first face on this business card holder and given this girl a funny hat to go with her funny blouse.
I’m listing her in my Etsy Shop.
I’ve been busy with more bangle bracelets and just life. Enjoying the cooler weather and keeping up with Facebook, Twitter and Flickr. You can follow me on any of these sites, and I’d love to follow you back.
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