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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 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?
I have a couple of things to talk about today. The first thing is this too funny for words business card holder for your desk. I love this girl, she makes me smile, I loved making her and now that she has joined the other memorable items on my desk, I love looking at her. It was one of those moments when I was making something else and that led me to this holder and then on to another holder design.
I’ll show you all of these things tomorrow. I have hurry up and get this posted because I have to finish preparing to lead my book club discussion tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it, but I have to make sure I’m ready. Plus the other pieces are in the oven and I can’t take pictures until they cool down.
I was very excited to create this card holder. It’s solid clay, probably about 3 oz. I have 20 or 30 packages of Sculpey III that I will never use and have wondered what I was going to do with them. Now I know I’m going to use some of it for the base for some more of these card holders. I covered the base with black clay and then made the indentation to hold the cards, then add the face. Covered the edges of her face with more black “hair”, added her simple hat and she was ready for the oven. The whole time smiling……I love my “job”.
The second thing today was..my pasta motor died. I should have known it would happen sooner or later but I was just thinking that I haven’t ever had trouble with MY motor. There was a thread on Polymer Clay People yahoo digest about motors and people were talking about motors stopping on them. I thought HA, not mine. Then yesterday…it happened.
So today I had to order another one. I really wanted to buy the Dream Machine from Polymer Clay Express, but as I already have 9 pasta machines, I really couldn’t justify another.
Now I have to wait until my new motor gets here. I know, I can crank the pm by hand, but come on, after all these years, I’m just too spoiled.
Okay, I know I won’t be able to wait 4 or 5 day so I guess I’ll just be cranky. See you tomorrow.
 Business Card Holders Two more crazy girlfriends join in the fun. I used the same new face cane that I used on the business card holder in this post from the other day. Just goes to show you that each slice will look a little different.
I like these in black and white and I’m happy with this new face cane. I have some really cool new things in the oven right now. Can’t wait to see how the turn out and share them with you.
Going to list one of these girls in my Etsy Shop right now. Hmmmmm just can’t decide which one.
 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.
 Girlfriends Pins A couple of girlfriend pins went to The Creative Native Gallery this week along with the girlfriend ornaments. I see a mother and daughter in the one and a very funny character in the other one.
I’ve been busy with bracelets and ornaments. Claying away and keeping the oven busy baking load after load of colorful, funky, fun, things. While others are making witches and goblins, I’m thinking of line green, turquoise and fuchsia. Funny how life changes without you even realizing it. I was a halloween queen when I was younger, with children at home. Love everything about it, made things and patterns and decorated the house….all great fun.
Now we live far from town and not one trick or treater has ever come to our house in 15 years. Kind of sad I guess, but on the other hand, I can turn my focus to other things. Actually, it’s kind of freeing to be out of step sometimes.
Now back to my clay table and the non Halloween bracelets……
When I taught my Profile Face Cane class to some of the members of the Orlando Area Polymer Clay Guild, I was delighted to have 14 people attend and all of them create faces with their own individual style. I asked them all to send pictures of their finished girls and I want to show them here.
If you were in that class and want to send me pictures, I’m waiting. But I didn’t have to wait for Charline Ahlgreen, president of OAPCG, she brought this cool glass vase with her to class and by the end she had her face placed on it, added hair or maybe they are butterflies? Plus a cool collar.
 Charline Mary Jenkins, Treasurer, had a great start on her girl as well. Before we packed up to go home she had a fabulous slice of her face cane complete with collar, hair and very cool hat. Looks like she was going to end up on a bracelet
 Mary Sherry Caley was the first to send me a picture of her girl. I was waiting for a clearer one, but I’m posting this one now and if you send me another one Sherry, I’ll replace it. Her hair, hat and collar look great, very 3d.
 Sherry Rose Long was next with this great photo of too small journal covers. I love how she used flowers for the hair on the first girl. I can tell she went home and made another face. The more you make the better they get, trust me. I love both of these girls, each has it’s own special character. Very cool idea.
 Rose Then there is Crazy Nancy Welch. She called me to see if I would teach this class, so I owe all the fun to her. She has been very busy with her girls and has created tons of great things. You can see that she made another face cane too. Love em both.
 Nancy  Nancy  Nancy
 Nancy That’s it for the photos from Orlando. Maybe I’ll get some more someday.
Each of the students received links to the pdf and video from this class. If you would like to make your own face canes, the pdf and video are available in my Profile Face Cane Tutorial for sale in my Etsy Shop. Or if you would like to sponsor a class with your guild or group or at your retail store, contact me for further information. Or you can check out my teaching information here.
Thanks everyone, I had a blast.
 Autumn Girl I’ve listed several items in my Etsy Shop, getting ready for Christmas Shoppers. These two bracelets were made entirely from polymer clay. The great thing about Premo clay is that the bracelet can be squeezed to allow it to slip on your wrist easier.
 Mermaid
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.
 Best Friends Forever Pam Moody from The Creative Native Gallery is having her annual ornament display this year and I’m making some best girlfriend ornaments to add to the mix. Each will a have a witty saying on the back, but you’ll have to stop in The Creative Native to choose yours.
I’ll be making more for my Etsy Shop and The Highlands Art League too, but I promised Pam that I would get some to her soon.
Here’s an ornament I made in 2005 when I was still working on perfecting my faces. (actually, I’m still working on perfecting my faces) This one had 7 girls on it and it hangs in my studio. I thought this year was a good year to revisit these ornaments and take a look at how far I’ve come.
 2005 I made this ornament to celebrate my Best Female Friends. We are still friends and it’s a great thing to have this group of fabulous women standing beside me, plus covering my back…….
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