Polymer Clay Canes for Beginners

27 videos, step by step, beginner cane workshop beginner Cane Tutorial 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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[caption id="attachment_102" align="aligncenter" width="100" caption="Member IPCA"]Member IPCA[/caption]

Green Fish Bracelet – Cane Mapping Polymer Clay

 Green Fish - Alice Stroppel

I was very happy to use several very old canes on this fish. I find him really interesting. When I’m wearing him you see the middle part with all the greens and yellows.

When I wore it today I had several compliments and one lady was very surprised, as I turned my wrist, to see it was a fish. A fun piece to wear.

Faces on Bracelets – Pen and Ink on Polymer Clay

 pen and ink on polymer - Alice StroppelI took time out from cane mapping to finish this face bracelet. It’s pen and ink on polymer clay. I’ve had the bracelet covered and baked for  months so it was about time I finished it.

Stroppel Cane Takes a Leap Off a Tall Building

Angela Natali (cleobs on Flickr) just commented on my Florida Sunshine picture. I went over to her flickr site to see what she has been up to and look what I found. This skyline bracelet is just fabulous..don’t you think so? I’m simply delighted.

Go tell cleobs what you think……..

Black and White is Still on My Polymer Clay Table

I love black and white. I haven’t made any black and white bracelets for sale in awhile and decided I needed to take a minute and create some.

These are for the Pen and Ink class I’m teaching at the Creative Journey Studios in Buford, GA on the 22nd of this month.  I’ll user these to show how I draw my faces directly onto the cured polymer clay.

On the 21st I’m teaching my profile face cane. So I’ve been busy with blending face clay too. Oh and while I was making black and white scraps, I added some colorful scraps and made several Stroppel Canes that have magically turned into pins for the pin exchange during Fandango next month. Still have a bunch to go…but I’ll get there.

I’m just smiling and clayin’…..

Corrected Arms and More Pen and Ink Bracelets

I’ve worked on the arms from the other day (photo above) you can compare it to the arms before (photo below).

They still aren’t perfect and the shading just doesn’t look as good in these photos as it does when the bracelet is on my wrist. But I find that looking at most pieces of work in a 4″ picture is not how you see it on the bracelet. The actual drawing is only 1″ x 1 1/2″ so a lot of things you see in the photo just don’t show up on the actual drawing.

I also worked on two other bracelets, this one is using one of the face patterns from my pdf. I still have the third side to finish.

This brightly colored face is totally different and was oh so much fun to do. More work needs to be done on this one too, I like to give the ink time to dry completely and rest for awhile before working on the next panel. If I don’t, the colors tend to run a bit even if I heat set them, so usually I’m working on more than one bracelet. That’s why when I cover bracelets with the panels and canes, I do a bunch so that they will all be baked and ready for me when I feel like drawing.

Don’t forget I’ll be teaching my Pen and Ink on Polymer Clay at Creative Journey Studios in Buford, GA on the 21st of April 2012. And on the 22nd I’ll be teaching my profile face cane class, so grab and friend and come stay at the B & B right down the road. It’s going to be a fun weekend for sure.

The I’m off to Lake Yale in FL to do demos at Fandango. Days and days of fabulous classes you won’t want to miss. There is still time to get a late room or day pass. May 3-7th 2012.

June 10th and 11th will find me in Davy, FL with the Southeast Florida Polymer Clay Guild, details to come.

I’ll also be teaching this class at Maureen Carlson’s Center for the Creative Arts in Jordon, MN on Sept. 23, 2012. this is another long weekend with three classes I’ll be teaching. Just imagine what a great time we are going to have at Maureen.

And the Arms- Pen and Ink on Polymer Clay

Okay just a quick post this morning, here’s the rest of the legs bracelet. I know, I know, these are arms……….but you can see that they go together can’t you? You can see the other side of the bracelet in this post.

Sometimes when I take a picture of an item, I can see the mistakes better than when I’m looking directly at it.  I need to correct the proportions on these arms and hands. Last night they looked pretty good, but this morning by light of day and the camera lens, I can see the mistakes. I’m still learning here too, I haven’t alway been bold enough to put my drawings out there, but have gotten over pleasing anyone but myself.

I draw directly on the baked clay, I don’t transfer a drawing. It would probably work better if I did, but I’m impatient and usually don’t do something twice. So I have to put it down and come back to give it a second look before I finish it up. This is a perfect example.

It’s just one of the things I’ll show you how to do in my Pen and Ink classes.

I’ll work on this again try to correct what I see wrong and repost it. You  can’t learn if you don’t try.

The Legs, The Legs, Polymer Clay and Pen and Ink

I thought I would try something different on a black and white cuff, black and white legs…..

I still have another side to finish and wonder if I should add something in the background on each panel. I’ll have to think about it while I’m playing with the last side.

Have fun today, play with clay!

My Stroppel Cane is Older Than I Thought

In April of 2010, I was experimenting with a different kind of face cane and made 13 bracelets from it. I’ve sold several of them and have but a few left. I started photographing this one to put in my etsy Shop to sell. It has a flower that looks like a poinsettia so I thought it would be perfect for the season and I’d better get it posted.

When I looked through the lens, what did I see but a Stroppel cane that I used for a collar and a hat band. I started to laugh because my memory is so bad. At least about dates and when I did what. I knew I’d been making Stroppel canes for quite awhile, but didn’t realize it’s been almost 2 years.

If you look close at the bottom of the bracelet, you can see the date. Now I’m thinking I’ll keep this one, I have another one that is even more Christmasy. I hope this made you laugh, it sure made me glad that I date things.


I did list another pen and ink face bracelet that I finished last week. It’s in my Etsy Shop.

Faces in Pen and Ink on Polymer Clay

I think with the new Twilight movie just out this bracelet might just fit right in. I didn’t intend for it to be so gothic but the black and white with just a touch of color seems to make it that way. Kind of mysterious don’t you think?

Both this bracelet and the one below are the newest additions to my Etsy shop.

Thank You, Pen and Ink, Trades, and my Mount Dora Class

This might be a long post…just so you know….

Thank you, thank you, and thank you some more. All of you who left a comment, joined my newsletter list, emailed me, ordered one of my videos from my Etsy shop, left a comment on Polymer Clay Daily or just stopped by to take a look at the Stroppel Cane.

I was truly blown away by the amount of traffic that my funny little blog generated in just a few days. I owe a great deal to Cynthia Tinapple at Polymer Clay Daily and to my blog and newsletter followers.

I knew I liked my new cane, but really didn’t realize just how much everyone else was going to like it. I’m thrilled to be able to share it with everyone. When I first started with polymer clay, I learned so much from the generous people on the internet and it was all free. Now, just to keep up with all the fees out there one has to make a little money here and there, but I will always give away as much as I can, kind of a play it forward kind of thing. So feel free to share the Stroppel cane with anyone you think would enjoy it.

Again, it makes a big difference to know that there are people out there reading, watching and interested.  The comments that you all left really meant so much to me. Thank you all.

Now on to other things. This picture is of what I did yesterday between answering all the wonderful correspondence. These are bracelet blanks covered with clay and baked. I call them canvases because they are ready for the next step of ink, markers and TLC.

I have several reasons why I needed to make these blanks.

1. I need more stock in my Etsy shop
2. I made a trade agreement with two very famous delightful pc artists
3.  I’m teaching a class on the 15th and need samples to show

Blank Canvas

I cover the blanks with a layer of black, then sections of white and in between I place black and white canes.

Laurie Prophater

Laurie Prophater

The first trade I made was with Laurie Prophater and I already have the bracelet and have been enjoying it so much. It is simply gorgeous, I am thrilled.  Laurie’s blog is that fabulous one we all love to visit Ornamental Elements. Here’s more good news, you can own one of these fabuloso Faux Ivory Bangle Bracelet bracelets for yourself Just visit Laurie’s Etsy site.

Laurie Prophater

Laurie Prophater

Each side is different and so lovely, plus she makes the accent pieces herself. I need to hurry up and get her piece finished. I have a couple started and will probably give her a choice like she so graciously did for me.

I’ll let you in on a big secret. Laurie’s bracelet has given me so many ideas to try using my style and she has given me the okay to use the basic idea. But if you know me, you know my crazy mind will take me places no one else has been before. lol. I already have one (actually two) made, but am not ready to show you yet, when have I had time anyway? The past few days have been very busy and so much fun.  And I’m all about the fun!

Pen and Ink Face Bracelets

The bracelet on top is more colorful and I’ve added some canes for hats and accent pieces. The bracelets on the bottom uses more of the white background giving the faces a kind of gothic feel I think. Next group, I’ll do just black and white and red lips, maybe some color in the eyes, like some of the first bracelets I did when I developed my pen and ink technique.

Pen and Ink Class

Pen and Ink Class

I’m teaching a class on the 15th of the month in Mount Dora, FL at the Mount Dora Center for the Arts.  Come on and join me, you’ll love this quaint southern town that loves the arts.

Here’s  a link to the information and the phone number for registration is 352-383-0880.

Back to drawing faces. Thanks again for everything, you guys are the best.