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]

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……..

Stroppel Cane Pins for Fandango Swap

Here’s a pile of colorful fun Stroppel Pins I’ve made for the pin exchange at Orlando Area Polymer Clay Guild’s Fandango. I’m about half way there, even though we don’t have to make pins to exchange with everyone, I don’t want to miss any very cool pins by running out of mine.

I’ve been having a great time with these and might just keep these as something I do all the time. There are so many possibilities with each little canvas.

Now back to making some face canes for my class at Creative Journey Studios on the 21st and 22nd of this month.

Both places still have room for more students, so pick up the phone and reserve your space.

A Trade With Teia Fetescu and Mario Hubak – Clay Corner

Teia and Mario

I received this cutey pie in the mail all the way from Switzerland. She is a Winter Lady and she came in a great little box with her own stash of Swiss chocolates. Speaking of Swiss Sweets, Teia and Mario make the cutest mini baked good, so neat and colorful. Check out these cupcakes.

Teia Fetescu and Mario Hubak are a polymer clay team that own Clay Corner, with a website, a blog, a Facebook page and  a Flickr photostream where I saw this sweet little Swiss lady.

Teia Fetescu and Mario Hubak

I asked Teia if she would be kind enough to trade one of her girls for one of my girls and luckily she said yes. So off to Switzerland went this Stroppel sweater girl and now I have a Teia girl hanging in my studio. What a great trade, just a bit of international exchange and once again, I win.  Thank you so much Teia and Mario.

Stroppel Sweater Girl

Parole de pâte’s Challenge Yves Creations – Stroppel Cane, Lazy River

If you are new to my blog and haven’t seen my Stroppel cane video, it’s to your right on this page. Several months ago I share a technique I’d been using for awhile to use up my scrap cane slices and keep them from the mud pile. It kind of took off around the world when Cynthia Tinapple  posted it on Polymer Clay Daily.

Nina

Since then I’ve had the pleasure of seeing polymer clay artists from beginners to professionals give the Stroppel cane a try with some stunning results. Guilds are sharing it, there are swaps and Challenges. This Challenge from Parole de pâte had over 125 entries.

Nolwen

The Challenge  was to create a piece using the Stroppel Cane or Julie Picarello’s Lazy River. The entries were about half and half between the two methods. Here’s some really wonderful pieces using the two techniques together.

Ysseym

There are so many pieces to choose from I can’t show them all here so I’ve just post a few.

Aneliz

Thank you to all those who participated and to Parole de pâte for hosting this challenge.

Anne

Polymer Clay Days

I was making a Stroppel Cane with red, black and white cane scraps and ended up with a cane that looked like butterfly wings. I used a few slices to create the butterfly and then added other cane slices and made the slide above.

Then I finally got around to covering the knobs in my pink bathroom with black and white jelly rolls. They aren’t very complicated but with the black and white check countertop, I didn’t need anything very complicated. I still love my crazy bathroom.

I’m still creating samples for my scuplting class and having a great time.

Teaching Polymer 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.

New Polymer Clay Cane Class at Beads F. O. B.

I’ve been blending colors and making tons of Skinner blends for my up coming class at Beads F.O.B. in Sarasota, FL. I had such a good time the last time I was there giving a class and I’m delighted to be going back. I’ll be there not this weekend, but next weekend, Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 14th and 15th. If you’re in the area, I hope you’ll come join us. And if your not in the area, I hope you get out of the cold and take a trip to FL.  Call Beads F.O.B. to sign up and reserve a spot. 941-921-0871

The class will be about canes, canes, canes, and how to make this shaped bracelet. You’ll love this bracelet, I get a million compliments when I wear mine. As a bonus, we’ll be looking at color mixing as well.

I am going to expand on the canes I’ll be teaching and this class is for new and relatively new caners. I have been collecting inspirational photos for years and will be spending the next week constructing canes.

Just tapping into the world of geometrics provides a unlimited amount of ideas for canes.

Looking at colorful graphics is enough to get my brain spinning. It doesn’t mean that once I sit down to actually make a new cane that it will end up looking anything like these. Photos of all kinds are just a jumping off point for me, with color, shape and shading.

Just do a google search for say…..circles. click on the “image” link at the top lefthand side of the page and tada…….all the inspiration for circles you could ask for. You can to the same for any shape, color or subject. Just don’t get lost and forget about your clay.

Of course I can’t make Skinner blends without making scraps and scraps always lead to a Stroppel cane. I make this one with orange and blue as my separator colors and the rest of the scraps are just waiting their turn. Naturally, we’ll be making Stroppel canes in this class too.

Come on…join me in beautiful Sarasota, I’ll love to meet you.

Polymer Clay Italia 2011 Winter Inchie Swap

Polymer Clay Italia 2011 Winter Inchie Swap

Yesterday at the Post Office I was doing a small dance after I checked my mailbox and found a package from Leila Bidler.  My inchies from the Polymer Clay Italia 2011 Winter Inchie Swap had arrived.

And you can see why I was excited. This is the second inchie swap I’ve participated in with the remarkable Leila Bidler. I have always admired those who take on the task of a swap, it all seems so large and such a lot of work. But I’m delighted she is enjoying it because I sure am.

Leila said this was a winter swap and to do something wintery and not necessarily the holidays. The only thing I can really relate to about winter is water and palm tree, oak trees and sunshine. So I used a mini Stroppel cane to make the palm fronds and that was inchie #1. I thought I might make some of my fellow swappers smile.

Leila has been doing some incredible work with polymer clay and bargello for some fantastic results.  Just take a look at her blog post. I am thrilled to say that she sent me a wonderful piece of her purple bargello work. This picture doesn’t do it justice.

Leila Bidler Bargello

You really need to go look at her blog to see how fabulous these are. I just can’t decide if I want to frame it, wear it as a pin or make it into a slide. What I do know is I’m thrilled to have it. Thank you Leila.

I sent 20 inches and received 20 + back. I love each and everyone of them. Inchie #2 was a Stroppel cane inchie, not wintery at all, but I was in the middle of all the attention focused on the cane, so I just went with it. Most of them looked kind of like stained glass I think, the one I kept for myself, not so much.

Thank you to all my swap buddies. Happy Holidays.

Polymer Clay Italia 2011 Winter Inchie Swap

P.S. Margit, yours will be on it’s way after Christmas.

Helen Breil Texture and Stroppel Cane

A friend is having a birthday this month and several of us met for dinner and had a great time. This friend has so many of my “girls” in every form I’ve ever made so I thought it was time I’d make her something totally different.

I made this neckpiece for my birthday friend using one of Helen Breil’s texture sheets and a piece of Stroppel cane. The funny thing is the colors blended so well in person, you couldn’t see the blue tones in the cane as much as you can in this photo. I still like it, it’s interesting and different and hope my friend likes it too.

I’ve had the texture sheet for several months, I bought it at a retreat where I met Helen for the first time. What a talented lady, just take a look at her fabulous work.

I was lucky to be in a slide swap with Helen and this is the very cool slide I received.

Helen Breil and Alice Stroppel Swap

The back side of my piece is fun too because of the great texture from the sheets.

New Stroppel Cane Flickr Group Formed by Cara Jane

Stroppel Cane Pendant - Alice Stroppel/Meisha Barbee

The Stroppel cane continues to be experimented with by polymer clay enthusiast around the globe and I couldn’t be more delighted. It’s so exciting and a little bit unreal.

I’ve been trying to pin, on my Pinterest site, each new picture of the cane or a finished piece when I found one. But I’ve given up trying to get them all, there are way too many. I’ll still pin all the items I find or if you don’t have a Flickr account and want to send them to me, I’ll post them.  alice@polymerclayetc.com

Cara Jane Hayman

Cara Jane Hayman came up with the idea of creating a flickr group for The Stroppel Cane. Thanks Cara Jane for setting it up. This Flickr group should be fun and allow us all to take a peep at what others are making and the color palettes they used for their old canes. That has been as much fun for me as seeing everyone’s finished products.

The Stroppel Cane has already begun to morph and take on a life of it’s own as we saw in my last post featuring Orly Rabinowitz’s verion of the technique.  So tracking it’s life from the beginning could be very interesting.

So go join the Flickr group and upload the picture of your Stroppel Cane projects. Thank you all very much for all wonderful things you’ve made, it’s been a fabulous couple of weeks.