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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Salt and Pepper Blondes – Profile Face Canes

Salt and Pepper Blonde

Salt and Pepper Blonde

One of my most popular items are my salt and pepper shakers. The girlfriends of course. But I also sell quite a few of my flamingos too. I’ve made two sets for a customer to choose from and the other will be available for sale.

I’ve used two different profile face canes on these S&Ps, but I’ve made them both blondes. Then I used complimentary colors for each shaker.

These are kind of fall like colors and would be good for your Thanksgiving table. Oh come on, surprise your family, crazy girls instead of turkeys…why not?  Their hats kind of look like turkey feathers don’t they???

Salt and Pepper Blonde

Salt and Pepper Shakers in Polymer Clay

Salt and Pepper

Working on a couple of salt and pepper shakers for a customer. I’ll have to see which one she’ll buy. The other one will go to my Etsy shop.

Salt and Pepper Back

As always lots of fun figuring out what colors to use. Now just have to finish the second set.

If you’re in the Sebring area, I’ll be giving a demo at Highlands Art League tonight from 5 until 8, stop on by……

Teaching My Profile Face Cane at Orlando Area Polymer Clay Guild

The Orlando Area Polymer Clay Guild is sponsoring my Profile Face Cane Class on September 25th, 2010. As a special bonus for the Orlando Guild, I’m including the links to my  Profile Face Cane Tutorial. That’s a step by step pdf with colored instructions and a 40 minute video. There is a maximum of 20 students.  Please contact OAPCG for more information.

If you know the Orlando group, you know we are going to have fun. So bring your sense of humor and your pasta machine because these women will make you laugh and I’ll show you how to create some real characters.

Profile Face Cane - Cuff Bracelet

Profile Face Cane - Cuff Bracelet

Here’s a new bracelet finished yesterday, she’s fun and colorful and looking for a home.  A character for sure, I’m posting this bracelet on my Etsy Site.

Other samples of my profile face cane.

Two Girls Salt and Pepper Shakers
Red Headed Girl Cuff Bracelet

Red Headed Girl Cuff Bracelet

Salt and Pepper Girls – Polymer Clay

Salt and Pepper Girls - Polymer Clay

Salt and Pepper Girls - Polymer Clay

Hot and spicy, cool and sassy, that what these girl are. It’s so much fun to watch the same face cane take on such different personalities with just a different hair color and style.

Hat side 1Then to add different colors to represent salt and pepper, and make sure someone can tell the difference, that’s the truly fun part.

Side 2The next thing is to decide how to cover the shakers all the way around. It uses tons of cane slices and time, but it’s worth it. I have several sets that I use everyday and enjoy them very much. As always, they make me laugh.

side 3I hope looking at these girls today brought a smile to your face. Thanks for stopping by.

Salt and Pepper Shakers in Polymer Clay

Two Girls Salt and Pepper Shakers

Two Girls Salt and Pepper Shakers

A Beautiful day. Only finished two girls for one sale item. Lots of canes used on these girls. Also worked on the  face cane tutorial and enjoyed the lake and the day late this afternoon.

Two Girls Salt and Pepper Shakers Back

Two Girls Salt and Pepper Shakers Back

Using Old Polymer Clay Canes

Ancient Mystery I

Ancient Mystery I

Here’s how this started! I was going to shoot a video to share about all the items I found while cleaning that I can use with my clay work.

But as always, I had to clean up my clay space before I could begin. There sat slices of canes that I used in my (not finished yet)  Polymer Clay Collage Project…. you’ll see a line of red squares across the bottom. Some were slices that I messed up and then there was this small little piece of cane left.

If you have been following this blog at all, you know me well enough to know that I do not like to make scrap clay. So, I layered the messed up slices with a layer of black #7 on the pasta machine. Then I sliced the remaining cane and added those slices with the  black layers in  between. Ending up with a new cane.

Why I didn’t start filming this for you, I don’t know, except that I didn’t know that it was going to come out this cool.

I sliced this cane into thin slices and added them to a sheet of black. Then placed the whole thing on my bracelet. It looks pretty good, I liked it anyway.

Then I had just a couple of slices left of this scrap cane (and I’m laughing here)! I didn’t want to scrap the rest of the cane I didn’t use because I liked it.

So I decide to play with what I had left. this next bracelet was the result and I like it way better than the first one.

Ancient Mystery II

Ancient Mystery II

I laid the left over slices out on a skinny strip of black and ran it through the pasta machine. It was ragged along the edges and I kind of liked that, so I put it on a layer of ecru clay and covered the bracelet form, added dots and there it was.

It was interesting and fun to experiment and the best part is I made something out of clay that was going to become a gray blob.

But..I still haven’t made the video with the found objects to use with clay. It will  have to wait now, I have a special request for more girl bracelets in my Etsy shop, so I better get moving.

I’ve listed the other two bracelets there, so cross your fingers that summer sales will happen.

Always the “Girls” – Polymer Clay Salt and Pepper Shakers

Girls - Polymer Clay Salt and Pepper Shakers

Girls - Polymer Clay Salt and Pepper Shakers

I was going to show you some more flamingo things I’ve done, but my camera’s battery was low. I had already taken pictures of these girls so I thought I would share.

I have sold quite a few Salt and Pepper shakers over the years and given away more. I have several sets myself and laugh when I look at first ones I made.

I love to wear bracelets. But I don’t wear other jewelry because I’m allergic to most metals.  I love to surround myself with things that are beautiful, that make me laugh or are nostalgic. My work certainly falls into at least one of those categories.

I wanted to make things that I could either look at or use in my every day life. Sculpture,  art dolls, salt and pepper shakers, vases, bowls, containers of all kinds. I’m lucky to have a kitchen in my studio and an oven that is only for polymer clay. I am limited to the size of my items only by the size of my oven.

My question is, do you use your favorite canes and cover something that you use everyday? Or are you  a jewelry person only? If you have only done jewelry, what would make you consider covering something else with your favorite canes?

And if you’re new here, I have a couple of videos you might like to watch. Check out the Video link on the left hand side of the page or at the very top next to the links page.

Polymer Clay Flamingo Salt and Pepper Shakers

Flamingo Salt and Pepper Shakers

Flamingo Salt and Pepper Shakers

Flamingo Salt and Pepper Shakers Back View

Flamingo Salt and Pepper Shakers Back View

I have been making flamingo salt and pepper shakers, business card cases, wine stoppers and I don’t know what else for a couple of years now. I love flamingos, they make me laugh. And maybe I relate to Alice in wonderland and her flamingo croquet stick. Poor Flamingo.

Flamingos continue to be a popular item with all kinds of people, tourist, natives (of FL.) collectors, artists… artists love to paint, sculpt and even cane them. Plus I don’t think there is an age range for people who like the pink wonder.

Flamingos really are a beautiful bird, but they still make me laugh. They’re Florida’s Christmas equivalent of the northern snowman. We put a santa hat on him and there you go!  I think I’ve even seen them trying to take over  for the reindeer that pull Santa’s sleigh.