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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If I Had a World of My Own

“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn’t. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn’t be. And what it wouldn’t be, it would. You see?”  Lewis CarrollAlice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass

As you can see I’ve been working on Alice herself and here she is with the Mad Hatter. You’ll notice that I’ve moved the hatter and here’s why.

Alice and the Hatter Alice Stroppel

The other night after my post here and on Facebook, Ellen Prophater call me to share her thoughts on how to adhere my figures to the silver teapot. Thanks so much Ellen it’s nice to have a friend looking out for you.  She suggested I use Genesis Artist Colors Thick Medium-Extender. She uses it all the time and with great success.

Oh course I have some, I bought it from her, naturally.  Elleen and Sue Sutherland own Creative Journey Studio and carry almost everything you might want or need for claying. I’ve actually used it once or twice but didn’t really like the consistency of it and put it aside.  But to be fair I didn’t use it long enough to really judge but it’s hard to spread.

And she’s right, super glue was not a good choice for this project so I popped the Hatter off the teapot and reattached him using Genesis, it  worked very well. At least the bond is strong and solid.

Now you’re going to laugh, I had to tie the Hatter to the pot.

Hatter

I told you that you were going to laugh.

Because of the dip in the teapot the Mad Hatter just didn’t want to stay in place. With Genesis on his back he just slid all around. It’s a problem I have with any liquid clay and with Genesis obviously.

Because he was already baked and solid I could tie him down, obviously this wouldn’t work with uncured clay. That leads me back to my post from yesterday where I talked about sculpting the Hatter about three weeks ago and he wasn’t very pliable, he was hard to fit to the shape of the tea pot.

Oh and I decided to move him to the right side of the teapot and like him there better so it all worked out.

Yesterday I sculpted Alice and placed her on the teapot right away while she was still soft. She stuck pretty well and didn’t move around when I baked her. I didn’t use the Genesis on Alice before baking because it’s thick and hard to spread, I didn’t want to mess up my sculpting efforts by push to hard.

She’s stuck to the teapot pretty well without anything but just the same I’ll pop her off and use Genesis before I bake the teapot again.

Alice Flamingo Alice Stroppel

The flamingo makes me smile, being from Florida the flamingo is a favorite Alice Character of mine, not that there are any in my part of the state! Sandhill cranes yes, Flamingos no.

Alice group- Alice Stroppel

Here’s how the set is shaping up and you know that by the time I’m finish, I’ll have to add a few Alice crazy flowers. Thanks for following along.

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’…..

Creative Journey Studios and OAPCG Fandango

I’ll be hopping a plane in a few weeks to fly to Atlanta and get to spend some time with friends at Creative Journey Studios and a couple of days with a good friend from forever in another little Georgia town

First stop is in Buford, Ga and two classes at Creative Journey Studios. I can’t wait to get back there to see how the gallery has grown. When I was there last year it was just beginning and not everyone had sent their work for display and sale, mine wasn’t even there. So I’m excited to have the chance to spend some time there with Ellen Prophater, Sue Sutherland, and Patricia DiBona.

I’ll be teaching Pen and Ink on Polymer Clay and my Profile Face Cane. Grab a friend and come take one class or both, we’re going to have a great time.

If you need to jump into spring, you might want to seriously consider a trip to this charming little Georgia town. If you want to be inspired by polymer clay artists’ work all in one place, Creative Journey Studios is the ticket. Just take a look at the list of artists that have work that you will see up close and personal and possibly own. What a treat it’s going to be.

Judy Belcher, Jana Roberts Benzon, Leslie Blackford, Carol Blackburn, Kim Cavender, Louise Fischer Cozzi, Heather Cobb, Patricia DiBona, Ann Dillon, Lisa Dunn, Julie Eakes, Christi Friesen, Natalia Garcia de Leaniz, Sue Gentry, Linda Gilcher, Lindly Haunani, Ginny Henley, Stacy Hogue, Lou A. Huppke, Susan Hyde, Debbie Jackson. Jeanette Kandray, Kim Korringa, Judy Kuskin, Sharon Kyser, Loretta Lam, Ron Lehocky, Peggy Martin, Sandra McCaw, Barbara McGuire, Laurie Mika, Ann & Karen Mitchelll, Harvey Moriarty, Mari O’Dell, Mary Pratt, Ellen Prophater, Laurie Prophater, LaTrecia Raffety, Ponsawan Sila, Jan Stephens, Meta Strick, Debra Svitil, Alice Stroppel, Bettina Welker, Melanie West, Lori Wilkes, Elise Winters, Karen Woods

Amazing isn’t it?

Then….I’m off to cental Florida for Orlando Area Polymer Clay Guild’s annual Fandango. I’ll be demonstrating and just hanging out to talk with everyone and show some of my methods.

Today, I’m working on some bracelets like the one above, because I need a donation for the fabulous auction they have each year. Speaking of seeing some of your favorite artists’ from around the country and the world. President Charlene and others from OAPCG have a long list of donated work that attendees can truely buy sometimes for a song. Okay maybe you have to pay, but it’s tons of fun and just getting to see the work is a treat.

Take a look at last year’s auction bounty. I think there is still time to register, but hurry!

I hope to see you somewhere, sometime.