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

Workshops Online with Alice Stroppel

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[caption id="attachment_102" align="aligncenter" width="100" caption="Member IPCA"]Member IPCA[/caption]

Synergy3 Gifts and Trades

Orson's World

Synergy was wonderful for many reasons, but getting to meet in person people you have become friends with online has to be one of the highlights.

My friend Nikolina Otrzan (Orson’s World) surprised me with with this so very thoughtful gift in memory of Ceasar, the oh so sweet dog we just lost. I was touched and so appreciative. Thank you Nik.

Nik creates some fabulous polymer pieces and some very cool tutorials for sale in her Etsy shop. She also has a class on CraftArtEdu

She is such fun to be around, meeting her after month and months of online friendship was a such a treat. She traveled all the way from Croatia to attend Synergy and I hope to see her again when Synergy happens in Europe.

I’m lucky to own another piece of Nik’s work, we traded when she made me something from one of her Stroppel Canes. Love it.

Cara Jane Hayman

 

Cara Jane Hayman is another friend from the other side… she surprised me with the darling little Stroppel Cane piggy. It was so thoughtful to bring it all the way from Bristol, UK  just for me. Cara Jane started the Stroppel Cane Flickr group so that everyone can share their canes.  Care Jane also has tutorial for sale. Thanks so much Care Jane.

Julie Eakes

 

Can you believe I am the proud owner of this fabulous piece of a art by Julie Eakes? Julie’s work in impeccable! We made a large trade and I am more than thrilled.

The wording is, “As you’re pretty, so be wise, Wolves may lurk in every guise.” I wish you could see this piece up close, I think Julie said she made at least five canes to incorporate in this necklace. Julie and I have traded before I’m lucky to own a couple of other Julie Eakes creations.

Julie teaches and if you can take a class with her, you should! Here’s one on CraftArtEdu

Julie is soooo much fun and I’m lucky to call her friend…….Julie, I can’t thank you enough.

Meisha Barbee

And finally, Meisha Barbee and  I traded pieces and look what I got, a wowzer.  Meisha doesn’t have a website, but I have a feeling that she will soon, In the meantime here is a google search with some pictures of her fabulous work.

Meisha has recently started to teach, if she’s teaching near you, run don’t walk to take her class.

Meisha, you make me laugh way too much, you rock friend, thank you.

You see how lucky I am, not only to own such wonderful work, but to have made such wonderful friends through my love of polymer. It’s a wonderful life.

April 22nd, 2013 | Tags: , , , , , , , | Category: Synergy3, Trades | Leave a comment

Synergy 3 Seeking Higher Ground Challenge – Kathleen Dustin’s Stunning Necklace

Alice Stroppel and Kathleen DustinI can only say that I was delighted to have this picture with Kathleen Dustin wearing her stunning Necklace. She is such an incredibly talented artist and the polymer clay community is  so lucky to have her as one of our polymer divas continually leading the way to excellence.

The entire Synergy 3 – Seeking Higher Ground was about striving for excellence, improving and growing. Becoming the best that you can be.

The piece I’m wearing I’m sad to admit was made at the last minute. I am challenging myself to continue with the design and improve it if I can.

I have a beautiful peacock  shawl given to me as a gift that I wanted to wear wear the night of the banquet. I worked on a couple of designs but wasn’t happy with them.

Even though I say it was a last minute thing, I did try out several ideas before moving on to the one I actually wore.

peacock prototypes

Here are the first three attempts at a pendant. The one on the far right was actually too literal and I wasn’t happy with that. The other two just weren’t coming together. Everything was just too constricted.
Peacock Feather - Alice Stroppel

I liked this one better, but wish I’d started on it weeks before I needed to wear it.

I decided to use my cane mapping technique and add a touch of metallic. It certainly matched my shawl better and I liked the flow. The bad part was not having a fabulous chain to hang it from, even though I wore it just the same. That seems to me to be one of my largest setbacks, making a piece and not thinking about the rest of the story.

It’s why I usually just do pendants and “slides”. I don’t have to think about the rest. I plan to give that part more thought in the future.

So this is my challenge…….plan, plan, plan and Make it Sing

Wish me luck and go spend some time on Kathleen’s webiste if you haven’t been there for awhile.

 

 

 

April 9th, 2013 | Tags: , , , , | Category: cane mapping, Necklace, pendant, Synergy3 | Leave a comment