27 videos, step by step, beginner cane workshop
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.
I’ve been playing around with this technique and I’d like to share with you. The picture above is the bracelet from yesterday’s post. I’ve fixed her face.
The picture below is my daddy’s prototype for a hair color box. I didn’t realize until this morning that I was copying my father. It’s signed on the bottom of the box, E. Lamar Simpson, 1950, the year I was born.
E. Lamar Simpson. 1950 prototype Hair coloring box
It sits on one of my book shelves in my studio. I love it when it draws my attention like it did this morning. People always ask an artist where they get their inspiration. I’d have to say, everything I have ever seen. I think it is all stored and show itself when you are ready.
My Dad did a weekly cartoon for our local paper and I’d spend time watching him as he drew.
I wasn’t thinking of this box when I drew my girls. I wasn’t looking at it, but the technique is amazingly the same.
I began covering my bracelet with black clay. I layered the black with three rectangles of white equal distances apart. On the first bracelet I made, ( Can You Guess?) that was all I did. This one I added pieces of my zentangle canes.
Next step is to bake them. When they were completely cooled, I drew on the white clay. I used a black Micron Pigma pen. Size 01. For the lips I used red.
I always use this pen to sign my work and heat set it with a heat gun, being careful not to burn the clay. There was too much surface to cover with the heat gun (or maybe the truth is I just don’t have the patience) and when I wore it for a test run, the girl in the picture above had her lips smear. I sanded the bottom half of her face and redrew it with the pen.
This time I preheated the oven and put it back in for 5 or 6 minutes. That should take care of heat setting it evenly.
However, I would suggest, if you are happy with a part of a drawing, go ahead and heat set it with your heat gun. If you don’t, you run the risk of smearing it as you move on the the next section.
That’s it. It you use this technique, I’d love to see what you come up with. Leave me link in the comments.
I’m posting this bracelet again today and pictures of the bracelet side because I had a problem and figured out how to fix it and wanted to share with you.
Before
The center of the two heart shapes are made with a translucent clay mix. Sometimes a translucent clay will darken during curing. Sometimes it doesn’t. Go figure.
This time both centers darkened. and when I took pictures to put in my Etsy store, I could really see how bad they looked. There were little burn spots in the translucent centers, I guess they are burn spots. But whatever they are, they weren’t nice.
I didn’t want to sell this bracelet that way, but I also didn’t want to trash it either. The rest of the bracelet was just fine.
Redheaded Bracelet side
I used my Micron Pigma pen, 01 nib, to make a grid on the hearts. I’ve used the pens for years on everything from wood to cloth. I’ve been signing my claywork with them for a long time now.
If you have been reading my posts, you’ll know I’ve been playing around with Zentangles, so I thought to use one of the patterns here.
I think it added another element to the design, it saved my bracelet and gave me a bunch of ideas for new things.
I must finish things I’ve started before starting another project based on another new idea.
I must finish things I’ve started before starting another project based on another new idea.
I must finish things I’ve started before starting another project based on another new idea.
I must finish things I’ve started before starting another project based on another new idea.
I feel like I should have a blackboard and write this 100 times.
As promised, Dora from Dora’s Explorations posted a tutorial for her canes that make up her Zentangle picture shown above. We have both been having fun with the Zentangle canes. I love what she’s done. View her tutorial here.
Here’s yet another cuff bracelet I made with my zentangle canes today.
The Girl and Zen
The Girl and Zen from the side
And here’s another Redheaded girl with a bright green background.
Redhead Polymer Clay Cuff Bracelet
I know you don’t believe me, but I am almost finished with my profile face cane tutorial. It should be ready sometime next week. It’s going to be in pdf form as well as a full video showing you step by step how to construct a profile face cane. It will be available on my Etsy site. If you are signed up for my newsletter, you will know as soon as I have it ready. If not, stop back often or sign up for the RSS feed.
Tina Holden’s just posted this tutorial on how to make bezels with polymer clay. Take a look at these easy to understand instructions on her blog, Polymer Clay Bytes
I was loading my baking pan the other day and thought that there may be some fairly new clayers out there that might be helped by seeing how I bake my clay. The following video involves a standard oven and a toaster oven. I have never baked my clay in a convection oven, but I know many clayers do. If you want information about convection ovens, you’ll have to do a search. Don’t worry there is lots of information out there.
In the film I mention several colors of clay that tend to burn and what I do to prevent that happening. I failed to mention translucent clay, so mentally add that to the list while you are watching.
Just to remind you, don’t forget to use your timer, you do not, seriously do not, want to burn the clay. Trust me, I know from experience. Don’t forget to use a tile, it helps to distribute the heat.
I used the same canes to create this bracelet that I used on my mermaid in the last post. And again, I layered the cane slices instead of butting them side by side as in the video. However, I did draw a pattern and built the fish first before putting it on the bracelet.
Laying Out The Design
You can just see the pattern between the two fish. I’m fitting the fish on a piece of glass. To see my video that explains how to use a pattern and a piece of glass, just sign up for my newsletter. It’s free.
Bracelet Covered With Black Polymer Clay
I covered a bracelet with black clay, then laid my fish on top. I made sure everything was securely down and baked it.
Side View of Fish Bracelet
Notice the tail on this fish, there is another slice of this cane on the other side. In fact, these are the last two slices of the cane. In the last post I told you that this cane was made from left overs and I was only able to get 6 slices out of it. Four I used for my mermaid’s hat and these two for fish tails. I didn’t waste that little bit of Skinner Blend.
Lately, I’ve been following Dora’s Explorations Blog and her polymer clay cane experiments. She seems to enjoy the complicated canes and I understand the challenge.
Her plaid canes are fabulous and there are many more just waiting for you give them a try. She is generous to share these tutorials on her website.
If you want to challenge yourself, take a look at her newest cane tutorial, “Joy of Hex“. It free and the pattern possibilities are endless. Thanks Dora for sharing your talent with us.
Boy have I had fun the last few days. Filming the video on found objects and polymer clay really got me excited about all the projects that I have promised myself I was going to do when I wasn’t working anymore. So watch out..I might be on a roll. I say might because I always have great intentions.
I could have made this video an hour longer, I had that many found objects that I could have shared with you, but I figured you would thank me if I kept it at 15 minutes.
The photo above is just one of the projects that I used some of my found objects on. Kitchen items from my husband’s grandmother and a necklace from a garage sale. I love using items that have meaning to members of my family. He is going to hang on the Christmas tree and once a year we will be reminded of grandma and the fabulous things she use to make for the holidays. Easter pie was a favorite, even for Christmas.
Embellished Book
This photo is of an old flea market book and one of the pieces I made in this video. Old watch part from my dad, who is no longer with us, fabulous magnifying spectacles that belong to a long ago relative. A great coffee table book. Enjoy the video!
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