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]

Face Cane Saved

Red Headed Vase

Red Headed Vase

This is an old face cane that I made several years ago. One of my first with my newest method. I really liked her except the area around her eyes was a different color. Yikes. Really was bad.

I decided to separate the areas with glasses. And it worked. She is still way red, like she was out in the Florida sun. But I was happy and it was one more step on my way to better face canes.

You never know how one mistake, a plan gone wrong, an almost throw away cane can be Ta Da…..Saved!

Red Headed Girl

Red Headed Girl

I still have more cane left, I think I’ll work on some outrageous glasses for the next girl.

I should have added making crazy girls from face canes to my list for the last post!

Six Silly Things That Make Me Happy

Arlene Harrison from Harrison Hollow Designs has tagged me to list “Six Silly Things That Make Me Happy”. Thank you Arlene. I have so many things that make me smile, laugh and enjoy my life. But I’m not so sure how silly they are, I take happiness pretty seriously! Seriously I do!

1. Waiting for the fruit on my mango tree to ripen
2. Playing with clay
3. Working on my blogs
4. Watching it rain after months of drought
5. Having people visit my blog, watch a video, and leave a comment
6. Getting up in the morning to make coffee and looking out my kitchen window at the most glorious little lake

I’m tagging the following blogs. Take a minute and enjoy!
Ellen Morrow
NKdesigns
Art by Yonat
Marcia Palmer
The Color of Dreams
A Fanciful Twist

Polymer Clay Craft Gossip

The other day I received an email that said…psst..you’ve been gossiped about. I thought, What! are you kidding me?

Then I look closely and saw that it was from Julie Leir-Van Sickle from Polymer Clay Craft Gossip. I laughed out loud!

I was so pleased that she thought my video “How to Store Polymer Clay Canes” was interesting enough to feature in her blog. I’m a happy woman, thanks Julie.

Polymer Clay Skinner Blend Storage – Video

I was mixing colors yesterday and as I was storing them, I realized that there might be another couple of tips that I could pass on. Many of you already use part or all of the storage ideas that I’ll show you, but I know how much they have helped me be more productive and wanted to share. Let me know what you think, leave a comment. Tell me what you do to store your clay.

I do want to add my name to those who are grateful to Judith Skinner for sharing her brilliant blending method. What would we do without it?

How to Store Polymer Clay Canes – Video

I tried everything, from plastic bags to shoe boxes, but nothing ever worked as well as what I’m using now to store my canes.  I still am guilty of not cleaning up my work space as often as I should, but I’m soooo much neater than I used to be because of my storage system. I hope you can use what I’ve learned.

New Polymer Clay Cuff Bracelet Using Face Canes

I used canes from the video from 2 posts ago. Lots of fun and she’s going to my Etsy shop.

So I used the smallest cane I made from scraps on two pieces. I used the long thin cane as a hat base on both the pin and the bracelet. There is still enough for one more hat or blouse or who knows…..

Purple woman cuff bracelet

Funky Woman Pin

I made this crazy woman pin with slices of one of my face canes and pieces of my Skinner Blend canes and scrap canes. See the Video in the last post to see how I use even the scraps of my skinner blends to make canes.

Purple Woman Pin

I made two sets of canes for the video. I only used one set in the video, but I’m showing both here. I used some of each group to complete my lady pin.

purple canes group 2

purple canes group 1

Don’t Waste That Little Bit of Skinner Blend – A Video

Here’s my video showing how I use even the scraps of every skinner blend I make. This may not be anything new to those of you who are experienced clayers, but if it helps anyone figure out how to make canes instead of scrap clay, then I’ll be happy.

I’ve already used some of the canes on some projects and I’ll show those in the next post.

Oh, and a correction to the video. I called an old jelly roll cane that I used, a bulls eye cane. It really is a jelly roll.

Never Leave any Skinner Blend Behind!

I promised you a video showing how I use every last bit of my skinner blends to make canes. I made the video this week-end and uploaded it. Once it was uploaded, I got a message saying it was too long and couldn’t be excepted. Okay, I have to cut it some or making it two parts. Guess I’ll make it in two parts.

It has been raining every afternoon here, thank goodness, but I shut down and unplug my computer when it is thundering and  lightning. we have lost our phones a couple of times and I can’t afford to lose my MAC. So…it looks like rain again today. I hope to have it up soon. Stay tuned…

And thank you to all who have signed up for my newsletter. I hope you enjoyed the tutorial about covering a business card holder.