Polymer Clay Canes for Beginners 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.
Online Workshops with Alice Stroppel
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I told you about my tin full of brass pieces in a post last week. Well in that tin were a bunch of brass channels. Naturally, I had some Stroppel Cane lying around so I thought I’d make something.
I filled the channels with the SC and then mounted them on a sheet of textured black clay and baked it. The pieces came off the black background easily, so I took them off and laid them back out in order, exactly as they were when baked.
I had to pop each SC out of the channel and glue it back in with super glue. Then I glued the channels back in place on the black background.
I haven’t finished the back yet. I think it would make an outstanding pin, but I have more pins than I will ever wear, and I like it. So I might frame it in a small frame. Yeah, I might do just that.
Here’s a fun project I did a couple of weeks ago. I had to do a whole bunch of something for a trade and that led me to this fairy dress. Another one of my off the track wanderings. Can’t show my “whole bunch” yet, have to wait, if I can.
It’s another example of a slide using my contouring technique.
I must be in a creative mood, I can’t seem to stop myself. You’re going to laugh at this one.
I ordered some Buna cord and some o-rings but when the order came in, I had o-rings that were 1 – 3/4 inches in diameter. What? Oh good grief.
Now months later I started playing around with adding things to a pin to make things more interesting and used buna cord to support a slice of cane. Experiment! I baked it and nothing appeared to happen to it. so ……ahhhhhhh I thought .
I dug out my mis-ordered o-rings and began to play around. What about different sizes? hmmmm. My husband has a whole little box full of different sizes. (Don’t tell. *G*)
Man, this would be perfect. Fill the circles with clay, bake and tada. Well the o-rings didn’t shrink, but the clay did. I knew that!
So I glued the clay in the o-rings.
Now how to string it. I put everything together and baked it. Uh Oh, the Buna cord DID shrink, not in length, but in diameter. Darn! Okay, make the pieces separately, bake the clay, drill holes, glue and there you go.
I like it!
I have been inspired from several sources, but that’s nothing new, the difference is this time I decided to act right away and now send it to my “someday” list. Besides, I’m in a experimental mood.
When I received my beautiful set of Shisha bracelets made by talented women of Samunnat Nepal ( you should order a set  I loved the way they looked. The pattern was tiny and it just laid gently around the face of the bracelet.
Then yesterday on Ornamental Elements, Laurie Prophater posted about Joseph Gatto and his topographic “Environmental” bracelets. The design featured had lots of wonderful color just around the edge. Of course I was making a Stroppel Cane from scraps from the project I was working on. It’s in the oven now, show you tomorrow. And even though it’s a bit different than what I had envisioned, I really enjoyed myself. I also have Laurie to thank for getting me started on this type of bracelet month ago.
The core is made with Ultralight, I’ve been experimenting with it a lot lately. And naturally I couldn’t leave the inside alone.
Over the last year I’ve been making bracelets with sculpted, contoured edges. I still have something like that in mind for these but for now I am happy with this one. Plus it’s the first time I used Ultralight as the core and it really worked out well.
The colors on this one remind me of a 1940 quilt or at least fabric from that time. No I wasn’t around then……but I’ve seen pictures.
I have this whole tin full of little brass rod parts and decided to incorporated them into a pin design. Some Stroppel Canes made with scraps from the spirals…….I like the results. I think want to play with this idea some more.
This is a side view showing the dimension of the piece. In the middle of construction I decide to see if the Buna a cord would melt in the oven and if it might be something I want to use in construction in the future.
It didn’t melt and you can see it on the right. This is a mixed media piece for sure.
I thought my experimental necklace needed some thing to add even more dimension and interest so I add the aluminum coil. Then I added matching beads but I’m thinking they may not be necessary and will probably leave them off.
I’ve added some of what I call my dot – dot – dot cane around the edge. This picture shows you just how dimensional this piece has become.
I truly am having fun moving in this direction. More ‘spirments on the way.
Look what came in the mail yesterday! This beautiful set of Shisha bracelets made by talented women of Samunnat Nepal.
I’ve been following the women of Samunnat Nepal ever since Cynthia Tinapple said she was going to visit the women there to share her polymer patterns.
I found out about Cynthia’s trip at a retreat we were both attending. We had a slide exchange and her slide was made from the polymer patterned “cloth” she was planning on teaching the women of Samunnat Nepal.
You can see they go together so well. What you can’t see is the reflection from the tiny little mirrors embedded in the pattern.
I wanted these bracelets because they go with Cynthia’s slide and I watched as she worked on one of the pattern sheets. And because it all means something to me, as Maureen Carlson always reminds me, everything has a story. So these pieces have a story with a beginning and a middle with the ending nowhere in site. The women of Samunnat Nepal are writing the rest of their story.
The main reason I wanted to own this bracelet set is because all the proceeds go back to the women and I wanted to support their efforts. You can read more about these beautiful women on A Colourful Journey website. It is the website “for Nepali women who have survived domestic violence and are developing ways to generate an income for themselves and their families. These women are affiliated with the non-religious, non-profit, non-political Samunnat Nepal project.”
Sometimes we polymer clay artists think that because we make polymer clay jewelry, we don’t want to buy others polymer clay jewelry, but I would encourage you to think about lending your support to these ladies and empowering their escape from violence. You won’t be sorry for a second, these bracelets will make you smile from the minute you open the package. And every time you look at them you will know you helped in a small way.
You can own your very own Shisha Bracelet, just visit Samunnat Shop on Etsy. Tell ’em Alice sent you. If nothing else, mark their shop as a favorite so your circle can get a chance to take a look.
Oh and by the way, they have other wonderful pieces of jewelry and are adding more all the time.
My hat is off to all those involved in bringing this project to life. Wendy Moore, Cynthia Tinapple, Wendy Basnet, Genevieve Williamson and the women of Samunnat Nepal. A big thank you to you all.
The post office was a happy place for me this week. Three packages arrived with Stroppel Cane treasures inside. Two I’ll share with you now and another amazing prize I’ll share with you tomorrow.
The first package was from Peg Gerard, a Massachusetts polymer clay artist that has used my Stroppel Cane technique to create some wonderful designs. Several caught my eye, especially the pendant above, I loved the bold black and white spiral cane slices that she added to her Stroppel Cane, they make such a statement.
I’m delight Peg decided to trade with me. I sent her a Stroppel sweater girl and I’m now the proud owner of this striking piece. I’m sorry to say I didn’t take a picture of this sweater girl, Peg, if you read this and want to send me a picture I’ll add it here.
You can see more of Peg’s work on her website Polymer Peg’s Clay Jewelry and on her Flickr site, Polymer Peg’s . You can find her work for sale at the galleries listed on her blog. I first saw Peg’s work in 400 Polymer Clay Designs and have been a fan ever since.
Thank you so much Peg.
Then I was thrilled again to receive this fabulous Love NY skyline from Anne Marie Rodellar or amerena as she is known on the web. I was happy to send her this Stroppel sweater girl in exchange.
Anne Marie is from France and had recently visited New York and when she got back home, produced a line of abstract New York skylines using a Stroppel Cane for the building and sometimes the taxi cabs. I’m headed to New York next month for my nephew’s wedding and am going to take it along with me, perfect.
You can see more of amarena’s work on her blog, amerenabijoux her Flickr site, amarenabijoux’s photo stream or better yet, you can purchase a New York slide for yourself on her Dawanda site.
Thank you Anne Marie.
On a side note, I am staying in the Dumbo area of Brooklyn. Dumbo….”Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass”. It’s one of New York City’s premier arts districts full of both non-profit and for profit art galleries. And..Etsy is around the block ….literally.
This trip piggy backs on a trip I’m taking to Colorado to meet with a couple of my favorite polymer clay artists. We plan on a couple of days of clay and a couple of days of galleries and museums and fabulous eateries. I’m going to be so full of inspiration when I get back, just watch out!
I’m making this neck piece using my new method. It’s bright, I know. but it’s me.
It is lumpy and bumpy, with highs and lows. Very interesting.
It’s relatively light because Ultralight is involved, but we’ll see how it feels when I wear it. More work to do…..see you next time.
Just a quick post about my experiment. I’m kind of liking the one in the middle and maybe the one on the right. The one on the left is a going to the “yeah right” jar.
They look different in person, they are so dimensional and you can’t see it here. They are truly some of the funkiest beads I’ve ever made.
Still working on them and other applications for the technique. Not giving up yet.
Now on to what I’ve really been doing…twice a day ……everyday for the last two weeks (and it will continue for another two).
MANGOS…..lots and lots of mangos. I know they have nothing to do with polymer clay, maybe this could be the “etc.” part. They are keeping me for my clay, so they do play a role, kind of, sort of.
This is just from this morning. I’ll have this many or more this afternoon. I have to be quick or the squirrels beat me to them and they pick the best ones to take only a bite or two.
I’m pealing, dicing, and freezing bag after bag. I put a perfect size of one cup in every bag. After about the 300th bag I start to lose my enthusiasm for it all. But I soldier on knowing that in December I’ll be soooooo happy to open the freezer and see all those bags of mangos.
Plus, the margaritas and smoothies you can make with these frozen mangos are to die for.
This freezer is full, I have to move these downstairs……….see you guys later.
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