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.

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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.

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

  • Laura Lang

    This was a fabulous video. I loved it!! Sometimes I am overwhelmed by the volume of skinner blend created and haven’t the foggiest notion of what to do with it all, except for the intended purpose. I do, however, carefully wrap up the extra and sometimes store them as “plugs” as Donna Kato does, or sometimes as flats. Often times the extras are unused. Over time, I am a bit wiser in calculating how much skinner blend to make. Despite this, I loved your fabulous video. I am looking forward to your RSS feed!!

  • Alice

    Laura,
    Thank you!! for the encouraging words. Sharing these little bits of things I’ve learned is very satisfying when it helps someone. Thank you for taking the time to comment.

  • Illaya Brown

    Thank you Alice, great video on using all of that precious skinner blend. I just adore your face canes.
    What a creative mind you have and you most definitely have master the techniques. thanks for sharing. Illaya

  • Alice

    You are welcome Illaya, I’m happy to share. And thank you! for the compliment.

  • Another great video, but I have to ask, how do you clay with those lovely nails, I find I have to cut mine off or I make a mess of everything !

  • Alice

    I’m laughing….if you ever wanted to meet a person that spends less time on her nails than anybody else in the world, it’s me. My nails just grow and I have to cut them often. When I sculpt, I have to cut them way down, but for everything else they actually help to push the clay. I’m glad you liked the video, I’ll have something else this week I hope. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

  • Wow! I’m loving your videos. You’ve opened my eyes as I’ve been using all my ends as scrap! Thank you!

  • Alice

    I’m glad to know I’ve helped save more ends from the scrap pile….Janice, thanks for letting me know.

  • Hi Alice, while I am recovering from the craft fair, I am tremendously enjoying your videos. I cannot understand how people end up with heaps of scrap clay as I always look at my little cut offs and try to make something with that. This skinner blend video has been truly useful as I usually do make things with my left over skinner blends, but not in this way. This is just awesome. Thank you so much Alice !

  • Alice

    Cat, I know….after all the time spent on blending, I’ll find something to do with each little piece. I’m glad to share. Don’t forget to sign up for the free video on the Mosaic Fish. Just sign up for my newsletter on the upper right hand sign of the page. Congratulations on your new guild. My art league is the Highlands Art League, how funny that your guild is the Highland Polymer Clay Guild. Where are you anyway, couldn’t tell from your website or blog.

    Thanks for taking the time to let me know you like the videos. Feel free to link to them from your blog….

  • How do you keep your nails so nice working with clay? You have beautiful hands on the videos.

  • Alice

    Oh Bonnie, I’m laughing. I never had nails when I was younger, but now with all the vitamin C and Salt and b and fish oil, etc, etc. I have to keep them cut. Don’t do anything else but file now and then. Hope everything I take is helping the inside of me in the same way.

  • what an interesting video! I waste so much clay, these are really useful tips…

  • Alice

    Oh good Sofia, so glad it was helpful. I just can’t bear to throw that little bit away. Thanks for taking the time.

  • yees, I agree, it’s such a pity all that waste!

  • So very clever Alice, I was just rolling mine into one big roll…seemed such a waste, love the tut.. thanks for your effort !
    Tina

  • Alice

    Oh thank you Tina. I’m glad you liked it and will be saving those little bits from now on.

  • Isabel

    This is a great video. I have piles of ‘wasted’ clay that I usually just moosh up to make beads, but from now on I’ll be much more careful about re-using them. Thanks again!

  • Alice

    I know Isabel, that’s what I used to do. Now I make all sizes of canes from those little pieces too good to smoosh.

  • I love this video. You’re so clever (and frugal). But this means that you don’t have 37 pounds of taupe-colored clay like I do– Aren’t you jealous? Ha ha!

  • Alice

    I’m laughing Suzanne, thank you, but I have a miilion little canes that continue to take over more and more room. Leading to my developing my cane mapping method just to get rid of some of them…… Where as you have 37 pounds of base clay for all those large projects. Either way, it’s a sickness!!!!!!!

  • Isabel

    Hi Alice
    Thanks again for another great video! I’m like Suzanne – with big blobs of grey clay that I usually end up using to make moulds (or is it molds – I can NEVER figure out the correct spelling). I’ll definitely be reminding myself to ‘be like Alice’ (BLA?) and use every bit. I’ve made the same comments about your nails before, so I won’t do it again, but looking at mine and then at yours……sheesh!

  • Alice

    You’ll be surprized Isabel at the cool canes you’ll come up with. they may be small, but some projects only take a little bit. thanks for stopping in.

  • Melanie Bright

    Really enjoyed the video. I was looking for skinner blend ideas this afternoon. Found some right here. One thing I love about polymer clay-no waste.

  • Alice

    Good deal Melanie, so glad you like the video and found it useful. It’s better than sending those little pieces to the scrap pile. Thanks for letting me know. Alice

  • suzanne

    hi Alice
    one is leading to another. i as well as many others just scrapped my blends.
    now seeing your video, i know better. thanks so much. i just bought your face and leaves cane tutorials, and am learning soooo much new things from you! i’m so grateful i found you!!!
    thank you
    suzanne

  • Alice

    Suzanne…so glad you won’t be scrapping those skinner blend end pieces. i’m getting ready to record another mini tutorial using scrap cane slices…stay tuned!!!! The Stroppel Cane!

    ThanKs for for nice words of for taking time to leave a comment.

    Alice

  • Finally managed to open one of the videos! My computer has been blocking a lot. This is a great alternative to adding to my half ton of Natasha beads. One of these days, I’ll figure out what to do with them. Mini canes will be a great alternative. Thank you, Alice.

  • Alice

    Thank you Joyce glad you liked it. You’re right, no more MUD!

    Pat, yay, computer finally cooperating. Natasha beads are great, but I think there may be more versatility with these little canes.

  • Jet Booth

    Found this video so helpful. Thanks, Nancy.

  • Alice

    I’m so glad Nancy and thank you for taking the time to tell me.

  • Angie

    Another fabulous video! This appeals strongly to my sense of frugality, and to see how much you can stretch that one scrap is downright inspiring. It’s also very helpful as a total utter newbie to see your general technique for reducing canes — I *thought* that’s how it was done but it’s better to see it.

    I also appreciate the other little things that crop up here and there in your videos that I would never guess as a person new to PC; in this video it was your trimming of the end of the clay before you rolled it. Makes perfect sense but I never would have thought of it!

    I’ll watch one or two more before hitting the sack and I look forward to breaking open the clay. Your videos have given me so much more confidence! I only need to get a blade set and I’m good to go.

    Thank you for putting these here!

  • Alice

    Angie, thank you so much for taking the time to let me know that my videos have helped you. I use every bit of my scraps and I try to use them “before” they are mud. But I use the mud too, for cores of beads and other things that will be covered with “good” clay. Have fun.

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