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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Surprise, a second post in one day. I just wanted to share what I’ve done today at my clay table.
I’m still working on appleman and the concept. It’s a sweet little cabinet ( Doreen, I just need to figure out how to add a shelf or drawer) or box with a quick surprise inside and room to hold a special treasure or two.
I’ve added canes to the inside with my mosaic technique (modified) and baked him one more time. One of the things I want to work out is fewer baking sessions.
 This one will end up on my shelf and I’ll enjoy him for a very long time. I have ideas for more in my head and am looking forward to translating them into clay.
I worked on my apple man yesterday, cutting him apart and adding a hinge, a clasp and some little ball feet. Today I’ll finish the inside.
I need more experience with hinges and making a really good fit, but I’m excited about the possibilities. He’s just such a fun little box. Or do you call it a box if it opens from top to bottom? Would it be called a cabnet instead?
Pictures of the inside tomorrow I hope.
You might have to look twice at this apple, my husband did. He came into my studio and said, ” oh I thought you had an apple in your hands, oh it is an apple, oh it has a face! That’s cool.”
Now you have to understand that for years all I could get out of him was, “what were you thinking?”. But in the last few years his comments have gotten more complimentary and “that’s cool” is amazingly high on the list of compliments so far. Hehehe…..I’m wearing him down.
He loves that I love what I do, and he’s oh so supportive, but I’m not sure he has ever understood my crazy way of thinking. But that’s okay I don’t understand his obsession with cars either, so we’re kind of tied. I’ll take “that’s cool” and love it.
After the sculpting workshop I taught last weekend, I decided to play around with some ideas I’ve had in the back of my head for a long time. I started this apple man with the idea of making him an ornament like The Baker Man ornament I made when shooting my found objects video.
I can’t believe that was almost 2 1/2 years ago. It just proves that no idea is ever lost.
Well apple man quickly turned into something entirely different. He is a work in progress so you’ll have to come back to see him finished. I think this idea is pretty “that’s cool”, so keep your fingers crossed that my experiment works.
And once more, thank you Judith Skinner.
By the time our two day workshop was over, we were all totally into body parts. Feet and lips and noses and HANDS. The picture above is an indication of the fun we had, you can see it was a crazy time with a great group of talented friends. I think they all invited their muses to join us while some pretty impressive face and body parts came to life.
I love teaching, the ah ha moments that produce giant smiles and the looks on faces that say, “got it, I can do that”. It’s so satisfying to watch people step out of their comfort zone and realize how much talent they have.
Just look at these face and body parts that this class made. Everyone made their own sample parts so They’ll have them to look at when they’re ready to make their next character.
Seriously, everyone did a fabulous job and I’m so grateful to be able to share what I know. Thank you ladies.
Finally having time to work on my sculpting for my workshop next weekend. I’m going to leave it here and finish during class.
I want to start an old man next, wrinkles are fun to make if not to have……
It’s cold here. going to be 30 here tonght. We’ve been spoiled this winter, the weather has been in the upper 70s and 80s so I shouldn’t complain, but it’s too cold for me.
I’ve been cleaning up and cleaning out, my studio and my bedroom closet. It’s so hard to let things go, but once you do it is very liberating.
Good bye clothes that no longer fit me and even if I did ever lose enough weight to wear you again you would be so far out of style people would laugh anyway………. feels good.
But my art supplies, that’s a whole other story, those things will never go out of style right? Dry up and become unusable maybe, but hey, even the 70’s crafts are coming back aren’t they? Okay I know, some of it had to go, but I know I’ll be sorry someday when I need that pound of wool fiber for something……..
I’m working on more samples for my sculpting workshop. What’s on your clay table?
 I was making a Stroppel Cane with red, black and white cane scraps and ended up with a cane that looked like butterfly wings. I used a few slices to create the butterfly and then added other cane slices and made the slide above.
Then I finally got around to covering the knobs in my pink bathroom with black and white jelly rolls. They aren’t very complicated but with the black and white check countertop, I didn’t need anything very complicated. I still love my crazy bathroom.
I’m still creating samples for my scuplting class and having a great time.
I think I might “creep” some people out with this picture of the foot that I did for my sculpting workshop. But hey, we’re doing realistic sculpts in the workshop.
I’ve been racking my brain to figure out what I can make with just the foot without it really being creepy. Not sure I can. I’d like to incorporated it into a mixed media piece instread of just adding it to the collection of polymer clay hands that I made.
It’s not actually a collection, or at least didn’t start out that way. I made a giant mermaid and the first set of hands were too big and then the second set was too small, and one set was just right. (sounds like Goldilocks and the Three Bears). That set went on the mermaid and the other two sets are now “a collection”.
Oh and I forgot the hands I made for the almost life sized santa I have standing here waiting for me to dress him. Those hands are kind of part of the “collection”.
I know….I’m kind of strange, but I always, always, have fun.
 I woke up this morning to a surprise. Both of the pieces I entered into the International Polymer Clay Association’s 2012 Progress and Possibilities placed. I’m more than thrilled that both the judges and the membership enjoyed my work.
“Tracey”, my giant necklace above tied for 2nd place with Bettina Welker’s hinged bracelet, “Circles” and with my second entry, “Fantasy Fish Bowl” ( in the photo below). How wonderful is that? I’m laughing because I’m tied with myself.
“Tracey” also placed 1st with the members and “Fantasy Fish Bowl” was second. Really, first and second? I couldn’t believe it, still can’t. I am honored to have been able to compete with such wide array of talented polymer clay artists.
Thank you to the judges and all the members who voted for my pieces. And a big thank you to Suzanne Ivester who encouraged me to create something to enter. (Shamed me into it would be a better discription, lol)
The rest of this day…..well…..it’s going to continue to be pretty wonderful, I’m grinning from ear to ear.
Oh man I’m having a blast. I’ve been wanting to do my own mixed media sculpts and Charlene Ahlgreen has made me get moving towards that very thing. Okay, Charlene doesn’t realised that by asking me to share what I know about sculpting hands etc in a workshop that she was going to unlease this whole new direction for me. Thank you Charlene.
I’m not got to be teaching this exactly, just the sculpting part, but I don’t see any harm is a little side trip for me while I’m getting ready for the class. (see me grinning with a twinkle in my eye?)
I love color don’t you? I like beautiful soft color, sophisticated color, and understated color too, but somehow the bright exuberant colors just make me smile.
I’m still thinking I need to add more cane slices. Here’s where the question, “when do you know it’s time to stop?” comes in.
Should I title it “look up”, “heads up” or…..help me here, leave me a suggestion just for fun!
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