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 had to share this trade with you. Julie and I met for the first time a couple of months ago and we decided to trade our creations.
This pendant is an amazing piece of art. Not only did Julie make this incredible face cane she constructed the kaleidoscope canes she’s used for the frame. I’m thrilled to have this wonderful piece but also to have gotten to know Julie and see her work on this piece. You can see more of Julie’s work on her blog Julie Eakes. Her most recent cane is a beautiful portrait of her grandmother.
This is my part of the trade, the picture shows all side of the bracelet. Once again I think I got the better part of the trade. Thank you Julie
Stroppel Cane Pendant - Alice Stroppel/Meisha Barbee
The Stroppel cane continues to be experimented with by polymer clay enthusiast around the globe and I couldn’t be more delighted. It’s so exciting and a little bit unreal.
I’ve been trying to pin, on my Pinterest site, each new picture of the cane or a finished piece when I found one. But I’ve given up trying to get them all, there are way too many. I’ll still pin all the items I find or if you don’t have a Flickr account and want to send them to me, I’ll post them. alice@polymerclayetc.com
Cara Jane Hayman
Cara Jane Hayman came up with the idea of creating a flickr group for The Stroppel Cane. Thanks Cara Jane for setting it up. This Flickr group should be fun and allow us all to take a peep at what others are making and the color palettes they used for their old canes. That has been as much fun for me as seeing everyone’s finished products.
The Stroppel Cane has already begun to morph and take on a life of it’s own as we saw in my last post featuring Orly Rabinowitz’s verion of the technique. So tracking it’s life from the beginning could be very interesting.
So go join the Flickr group and upload the picture of your Stroppel Cane projects. Thank you all very much for all wonderful things you’ve made, it’s been a fabulous couple of weeks.
I have something amazing to share with you today and I bet you that there will be as many items made from this twist on the Stroppel cane as there are from my original. We probably need to call it the Stroppel/Rabinowitz cane.
When I saw these buttons, I was amazed. Aren’t they remarkable? My flickr friend and oh so talented polymer clay artist Orly Rabinowitz made the incredible buttons above with the Stroppel cane but with a slight difference. She wasn’t able to watch the video (before I moved it to Youtube) and she……….well it will just be easier to share the note she sent me.
Dear Alice,
For some time I wanted to make the Stroppel cane, but since I couldn’t watch the video for some reason, I didn’t.
Anyhow, yesterday I tried it, based on how I thought it is done. At the beginning I cut my canes lengthwise, only as I continued I understood I supposed to put sliced…
The result, however, was stunning, at least to my eyes… like a piece of fabric.
I then went back to your blog and managed to watch the video. The second cane I made was according to the original directions (although my leftover canes and slices are in such a mess…).
I wanted to thank you, the technique is as simple as it is fun and useful.
Watching the final result is like meeting with an old friend, as you can recognize your old loveable canes between the lines…
For now I made only a few magnets and buttons. I’m not sure I can cover vessels with it, time will tell.
I upload some photos on my flikr page, you’re welcome to visit!
Thanks again,
Orly
I agree 100%, these are stunning, really wonderful I think. Thanks you Orly for sharing.
So you see what happens when you just create what you feel and not follow someone else’s exact instructions? Below are the buttons she made after she watched the video. It really love these too, Orly’s colors and canes are always so vibrant and lively. But I am delighted by the “accidental” canes made by slicing her old canes a different way.
I can wait to see what comes out of this new look of old cane, it’s so exciting to have one person expand a techinque, it’s like watching babies grow up, a joyous process.
Orly is my sister face cane maker from another part of the world, and we never would have known about each other if not for the wonderful world of the internet.
If you haven’t seen her girls, go see the rest of Orly’s fabulous work on her Flickr site. Or order some of her work from her Etsy Shop.
I was working on several things this weekend, more girlfriend slides in my Etsy shop and several of my new bracelets.
Two of the new bracelets were for the International Polymer Clay Associations competition Progress and Possibilities. I have never entered any competitions with my clay work except in a monthly Viola polymeristas once or twice. I hadn’t planned on sending anything to this competition until my friend Suzanne Ivester asked me why not. I told her , “I don’t know, I don’t know what I would send? She kind of wagged her email finger at me and made me think it was time to see if I could come up with a design.
I’ve been working hard to make my work as professional as I can, as smoothly finished and well made as possible. Now it’s time to take the next step and start pushing those other buttons like others approval, how will it measure up, and just plain ol’ fright.
Yep fright! You might think that is totally crazy coming from someone who blogs all the time, exposes my work to thousands of readers everyday, makes videos of my techniques and shows myself in these videos from time to time!
But it’s true, asking someone else to judge your work is totally different than just sharing it with those who want to take a look or actually buy something you’ve made.
But I don’t think I’m alone in feeling this way, so I’m going to pass on my challenge from Suzanne to you, make something and enter it in Progress and Possibilities 2011. There are three categories – Art Jewelry, Functional Objects and Sculptural Objects with three levels of expertise – Beginners, Intermediate and Professional. So you see, even if you are a beginner there is a place for you. If you are Intermediate like me, then I double dog dare you. If you’re professional…..well enough said.
I double dog dare you!
In the meantime, I’m still sending girlfriends to Etsy. I’ll show pictures of my new bracelets another day.
I couldn’t let everyone else have all the fun with the Stroppel cane. Can you tell I love lime green? And I think the black and white check sets it off.
Listed in my Etsy shop. I made my own bail on this one.
Oh and just so you know, it is an absolutely gorgeous, spectacular day here in sunny FL. I think this afternoon I need to get outside for a bit. Sitting down by the lake sounds a bit like heaven. Now if I can just tear myself away from this creating mood I’m in……….
I’ve just posted this new girlfriend bracelet in my Etsy Shop. She’s the third one I made and I can tell you the truth, I’m having a blast. Each bracelet uses a bunch of clay and canes, but it’s worth it in the end because these bracelet just make everyone smile.
On another note………
I want you know that I continue to be amazed at all the incredible polymer pieces that are being created by artists around the world using the Stroppel cane. From France to Romania the Stroppel cane has taken many shapes and been including in many designs. I’ve have been gathering each one as they come to my attention and “pinning” them to my Pinterest page.
If you make something using a Stroppel cane, please let me know and I’ll added it to my Pinterest board.
If you want to watch the video it’s just to the right at the top of this page.
When Randee Ketzel sent me two of her Stroppel cane bracelets, well I was blown away by her thoughtfulness. I will always treasure them. I wanted to send Randee something in return so I decided to make a girlfriend wearing something well…..Stroppel! If you want to see her in her Stroppel cane sweater, she’s on Randee’s flickr site.
I sat down to make more girlfriend slides and thought why not do a series of Stroppel Sweater Girls. So now I’m just laughing and making sweater girls. I figured you can wear one or two or even three. You could collect as many as your neck will hold. lol… Okay now I’m just being silly.
Both of these girls are for sale in my Etsy shop and there will be more to come. Thanks Randee for the inspiration.
I know, you tried to click on the video above and watch it right now, but it’s just a screen shot of the video featured on Cynthia Tinapple’s new premium weekly newsletter StudioMojo.
Once again I was surprised when I checked my email on Saturday and saw that this weeks copy of StudioMojo was titled The Stroppel Phenomenon! The cane certainly has been a phenomenon that is hard to explain. I’m overjoyed that this simple idea has made so many people so happy and given new life to many a sad cane and all those slices that have been hidden away from the world……..
Needless to say, I’m thrilled to be featured this week in StudioMojo, but I wanted to let you know about this newsletter with it’s interesting close up look at the polymer clay world from artists to the latest products.
Last month I became a subscriber to StudioMojo and have truly enjoyed it. The artist’s interviews include some of my favorite people and there’s more to come each week. The newsletter centers around “sparking your creativity.” It certainly has done that for me.
Bracelets by Randee M Ketzel - Owner Alice Stroppel
Look what came in the mail today!!!!! These beautiful crazy wonderful bracelet from Randee M. Ketzel and they are actually mine now!
Seriously, where else but in the polymer clay community would you find such generosity? Randee M. Ketzel better known as RMKDesign was one of the first to try the Stroppel cane. Her efforts were nothing short of extremely cool!!!!
I commented on the photos on her Flickr site and she said this to me, “Alice, I love this!! So fun to do–and finally I’m not feeling guilty about all my failed canes anymore–you’ve given them purpose. If I can ever return the favor, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
Weeeelllll I said, “uhmmmmm let’s see…..I should ask for everyone’s first born creation from their first SC….yeah that’s it. Just think what a collection I could have, man……. the vision. lol”
She asked for my address and I said, “oh no I couldn’t” as I sent it to her. And today, in the mail, two babies came to live at my house.
They are beautiful and funky and very cool. They are some of the very first pieces made after I posted my video. Thank you Randee, I’ll treasure these forever. Plus…..I’ll wear the heck out of them along with telling the story. I always say the story is as important as the rest.
Randee, I can’t tell you how happy these made me. Thank you again.
The very first person to send me a picture of her Stroppel cane was Melanie Bright, so her cane is the first one in this post. Actually her’s will be the only one talked about individually in this post.
This was funny, Melanie’s email had jadejeweler in it and I wrote back calling her Jade. When I realized my mistake, I wrote her back to say I was sorry and then I just decide I’d call her Jadegirl. We both had a laugh. Thank you Jadegirl for being the first to share your cane, I love the bright pink pops.
I have been trying to keep up with all the pictures around the internet and the world, (I’m grinning here) and I was going to post each one because I need to say thank you in a big way.
But I don’t want to leave anyone out or put anyone first, so I’ll just give you a link to my Pinterest site where I have been gathering as many as I come across. Thanks to Cara Jane fro the UK for the idea to use Pinterst to gather them together.
If you have posted a picture of your Stroppel cane (if you’ve try it that is) send me an email with the address and I’ll pin it.
Here’s a preview of what’s there, but once you get to Pinterest if you click on each picture it will take you to that person’s website or Flickr site.
A great BIG thank you to each and everyone of you, it’s been such an incredible experience.
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