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 was thrilled that my cane mapped fish slides were featured on Polymer Clay Daily last week. Thank you Cynthia! And I was so happy that all my swap buddies liked the little guys. But they couldn’t have liked the fish as much as I love each and every slide that I got to bring home with me. Thanks to all the swappers…..is that a word?
I would have posted this thank you sooner but I was without phone service and internet off and on. But oh what a wonderful time of just clay and friendship spent in a beautiful place.
I also spent two days after our retreat in Denver with Meisha Barbee. Meisha doesn’t have a website or blog but you can see her work on Polymer Clay Daily. We had the best time exploring galleries and museums and getting to know downtown Denver. It’s a beautiful city with lots of great places to eat and shop.
We visited Pismo Contemporary Art Glass Gallery where Meisha’s work is featured. It is an incredible gallery full of the most fabulous glass and jewelry, put it on your list if you’re going to Denver. We walked over to Show of Hands and what a wonderful shop it is, just my kind of funky, fun place with lots of interesting things to tempt you. Both places are so friendly and welcoming.
We also went to Boulder for a wonderful visit with Polymer clay artist Ann Kruglak and her husband Ivan in their gorgeous mountain home, thank you guys. Talk about view envy, what Ann gets to look at everyday out her windows is truly amazing.
Meisha and I made time to visit Marie Gibbons who is one of the featured artists on my other blog The Figurative Artbeat. I was so glad to get to see her studio and spend some time with her. I was delighted to be able to take pictures of her new work and add another piece of her fabulous swimmers from her Float series to my collection. I’ll be featuring Marie, her new work and the story of her swimmers in the next week or so on The Figurative Artbeat so check in often.
I’m back and full of inspiration and ideas that I can’t wait to get to. But first things first, I had to go to the grocery store first thing yesterday because…….. there was not one thing in the refrigerator, seriously! Then I decided to take just a small little nap and slept for hours so that today I am rested, excited and ready to get to work. The clay is calling me, I can hear it.
I have the best husband, he had such a wonderful surprise for me when I got home! I’ll share pictures tomorrow, think black and white checks. Thanks for checking in with me and to all those who signed up for my newsletter in the last couple of weeks, I’ll be sending one out in the next week or so.
I had the best time, but there is no place like home . (Clicking my ruby reds)
I’m clapping my hands…………the tile came yesterday and we laid it out on the counter top and on the shower floor. Now all we need it the tile man to come and do his job.
I’m going to replace the knobs on the drawer with black and white checked polymer clay maybe or flamingos or I don’t know what. I do know I’m going to smile every time I go in there.
PS please excuse the awful color on the bottom picture, just couldn’t get it right. But that’s kind of what happens to your eye when you walk into this PINK bathroom. But it really is more like the top photo. The tile and the flamingos are going to make it happier for me.
You might be wondering if you are in the right place. This happy girlfriend place has not gone over to the dark side, not in the least. This is the time of year to get out there are buy yourself a skull to use as a guide when you are building a foil base for your polymer clay heads.
I’m teaching a sculpting class after the first of the year and I have a very large skull I bought years ago that has the bones showing on one side and with the skin covering the bones on the other side. But it was not cheap, so for my class I’m suggesting that they buy an inexpensive plastic skull for my class and to have for future reference. This skull is about 4″ x 4″. Or you could go large and buy a scarier big one.
Next thing is to always be on the look out for anatomy books at garage sales or used book stores. I have some really fabulous books I’ve picked up along the way and they help me a great deal.
So if you want to try your hand at sculpting some day, get out there before the serious Halloween party animals and get yourself a plastic skull.
I’m still waiting for the black and white tile to be delivered for my pink flamingo bathroom…see the post below. While I’m waiting, I thought I’d show you my other project.
This is a cute little gate-leg table I found about 6 years ago at a thrift store. I think it’s probably from the 20s or 30s. It just screamed to be taken home and covered with polymer clay. Then poor little thing, it’s been sitting in the corner for all these years and just last week got a good coat of black paint on the legs.
So now I just have to design something for the top. I’m so torn between putting several of my girls on it and doing something serious. Okay I can hear you and I agree, why try to be serious now? Okay so help me here, tell me should I put lots of girls or make a new giant cane and add two large girlfriends? I can almost see it now can you?
Here’s the table closed. Isn’t it cute?
I made these flamingo tiles at my friend Janet King’s studio years ago when we had a pipe burst in my studio’s bathroom and we had to have the whole house re-plumbed. I won’t tell you how long ago….no…….don’t ask to me to…. please. I had never taken a shower down here anyway.
So, we are finally getting the floor of the shower repaired and the big hole in the tile filled in. You have to understand this house was built in the late 60’s and it is not your typical construction even for then. But these tiles are unique to say the least and we could never find replacements so I made the Flamingos.
I made Flamingos because……….the room is pink, I mean P.I.N.K. from floor to ceiling……..
See what I’m talking about? Seriously, who does this? So what else could I do but flamingos? I am way too old for Barbies.
Anyway, the exciting part is we are putting down black and white check on the floor of the shower and on the counter top. It is going to make me smile everyday. How fun is that? Plus I finally get rid of that really ugly counter top.
My husband actually said he is going to like it. What? Is this the same man from the year of the bathroom flood? My how time mellows, but more than that I guess he finally realizes I will never give up my studio and has embraced my weirdness.
I always say there is a reason for everything and maybe not doing the repair was to give him time to realize how cool I am. *G*
So if I’m missing for a while, I’m working on more flamingos for my pink bathroom. Plus I have another project I want to start soon too. I’ll show you that next.
The Polymer Arts Magazine is the vision of Publisher/Editor Sage Bray, and I can tell you from experience, hours of her of hard work. In my opinion it’s time well spent.
First, I was thrilled to see Sage is using the “flip” magazine as her first choice of digital delivery and that she is also offering The Polymer Arts in pdf form. The flip magazine form is sometimes hard to get use to, but oh so worth the effort. In the meantime having the pdf available is very helpful.
And this review will be praise for Sage and her team’s efforts to create an informative publication for “Profession and Aspiring Polymer Arts”!
I was delighted to see the article by Barbara McGuire, Fueled by Passion, The History of Polymer Clay. The beginning of polymer clay has been written about many times but Barbara’s view is unique because of her early involvement with the emerging industry product. It’s a look at the growth of polymer that shouldn’t be missed.
The magazine develops from there to include several articles titled Material Issues. These include techniques, not projects, which encourages all of us to use the process to create our own designs instead of making something exactly like the directions. There is also a beginning look at color which is always an issue when you first get your fingers on a package clay.
The New & Improved section takes a very useful look at some tools that people are always asking me about. The close inspection of these tools is helpful in many ways.
There are many inspirational stories from some very talented artists and a great advise on marketing your work in both the wholesale and retail markets.
Also in this issue are galleries of beautiful photographs of works to inspire us all. The galleries include artists Christine K. Harris and Janet Pitcher in the Mentor’s Galleries. Jill Kollmann, Els Van Haasen, and Erin Metcalf in the Emerging Artist Galleries.
On top of everything else, it’s wonderful to have the advertisers’ products just a click away…you just have to love technology no matter what.
I extend my congratulations to Sage and her team and my thanks for adding another source of inspiration and resources for all of us working in this exciting medium.
If you haven’t already ordered you copy of this exciting new magazine, it’s easy to do right now. You can order just one to test it out, or better yet show your support for this new venture by ordering a year subscription at The Polymer Arts Magazine.
P.S. If you just can’t cozy up to a digital magazine and want to have a real live print Magazine in you hands, you can order those too. That group at The Polymer Arts Magazine have covered all the bases.
I just have to tell you …. I love teaching …. and …….. I love teaching new caners. The smiles and looks on the faces of the ladies in my class this weekend at Beads F.O.B. in Sarasota just put me in a good mood for the next month at least.
Thanks to Karen at Beads F. O. B. for keeping all the paperwork straight and Marty for all her work and for letting me come join the fun. Looks like I’ll be going back to teach again soon so check back to see when you might be able to come join us.
We made so many canes and turned some of them into beads and some into pendants, I’m only showing the pendants here.
Joan was having a great time and already had plans for a volunteer project and began working on it before class was over.
 Marlene I heard this high little yell from Marlene and wondered what was wrong. It was all excitement at her table, she had just successfully reduced that little leaf cane and was tickled with herself. It reminded me of the first time I reduced a cane and all the possibilities that were running through my head.
 Marty Marty made earrings and enjoyed the whole creative process. She is one fun polymer clayer.
 Lois I looked up one time to see the biggest grin on Lois’ face. She had just made several successful canes in a great combo of colors and I could see the wheels turning behind those smiling bright eyes.
 Christine Christine said she couldn’t go to sleep the first night and couldn’t wait to get back to work on her canes on Sunday. Her enthusiasm shows in her work.
 Cathe Cathe’s work is big and bold. Her color combinations are bright and work so well together.
I’m so sorry that Marina had to leave early and I didn’t get a picture of her work.
(two days later, update) Marina sent me a picture of her work, I’m so happy to be able to include it. I just didn’t feel right for her pieces to be missing. Thanks Marina!
 Marina Montagut I love how everyone created their own colors and Marina loves to do mini piece. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with.
I also didn’t take a class picture. We ran over time, we were having so much fun, and people started to leave before I remembered the group photo. Thanks to all my student, I really appreciate how easy you made it to show you what I know, it was great fun.
Have you ever had that “slap your forehead” moment, you know the one, the one where you say to yourself “why didn’t I think of this sooner?”
Well that was me yesterday, here is the result……….girlfriend slides. And why not I ask you, why not slides to go with the bracelets or instead of a bracelet? I know pins are good too but I love the necklace idea.
Sorry I know it sounds bad to say you love something you just did, but hey…..I would not be playing with clay if I didn’t kind of love what I was doing right?
So I’m off now to list these plus a fish slide in my Etsy shop. Dancing girl la la la girlfriend queen da da la la \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
 More to come of these I’m telling you, just watch!
I’ve been spending some time developing a class for beginners, beginner caners that is. I know so many clayer that haven’t made a cane or weren’t very successful at caning and just gave up. I also know many people that are interested in learning more about polymer clay, but don’t know where to start.
Marty Montague and Karen Johnsnon from Beads, F.O.B. in Sarasota, FL attended my pen and ink class last month and saw some of my colorful beads and asked if I would teach a caning class in Sarasota. Polymer clay is the perfect compliment to beads of all kinds. Creating a focal bead from polymer and pairing it with other elements gives the beaded an even greater ownership of a piece. I’ll be truly excited to see what the beaders from Marty’s shop will create after this workshop
I’ll be teaching the two day workshop on Aug. 20th and 21st. Learn more in my class section, or download this pdf for all the information. To register for this workshop call Beads, F.O.B. at 941-921-0871.
These are a few of the samples I’ve been making from to basic Skinner blends that I will be teaching in this workshop. Each new caner will walk away with enough canes to make hundreds of different pieces and because it’s a two day workshop, there will be time to create lots of beads or pendants before we all go home.
Come on a join me, we’re going to have a blast.
Arlene Harrison from Harrison Hollow Designs left a comment asking what a slide was. Well my understanding was something that slides off and on a cord or wire. But later I began to think about the difference between a slide and a pendent with a bail. Or why isn’t the fish with the hole considered a bead? If I drilled the hole more in the center of the fish would it be a bead or does a bead have to have a design on all sides and be round?
What is the difference between my fish and the pendant I made for my class at Beads F.O.B. in Sarasota? I made the “bail” out of polymer clay for the class pendant and drilled a hole through the bail, with the fish I just drilled a hole straight through with no bail.
 But when I googled bail here’s what I found;
Bail A finding that connects a pendant to a necklace. They come in different forms: some clip onto the pendant, some have mounts to glue the pendant to, and some attach to a ring on the pendant. The purpose is to hold the pendant flat when worn.
So maybe the pendant above is really a slide just like the fish? I don’t know …….I’ll just have to ask Marty and Karen at Beads F.O.B.. But the good news is I can tell you how to make whatever they’re called.
 Once I’ve finished my mosaic fish I mount it on a piece of clay (double thickness of the widest pasta machine setting) and cut out with a exacto knife.
Then I poke a hole straight through the body of the piece and then insert small rivets that you can purchase in the scrapbook department.
I bake it and then remove the rivets and re-drill the hole with my Dremel tool then replace the rivets with a tiny bit of super glue. Make sure you don’t fill the hole with super glue. The rivets just finish the hole and neaten everything up.
Here are all my almost finished fishies, some are going to my Etsy shop. But I have to finish them by signing the back with my name and the date, so it will be later today.
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