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.
Leila Bidler from Polymer Clay Italia hosted an international inchies swap and these are the inchies I sent in to trade. Queen of Hearts, lots of them.
It was a Valentine’s Day Swap and we had to make our inchies with a Valentine flair. So these crazy Queen of Hearts were my contribution.
Leila said that my return set of 20 inchies have been mailed, so I’m waiting as calmly as I can. It took almost a month for my queens to reach Leleila, in fact I was getting worried that they had decided to tour the world on their way to Italy. I hope it doesn’t take that long for her package to reach me.
For those of you who haven’t ever heard of inchies, it’s like ATCs (artist trading card) business size cards that are traded between artists and rarely ever sold. Inchies are the clay and mosaic artists version, altho there have been many ACT made from clay.
Inchies are 1″ x 1″ little works of art. I sent in 20 inchies and I will get 20 different one back from artists around the world. A swap takes a willing hostess to have everything shipped to them and then they have to sort and sent all the packages back out again. It takes a lot of work and I send my thanks to Leleila for giving me the opportunity to be in touch with so many others that love polymer clay.
I’ve been away from my computer and my blog for over two weeks and it feels like forever. My very good friend from high school, Sharon Downing came to visit me and I drove home with her to Cleveland, Ga. We had a wonderful time catching up and enjoying each others company, a perfect trip. thanks Sharon for everything.
Then it was on to Buford, GA and the Woman Creative – Art & Jewelry Design Center.
Woman Creative
Woman Creative is an engagingly ambient arts center hosting 5 artist studios, a gallery, an exhibit and two classrooms. Studio artists and resident faculty include Barbara McGuire, Ellen Prophater, Jan Stevens and Patricia DiBona. Sue Sutherland is the facility manager and houses Filigree & More! in her studio. Each of these women brings unique skills to the center and product lines with supplies relevant to their craft. The women are experts in their respective fields of polymer, metal clay, jewelry design, photography, wire wrapping, digital design and altered arts.
Sue Sutherland, Patricia Dibona, Jan Stephens, Barbara McGuire, Ellen Prophater
The Gallery at Woman Creative features artwork and contemporary art jewelry from the residents as well as celebrity and nationally renowned artisans. Adjacent to the gallery is an exhibit presenting outstanding work in polymer clay, past and present. This study collection, titled “Polymer, From the Beginning”, represents the contributions of notable polymer artists to this art medium over the past 30 years. As the popularity of polymer is beginning to go ‘viral’, Ellen and Barbara encourage everyone to come and discover what polymer and art jewelry are all about.
Barbara and I have become friends over the last year and she invited me to come spend some time with her and get to know the other ladies, the gallery and take some pictures and video to share.
Patricia teaching class
Two comfortable and fully stocked classroom areas encourage students to ‘stay and play’ during facilitated hours. The goal of the Woman Creative faculty is to offer quality design instruction coupled with technical skills, delivered in a hospitable and creative environment. Classes cover all areas of progressive art media, including polymer, wire, cold connections, paper, kiln glass, metal clay, oil, acrylic, encaustic, fiber and altered arts. For those wishing to market their art the center offers classes in digital photography, internet marketing and product development. A growing roster of celebrity guest instructors will be offering classes in cold connections, fiber art, metal clay and polymer. In addition to classes, the center will host various fundraising events in support of the arts and select causes.
I had a wonderful time and only have one regret, I won’t be able to make it back up there for the Polymer Premier Exhibit. The official exhibit opening “Polymer, From the Beginning”, will be held Friday and Saturday April 8-9 and follow with class presentations on Sunday April 10.
But I’m thrilled to have been asked by Ellen Prophater, the Gallery Manager to add some of my work to the mix. So, I send a special thank you to Barbara, Ellen, Sue, Patricia and Jan for making me feel so welcome in their fabulous new space.
This is a short little interview with Barbara, but stay tuned, there will be more to come.
To learn more about Woman Creative and for information about classes and gallery events visit Woman Creative website.
This is the second of two bracelets I made as samples for a client. She chose the first bracelet and so this one I’m going to keep for myself.
This is another bracelet made with the technique used in my new Pen and Ink tutorial. You can look to the upper left hand side of this page for a link to purchase it or click here.
I had a clothing designer contact me last week about doing a bracelet for her runway show in April. She makes fun repurposed clothing, really cool stuff that’s bright and colorful. She has an Alice in Wonderland theme on some of her clothes and we got to talking about very large buttons too.
So I made her the bracelet above, well actually I made two and she liked them both, but said she had something more colorful in mind.
So I colored it again and added some colorful dots and flowers and things and she really liked it. Me too actually, it’s hard to choose I like them both, but for her designs the colorful one works best.
Then I finished up several buttons for her to choose from and sent her these 3″ round ones for a hoodie jacket she’s doing. She promises to send pictures.
These remind me of Tim Burton’s Alice, so colorful and fun. Loved that movie.
I took this picture before I drilled the holes. You can see her work in her Etsy Shop. It was great fun and I’m going to do more pen and ink on polymer really soon. I have some crazy ideas running around in my head…..kind of like the Mad Hatter. *g*.
These buttons and bracelet were done using the techniques in my newest video for sale – Pen and Ink on Polymer Clay. It’s fun and easy to do any design you want to. You don’t have to be able to draw pictures, you can begin with abstract graphic designs and really make some colorful pins or bracelets or maybe a great wall hanging. You can look to the upper left hand side of this page for a link to purchase it or click here.
Thanks to everyone that stops by and specially to those who take the time to comment, I know how time consuming it is sometimes. Alice
Sherry Edwards Romford from Sherry’s Simple Blog left a comment on my winners page to let me know I’d won one of my favorite choices of giveaways, Clarinda! You know me, I’m crazy about faces and I just love this face. She looks like my sister Sheryl.
Clarinda was part of a color challenge that Sherry was in, can you guess the color. lol She does lots of cool crafts, so check out her site.
Sherry is from Greater London, United Kingdom! So Nice to meet you Sherry, and thank you so much.
Photoshop Class
Then I got an email from Rebecca E. Parsons saying I’d won an online photoshop course. Well, I’m thrilled. I use photoshop everyday, but don’t do half the things with it that I want too, so this is perfect.
I’ll let you know how wonderful the course is, or actually, you’ll probably hear about it right here on the blog as I go along.
Thank you Rececca, I’m looking forward to the course and I’m delighted to meet you.
Orange Lavender Stuffed Love Bird
And then…just when I thought I was lucky enough to have one two fabulous prizes, I got an email this morning says that I’d won another wonderful piece from Kim de Broin Mailhot from The Queen of Arts, love that name. Kim said she emailed me earlier on the 18th, but somehow the email got lost in space….so I’m happy she tried again.
Kim is “a Montreal-born, New Hampshire-living mixed media artist celebrating a creative life.” You should check out her work, you’ll love it.
This cool bird is filled with Lavender, I love that. Thanks Kim, glad to meet you.
So that’s it for One World One Heart fifth and final event, thank you so much Lisa Swifka, you have done a wonderful thing for all the bloggers.
But Lisa had some exciting news about a new event for next year called One World One Art. If you’re a crafter or artist and a blogger, you should check it out.
I finished these Girlfriend Galore bracelets yesterday and popped them in to cure last night. Spent the morning taking pictures and cropping etc., loading two of them on my Etsy site and flickr, and now here. Yikes. It’s 2pm and I’d rather be claying……
But that’s the way it is and I guess I just need to get over it. But I am glad to be using backgrounds instead of cutting each item out in Photoshop. My printer has gotten a bit sad and I’ve just ordered a new laser printer. I’ve wanted one for years and could never justify the expense when I had a perfectly good inkjet sitting right here.
But to tell you the truth, this “free” printer really costs more to operate because of the ink. Anyway, I’m waiting for it now and I can’t wait to print all those background with the laser.
Anyway, back to the “girlfriends”. I’ve listed two of these bracelets in my Etsy shop. The wider one below……
I made one of these to go to the auction at Orlando Area Polymer Clay Guild’s Fandango coming up in May. It’s a super fun event and if your thinking about going…..stop thinking….just go, you’ll love it. Beautiful place, beautiful weather, beautiful people. Check it out on their website here.
What are you working on? Thanks for stopping by today.
I was working on some Alice in Wonderland prototype pieces for a client and was incorporating black and white checks. I had this piece left over and as is my M.O. I couldn’t let it go to waste and made this funky hat for one of my girls.
So I call her Alice, maybe in wonderland, maybe just what I feel I look like sometimes. I’ve mounted her on a piece of black foam core and framed her. She is actually quite large, about 4″ x 7″.
Up she’ll go on my wall, and after I look at her awhile, I’ll decide if I want to sell her. I’ve been thinking of doing a family series. Framed portrait of woman like Alice that you could claim as you sister or Mother or great Aunt…well Great Aunt Alice.
A collection! That’s it! lol I am having way too much fun….I think my samples are cured, back to play, er……… I mean work.
____________________________ If you’re looking for my OWOH giveaway it’s here
I’ve added some Girlfriend Wine stoppers to my Etsy Shop. I’ve made so many of these and they still make people laugh.
They’re fun to do and if you want the perfect gift for that girlfriend of yours who is always there for you, and that is the first person you call for the “leave the husbands, boyfriends, or significant other at home” night out. Then this is the gift for you! All my girlfriends have one. So stop in my shop to see what else is new.
Or make one yourself, I buy my bottle stoppers at Boston Craftworks. You don’t have to make a girlfriend stopper, I’ve made some funky flamingos that I’ve posted in my shop too. I really laugh at these guys.
The flamingo is several canes that I put together directly on the piece. It takes more time, but I like the results.
Alice
P.S. If you own a blog and would like to win one of my bracelets, just click on the link below to participate in One World One Heart.
____________________________ If you’re looking for my OWOH giveaway it’s here
I’m doing two trades with two incredible mosaic artists, Laura Pattison and Doreen Bell. It all started when I saw the rainbow mosaic above that Laura made for a trade with Doreen. Polymer Clay canes are similar and have long been compared to glass millefiori canes so it’s no wonder that I was drawn to their work. Laura is living in Spain and Doreen is here in the U.S..
I loved the rainbow, it was so colorful and fun, I asked Laura if we could trade too or if I could buy one. Happily she agreed to a trade, she wanted my funny girl business card holder below. I’ll post a picture of my rainbow when it gets here.
Laura does some really wonderful work, you should see the cat she’s making for her parents, plus check out all the other cool things on her flickr pages.
Funny Girl
Then Doreen emailed me about buying some of my girls for a project she has in mind. I had already seen her work and loved all her crazy women and off the wall pieces, so I was delighted when she said she’d trade.
I sent her the 7 girls below to use in her work and I am so excited to see how she’ll do that. How interesting to be combining the two mediums. It certainly has my head spinning with possibilities.
I’ve seen a few pictures of my prize from Doreen, but will wait until it’s completely finished before I post her here. You can check out Doreen’s so cool work on her flickr site
Thank you Laura and Doreen for making these trades a highlight for me. You are making me laugh and giggle and that’s the most favorite thing I do. But most of all I’ll own some wonderful pieces of artwork from two incredible artist and make some terrific new friends. What a great experience.
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