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.
Okay, you caught me. Today, I’m sitting there, working with clay and here comes Marilyn. While I was making this pin, I couldn’t stop laughing, she’s so funny. I was friends with a Marilyn in high school and she was a majorette, in fact the Drum Majorette. She was funny and we had lot of fun doing crazy things. This girl pin reminded me of her.
Okay she could be a ring master for a crazy circus act too. But it made me think of Marilyn, so drum majorette it is. I just listed her in my Etsy shop for only 15.00. What a deal, a pin that you can wear for years to come and I promise you, you will always think of my friend Marilyn everytime you wear it.
P.S. the cane I used for her hat is a cane I featured in my video, “What is a Polymer Clay Cane“. So see, you can make all kinds of crazy things with your canes.
These aren’t the only thing I’ve been doing. I’ve been making beads from the canes that I listed yesterday and I’m truly excited, I really like them. So stop back tomorrow, I hope to have them finished and ready to show.
I am so relieved. My internet connection is actually working today and I was able to upload the following video featuring my new bracelet.
This New Bracelet video gives my Etsy customers a better look at these new bracelets and a simple explanation of what a cane is. Visit my Etsy Shop for the bracelets that are for sale.
I’ve received such positive feed back about these bracelets that I decided that this was a great way to use this face cane. I have cut up and used all of the cane for these bracelets. I have prepared the faces on the bracelet so that they are all ready for hair, hats and blouses.
I’ve sold one locally, am keeping the first one, and the rest will be posted on Etsy and sent to the galleries that exhibit my work. I’ve done the basic work and now I can really use my imagination to make each one of these truly unique.
It’s the way I can produce many items that are the same while creating a one of a kind finished product. It’s kind of like an artist producing a limited addition of prints of an original work of art. Only these are all individual and unique. Each one took thought and manipulation of the eyes, lips and the addition of a neck. Moving forward, choices will be made for the other canes that will be added.
I will produce 13 bracelets and one pendant from this cane, so I would say that it is a collection with limited additions. Anyone purchasing one of these bracelets will know that this face will never be reproduced again. (I couldn’t if I wanted to) So it adds value to the purchase.
But wait, there could be more pieces coming from this cane yet……
Leftover eyes
As these were my best eyes to date, I just can’t throw these away, so they will continue to stare at me until I figure out what to do with them. I thought about putting them all on a bracelet, but that kind of creeped me out. Well, I’ll keep staring at these baby blues until I create something everyone will want to ogle.
Another bracelet today using the newest face cane. I made lips for this face cane that I wasn’t happy with and didn’t use. But I still have them and decided to alter them to make the blouse and the hat.
Blouse
You can see I’m still using the leaf cane I made several days ago. The outline on the blouse is actually the outline of the lips.
Hat
Same thing here, lips and leaves. Hey it works and I already put the effort and time into those lips so I needed to use them.
My second bracelet made with this face cane. When I was reducing the larger cane to make the altered art piece, I had to cut some of the ends off and had half a face. Staying true to my thought process of “never throwing anything away if I can find a way to use it”, I tried it on a bracelet blank and TA DA!!!! More face cane bracelets. What a surprise from me!
Hatband
I am going to try some other pieces of jewelry even though I have always said I didn’t really want to make lots of jewelry, my face just lend themselves to it. I just haven’t had all the right equipment and supplies needed, but I have been slowly adding things for necklaces etc.
My friend Laquita Carter is coming on Friday again for a clay day. She teaches clay classes at Bonita Bead in Bonita Springs. Maybe she’ll show me a trick or two. Laquita, are you listening?
Hat
I used the canes I made the other day from an idea that came to me while I was making this face cane. It was fun using them as hat feathers. The little balls are made with more end scraps I didn’t throw away because …well because I might need them for something like this.
Blouse
I saved all the canes and the little bit a scrap together in a plastic drawer as shown in this video How to Store Polymer Clay Canes. That way I have the canes, the scraps and any left over colored clay so that I could make another cane or just little balls that match.
I didn’t use any old jewelry on this one, It was late and I could decide on a piece. Finally I did decide ….. nothing for this girl, the canes were enough.
In the last post I said I was going to sleep really well last night. HA! Not when the wheel of creativity are turning. Here we go again, Fun!
Okay, now I’ve totally lost my focus and plan to stop this and move to Plan B – making another face cane. But before I do, I’ve baked the face then made these flowers, put it all back in the oven again and am waiting for it to cure. I don’t think they go with her at all, not painterly enough, so I might not leave them with her. I don’t think they go with the canvas I painted either. But it’s all about experimenting until I’m happy. Can’t learn if you don’t try.
I am easily distracted today, lots of company this week and last, but it’s been great. Plus I’m going to artists day at the Sebring High School tomorrow. I’ll set up my work beside other local artist and answer questions from the art students. I’m always excited to share what I do with people and the kids are so interested. You should see the work they produce, seriously wonderful. Their teachers deserve a great deal of credit. So I need to gather my things and get ready.
An order from Boston Clay Works came today and included was one of their new eye class cases. I am thinking about what I want to cover it with while I’m still thinking about this face cane. I’m worse than I was when I was a kid and always jumping from one thing to another. so it’s kind of funny that I’m going back to my high school tomorrow.
But the bottom line is…..uh…….I’m sure you don’t want to hear me say I’m having fun one more time…..but I am.
I know…you’re wondering why on earth I would post this vase with these kind of scary looking faces on it. Well to tell the truth, they’ve grown on me and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. They remind me of the journey.
I made this first face cane over ten years ago. I didn’t put a date on this vase so I’m guessing. This vase still makes me laugh, in fact the better I get at making face canes, the more I laugh when I see these girls.
I thought they were wonderful. They didn’t turn out anything like I wanted. I wanted this cane to be beautiful, painterly, with gradual color change, but as you can see…………….but it didn’t matter, I actually took colored clay messed around with it and made this face that when I sliced through the cane, I got face after face. I was so excited. Are you kidding me? It was the coolest thing, I was hooked. Even though I was working somewhere else, I continued to work on my face canes.
My friends had to put up with me giving them things with very strange faces on them. My mother who loves beautiful angels was shocked I know, when I gave her a bracelet made of face beads. They were not beautiful angels, but yet another test face cane. But bless her, she smiled and said thank you. So that’s why I made this first “pretty” faced angel for her. I think she’ll like this better and forgive me for giving her the others.
I also didn’t know very much about the clay. The eyes are made with translucent clay and the rest of the face with regular. Today I know it’s better to try to use the same type of clay or a mixture of both.
As you can see by my post from the other day, I’ve been working on another face. Even though I’m very happy with the way I finally figured out to make faces, and I really enjoy sharing the process in my Profile Face Cane Tutorial, I still want to make a face that is painterly, with more color. So I’m experimenting. I haven’t got it right yet, but when I do I’ll post pictures.
I’ll work on it for an hour or two, mixing colors and trying to figure out an easy way to do it so I can make another tutorial, then walk away for awhile.
In the middle of the night I woke up and started thinking about how I could accomplish the look I was trying to achieve and another idea hit me for something not even related to the face. So yesterday I spent time playing with that idea before I forgot it. geez…….
But it’s all good, I’m where I’m suppose to be, doing what I’m suppose to be doing, taking as long as I need, it’s all fun and a great adventure. I ask you, what more could I ask for.
This week is my birthday week, there are parties planned and things to do. I’m thankful! Thank you for stopping by today!
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