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.
Another bracelet full of girls going to my Etsy Shop. Still great fun and still making me laugh, what more can you ask for?
Girls, Girls. Girls - polymer clay bracelet side view 1
A color for just about any outfit. It’s really alive and fun to wear. You can see this bracelet and other items in my Etsy Shop on the right hand side of this page under my welcome video.
Girls, Girls, Girls - polymer clay bracelet - side 2
All my pieces come in a cloth drawstring bag with a small gift card enclosed. Ready to become that perfect gift.
I’m shutting down the One World, One Heart giveaway tomight ( 8:00 EST) to get ready for the big giveaway tomorrow. I’m giving away one of my profile face bracelets to a fellow blog owner.
Check back tomorrow for the winner. If if happens to be you….don’t worry, I’ll email you. 🙂
This is the bracelet I talked about on a previous post. It was made from slices of canes that were meant for other projects but weren’t used. I saved them instead of throwing them in the scrap pile. When I had enough to make this bracelet, I put them all together and this is the result.
I’m putting in my etsy shop today. It’s fun and colorful and I think with a pair of jeans and a white shirt, it would look pretty good. In fact this bracelet will probably go with whatever you wanted to wear.I’m starting to work on things to go with me to the Orlando Fandango. Masks and donations for their auction etc.
Plus I’m rearranging my work space. My husband is getting a new desk and I’m adding his old one to my work spaces. I know that all of you know what that means. Not looking forward to the moving and cleaning and “un-earthing” of things that I will now have to decide what to do with. Treasures you know, too good to just throw away.
After seeing all the fabulous “found art” being produce while I was flying around the blogs with One World One Heart, I think we need an exchange blog. I have things I know you would just love to have, maybe you have something to trade. I’d love to give all these buttons and ribbons and old books and just stuff I’ve collected over the years to someone who would use it.
Tomorrow I’m taking stock to The Creative Native Gallery in Tampa. I sell quite a few of my bracelet there, so I’m running low. Always a fun trip, plus my friend Alice is going with me to put some of her work in the gallery too.
The large “lots of girls” bracelet above is going to my Etsy shop. So go take a look at what else I have for sale there.
If you haven’t entered your comment for the One World One Heart giveaway, Scroll down and enter your blog address, or click here.
One World One Heart Giveaway. This is a wonderful idea, a magical event starring bloggers from all over the world. Created by Lisa Swifka from A Whimsical Bohemian. You’ll want to spend so time on her blog and read about how this all started and to see the list of hundreds of other bloggers that have giveaways on their blogs.
This is the first year for me and I’m excited to add my name to the list. As you can tell, I’m a polymer clay enthusiast and am crazy about faces. So it’s only right that I give away a polymer clay face.
All Bloggers everywhere are eligible to participate. Simply leave a comment and you might win this crazy girl bracelet. Tell me what you want to see next….or just say hi.
This event runs until Feb. 15th, I will announce the winner here on my blog. Make sure you leave you’re email address and a link to your blog. That’s it! Good luck.
This should be added to my Don’t Waste That Little Bit of Skinner Blend video. I had some old skinner blend sheets that I made a couple of months ago and was going to get back to them right away. So instead of storing them in the loose leaf binder under the protective sheets, I just put them between sheet of deli sheets. After all I was going to get right back to them. Right?
I “found” them today and decided to finish them up, make some canes from them. Well, they were pretty dry. The deli sheets had leached them pretty badly.
I worked with them and turned them into plugs and logs. When I trimmed the ends, because they were so dry, I ended up with these fluffy little flower shapes. I started to smash them, but if you know me at all, you know I had to save them some how. So I added this one to the bracelet above.
I also added the first cut from either side of a skinner plug. It won’t win a prize, but it’s interesting, full of texture, and kind of funky.
Made me start to think of ways to create texture in my work that’s different from using a texture sheet or pressing things into the clay. More organic….hmmm…
More bracelets. The crazy one is made from scrap slices that I cut and didn’t use on other projects. Maybe I cut too many or maybe I decided that cane just didn’t work.
I can never bear to smash perfectly good slices of cane, so I just put them on a piece of deli paper in one of my clay drawers. (See this video for clay drawer ideas)
When I have enough, I make something crazy out of them. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you have an adventurous spirit, maybe you should try it. If nothing else it’s kind of a record of your canes.
He’s been bugging me. “When will I get more exposure? When will I be noticed?” All I could tell him was to continue to be his pink self and someone would come along a recognize his inner beauty. Here’s hoping that like his brothers before him, he’ll go live with someone else soon.
I’m thrilled that my flamingo has be chosen by Alison Kurek for an Etsy Treasury. Thanks Alison, I’m honored! I enjoyed all the other fabulous work by so many talented Polymer Clay Artist Guild of Etsy members.
Today I made more canes using the Skinner Blend method. Judith Skinner invented this way of blending polymer clay in 1996 and is working on a book with Sarajane Helm. I can’t wait for it to come out.
It is one of my favorite techniques. If you don’t know what a skinner blend is or have just never tried to make one, there are many sites out there with instructions. I think the best written tutorial is by Desiree from Desired Creations. She has some wonderful information on her site. You should spend some time there. I learned how to clean my pasta machine from Desiree’s site. Eugena from Eugena’s Creations also has clear picture instructions.
I’m working fast and furious on all kinds of bracelets for the galleries that show my work and to stock my Etsy Shop. thanks for stopping by today.
I had a favorite cane, like the coral leaf on the bracelet above. I made it a long time ago and have used it on many of my projects. It’s a simple cane using the Skinner Blend method for both the coral and the silver of turquoise in the middle. I wasn’t sure if I would remember what colors I used, but it was simple. Cadmium Red and white and turquoise and white. They make quick and easy, beautiful, tropical blends.
Color Chart
This time I’ll make a record of the color. For the last year or so, I’ve been making color records of my blends. I mix my color and then run a piece through the pasta machine at about #6 (very thin). I cut a small circle from that and heat set it with my heat gun, then glue it in my color book. Then I make Skinner blends from it and do the same thing with bits of the blend. I like being able to write on the pages and make notes if I want to.
Color Rings
I’ve tried lots of other ways to record my color experiments like the color rings above. On the one on the right, I carved the recipe on the back. The one on the left, (I must have been out of my mind) I made these little circles with the recipe typed on the computer. I had to set them up on the computer, print them, cut them out and then glue them to the samples. After a couple of years, some of the recipes fell off!!!
Today, I like my book the best.
There’s lots of information out there about color charts, the most recent is by Maggie Maggio on her blog Smashing Color. The Article Documenting Your Color Mixes is very informative.
Oh, by the way, the bracelet is going to my Etsy shop.
I’ve almost used all of my flamingo canes. I make my flamimgo in parts and then put them together as I go. I just like doing it that way.
I’ve made many things out of these canes. Dozens of salt and pepper shakers, business card holders, and now bracelets added to the list.
I still have just a little bit left of the canes, these are some of the last items until I make another set of canes. I have a special order to make before it’s all gone.
Comments