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 can’t believe I’ve been home from Fandango for a week already. I have lots to share with you.
First I want to thank all the volunteers that help make Orlando Clay Fandango the success that it always is. Eva, Charlene, Nancy, Mary, Kem, Linda, Rose Anne, Nita and Tanya. I know I’ve left out dozens and I apologize. Please let me know and I’ll add to the list.
I know I’ve met some wonderful people because of Fandango and experienced some ah ha moments in clay.
Sherry McKinney and I hit the road and arrived at Lake Yale on Thursday and from then on it was nonstop until we headed home on Monday. Sherry and I are the only constant polymer clayers we know in Sebring.
I set up my display in the Boutique and everyone had a good laugh about my redheaded friend. But I think the hands got more comments.
I was one of the demonstrators this year and I was busy showing how I use pen and ink on polymer clay. The bracelet below is a sample of what I shared and was my donation for the raffle. I’m thrilled that Linda Easton won.
Here are some of the results of the three full day of classes with some incredible instructors. Because I don’t know the names of all the clayers that created the pieces below, I took the easy way out and didn’t name anyone. If you see your work, please add your name in the comments section. There is a method to it, I’ll get you to comment maybe. hehe.
Susan Clark was also demonstrating this year but had to leave early and missed our video.
And last but not least, this video I made featuring the Instructors and Demonstrators for 2012.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/eJzXPmoKLdQ[/youtube]
Thanks again to everyone at Orlando Clay Fandango 2012 I have it from the source that you can still save $25.00 if you sign up for next year’s Fandango by the end of May and they will be announcing who the instructors will be in the next few days. So keep checking their website for updates.
I’m thrilled to have the Stroppel Cane featured in the new The Polymer Arts issue. Sage Bray’s recent email said,
“The SUMMER 2012 issue is almost here!
Just got the newest issue through the proofing and approval process with the printer so it’s rolling on the presses and will start mailing out next week! Digital access will be sent May 18th and print starts getting mailed on the 16th. So soon, very soon …”
What’s in the Summer 2012 Reuse and Recycle issue?
Lots of wonderful ideas for using up scrap clay, old canes, and creating beautiful work from old and broken items plus plenty to more new ideas to motivate and excite you:
Learn new ways to reuse old canes and scrap clay
Read the inside story on the Stroppel cane phenomenon and the art it’s inspiring.
Become inspired by Ron Lehocky’s heartwarming story of how he uses polymer to better the lives of children and the environment.
Use digital devices for paperless Inspiration and Organization
New Technique: Dye Polymer with Old Silk ties
Peek into the fabulous Las Vegas Clay Carnival
Find out what it’s like to form a vibrant global community with this issue’s profile on Voila.eu.com
Discover new product in our reviews on Swellegant, Shades of Clay cutters, & All-in-One CaBezels
Get help from other readers’ organization ideas
Immerse yourself in the stunning gallery art… altars, winding ropes, layered translucence, and more
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Haven’t read an issue yet? Try a sample here or beter yet order this new issue and read all about the Stroppel Cane and take a look at some of the incredible work by artists from around the world.
I have so much to share from my trip to GA and Fandango that I’ll be posting about it all for a week or two. I’m still trying to get unpacked and caught up with my trades and orders.
Suzanne Ivester and I are working on our magazine, Polymer Porfolio and are excited about how it is coming together. I had the opportunity to film a couple of the artists that we are featuring while I was at Fandango. Look for Barbara McGuire and Denise Graham in some wonderful videos when our first issue is released.
And no, we don’t know when that will be exactly, but you’ll be the first to know……
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.
This pendant was made by combining a black polymer clay base and black and white canes together, then drawing the split face onto white polymer clay squares.
The combo has proven to be well received and I’ll be teaching the pen and ink technique along with cane mapping mosaic class at Barbara McGuire and Ellen Prophater’s Woman Creative Art and Jewelry Center in Buford, GA.
For more information and to sign up visit BarbaraMcguire.com . If you aren’t able to attend one of my classes, you might be interested in the other classes offered by some very exciting instructors.
I’m thrilled to tell you I’ll be guest artist in June at Barbara McGuire and Ellen Prophater’s new fabulous Woman Creative Art and Jewelry Design Center just outside Atlanta in Buford, GA.
The fun will begin on Friday night June 3, where I’ll be the guest of honor at an Artist Reception to kick off the week-end. It’s going to be a great time and I hope you can be there.
On Saturday and Sunday I’ll be delving further into two favorite techniques that I’ve developed using polymer clay. The first class on Saturday from, 11:00 to 5:00, will be Pen and Ink Polymer, using Polymer clay as your canvas you can soar as high as your imagination can take you.
Pen and Ink
You don’t have to “know how to draw” to have fun with this technique and create colorful results you’ll be proud to wear. Read more about it here.
The second class on Sunday, June 5th, from 12:00 to 4:00, will be Cane Mapped Mosaics. I’ve given away a 20 min. video cane mapped mosaics for free since the beginning of my blog. This class will bring us all together too explore the many possibilities with this technique and to take a closer look at color choices.
Cane Mapped Mosaics
Read more about this class here. I hope you can join Me and Barbara, Ellen, Sue and the rest of the ladies at Woman Creative the first weekend in June. To sign up for one or both of these classes visit Woman Creative Art and Jewelry Design Center.
I just have been having a fabulous time yesterday and today. Had a dental appointment but there was a terrible storm and I have to drive over an hour to get there, so I didn’t go.
That meant I got to stay and continue experimenting with different shapes to hold my pen and ink and polymer clay.
This was great fun, but it’s still a WIP. Needs beads and a chain. The pen technique is the one I demonstrate in my video for sale in my Etsy Shop and the shape was a rubber stamp from Barbara McGuire’s collection.
I’ll post it when I have it finished. I have several more pieces that I really am excited about and I’ll be sharing those with you too.
On this piece I drew the woman and then layered slices of canes off to one side. I like the way it came out.
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 first thing made from my face cane from Barbara McGuire’s class. It’s a 5 x 5 plaque headed for my mother’s house.
I certainly enjoyed making this angel, and I’m sure I’ll be making many more things from this face cane. But right now I’m mixing colors and putting together a face that I have been dreaming of for years. Wish me luck and stay tuned, you never know what I’ll come up with.
I’ve left Barbara McGuire for last because I had a chance to get to know her better than the other artists at Fandango. I’ve already posted about the incredible face class I had the opportunity to take with her and how much fun it was.
One of the demos Barbara McGuire gave was placing one of her faces on a base to make a large focal bead like the one in the photo above. I purchased this one from Barbara that night. She used her new stamp on this one and demonstrated those as well.
But before that, I was truly excited to watch her demonstrate her color mixing techniques. This demo had Barbara with her pasta machine and an array of colored clay. After watching Sarah Shiver and Julie Picarello mix their colors using the skinner blend method, I was finally driven TO the edge by watching Barbara. It actually took attending that small face class to send me OVER the edge and soaring into a world that I have been just sticking one tiny finger in. I haven’t been this excited since I made my first face cane almost 10 years ago. The combination of all of the artist’s techniques came together for me and I was gobsmacked.
I loved learning how to make a face the way Barbara does, but I have my own voice that I am still training. I may never produce anything but jingles, but I will continue to strive for a symphony. Just this last few days I feel like I’ve been set free. Mixing colors will never be the same again.
It was such a pleasure to get to know Barbara and I appreciate all that she shares with us.
I feel that finding our own creative voice and a way to use it is what we are all striving for and I know Barbara has started a new publication to help us do just that. She was kind enough to share a bit about her Woman Creative postcards in the following video. Enjoy.
To find out more about Barbara, her products, where she’s teaching next visit her website. Be sure to take a minute to check out Woman Creative.
I’ve been trying to clean out my polymer suitcase and put things back where they belong. Geez, don’t know if that will ever happen.
I got home on Monday after Fandango and fell into bed. I didn’t unpack the car, barely said hello to my husband and fell right to sleep. The phone rang and it was Barbara McGuire! She was giving a private lesson with two ladies and they graciously said I could join them. How great was that?
So I didn’t have to unpack much, washed some clothes and hit the road the next morning. Tired but very excited to get to spend more time with such a creative polymer clay artist.
I knew I would have fun, but who knew that Lisa Dalziel, whose house we totally trashed with clay “stuff” for two days and three nights and Pat Livesay her partner in clay crime, would turn out to be two of the coolest, most fun to be around, classmates I could have asked for. We had a blast! Thank you both so much!!!
Lisa, Alice, Pat and Barbara
After a day of claying we all had our eyes done (boy I really could use my eyes done) and were all very pleased with ourselves. Not only is Barbara fun to be around and a founding member of the polymer clay community in America, she is an incredibly talented artist and an excellent instructor. She truly knows polymer clay. Taking a class with her is like learning from your best friend, the one that knows more than you do.
I think we all did a fabulous job with our eyes. Each one different but very cool. Here’s my finished face.
This face is totally different than my other faces and I’m hoping to incorporated some of what I learned with Barbara into some of my faces. That’s the way we move on and grow. Thanks Barbara for sharing with me.
I’ll be having more of Barbara to share with you in up coming posts. I had time to video her and some of her new products. But for today, check out Barbara’s SHOW & WORKSHOP SCHEDULE 2010 to find out where you can catch up with her.
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