Polymer Clay Canes for Beginners

27 videos, step by step, beginner cane workshop beginner Cane Tutorial 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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[caption id="attachment_102" align="aligncenter" width="100" caption="Member IPCA"]Member IPCA[/caption]

Abstract Faces

 

I’ve been working on a series of abstract faces using just polymer clay. It’s fun and kind of exciting to be venturing out into a different but same direction.

 Face - Alice Stroppel

Another face, this time using polymer as if it were very thick paint. Face - polymer clay

 

 

 

Working on the Top

Table top Alice Stroppel

Step one on the table top is finished. I’m going to love having this table around with samples of my faces. Lots of fun here, great therapy for sure.

I’m constructing and  baking everything right on the glass. When it’s cool I’ll pop it off and glue it to the table top. I think I might have a piece of glass cut to fit to protect it.

See ya’ back here soon.

 

Pen and Ink on Polymer Clay

Pen and Ink on Polymer Clay

 

Just a quick picture of a new pen and ink pendant. I’m getting ready to go spend some time with the Orlando Area Polymer Clay Guild.   A little bit of ink and a little bit of clay……The main shape is a stamp by Barbara McGuire

These are talented people and I look forward to sharing some of their work next week. Have a get weekend and a fun 4th of July.

Florida Sunshine – A New Closure

Sometimes things appear when you aren’t expecting them. Well, I guess that isn’t entirely true. I wanted to create something new to teach that could incorporate several skills and still have my love of whimsey and pops of color. So I was kind of hoping something would come to me.

I’ve been busy getting ready for my trip to GA to teach at  Creative Journey Studios and to have a few things to add to my inventory there when this sunshine piece popped into my mind. I worked on another sun a couple of weeks ago and had thought about teaching that, but it’s complicated and I wanted something I could teach in a day.

The closure on this necklace was a bonus thought that came to me. I was impressed with the closure that Melaine West came up with using magnets. I was having trouble with the closure on my appleman and Jan Montarsi aka Jembox, suggested I use magnets. I haven’t gotten around to playing with them yet and was happy to be able to share in Melaine’s solution on how to use the magnets. She has saved me hours of testing and I think it is so generous of her to share her method. Thanks Melaine, your work is simply stunning.

I thought I might use Melaine’s idea somehow in this necklace that I envisioned, but I hadn’t ordered any magnets so another idea pushed that one right out of my head.

Here’s my answer when you don’t have magnets, not as sophisticated as Melaine’s but this is a different kind of necklace……. cut a channel for your necklace cord to slide into, drill a hole in the back of a small accent piece made from pc and glue in your cord. Easy!

Now, I’d love to teach this class for your guild or group. Complete with a bit of easy to master sculpting… yes you can…..some fun cane work…teaching you to jump out of that box…….(I’ll be working on some new and different canes to include) plus some contouring work. I had so much fun making it that I know it will be a fun class.

Anyway, I’m happy with this guy and wanted to share my new closure with you and show you a bit about how my crazy mind works…jumping from one thing to the next until something just has to spill out.

How one project can lead to another and other artists can spark an idea that ends with an finished product that is my own is an amazing thing and something I hope I never stop doing.

I gather inspiration from everyone and everything, I hope you do too.

The Rest of the Bracelet, Pen and Ink on Polymer Clay

I’ve finished the bracelet I was working on the other day. Having three spaces to fill is alway a challenge. On the other hand it mean three blank canvases to have fun with.

I’m teaching this class next at Creative Journey Studios on April 22nd, 2012. I can’t wait.

So there you have the whole bracelet. I’m off now to start on another one, right after I finish filling out the survey to help standardize measurements for polymer clay. thanks to Sage, Maggie and Cynthia for putting this together. Read about it here, on Polymer Clay Daily, or go right to the survey here.

Here Comes the Sun – CBS Sunday Morning Inspired

I record and watch CBS Sunday Morning every weekend and love the suns that mark each segment. I’ve always dreamed of having a sun featured there someday. Just one of those fantasies that are fun to have. I haven’t made many suns, so how I thought I could have one featured, I’m not sure.

My core belief is this …thought, word and deed. First you have to think of it, then you talk about it, then you do it. So I’ve made my first sun, I’ll just put “Sun Man” next to Apple Man on my shelf and dream.

I still have to finish the inside , but that’s part of the fun.

Apple Man Still a WIP

Surprise, a second post in one day. I just wanted to share what I’ve done today at my clay table.

I’m still working on appleman and the concept. It’s a sweet little cabinet ( Doreen, I just need to figure out how to add a shelf or drawer) or box with a quick surprise inside and room to hold a special treasure or two.

I’ve added canes to the inside with my mosaic technique (modified) and baked him one more time. One of the things I want to work out is fewer baking sessions.

This one will end up on my shelf and I’ll enjoy him for a very long time. I have ideas for more in my head and am looking forward to translating them into clay.

Polymer Clay Apple Man Transformed

I worked on my apple man yesterday, cutting him apart and adding a hinge, a clasp and some little ball feet. Today I’ll finish the inside.

I need more experience with hinges and making a really good fit, but I’m excited about the possibilities. He’s just such a fun little box. Or do you call it a box if it opens from top to bottom? Would it be called a cabnet instead?

Pictures of the inside tomorrow I hope.

Face Patterns For Pen and Ink on Polymer Clay

Face Patterns

Face Patterns

These are some of the sample items I made for my class last weekend and I think they are a good mix of styles from the same group of patterns. The face on the bracelet in the middle is the same face that is one the figure in blue surrounded with black and white canes.

If you are a student in my P&I class the patterns in pdf form are emailed to you after class, usually the next day. If you can’t make it to the South East anytime soon, you may want to consider my tutorial and these patterns. Both are for sale in my Etsy shop.

Now that I’ve started coloring on clay, and  I kind of feel like I’m 10 and have all these wonderful coloring book pages in front of me and all the colors to go with it. I just can’t stop.

A Video – Pen and Ink on Polymer Clay

I’m busy making samples for my classes and drew the faces in the video to go with Barbara McQuire’s stamps. Yesterday I wanted to see they might look on a bracelet.

I decided to show you this new bracelet in a video because it’s hard to capture the look in still photos. The face patterns will be available for purchase next week sometime. I’ll post more about them when I’ve added them to my Etsy Shop.

I’m excited to tell you that I’ll be teaching two 1 day workshops at Mount Dora Center for the Arts in Mount Dora, FL  in October 15th, Pen and Ink and November 12th, Cane Mapping, details to come.