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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Member IPCA

Member IPCA

Santa, HO HO HO!

Santa Ornament

Santa Ornament

I haven’t been doing very much clay work in the last week, I’ve been painting gift bags, cooking and getting ready for Christmas.

I didn’t want Christmas to be over before I wished you all a very merry one. I hope all your wishes come true and I hope that the Christmas spirit is with you each day of the coming year.

Since I didn’t have anything recent to share, I thought I’d share an ornament I made about 8 years ago maybe. The face is not mine, it is from a member of City-O-Clay cane swap, City-O-Clay is a yahoo group full of very helpful people and a great place to get help with questions about anything polymer clay.

When I saw this face cane, I was so amazed by the detail, that I knew I had to make face canes. The sad part is that I can’t remember who made the face cane. I was so excited to receive it as one of my swap items.  If it looks familiar, I’d love it if you’d leave me comment.

He was just a face, beard and those so funny teeth. I started to laugh the minute I saw him and I still laugh each time I see him.  I added the santa hat, hair and suit. I added holly and large Ho Ho Ho letters on the back. I love him, he’s so funny and not your typical santa. I enjoy getting him out each year.

See you again before the New Year.

Business Card Holder Two

Business Card Holder - Polymer Clay

Business Card Holder

My playing around yesterday resulted in the business card holder from the last post and this one that was glued on a plastic holder. It was easy breezy and maybe a great gift for kids to make for the adults on their list. Any design will do, it doesn’t have to be a girlfriend. Geometric, flowers, or more manly designs for the guys. You could match any profession.

I googled the plastic holders and found tons of them from .50 on up. Office Depot had them for .99.

Make your design, cure it and glue it to the holder with super glue. Do not bake the holder.

I put this girl on the wrong side for my cards, I didn’t realize it until it was already baked. But I’m not keeping it anyway, I’m keeping the one from the last post.

Tomorrow? The last idea from my day of the clay. Hint…..remember Pet Rocks?

Unique Business Card Holder For Your Desk

I have a couple of things to talk about today. The first thing is this too funny for words business card holder for your desk. I love this girl, she makes me smile, I loved making her and now that she has joined the other memorable items on my desk, I love looking at her. It was one of those moments when I was making something else and that led me to this holder and then on to another holder design.

I’ll show you all of these things tomorrow. I have hurry up and get this posted because I have to finish preparing to lead my book club discussion tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it, but I have to make sure I’m ready. Plus the other pieces are in the oven and I can’t take pictures until they cool down.

I was very excited to create this card holder. It’s solid clay, probably about 3 oz. I have 20 or 30 packages of Sculpey III that I will never use and have wondered what I was going to do with them. Now I know I’m going to use some of it for the base for some more of these card holders. I covered the base with black clay and then made the indentation to hold the cards, then add the face. Covered the edges of her face with more black “hair”, added her simple hat and she was ready for the oven. The whole time smiling……I love my “job”.

The second thing today was..my pasta motor died. I should have known it would happen sooner or later but I was just thinking that I haven’t ever had trouble with MY motor. There was a thread on Polymer Clay People yahoo digest about motors and people were talking about motors stopping on them. I thought HA, not mine. Then yesterday…it happened.

So today I had to order another one. I really wanted to buy the Dream Machine from Polymer Clay Express, but as I already have 9 pasta machines, I really couldn’t justify another.

Now I have to wait until my new motor gets here. I know, I can crank the pm by hand, but come on, after all these years, I’m just too spoiled.

Okay, I know I won’t be able to wait 4 or 5 day so I guess I’ll just be cranky. See you tomorrow.

Business Card Holders Rule the Day

Business Card Holders

Business Card Holders

Two more crazy girlfriends join in the fun. I used the same new face cane that I used on the business card holder in this post from the other day. Just goes to show you that each slice will look a little different.

I like these in black and white and I’m happy with this new face cane. I have some really cool new things in the oven right now. Can’t wait to see how the turn out and share them with you.

Going to list one of these girls in my Etsy Shop right now. Hmmmmm just can’t decide which one.

New Listings in Etsy Shop

Autumn Girl

I’ve listed several items in my Etsy Shop, getting ready for Christmas Shoppers. These two bracelets were made entirely from polymer clay. The great thing about Premo clay is that the bracelet can be squeezed to allow it to slip on your wrist easier.

Mermaid

Mermaid

Girlfriends Galore Meeting in My Etsy Shop

Girlfriends Galore 5 - Polymer Clay CuffI’m beginning to upload the girlfriend bracelets I made last week to my Etsy Shop. I’m going to have to take the time to make more face canes. I’m still working on the tutorial for this full face, but keep getting distracted. Lately, distracted in a good way, selling, doing demos, meeting other clayers, teaching, and enjoying the summer. So no complaints from this girl.

This is just an aside…. one of my friends, contacts actually, on facebook wrote something that made me laugh. I don’t remember who it was, but I know she had to have been very young. She was ranting about “all these woman that are over 40, sometimes even in the 60s calling themselves “girl”. Why don’t they just grow up and realize that they will never be “girls” again.”

I will always be that “girl” who is just waiting for the next cool thing to jump into my life. I wish I could be around when that young girl crosses over into the land of the “older girl” and she finds that she doesn’t grow up either.

Girlfriends Galore 5 - Polymer Clay CuffYou have to venture over to my Etsy Shop to see all sides of this bracelet. Each one of the Girlfriends Galore bracelets have 7 individual faces, I’m thinking a lucky number.

Thanks for stopping in today.

Best Girlfriends – Polymer Clay Bracelet

Best Girlfriends

Still working on bracelets as I work on other ideas. this one is now for sale in my Etsy shop.

Martini Anyone, Polymer Clay is Star of The Party

Margarita Mango

Margarita Mango

Okay, I’ve done it now, I’ve gone back to “big”. This is  a full size cocktail shaker. I love making things that you can see from across the room and you say to yourself (I hope) “Wow, what is that? I love that, it’s so cool” that’s my goal I guess …………cool………

The hair goes all the way around

The hair goes all the way around

Okay may the word is interesting, or different…oh….. I think I have that one covered. Her hair goes all the way around the shaker to almost meet on the other side.

She's almost catching up with herself

I spent a month picking, peeling, slicing and freezing from 30 to 100 mangos a day. Thank goodness they are all gone and won’t be back until next year. I’ll have mangos until next summer.

I made the best frozen margaritas and had them on my mind as I made my choices for this cocktail shaker. Lime green for the margarita part and a mango color for her hair. Here’s another something that I just might have to keep for myself, then again I have a friend that just might like this for her birthday. Besides, my kitchen is getting to look alot like my studio.

Coco-Nut – Sure to Make You Laugh

Coco-Nut

I love this one….I’m still laughing and almost hope it doesn’t sell in my Etsy Shop even though I’ve listed it there. Everytime I look at her I laugh.

She has a palm tree….on her head………..I think I’m the one that’s  coco nut. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. I have a great time every day.

Coco-Nut

Coco-Nut

Coco-Nut

Coco-Nut

I’ve combined leaves from my Tropical Leaves Tutorial and my Profile Face Cane Tutorial plus my Hair Cane Video to create this bracelet. Fun.

Lime Green Profile Face Cane Bracelet and Color Recipe

I’ve been working on several things today. This is just one of the bracelets I’ve finished and I’m working on a cocktail shaker. Too Funny! This girl has a flamboyant hat as always and a checker board blouse that matches the lime green checker board bracelet I posted yesterday.

Over on Facebook, I had so many people talk about loving the lime green color that I thought I’d share the recipe with you. I know that I am not the first one to print this, but to tell you the truth, I have no idea where I discovered it. I do think pairing the two colors is something I did on my own years ago.

Lime Green Recipe

1 part Zinc Yellow

1/16 black

Yep, that’s it! That’s all there is to it, and the second color is Zinc Yellow straight out of the package. When placed next to the lime green it looks like a light lime green. Easy, breezy.

Go Green!