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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If I Had a World of My Own

“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn’t. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn’t be. And what it wouldn’t be, it would. You see?”  Lewis CarrollAlice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass

As you can see I’ve been working on Alice herself and here she is with the Mad Hatter. You’ll notice that I’ve moved the hatter and here’s why.

Alice and the Hatter Alice Stroppel

The other night after my post here and on Facebook, Ellen Prophater call me to share her thoughts on how to adhere my figures to the silver teapot. Thanks so much Ellen it’s nice to have a friend looking out for you.  She suggested I use Genesis Artist Colors Thick Medium-Extender. She uses it all the time and with great success.

Oh course I have some, I bought it from her, naturally.  Elleen and Sue Sutherland own Creative Journey Studio and carry almost everything you might want or need for claying. I’ve actually used it once or twice but didn’t really like the consistency of it and put it aside.  But to be fair I didn’t use it long enough to really judge but it’s hard to spread.

And she’s right, super glue was not a good choice for this project so I popped the Hatter off the teapot and reattached him using Genesis, it  worked very well. At least the bond is strong and solid.

Now you’re going to laugh, I had to tie the Hatter to the pot.

Hatter

I told you that you were going to laugh.

Because of the dip in the teapot the Mad Hatter just didn’t want to stay in place. With Genesis on his back he just slid all around. It’s a problem I have with any liquid clay and with Genesis obviously.

Because he was already baked and solid I could tie him down, obviously this wouldn’t work with uncured clay. That leads me back to my post from yesterday where I talked about sculpting the Hatter about three weeks ago and he wasn’t very pliable, he was hard to fit to the shape of the tea pot.

Oh and I decided to move him to the right side of the teapot and like him there better so it all worked out.

Yesterday I sculpted Alice and placed her on the teapot right away while she was still soft. She stuck pretty well and didn’t move around when I baked her. I didn’t use the Genesis on Alice before baking because it’s thick and hard to spread, I didn’t want to mess up my sculpting efforts by push to hard.

She’s stuck to the teapot pretty well without anything but just the same I’ll pop her off and use Genesis before I bake the teapot again.

Alice Flamingo Alice Stroppel

The flamingo makes me smile, being from Florida the flamingo is a favorite Alice Character of mine, not that there are any in my part of the state! Sandhill cranes yes, Flamingos no.

Alice group- Alice Stroppel

Here’s how the set is shaping up and you know that by the time I’m finish, I’ll have to add a few Alice crazy flowers. Thanks for following along.

Orlando Clay Fandango 2013

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I had a fantastic time at this year’s Orlando Clay Fandango! Here are all the instructors, the morning we are leaving after having such a wonder time teaching and demonstrating. Be sure to start saving for next year… save the date…May 1-5, 2014

I wanted to mention that I will be teaching my Pen and Ink one day workshop at the Orlando Area Polymer Clay Guild on Saturday June 29th. They meet in Winter Garden, FL . If you are interested in this workshop  contact the guild for more information.

instructors fandango13

 

We were lucky to have Iris Weiss from Polyform attending and supplying clay for our classes. Thank you Polyform and Iris.

Then there was Penny Jo Couch, Syndee Holt, LInda Hess, Suzanne Ivester, and me, Alice Stroppel.

 

Here are some of of the wonderful suns made this weekend.

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Photo by Judy MitchellOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Photo by Judy Mitchell

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and some other fun stuff

A colony of flamingos won, bought, and gifted….

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My Stroppel Cane bracelet demo

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Suzanne Ivester, me and Sydnee Holt

 

 

“Curiouser and Curiouser” Said Alice. Bangles – A Flamingo and A Toucan

I’ve been working with Ultralight a lot lately, using it as a core for many of my larger bracelets and beads. I used it as a core for my Woman in the Moon and she’s easy to wear.

I didn’t use it as a core for this flamingo, I was experimenting with Super Sculpey as the core as it’s a bit easier to sculpt with than the very soft Ultralight.  It’s heavier for sure and I won’t use it again as the core for bracelets this thick.

 

I’ve started a series of bangles using this method and I’m really jazzed about them. Right now I’m working on streamlining the process and learning the tricks of working successfully with the softer clay. It’s so much fun and I want to be able to teach others how to create their own characters. There is no limit to what we can come up with, here’s a toucan.

 

Wine Stoppers in Polymer Clay

I’ve added some Girlfriend Wine stoppers to my Etsy Shop. I’ve made so many of these and they still make people laugh.

They’re fun to do and if you want the perfect gift for that girlfriend of yours who is always there for you, and that is the first person you call for the “leave the husbands, boyfriends, or significant other at home” night out. Then this is the gift for you! All my girlfriends have one. So stop in my shop to see what else is new.

Or make one yourself, I buy my bottle stoppers at Boston Craftworks. You don’t have to make a girlfriend stopper, I’ve made some funky flamingos that I’ve posted in my shop too. I really laugh at these guys.

The flamingo is several canes that I put together directly on the piece. It takes more time, but I like the results.

Alice

P.S. If you own a blog and would like to win one of my bracelets, just click on the link below to participate in One World One Heart.

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If you’re looking for my OWOH giveaway it’s here

Two New Pen and Ink Bracelets

I just keep coming back to Alice and the poor flamingo from time to time over the years and here I am again. I really, really enjoyed this one. Fun, fun.

I loved the colors and drawing the skirt. My sister drew herself a set of paper dolls and clothes when I was just a little girl. They had lots of folds and shading and I just loved them. I thought they were the prettiest things in the world.

I always wanted to draw like her and of course my Dad. I  didn’t really ever try to draw until a couple of years ago. And because I didn’t get instant wonderful results, I would give up. Then I’d come back again and again until I feel like I would wear these, so maybe someone else will like them too.

I want to thank all those customers that have purchased one of my bracelets from my Etsy Shop, or told me you liked them, either here or on Facebook or Flickr. It encourages me to make more, not to mention makes me smile from ear to ear.

This is another of my “face bracelets” I had lots of fun with this one too. Okay what don’t I have fun doing???? Not much if it is with clay or creating of any kind.

Gotta have the lips, lol……………

And the colorful eye………Both of these bracelets are for sale in my Etsy Shop, thanks for taking the time to stop by.