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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Correcting Pen and Ink Face

A Correction - pen and ink

After I posted my girl yesterday, I saw what I couldn’t see while I was working on her. Her jaw was way wrong. I had corrected it a bit while working on her, but not enough. It’s funny how you don’t really see something until you back away from it. In this case taking the photo and posting it, then looking at it later online made me see what I could before.

I think I was excited by how the coloring was coming out and the use of the canes in combo with the drawing and didn’t really want to look at the face.

So last night I operated and she looks a bit better. Thanks for sticking we me through all this experimentation. For all those out there that say you can’t  draw…..sure you can, you just have to look harder at what you’re putting on the canvas. We all know when something looks wrongand we can fix it.

Now to fix her nose……:)

P.S. I first was introduced to some of the colored pens I use by Kathleen Dustin. She is the master and a wonderful instructor. If you should ever have an opportunity to take a class with her, you should run, not walk to do it.

More Pen and Ink on Polymer Clay

Dark Haired Girl

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.

New Pendants From Salvaged Work

Pen and Ink and Polymer Clay

I can’t stand to throw anything away, even when things go a bit wrong. I was working on two pen and ink bracelets (using the techniques shown in my video tutorial for sale in my Etsy shop) for Woman Creative – Art and Jewelry Design Center when somehow my oven when crazy and I had a couple of scorched bracelets on my hands. Not totally black, but not fit for sending to Ellen at the Center.

But today as I was taking them off the blanks, I just couldn’t throw them away. So I began to play around with them and I cut them apart and repositioned them on other pieces of clay and I began to really like the antique look of the pieces.

What didn’t work as one of my usual bracelets really did work in a different setting. In the beginning I thought I might want to add some more antiquing to them, but I really like them just the way they are.

I’m thrilled to have saved them and I think I might be on to something else. But that’s the way it is, too many things I want to do and too little time.

I guess what I really wanted to share with you was that sometimes what you think as failure might just turn into success, never give up!

Colored Pen and Ink on Polymer Clay Sent to Woman Creative

Colored Pen and Ink on Polymer ClayIt’s been a busy month! Yesterday I sent a large package to Ellen Prophater at Woman Creative in Buford, Georgia. (Scroll down to the bottom of this post and watch this short video I made while I was there earlier this month. ) Barbara McGuire is  Education Director and Founder and Ellen is Exhibit Director and Gallery Manager. It’s a beautiful space and a must see if you are anywhere near by.

The Pen and ink bracelet above was one of the items that I sent for my display. ( It’s a composite picture of one bracelet, showing all sides) I created it using the techniques shown in the Pen and Ink on Polymer Clay video that I have for sale. You can purchase it by clicking on the image in the upper left hand corner of this page, or visiting my Esty shop here.

I love making canes and working with the colored clay, but I am thrilled to be able to combine both the drawing and the clay together. Exactly what one of my customers just emailed me about this tutorial.

I started out creating items with black and white with a touch of red, and still love those pieces, but have started to add color to the whole design and really am enjoying the color very much.

All of my items will be for sale in the Woman Creative Gallery along with many other well known artist’s work. Of course this is the place to see Barbara’s work, both current and some of her earlier pieces. Plus there are all kinds of classes you can take, click on this link to Woman Creative website, then on calendar on the right hand side of the page.

Girl Friends Galore

I sent all of these girlfriends to Ellen Plus other fun things. Can’t wait to see picture of how she displays them. Ellen has such a wonderful eye for display, she knows just what to  do.

I also sent one of the large Girlfriends Galore Bracelets to Charline Ahlgreen for the Orlando Area Polymer Clay Guild’s annual Fandango auction. Plus two of my tutorials. So if you’re there and bidding, bid large..*g*

Don’t worry, I still have some for sale in my Etsy Shop. I am getting low on faces and need to spend a few days making more, so you might not see all of these same faces next time you look.

I’ve got to get busy, so see you later.

2nd Alice in Wonderland Bracelet Polymer Clay

Alice in Wonderland 2This is the second of two bracelets I made as samples for a client. She chose the first bracelet and so this one I’m going to keep for myself.

This is another bracelet made with the technique used in my new Pen and Ink tutorial. You can look to the upper left hand side of this page for a link to purchase it or click here.

A Walk on the Wild Side – Polymer Clay, Pen and Ink

Here’s another of my pen and ink and polymer clay bracelets. This one has five panels and no canes, so there are more pen and ink drawings than usual. I’m crazy about animal prints. I keep waiting for them to go out of style, but it doesn’t ever seem to happen. I had fun with the Lady in Blue and decided to add color to this girls too.

She has her leopard shoes and purse and a zebra scarf in her hair, she’s ready to go to your house. *g*.

Visit my Etsy shop for this and more crazy, funky pieces of artwork to wear…or just hang around here and watch some videos…..

Lady in Blue – Pen and Ink on a Polymer Clay Base

Lady in Blue

Lady in Blue

This is the first all pen and ink design bracelet. I still have a polymer clay base, but the entire woman is pen and ink. I’ve learned quite a bit messing around with the ink. What works and what to watch out for. I promised myself to write a tutorial this month. I had about three tutorials on my must do list and over Christmas I found a product that made me add another to my list.

Anyway, I’m back to being to excited about EVERYTHING, that I’m finding it hard to stick to one thing. But I’ll get over it and get busy here.

This lady is for sale in my Etsy Shop. Thanks again for coming by.

Pen and Ink Meets Polymer Clay Again

Pen and ink and polymer clay

Pen and ink and polymer clay

Happy New Year everyone. I’m excited to be back to play…er..I mean work. I hope everyone had as wonderful a holiday as I did. I walked away from the clay table for a week or so and now I am back full force and ready to try new things.

I asked for and got, some really cool Figure Drawing books for Christmas and will be playing around with more Pen and Ink as well as polymer clay faces.

I am also beginning work on some other ideas that I had. My goal this month, forget the whole year, is to get a couple more of my most popular designs into tutorials. And to hit the road teaching, plus have more classes right here in my studio.

In the mean time I’m still producing my bracelets. Here’s the latest pen and ink.

I’m excited to begin my next project. Stay tuned.

New Pen and Ink and Zentangle Cane Bracelet

Pen and Ink Zentangle

Pen and Ink Zentangle

I got sidetracked last night, I was working on the orange necklace from the day before and put the beads in the oven. I had to wait anyway and started working on some bracelets that were waiting for me to draw on them with ink.

I finished this one and one with chickens, yes chickens, go figure. Once I got started I just couldn’t stop. I’ve listed this one in my Etsy shop and will list the chickens soon.

I’ll show you the chickens tomorrow and by then I should be finish with the orange necklace.

Pen and Ink – Lips and Eye – Oh My

Pen and Ink

Pen and Ink

I sold the last pen and ink bracelet that I listed in my Etsy Shop in less than 24 hours, I was thrilled. I’ve made a few more with white blank spaces and this is the first I’ve drawn on today. The rest are just sitting there waiting for me to pick up the pen again.

Lips

Lips

This one is a bit different. It has the face in the front, lips on one side and an eye on the other.

Eye

Eye

I also made some business card holders like this. They both have lips only drawn in pen and ink. I’m having quite a bit of fun with these.