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]

The IPCA Progress and Possibilities

I woke up this morning to a surprise. Both of the pieces I entered into the International Polymer Clay Association’s 2012 Progress and Possibilities placed. I’m more than thrilled that both the judges and the membership enjoyed my work.

“Tracey”, my giant necklace above tied for 2nd place with Bettina Welker’s hinged bracelet, “Circles”  and with my second entry, “Fantasy Fish Bowl” ( in the photo below). How wonderful is that? I’m laughing because I’m tied with myself.

“Tracey” also placed 1st with the members and “Fantasy Fish Bowl” was second. Really, first and second? I couldn’t believe it, still can’t.  I am honored to have been able to compete with such wide array of talented  polymer clay artists.

Thank you to the judges and all the members who voted for my pieces. And a big thank you to Suzanne Ivester who encouraged me to create something to enter. (Shamed me into it would be a better discription, lol)

The rest of this day…..well…..it’s going to continue to be pretty wonderful, I’m grinning  from ear to ear.

IPCA’s Progress and Possibilities 2011

I was working on several things this weekend, more girlfriend slides in my Etsy shop and several of my new bracelets.

Two of the new bracelets were for the International Polymer Clay Associations competition Progress and Possibilities. I have never entered any competitions with my clay work except in a monthly Viola polymeristas once or twice. I hadn’t planned on sending anything to this competition until my friend Suzanne Ivester asked me why not. I told her , “I don’t know, I don’t know what I would send?  She kind of wagged her email finger at me and made me think it was time to see if I could come up with a design.

I’ve been working hard to make my work as professional as I can, as smoothly finished and well made as possible. Now it’s time to take the next step and start pushing those other buttons like others approval, how will it measure up, and just plain ol’ fright.

Yep fright! You might think that is totally crazy coming from someone who blogs all the time, exposes my work to thousands of readers everyday, makes videos of my techniques and shows myself in these videos from time to time!

But it’s true, asking someone else to judge your work is totally different than just sharing it with those who want to take a look or actually buy something you’ve made.

But I don’t think I’m alone in feeling this way, so I’m going to pass on my challenge from Suzanne to you, make something and enter it in Progress and Possibilities 2011.  There are three categories – Art Jewelry, Functional Objects and Sculptural Objects with three levels of expertise – Beginners, Intermediate and Professional. So you see, even if you are a beginner there is a place for you. If you are Intermediate like me, then I double dog dare you. If you’re professional…..well enough said.

I double dog dare you!

In the meantime, I’m  still sending girlfriends to Etsy. I’ll show pictures of my new bracelets another day.