27 videos, step by step, beginner cane workshop
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.
I’ve been having so much fun on Facebook with this project. I posted pictures of the first part of the project featuring six of my girls with the tag line, “Bet you can’t figure out what this is going to be”. So many of you had great guesses and wonderful compliments, I thank you so much for playing along because it made it that much easier for me to continue working on it until it was finished.
As I continued to work and post pictures you continued to guess.
It kept getting taller and taller. ……..
……until I finally finished it and here is the big reveal…TADA…It’s a table.
I found two base metal lamps at my local thrift store and combined pieces from each to create this crazy table. It’s very sturdy and well weighted. You might even classify this project a found object project.
I have a couple more lamps that I bought but they don’t come apart so I’ll see how they work out in the oven.
By the way, I bake in a full size oven that I have in my studio and it was easy to bake this table because is was in pieces. The next ones will be a challenge I think.
I cover a bit of each piece with clay and then bake it so I won’t mess up what I’ve just done. when it’s cool, I add more clay and bake again. I can do this as many times as I want and bake for as long as I want because I have calibrated my oven and I know that it is always on the correct temperature.
I’m still waiting for the black and white tile to be delivered for my pink flamingo bathroom…see the post below. While I’m waiting, I thought I’d show you my other project.
This is a cute little gate-leg table I found about 6 years ago at a thrift store. I think it’s probably from the 20s or 30s. It just screamed to be taken home and covered with polymer clay. Then poor little thing, it’s been sitting in the corner for all these years and just last week got a good coat of black paint on the legs.
So now I just have to design something for the top. I’m so torn between putting several of my girls on it and doing something serious. Okay I can hear you and I agree, why try to be serious now? Okay so help me here, tell me should I put lots of girls or make a new giant cane and add two large girlfriends? I can almost see it now can you?
I made these flamingo tiles at my friend Janet King’s studio years ago when we had a pipe burst in my studio’s bathroom and we had to have the whole house re-plumbed. I won’t tell you how long ago….no…….don’t ask to me to…. please. I had never taken a shower down here anyway.
So, we are finally getting the floor of the shower repaired and the big hole in the tile filled in. You have to understand this house was built in the late 60’s and it is not your typical construction even for then. But these tiles are unique to say the least and we could never find replacements so I made the Flamingos.
I made Flamingos because……….the room is pink, I mean P.I.N.K. from floor to ceiling……..
See what I’m talking about? Seriously, who does this? So what else could I do but flamingos? I am way too old for Barbies.
Anyway, the exciting part is we are putting down black and white check on the floor of the shower and on the counter top. It is going to make me smile everyday. How fun is that? Plus I finally get rid of that really ugly counter top.
My husband actually said he is going to like it. What? Is this the same man from the year of the bathroom flood? My how time mellows, but more than that I guess he finally realizes I will never give up my studio and has embraced my weirdness.
I always say there is a reason for everything and maybe not doing the repair was to give him time to realize how cool I am. *G*
So if I’m missing for a while, I’m working on more flamingos for my pink bathroom. Plus I have another project I want to start soon too. I’ll show you that next.
Boy have I had fun the last few days. Filming the video on found objects and polymer clay really got me excited about all the projects that I have promised myself I was going to do when I wasn’t working anymore. So watch out..I might be on a roll. I say might because I always have great intentions.
I could have made this video an hour longer, I had that many found objects that I could have shared with you, but I figured you would thank me if I kept it at 15 minutes.
The photo above is just one of the projects that I used some of my found objects on. Kitchen items from my husband’s grandmother and a necklace from a garage sale. I love using items that have meaning to members of my family. He is going to hang on the Christmas tree and once a year we will be reminded of grandma and the fabulous things she use to make for the holidays. Easter pie was a favorite, even for Christmas.
Embellished Book
This photo is of an old flea market book and one of the pieces I made in this video. Old watch part from my dad, who is no longer with us, fabulous magnifying spectacles that belong to a long ago relative. A great coffee table book. Enjoy the video!
Several days ago, I promised you a video showing how to use objects you might have around the house to imprint polymer clay projects. Or you may want to use that interesting found object to embellish one of your creations.
I “found” all of these items while I was clean out and cleaning up. You might say I “re-found” them. Most are things I have collected over the years because they were interesting and I just knew one day I’d “make something from them”. ( I think there is a name for this illness……..most of you have it too I think!) Some are just everyday items.
Even my husbands work space didn’t escape the scavenger hunt……don’t tell him though, he gets scared when I venture into his garage with that look on my face.
Today, I’m working on samples and tomorrow or the next day I’ll post the video. Start looking around you, I know you’ll find lots of things to play with. Roll out some fresh clay and experiment. Or be ready with your treasures for when you watch my new video and we can experiment together.
Just remember, if you use something from your kitchen for clay, you won’t want to use it again for food.
Are you like Arlene Harrison? Do you have business card cases that you purchased and they’re still in the box they came in. Okay, maybe you opened the box.
(Of course you did, what was I thinking, we are internet ordering specialist aren’t we? When the boxes come, we open before the mailman can get out of the driveway.)
But maybe you just didn’t exactly know how to apply the polymer clay to the case. So you thought about them for awhile. Then you thought about them some more. Then you forgot about them.
Then one day you came across them in the bottom of the drawer or the back of the closet. How did they get there? You promise yourself you are going to do something with them soon. Hey, if they were going to make great Christmas presents last year, well, they still will this year right? You have plenty of time, it’s only July.
You put them on top of everything else in the drawer. If they’re on top, you’ll be sure to see them now and you’ll get around to figuring them out soon.
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