Polymer Clay Canes for Beginners 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.
Online Workshops with Alice Stroppel
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I have been using the Czextruder from Lucy Clay for several months now and promised to give a quick review. I’ve been making a few different canes with a couple of the disk and really enjoy using this quirky little canes in my cane mapping. So I thought I’d combine the review with a short tutorial.
You can see this cane used on the wispy ends of the tail on this fish and across the middle.
If you’ll notice, I don’t care if the curvy parts are lined up perfectly, actually, I want the cane to go this way and that, more organic.
I find the extruder to be very well constructed and it as a large loading tube which I like. It holds more clay than other extruders I’ve used. It’s easy to clean.
The part I find difficult is the loading. The plug is not attached to the plunger and that makes it harder to reinsert, but worth it in the end.
I like that the disks from other extruders and disk makers will fit this extruder. I believe Cynthia Tinapple’s disks fit as well.
Over all I find it an asset to my polymer clay tool box.
You can order yours from Lucy Clay or if you live in the United States Kimberly Idalski represents the company here.
 Stroppel Cane Pendant - Alice Stroppel/Meisha Barbee The Stroppel cane continues to be experimented with by polymer clay enthusiast around the globe and I couldn’t be more delighted. It’s so exciting and a little bit unreal.
I’ve been trying to pin, on my Pinterest site, each new picture of the cane or a finished piece when I found one. But I’ve given up trying to get them all, there are way too many. I’ll still pin all the items I find or if you don’t have a Flickr account and want to send them to me, I’ll post them. alice@polymerclayetc.com
 Cara Jane Hayman Cara Jane Hayman came up with the idea of creating a flickr group for The Stroppel Cane. Thanks Cara Jane for setting it up. This Flickr group should be fun and allow us all to take a peep at what others are making and the color palettes they used for their old canes. That has been as much fun for me as seeing everyone’s finished products.
The Stroppel Cane has already begun to morph and take on a life of it’s own as we saw in my last post featuring Orly Rabinowitz’s verion of the technique. So tracking it’s life from the beginning could be very interesting.
So go join the Flickr group and upload the picture of your Stroppel Cane projects. Thank you all very much for all wonderful things you’ve made, it’s been a fabulous couple of weeks.
These fish with their own bling are a part of a WIP, but I wanted to share them with you today because I am excited about how they look.
It’s one of those slap myself on the forehead moments…ever since I attended a class with Kathleen Dustin, I’ve had every color of Gilding Material, gold leaf, variegated blue leaf, red variegated and silver too. This class was years ago maybe 2005, can’t remember. Anyway I made a few thing using the techniques I learned in her class and then move to other things.
This metal leaf has just been patiently waiting for me to remember it. Today, 6? years later I incorporated it in these cane mapped mosaic fish. You can learn the basic mosaic technique by signing up for my newsletter in the upper right hand side of this page.
I’ve been framing some of the other fish that I’ve done for my classes and I wanted to create a large piece that contains several fish and other subjects. So I’m not finished yet, this has exploded me into a whole different group of ideas. Like I need anymore to add to the ones I haven’t gotten to yet. But maybe I’ll add some of these to the front of the list.
It’s so great to be able to share what I’m doing each day. I know there is someone out there checking in once in awhile, thanks……….
I was checking my clipart disks for butterflies to do using my mosaic technique and ran into the moth section and I realized that moths are pretty spectacular. The guy above is a moth, fantasy colors of course. I still have a butterfly on my table and there are some fabulous butterflies as well. I’m going to make a necklace out of this one.
You can learn this technique by signing up for my newsletter (in the upper right hand side of this page) and watching the free 20 minute video tutorial.
Stay tuned, because I’m going to be teaching a full day of this technique very soon. It’s lots of fun and the applications are limitless.
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!
 If you’re looking for my OWOH giveaway it’s here
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My newest video tutorial Pen and Ink on Polymer Clay is now available for sale in my Etsy shop. This video will show you what supplies you’ll need to create pen and ink drawings on bracelets, pin, pendants or whatever else your imagination can come up with. Follow along with me as I share my techniques and tips about working with pen and ink on polymer.
If you aren’t familiar with my videos you might want to take a minute and take a look at some of the free ones that are here on this blog.
Look at the top of this page and you’ll see a tab that says, video tutorials. Or you can get there from here. A good one to watch is How to Attach Your Polymer Clay Artwork to a Metal Bracelet Blank.
Thanks for stopping by and if you have a blog be sure to click on the One World One Heart link at the beginning of this post and leave a comment on that post to win a crazy girl bracelet.
Alice
My Tropical Leaves Tutorial was featured in this Etsy Treasury. Jackie from The Pleasant Pheasant is curator of this treasury, thanks Jackie.
I’ve been enjoying seeing all the profile face canes that people have made using my Profile Face Cane tutorial. It’s amazing how different they all look and what each person adds to the faces to make them their own.
 Kem Eid This is a necklace made by Kem Eid. Kem was in my face cane class in Orlando. She added her face to a great necklace and is already enjoying wearing this girl and getting lots of compliments I bet.
 Donna Ingram Donna Ingram was one of my first customer. She bought the tutorial, downloaded the pdf and watched the 40 minute video. Donna added a hand and a cell phone to her girl. What a great gift for a girlfriend that never gets off the phone. It could be a pin or a magnet. Great idea Donna.
 Bonnie McIntyre Craig Bonnie already has these bracelets ready to go……lucky girlfriends at Christmas time. It looks like she’s coated these and made them sing with a bit of shine. And I think Bonnie is having a great time with these faces. Making her smile I hope.
Thanks to all who have purchased the tutorial and sent me pictures. If you are wondering if this tutorial is for you, here are some reviews from my customers that might help you make up your mind.
“Super easy to understand and great pictorials to watch and follow off your computer.”
“Fabulous tutorial. The video is awesome and very easy to follow, I am looking forward to making these. ”
“This tutorial and video are very detailed and easy to follow. The graphics in the printed instuctions are excellent. Alice your video adds visually to the printed directions beautifully. Either way you win with this tutorial. Fast and easy transaction. Thank you Alice”
“Great tutorial and great service – I would recommend this tutorial to anyone wanting to learn face caning – very detailed pdf and video. Would purchase again.”
So, are you ready to make so fabulous gifts for christmas? Only 44 day left, but more than enough time to make some fabulous faces.
 Best Friend Forever Don’t forget about covering ornaments for your girlfriends. Write a funny or meaningful phrase on the back and you’ll make em’ all smile.
When I taught my Profile Face Cane class to some of the members of the Orlando Area Polymer Clay Guild, I was delighted to have 14 people attend and all of them create faces with their own individual style. I asked them all to send pictures of their finished girls and I want to show them here.
If you were in that class and want to send me pictures, I’m waiting. But I didn’t have to wait for Charline Ahlgreen, president of OAPCG, she brought this cool glass vase with her to class and by the end she had her face placed on it, added hair or maybe they are butterflies? Plus a cool collar.
 Charline Mary Jenkins, Treasurer, had a great start on her girl as well. Before we packed up to go home she had a fabulous slice of her face cane complete with collar, hair and very cool hat. Looks like she was going to end up on a bracelet
 Mary Sherry Caley was the first to send me a picture of her girl. I was waiting for a clearer one, but I’m posting this one now and if you send me another one Sherry, I’ll replace it. Her hair, hat and collar look great, very 3d.
 Sherry Rose Long was next with this great photo of too small journal covers. I love how she used flowers for the hair on the first girl. I can tell she went home and made another face. The more you make the better they get, trust me. I love both of these girls, each has it’s own special character. Very cool idea.
 Rose Then there is Crazy Nancy Welch. She called me to see if I would teach this class, so I owe all the fun to her. She has been very busy with her girls and has created tons of great things. You can see that she made another face cane too. Love em both.
 Nancy  Nancy  Nancy
 Nancy That’s it for the photos from Orlando. Maybe I’ll get some more someday.
Each of the students received links to the pdf and video from this class. If you would like to make your own face canes, the pdf and video are available in my Profile Face Cane Tutorial for sale in my Etsy Shop. Or if you would like to sponsor a class with your guild or group or at your retail store, contact me for further information. Or you can check out my teaching information here.
Thanks everyone, I had a blast.
 Tropical Leaves Bracelet #2 I took a picture of this bracelet before I finished it because I’ve strung it on elastic cord and it will be harder to take a picture of it once I’ve tied it off. I really like the irregularity of these beads. I might decide to make a necklace instead….what do ya’ think?
The main canes are from my Tropical Cane Tutorial with small little blasts of color from other smaller canes from my stash.
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