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]

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.

Balancing Act – A Polymer Clay Figure

Balancing Act

Balancing Act

This week-end, I continued to stick to my resolve to begin (and complete, hopefully) projects that I have been thinking of for what seems like forever. This project is actually at least 7 years in my head. This is figure #1 in a series of 8.

Balancing Act Here’s a shot without the experimental background, that’s another story. But this story begins in 2003 when I was director of the Highlands Art League. We were having a children’s furniture painting class one summer and I was in a thrift shop looking for inexpensive chairs and I found these beveled glass light shades.

There were 8 of them and only $1.00 each and I couldn’t walk away. We were restoring 3 old houses from the 1920s and I thought maybe we could use them somewhere.  I also saw bases for figures in my head. Mixed media art dolls if you will. Maybe a class when I had time?

I bought them and donated them to the cause.

I left the art league for a couple of years around 2004 and didn’t return until 2006. While cleaning and sorting, I came across them in a box on a shelf. A volunteer said, “We have no idea what they are or what to do with them.” I laughed and decided nothing was ever going to happen with them there, so a took them home with me a create  those figures in my head.

Her nose is kind of big and there’s a reason. It’s been awhile since I’ve done any sculpting and on the second baking, I covered her with tin foil again, but not well enough and her nose got very, very brown.

I had to cut off her nose to spite her face and build a new one. It ended up a tad bit bigger and not quite as nice, but I save her I happy to say.

Then next baking I remembered to cover her nose with polyfil after first heat setting with my heat gun.

I’m still playing around with what will be inside the beveled glass, but I just wanted to get her picture up and start another one. Practice, practice, practice.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Tons of New Listings Mean Great Gifts for Christmas

It was a busy day yesterday as I uploaded item after item to my Etsy Shop.  This Flame Necklace is an interesting piece with large unusual beads.

It will prove to be the same tomorrow I believe.  Most of the items I’ve made in the last few months and just haven’t taken the time to do all the legwork needed to get them ready for Etsy.

Another crazy girlfriend bracelet. She’s a single lady.

This is one bracelet in a series of 13. I really want to make more of these interesting face canes. Maybe after Christmas.

Pet Rocks? Nah…Rocker Girls Paperweights

Rocker Girls

Rocker Girls

Okay, here’s the last of my creative streak this week. Actually these paperweight rocker girls are the start. I had this idea to cover rocks with clay and my face cane slices, I made the black haired girl and smiled the whole time. (that’s when I know I have an idea that at least I think is fun)

These are rocks out of my French Drain behind my porch. The blonde is about 3″ x 2″, black haired girl is 2″ 1/2″ x 2″ and the brunette is 2′ x 1 1/2″ . All perfect sizes for a funky addition to your desk as a paper weight or just sitting around on a shelf or counter. They make me laugh.

It was hard to make the clay stick to the rock. (the next girls I made I covered with craft glue and let dry, then it was fine, I was just too much in a hurry for the first girl)

Because the clay wasn’t sticking, it made me think of using my old clay as the core, so I made a girl with clay instead of the rock. Half way through I had the idea to make this business card holder. So I made the slit for cards to fit and there you go.

I had a plastic business card holder on my desk and I had this idea to make something that used less clay. After all, not everyone has tons of scrap clay.

Business Card Holder - Polymer Clay

Business Card Holder

So there you have a peek inside my strange mind. Not that anyone really wanted to look…:) Thanks for stopping in today.

P.S. All of these would make great projects for kids.

Business Card Holder Two

Business Card Holder - Polymer Clay

Business Card Holder

My playing around yesterday resulted in the business card holder from the last post and this one that was glued on a plastic holder. It was easy breezy and maybe a great gift for kids to make for the adults on their list. Any design will do, it doesn’t have to be a girlfriend. Geometric, flowers, or more manly designs for the guys. You could match any profession.

I googled the plastic holders and found tons of them from .50 on up. Office Depot had them for .99.

Make your design, cure it and glue it to the holder with super glue. Do not bake the holder.

I put this girl on the wrong side for my cards, I didn’t realize it until it was already baked. But I’m not keeping it anyway, I’m keeping the one from the last post.

Tomorrow? The last idea from my day of the clay. Hint…..remember Pet Rocks?

Business Card Holders Rule the Day

Business Card Holders

Business Card Holders

Two more crazy girlfriends join in the fun. I used the same new face cane that I used on the business card holder in this post from the other day. Just goes to show you that each slice will look a little different.

I like these in black and white and I’m happy with this new face cane. I have some really cool new things in the oven right now. Can’t wait to see how the turn out and share them with you.

Going to list one of these girls in my Etsy Shop right now. Hmmmmm just can’t decide which one.

New Girlfriend Bracelets – polymer clay

Every one of the last group of “Girlfriend Galore” bracelets went to new homes last week. Two traveled all the way around the world to Cyprus and one went to a friend. I was thrilled.

Girlfriends Galore

Girlfriends Galore

Plus another single girl sold to a high school friend. How nice is that. When friends buy things from you when you least expect it, it’s a good feeling.

So these are several new bracelets I’ve made for the first friend who wants more. As soon as she takes what she wants, I’ll post the rest in my Etsy shop.

A Girlfriend Pin 2 – Polymer Clay Face Cane

Face Cane Pin

Face Cane Pin

Yesterday, I posted this face cane pin in my Etsy Store. As always, she’s fun and funky and makes me laugh. If you have a minute, take a look.

I also sent out a newsletter yesterday. I was shocked to see how long it had been since my last one. I’ve had so many new people sign up to watch the fish video and receive my newsletter, thank you all. I’ve had quite a few responses from it and I thank everyone for taking the time to open it and maybe click through a couple of links. I’ll try to do better from now on.

Lots of irons in the fire this week. Hope to get a couple of things wrapped up and the first steps of other things started. I have a couple of exciting ideas floating around in my head. At least they are exciting to me and I can’t wait to get started on them.

Summer is over for Moms with kids, but still hot here in central Florida. My clay is sticky, sticky. Don’t which is better, freezing cold so my hands don’t work, or so warm you battle to keep the canes from sticking to each other.