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]

Catching Up or What I’ve Been Up To

It’s been over a month since I’ve posted here on Polymer Clay Etc. and so much has happened. All good, exciting and fun.  You might have seen these images and heard all this before on Facebook etc. but this is for my friends who aren’t on those other social media sites.

First of all I had a private Pen and Ink workshop with Mary Jane Reinhart and she created a great bracelet that day. You should see the work she’s doing now, fabulous! Plus she’s so much fun, I love having her in the Studio.

Mary Jane Reinhart

eye - Mary Jane Reinhart

I was over the moon when I received the newest addition of Belle Armoire Jewelry magazine,  just before I left town for a retreat.

Belle Armoire Jewelry Magazine 

Laurie Prophater wrote a wonderful article about a challenge she proposed to Meisha Barbee, Julie Eakes and me when they were all staying at my house and playing at Studio 215 while Meisha was teaching. (Read about the fun we had here.) I’m thrilled to be published along with these talented women. Thank you Laurie for thinking of such a enjoyable project.

Next I met up with several claying friends in Denver, Syndee Holt, Julie Eakes, Meisha Barbee, Libby Mills, and Emily Levine, we had a great time.  Crazy but oh so much fun!

syndee, Julie, Meisha

 

Then it was on to the retreat where we exchanged bowls. 25 incredible bowls came home with me and this exchange started me on my bird obsession. I posted about my bird bowls and my larger bird wall piece here.

I came home with many wonderful things from an auction we have every year and I purchased some lovely pieces from my friends to sell at Studio 215 with more to come. I can wait to share some of them with you. I’ll be posting them on my Studio 215 blog and on my Studio 215 Facebook page. If you’d like to see what I’m up to at the Studio, sign up to receive a notice each time I post, my newsletter, and like my Facebook page.

I can be found on Instagram , Twitter,  and Tumbr too. Whew.

Last week I was featured by Cynthia Tinapple on Polymer Clay Daily  and that is always treat and a compliment. Thank you Cynthia.

I was featured with my newest face that I created for the auction at the retreat. I was flattered that there was many bids on it.

Alice Stroppel Face 8-15

I made this cool graphic using an app called Canva. My friend Meredith Arnold shared this with me and I can’t stop using it. Very cool, thanks Meredith.

Here’s another graphic made with Canva showing off my newest bird weed pot prototypes that I worked on while on retreat. I hope to get more of these done showcasing different critters and characters. I’m smiling and that is always my goal, to create things that make me smile.

Alice Stroppel bird weed pots

The beginning of September brought more laughter and fun at Studio 215 when several of my favorite people came to take a Profile Face cane class with me. We had a great time for sure.

Polymer clay face cane studio215--9-3-15

Dottie, Kathryn, Barbara, AnnaMarie, Majel, and Mary Jane are new converts to polymer and I believe they aren’t getting away without clay sticking in they brains. They’re having as much fun as I did with I first started, but they’re lucky to have others to share the experience. Thanks, ya’ll are making me so happy to see you having so much fun and making such cool things.

Then to top it all off, Kathryn Obidzinski has been my apprentice for several months now and before I went on retreat she started a palette knife polymer clay self portrait. I think she created a wonderful piece. I know she had fun, learned a lot and I hope I can reel her in to explore polymer clay a bit more.

Katherine-Obinzinski

 

I’m spending the rest of the day prepping for the Houston Polymer Clay Guild’s Lone Star Retreat. I’ll be teaching along with Randee Ketzel and Sarah Shriver. Next month it’s Sandy Camp in San Diego. Just too much fun!!!

 

Thanks for stopping in, Alice

 

 

Meisha Barbee, Julie Eakes, Laurie Prophater and friends at Studio 215 and Beyond

Julie, Meisha, Laurie at Alice's home studio

I’ve been looking forward to this week for about six months. The four of us, Julie Eakes, Meisha Barbee, and Laurie Prophater planned to meet at my home studio and just sit and clay for a week. Then Studio 215 happened and the timing was right for one of this talented group of artists to teach a class at my new studio. Polyform Products provided Premo clay and we were set. Thank you Iris Weiss and Polyform Products 

Meisha said yes and taught a full house this past week-end and Julie and Laurie have agreed to teach in the future. Happily that means another trip to Florida.

In the photo above you see us in my studio at home claying away. We didn’t leave the house that day.

But it was on to Studio 215 the next day to get ready for Meisha’s workshop.

Meisha Barbee's workshop samples fro Studio 215

These were just some of the beautiful samples Meisha had on display, forgive the photography, I’m responsible.

Below are the finished piece created by a very talented group of students.

Meisha Barbee's student work Studio 215

Meisha Barbee's student work Studio 215

Everyone had a great time, learned a lot and went home ready to explore these skills a bit more. Just take a look at these happy faces. Meisha is an excellent teacher, everyone agreed.

Meisha Barbee's workshop at Alice Stroppel's Studio 215

Can you tell that we laughed quite a bit? I just loved having everyone here.

I’m happy to say that I now have work for purchase at Studio 215 from Meisha, Julie, and Laurie.  Here are just a few samples. I don’t think they’ll last long.

Meisha Barbee

Meisha Barbee

 

Laurie Prophater

Laurie Prophater

Julie Eakes

Julie Eakes

 

The next day found Julie, Meisha and me at the Ringling Museum of Art. We toured Ca’d’Zan the mansion and the museum and then jumped over to St. Armands Key to put our feet in the sand. Laurie had left us by then and we missed her smiling face.

Julie, Meisha and Alice at St. Armands Key

We had a great time but we weren’t very popular on Facebook when Julie posted this picture.  (notice the people in bathing suits in the back ground) Cold times up north…sorry guys.

Thanks to everyone for making this a happy week at Studio 215 and beyond.

Synergy3 Gifts and Trades

Orson's World

Synergy was wonderful for many reasons, but getting to meet in person people you have become friends with online has to be one of the highlights.

My friend Nikolina Otrzan (Orson’s World) surprised me with with this so very thoughtful gift in memory of Ceasar, the oh so sweet dog we just lost. I was touched and so appreciative. Thank you Nik.

Nik creates some fabulous polymer pieces and some very cool tutorials for sale in her Etsy shop. She also has a class on CraftArtEdu

She is such fun to be around, meeting her after month and months of online friendship was a such a treat. She traveled all the way from Croatia to attend Synergy and I hope to see her again when Synergy happens in Europe.

I’m lucky to own another piece of Nik’s work, we traded when she made me something from one of her Stroppel Canes. Love it.

Cara Jane Hayman

 

Cara Jane Hayman is another friend from the other side… she surprised me with the darling little Stroppel Cane piggy. It was so thoughtful to bring it all the way from Bristol, UK  just for me. Cara Jane started the Stroppel Cane Flickr group so that everyone can share their canes.  Care Jane also has tutorial for sale. Thanks so much Care Jane.

Julie Eakes

 

Can you believe I am the proud owner of this fabulous piece of a art by Julie Eakes? Julie’s work in impeccable! We made a large trade and I am more than thrilled.

The wording is, “As you’re pretty, so be wise, Wolves may lurk in every guise.” I wish you could see this piece up close, I think Julie said she made at least five canes to incorporate in this necklace. Julie and I have traded before I’m lucky to own a couple of other Julie Eakes creations.

Julie teaches and if you can take a class with her, you should! Here’s one on CraftArtEdu

Julie is soooo much fun and I’m lucky to call her friend…….Julie, I can’t thank you enough.

Meisha Barbee

And finally, Meisha Barbee and  I traded pieces and look what I got, a wowzer.  Meisha doesn’t have a website, but I have a feeling that she will soon, In the meantime here is a google search with some pictures of her fabulous work.

Meisha has recently started to teach, if she’s teaching near you, run don’t walk to take her class.

Meisha, you make me laugh way too much, you rock friend, thank you.

You see how lucky I am, not only to own such wonderful work, but to have made such wonderful friends through my love of polymer. It’s a wonderful life.

Trade With Julie Eakes

I had to share this trade with you. Julie and I met for the first time a couple of months ago and we decided to trade our creations.

This pendant  is an amazing piece of art. Not only did Julie make this incredible face cane she constructed the kaleidoscope canes she’s used for the frame.  I’m thrilled to have this wonderful piece but also to have gotten to know Julie and see her work on this piece.  You can see more of Julie’s work on her blog Julie Eakes. Her most recent cane is a beautiful portrait of her grandmother.

This is my part of the trade, the picture shows all side of the bracelet. Once again I think I got the better part of the trade. Thank you Julie