I just finished this small fish table. I love doing tables because they give me a large “canvas” to work with. I put a colorful crab in the middle of this one.
This is a larger take I did months ago and now lives with a great friend and customer.
Next up? A very large mirror.
I’ve added a new workshop to my online polymer clay school, (click on link and scroll down to few the individual workshops) It’s a jammed packed workshop full of ideas and inspriation. Most of my cane workshops are not about one individual cane, they are about the process. It’s what I love the most about cane making, I never really know where I’m going to end up. That makes each cane I make a surprise and a delight. Of course you can plan your canes as well.
I’ve added these canes as individual workshops so you can purchase only the ones you want or get a discount when you purchase them all together in a bundle.
There are 25 Videos, as well as videos on making Skinner blends and plugs. That’s about 4 hours of videos that you can watch again and again.
Videos below are sold separately in groups and are included in the bundle. Click here to go straight to the bundle.
Pods
Purple Pod Parts 1 and 2
Sea Pod Parts 1, 2 and 3
Pink Pod Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4
Spiral/Jellyroll Canes
Double Skinner Blend Spiral
Striped Spiral
Stroppel Spiral
Deconstruct – Reconstruct
Segmented Stripes
Segmented Stripes from a Skinner Blend Sheet
Segmented Stripes from a Skinner Blend Plug
Graphic Canes
Simple Graphic Parts 1 and 2
Squares
From Rectangles to a Square
Spacey Canes
Spacey Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4
Bonus – Spacey in the Round
Flip Floppin’ Flower
Flip Floppin’ Flower parts 1 and 2
Please use http//alice-stroppel.teachable.com
I’m delighted with the cane mapping that happened in Kansas City last month. On the first day we made lots of fun and easy canes to use in our cane mapped pieces the next day. You can always use old canes as well, but learning new ways to cane is always a plus.
The beautiful dragonfly above is by Heidi McCulough and was finished after class. It makes me very happy when people enjoy the workshop enough to want to continue working after class. In fact she got together with Pat Kuehn to finish her piece and Pat made her second piece, the fabulous beetle below.
Pat was my hostess and what a delight it was to stay in her beautiful home. Thank you Pat.
I know that Patti Soliman is planning to cane map a hippo in the near future. Be sure to send me a picture Patti.
Each and every one created some wonderful pieces and I hope they are as impressed with their work as I am.
But I’m missing several pictures from the group. If you have taken a picture of your piece, please send it to me or post it on our FB page and I’ll up date this post.
Anne Rowe, Linda Bowers, Michele Wineland, Renee Becka, Barbara Morris, Robin Young
Donna Harryman’s butterfly is just wonderful. Donna was the coordinator for my workshop and I want to extend a special thank you to Donna and her committee, Anne M. Rowe, Linda Bowers and all the other guild members. Its a lot of work to put on an event like this and I’m grateful to have been asked to teach such a fun group.
Donna’s butterfly is my kind of beautiful, bright, bold, colorful piece.
Janie Clark finished two great pieces in class. She used some familiar canes in both of her butterflies. Stroppel Canes were part of our workshop of course. *g*
Some beautiful work by June Flannery Duckworth who is very new to caning.
Kim Koval Keane tackled the large butterfly and just wow and wow again.
Pat Kuehn came prepared with a pattern for the sugar skull… fabulous.
Liz is a woman after my heart. She didn’t want to make a ”thing”, she wanted to do a free form abstract. Cant wait to see where her imagination takes her next.
Another intricate lovely butterfly, Kathy Fritz did a great job.
Robin Young’s fish has a more organic palette with plenty of sassy attitude. Love it.
Patty Minton Welch’s butterfly is so soft and painterly, lovely.
Pat’s second piece is kinda nostalgic in a round about way, she had a VW beetle in the 70s.
We have that in common, my first car was a green VW beetle with a sun roof. In the 70s, I dinged the front fender and painted bright hippy flowers all over it and the hood. I know, crazy kid, but loving color and fun even then. Pat said her VW was bright orange, so see, so much in common. Oh and yes there is PC.
Patti Soliman made a vibrantly, delightful, colorful fish. And I have to say the thinnest piece there that day. Perfect for the frame.
Patricia Hill’s fish is charming, beauteous and as with all of the incredibly wonderful pieces from this workshop, colorful.
Colorful is probably an under statement for what I teach, can you tell I love it?
Thanks again to Kansas City Polymer Clay Guild for a great time and a great workshop.
A special place in my heart for Polyform’s generous spirit and Premo. Iris Weiss xo.
Next workshop away from Studio 215 will be in Sept. in St. Augustine with the First Coast Polymer Clay Guild. Canes on the first day and fun funky weed pots on day two. Can’t wait.
Oh and just a heads up, I’ll be teaching Weed Pots as a pre-workshop before next years Orlando Clay Fandango. Yes!
My online workshop launched in August and it’s been a great success for me and I plan on making many more workshops in the future.
But nothing makes me happier than to be on the receiving end of lovely compliments like these
Nancy Simmons made me blush a bit with this message. “I was fortunate enough to take Alice’s cane making class a year or so ago. It was wonderful. What’s as wonderful (except for the in-person part), is her cane making video. I couldn’t ‘get’ everything from the class, so I bought the video. It’s exactly like being in class with Alice, except it makes it seem like you’re the only one in the class. I also purchased her cane mapping videos. All I can say is WOW! I feel a new world has opened up for me. I just can’t wait for Alice to add more videos. I’ve worked with many excellent instructors, but to me, Alice is the best. Do yourself a favor, buy all her videos. I’ve included my first cane mapping. Hopefully, you can see it. Her name is Sylvia. Thank you, Alice.”
Lee Ann Nesbitt sent me this eye opening compliment.
“I finished, kind of, your extrusion class..started cane mapping. I realized I was missing something, and needed the dot, dot dot. I just bought Polymer Clay for Beginners. My advice…Change the name! I am far from a beginner..do not OVER estimate non beginners knowledge. This class is for everyone. Just starting…I got good tips on striped slabs, using full packages and not cutting triangles for skinners…3 canes out of one blend..and I’m just starting!”
Jennifer Rose left this oh so nice comment. “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.”
Thank you so much, Jennifer, Lee Ann and Nancy, it means so much to me.
I’m so happy to tell you that I have uploaded two new workshops to my online school. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and you’ll see Cane Mapping and Extrusions.
The extrusion workshop consists of thirteen videos that equal over an hour of instruction.
This workshop will show you how to make small unique canes from extruded polymer clay. You can use these canes to make everything from buttons beads and pendants to cane mapped pieces.
It’s only about the techinque used in making the canes, not the finished pieces.
It’s all part of building your cane inventory so that when you are ready to begin a project you have many canes to choose from.
I use lots of extruded cane in my cane mapping pieces.
The butterfly on the left is made with both extruded canes and traditional canes. The one on the right is all extrusions.
If you love mosaics, color and polymer clay, if you love the look of complex canes but simply don’t want to create a giant complex cane, if you love one of a kind pieces, and if you have tons of left over canes, this is the can mapping workshop for you!
This is the workshop I teach at my Sebring Studio and around the country at polymer clay guilds and retreats. The difference is you can rewind and watch each step over and over if you want.
In almost 2 hours of videos you’ll learn the basics by cane mapping this fish portrait and the butterfly on the left above. I’ll show you a few unexpected canes and different slices that you can incorporate into your designs.
This is an intermediate class and having some Skinner blended canes in your stash will make your designs pop.
Thanks so much for taking a look .
I’m so excited to be just days away from launching my new online polymer clay school. All the things I teach here in my studio you’ll be able to learn at your own pace without the travel expense.
I’d rather see you in person, but this is for those of you who live too far away.
These aren’t your average tutorials, these courses are layers of videos that allow you to look over my shoulder as I create my canes and apply my technique to various projects. We go slow so you don’t miss a thing.
My first workshops, Polymer Clay Canes for beginners is exactly that but with my spin on canes, Skinner blends and my loose easy approach to cane constructions.
This course has 26 videos showing you step by step how I go from Skinner blends to the finished canes with some storage and basic tool information too.
If you already are a cane maker then hold on for the next workshops. I’m going to be adding cane mapping, expanded pen and ink, bracelets, weed pots, sculpting and workshops on furniture and large wall pieces.
But if you want to begin caning and have been putting it off or are wondering just where to start, this workshop may be for you.
Plus, I’ll be hosting a live Hangout on Youtube in a week or so, my first guest will be Nancy Ulrich the inventory of the App. ColorMixr™
So sign up now to my newsletter or just sign up to this blog and you’ll get an email with updates. You’ll be the first to know when I launch a new workshop or I have a live interview.
I’m excited! Oh, did I already say that?
The date for Weed Pots have changed.
The workshop will not be held on May 21st as planned but will be taking place on June 4th instead. Hope to see you here.
Download application blank for Alice’s workshops here
Weed Pots
Saturday June 4th
10:00am – 4:30pm
$75
Bring your canes or if you don’t have canes
You can use mine for $15 more
I just listed a few new workshops for May and the beginning of June.
I’ll be teaching beginning canes on May 7 and again on the 28th.
Black and white cuff bracelet on May 14.
A fun new workshop on weed pots on May 21. I’m working on other characters to add to the birds, but of course you can make design your own too.
And a great all day workshop of building your cane inventory on June 2.
Download application blank for Alice’s workshops here
Beginner’s Cane Workshop
Saturday May 7, 2016
and again on May 28, 2016
9pm – 4:00pm
$75
you provide the clay
Or
$90 clay provided
In this class you will learn caning basics. Skinner Blends, plugs, canes and how to slice cane for application.
You’ll leave the workshop with at least one finished piece.
