Vol-025-2 Mitered Corner Geometric Cane PcT (Intro)
Video #159: “I can figure out the cane work but always still like your tutorials for the extra tips.” ~Lawrence-S
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** This post is an introduction to one of our paid tutorials.
Geometric polymer clay canes are fun to make because of their striking patterns and the many possibilities of combining them into a wide array of complicated designs.
peggy b
The different combinations of the mitered canes just all look perfect. The colors go so well together.
cheryl h
A really unique look. I think I sort of figured it out a bit but I would still love a tutorial because you always teach us how to perfect it and give us that something extra that makes it a special tutorial.
hobokenmary
Oh Cindy, the colors you used on those canes are gorgeous and the canes are really cool! Please add to your member tutorials. I would love to learn how to make a cane like the ones you have done.
Transcript coming soon...
Transcript coming soon...
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What a busy week.. I haven’t had a chance to stop and make this cane.. Has anyone tackled it yet?
@ Susan and Kat – I’m thinking the same thing too! B;lack and White with maybe a bright colored flower cane or the third color to kind of float on the top.
Cindy, I have been able to make several of the canes you have taught me over the past weeks and they have been great. The only thing I am having a problem with is reducing the square canes (I have no problem with the round canes). I have seen breifly at the end o som,e of the videos, where you squeeze and pull on them in both directions, lengthening them, however I just make a real mess and end up distorting my canes and ruining them, especially when you have very little length (such as in the mitered cane video at the end after you cut the canes in half for the last time and end up with all four sections of the final cane, it is wide with very little length, how can you reduce/or lengthen it from there?). Could you possibly provide a demonstration of the technique of reducing square canes?
@Everyone: I live about 15 minutes away from Lawrence and with the weather we’ve been having up until the last couple of days, the birds would have definitely appreciated a nice cup of tea. Herbal of course! I’m hoping they will at least want to switch to iced tea here pretty quick! Maybe even a Long Island Iced Tea! :-)
@Catherine H.: I agree that reducing square canes is a little different from round ones if you want to keep them nice and straight. Rather than squeezing the cane in the middle like you do on a round cane, I like to either use a piece of Plexiglas to press down on each side or use my acrylic roller to roll down each side evenly. My Beginner’s course has several videos on cane making including reducing square canes such as a striped cane and a checkerboard cane. Because I do a new cane video every month, I don’t use up the time repeating the same things I’ve taught several times before. (You will appreciate this as you are here longer.) I recommend taking the basics course so that you have a good foundation of all the fundamentals of polymer clay. The link for more info is by my name. I’m glad you are having success with the techniques and enjoying them!
I’m amused by the idea of sculpted polymer clay birds with a little drinks menu, trying to decide between beer, tea or cocoa!
@Silverleaf:
Wish I could sculpt, that would be cute. A little bird family holding drink menus. Guess I’ll have to get out my Christi Friesen bird book and see what I can do. LOL. Or maybe I’ll just have a beer and forget about it.
@Bonnie Kreger: Me too! I’ve been meaning to learn to sculpt birds because I want to make one for my friend from New Mexico. She’s been studying here in the UK this year and is going home very soon, and she shares my love of birdwatching so it would be fun to give her a little English birdy drinking a cup of tea!
@Silverleaf: Christi Friesen has a new book called “Birds of feather”. It shows how to sculpt birds and it’s awesome. You can get it at Amazon. She has a great sense of humor too. There’s a penguin in there that I just want to hug he’s adorable. She makes it easy or at least look easy. I have her cats book too and it’s great.
I loved this tut!! It will, however, force me to address the fact that I am “getting things in a straight line” challenged, LOL. I’m much better at projects where I can just mush stuff together and have them turn out beautiful. This one is too cool to pass up, though so I will bravely face the challenge.
@Elizabeth S.: You can do it, Elizabeth—I have faith in you! Watch the “squaring” that Cindy mentioned; that will help. Also, if your cane is smaller, it’s easier when you make the cut & turn the “mitered” corner—check both ends & make them stay “nicely lined up.” Success shall be yours!
@Phaedrakat:Ah Kat, your faith in my squaring abilities spurs me onward. Thank you, my friend.
@Elizabeth S.: You’re ever-so-welcome, dear friend! Onward you shall go, into a very special day! (I’ve just got a good feelin’ about your squaring abilities…)
I am still here even though I don’t get much time to keep up with everyone’s comments! The tut is great and very inspirational and the colours are bright and beautiful. I think it might also be really interesting in black and white too. Many thanks Cindy.
@Susan: I was thinking the same thing! I’m really “into” black & white right now, especially after the Zebra Cane and a beautiful flower cane Bonnie K. had on her blog. Nice to “see” you, Susan!
@Phaedrakat: Thanks for the compliment Kat. I made some beads and put them on my blog. They turned yellow in the tumbler but after I hand sanded them the yellow came off. I had the tumbler in the garage and I think it was too hot for the rubber barrel.
Cindy, love this technique and tutorial. Thank you again. I think in black and white that would be a great background with a slice of flower cane on it. Going to try that later. Will send you some pictures. I’m leaching some Premo clay right now to work with later. My canes have gotten smooshy because the clay is too soft.
Lawrence, it’s only going to be 89 here tomorrow, we might have to turn the furnace on too. LOL
@Bonnie Kreger: You’re welcome, Bonnie! If it’s “only” 89°, the birds might be conflicted, and have some difficulty selecting a beverage!
@Bonnie Kreger:Bonnie,
I saw those beads on your blog, too. Absolutely awesome! I’m so relieved to know that you were able to remove the discoloration. Lesson learned for me-I live in El Paso and sometimes like to put the rock tumbler in the garage so I don’t have to hear the noise. As we get the same heat you do, I won’t be doing that this summer.
What a fun, fabulous tute! I just love the color combination in this. The Blue seems to “float” above the red/orange/fuchsia and you really do get several looks — the Oriental feel, modern, or even Circus-y. I think this will be quite a bit of fun. I hope to be trying it soon. I went over some of the past tutorials today, that I haven’t been able to try yet (still have my clay temp-packed for the “we’re getting a pool, make room, everything must go or be re-aranged.” (I know, it makes no sense to me, either. It only does in the mind of my sister, who’s paying for the pool, so I have no say-so in the matter. If the pool-exercise & jacuzzi end up a miracle cure for my pain, it will have been worth it, so…)
Anyway, I’m always impressed my how wonderful these video tutes are. They make me want to get started right away. I have so many videos that I want to “get started” with, I’ll have trouble deciding when the time comes. Should be next week, very soon now! I wish I could’ve started up before the weather got hot, but them’s the breaks. Cold packs, freezers & fridges will have to be my helpers. I’m looking forward to making some cool things with this cane, including those “rocker beads” which have an Asian (Oriental) feel to them. I like the way they look together on the long necklace…
What are you going to make with this cane, y’all? (Sorry, I just reconnected with my friends from Arkansas yesterday, and the y’all came right back — even tho’ I was born in Cally — a Southern accent & lingo is quite easy to pick up…)
Have a great weekend, everyone! Thanx Cindy & Doug!
THANK YOU BOTH Cindy and Doug for another super great tute. I am dizzy just thinking of all the possibilities. There is just no end to the talent the two of you have. I sometimes wonder if I would even be interested in Polymer Clay anymore if it wasn’t for finding you two. I did find you so THANK GOD I don’t have to wonder because the interest and the inspiration is something I will never loose as long as you continue to share your talent with all of us.
Have another super weekend.
Uuuuuggggs to all, Peggy
Aha! Licorice allsorts cane! Bet it isn’t as edible as it looks, thank goodness. Most of our ski fields opened last weekend, the rest this weekend over here. Think I’ll just keep letting He Whose Garage is My Hardware Store keep stoking the log burner while I get claying & stamping & … and…
@Squiddy: I had to look up Licorice Allsorts to see what the canes look like. (I knew it was candy, at least! lol) You’re right, this could be a Mitered Licorice Allsorts cane, for sure! It’s nice your friendly hardware store manager keeps things comfortable for you while you create! Have fun, and don’t let your husband catch this “hardware” man doing you favors—he might get the wrong idea… ;D ~Kat—Riverside, CA US
Cindy, this video looks so exciting! The jewelry examples are gorgeous. I know we’ve seen some of the beads in your gallery post, but we get to see even more of them in the video — stunning! The colors are fantastic, and so is this cane. It’s going to be fun to make, and I’m hoping your “rocker beads” are on the tute list too, because they’re really awesome. All of your copper wire-work and findings are beautiful; you’re really creating some knockout jewelry. Can’t wait for Friday, and more of your videos — you make THE BEST tutorial vid’s there are!
OK – sorry, I sent the wrong link for the contest info. It’s really at: firemountaingems.com/beading-contests/pearls-organic/default.asp
I’m so sorry for putting in the wrong link.
On the Fire Mountain note: I don’t know if you are all aware that they are having a contest that includes polyclay jewelry. The Grand Prize is a $1,000 gift certificate for Fire Mountain. The link to details is: firemountaingems.com/kato_polyclay.asp
It says Kato Polyclay but I have already contacted Fire Mountain and they said you can use ANY brand of polyclay, it doesn’t have to be Kato.
@Cheryl V.: Do remember though that at least 50% of the project must be made using materials purchased from FMG.
@carolyn: Hi Carolyn – I’m so happy to see your beautiful smile! :^) Yes, I did know that but believe me, that would never be a problem for me because I spend way too much money at Fire Mountain. Their sales are so great that I tend to go a little crazy but even at $1.00 things add up really fast.
I hope that you are feeling better and stronger every day. You are in my prayers always.
I agree with Elizabeth S. as far as the marvelous colour combination. It looks very Southwest and makes me want to fly off to Arizona for some heat and sun. I’m really looking forward to Friday’s vid come rain or shine.
@Lawrence: Stay where you are. It’s so hot here in Arizona right now, I went to Joann’s and bought some clay this morning, and when I got home it was already baked. LOL. We were in the pool at 7:30 a.m. it was already hot out.
Just wanted to let everyone know, FireMountain has a sale on polymer clay books for $1.81.
I sent a letter to Polyform Products because the Joann’s and Hobby Lobby no longer carry Studio By Sculpey clay here. Their answer was to order it from Polymer Clay Express or Blick Art Materials. I don’t know if you are having the same problem or not. Our Michael’s never did carry it. I stocked up when I saw what was happening here.
@Bonnie Kreger:
Haha, I definitely snapped up 3 books for under $6 (excluding shipping) from Fire Mountain today. Couldn’t pass it up.
@Bonnie Kreger: LOL ! LOL ! It’s so wet and chilly here this AM, I had to turn my furnace on at 7:30 AM.
@Lawrence: Brrr, I imagine the birds there want coffee or cocoa instead? ;D
@Lawrence: Brrr. Sounds cold — where do you live? I imagine the birds there are asking for coffee or cocoa instead? ;D
@Phaedrakat: I’m in BRITISH Columbia and we feed them tea ;-)
Actually I am on the 49th parallel and can walk into Washington State if I so wish. Most of the Pacific Northwest has been having wet, chilly weather lately. The good side is that more time indoors for clay play.
@Lawrence: Of course — tea! My bad. I love what I’ve seen of your country, which is actually only Vancouver and Victoria. I’ve seen a good part of the world, but only made the one week-long visit to you, our Northern neighbors (I never “walked” across the border, either…) ;D
Your cooler weather sounds wonderful; I prefer that to the heat. I need to get finished with my workspace now, before it gets over 100 and I have sticky, messy clay! Have a great day & weekend…!
I love the color combination – very different from what i usually do. I’m looking forward to this cane. I’m sure Cindy will make it simple for us to follow along.
Hi guys! Just thought I’d pop in here and say Hi. Been very busy the last few days and haven’t been able to say much. Wanted you all to know I was still alive!
Bonnie that is so cute about the quail look for cold beer! Haven’t had the heat around here yet, though today looks like it is going to be a beauty!
This one looks challenging to me. I have a hard time just making a good striped cane. I’ve used a miter box to frame windows. Should be interesting to see how this is done with clay.
Looking forward to Friday again. We need two or three Fridays in the week, but Cindy would never get any rest.
Your colors are great, might get me out of my brown, green and gold mode.
Those look like southwest colors. Turquoise for the desert and red for our hot, hot, hot and orange for the sun. It’s so hot here right now that even our quail are looking for cold beer.
I’ll be ready!! I’m even going to do mine in the same colors-love the striking combination.
As always looking forward to Friday
Awesome tute this will be, I can’t wait. All the possibilities are just in the mind of the artists. Cindy I know you and Doug are going to hit it out of the park once again. Thank you ahead for all the fun I know this one is going to bring me. I will once again be on pins and needles for another Friday to get here. FANTASTIC!!!!!!!
Uuuuuggggs to you both, Peggy