How To Make a Complex Kaleidoscope Cane in Polymer Clay - It's Simple!

Kaleidoscope caning is one of my favourite techniques to use with polymer clay and lots of my beads are made using these canes. I thought it might be fun to show you how I make one.

First choose your colours, for this cane I have decided to go monochrome.

Condition your clay really well. You can use a Pasta Machine or a roller or your hands, whichever is easiest for you.

Here are my sheets after I have finished conditioning and I have put them through the Pasta Machine on a medium setting, about #4 on mine.

Next, make some interesting elements. Here I have made a Jelly Roll Cane, a Striped Cane and some plain "sausages". I have a couple of small sheets also.

Then combine them in whatever way you like, I try to keep them in a general right angle triangle shape, loosely speaking!

Then I reduce the cane, refining the shape as I go into a more recognisable right angle triangle - please note that this is not an exact science in my case!

When the cane is about 4 inches long I cut it in half and then combine the two halves, mirroring the image.

Now we have an almost square shape. Reduce the cane again, refining the square as you gently pull, squeeze, tug, smooth or whatever your preferred method of reduction is.

I then cut the cane into four equal lengths and again, mirroring the images, combine the four into one larger square.

One more final reduction and here is your finished Kaleidoscope Cane.

Of course, it does not need to finish there - you can reduce yet again and recombine, change the shape of the cane from a square to a circle for example. Add another cane , or several. Cut the cane in half and then cut lengthways and recombine. The possibilities are endless!

Here are my beads I made from this cane, cut, pierced and awaiting baking!

Now I just have to make something gorgeous with them!

Very Berry

I finished making two lots of Berry Beads yesterday and sanded and polished them up today.

They take a lot of work, but I really like the graphic element of the black and pearl canework against the soft shimmer of the beads. I have been playing with the idea of doing black beads with coloured canework, but have not tried it yet. Still not sure in my mind whether that would work or not.

Ihave also made a black and white Kaleidoscope cane and have taken pictures of the different stages of construction, which I will post later today - lots and lots of photos, but I thought it might be interesting to show a little of my process in cane making. Be warned though - my cane making is not an exact science, more of an organic process!

Harlequin

Harlequin Detail
Originally uploaded by Pips Jewellery Creation

I seem to be in a very colourful mood lately, as far as my beads are concerned, anyway.

These bright Mosaic Canework Beads are inspired by the work of my friend Jo of Muddle House Mosaics. I have blogged about her here before and I just love her work. I have been meaning to make a mosaic cane for a little while, and had envisioned it to be in various shades of soft green, but somehow the vibrant colours were just calling to me to use them instead. I am glad I did now, but will still make that soft green cane as well soon, otherwise I will never get it out of my head.

There are some more pictures of this necklace and another square one made from the same cane on my flickr site - just click on the flickr box on the left if you would like to see.

I have also been making some Berry Beads which I hope to finish tomorrow and will post some pictures then.

Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy

I am a proud Member of the Polymer Clay Artists Guild of Etsy and have been now for nearly a year. Every month we have a challenge, which both members and non members of PCAGOE can enter.

It is great fun and helps to push me to try new techniques that otherwise I would probably never have a go at!

This month the Theme is "Canework". There are some really beautiful and amazing entries. Here are a few of my favourites and I have to say that I am glad I am entering this month, otherwise I would have a very hard time choosing just one to vote for! Just look at the beautiful detail on each of the flower canes on this suncatcher called "Sunshine and Rainbows" by Angela of Polymer Clay Creations. Her Etsy Shop is at http://www.polymerclaycreations.etsy.com/














This gorgeous necklace is by Laurabeestudios. Her Etsy shop is at http://www.laurabeestudios.etsy.com/. I love the delicate detail and subtle aged effect she has achieved.














There are three different prize packs up for grabs simply for voting!! Please come and vote, we love to have lots of votes - it makes everything very exciting and you will be entered into the prize drawings. So please go to http://www.pcagoe.com/, have a look at all the entries, be inspired, vote and then keep your fingers crossed to win one of the fabulous prizes!

Marriage

Marriage
Originally uploaded by Pips Jewellery Creation

Oh, I have been having some fun!

Here is my first marriage of the two mediums and I am really pleased with it.

An Art Clay Silver Disc, and a Polymer Clay Lentil Bead. I was showing my daughter last night the "magic" of the Art Clay Silver and made this little disc with the intent of putting it somehow with a polymer creation, but had not really planned exactly how it was going to look. Playing around with it this morning resulted in this pendant. I love the swirls of teal and green and pearl, the bright silver and the shine of both elements together seems well balanced to me. However, of course I am biased!

I now have about 6 more discs in the oven as we speak, drying out, and hopefully will have some more pendants to show you tomorrow!

Magic!

My Very First Attempt!...
Originally uploaded by Pips Jewellery Creation

I know the science behind Silver Clay, but I have to say, experiencing it for the first time was nothing short of Magic!

This little Scroll Heart is my first attempt at working with Silver Clay and I have to say I am really happy with the end result.

Now I need to work out how to marry it with my polymer clay. I have a lot of ideas, but will have to do a little trial and error I think, to see if they will work.

It is very, very different from working with Polymer. For one thing you have next to no time to actually work it, even with the slow drying clay. It is not elastic, as polymer clay is and it cracks very easily as it begins to dry out. The discipline of working with the two clays in conjunction is going to be quite interesting I think.

Can't wait for tomorrow to play again.

Purple Haze

Purple Haze Pendant
Originally uploaded by Pips Jewellery Creation

After clearing out my Clay Station/Desk/Area - wish I could call it a studio, but not even my vivid imagination can stretch to that - I put all the canes I had dotted about in various boxes, tins, drawers etc, in one heap and sorted through them.

I always keep a little of every cane I make, for future reference, and often to remind me how far I have come since those early cane making days where they resembled marbled messes rather than Kaleidoscope Canework.

Now all my canes are wrapped and stored neatly in one large box. When I say neatly, that is probably using a little poetic licence, but at least they are all in one place now and not gathering bits of dust and debris in the dark corners of my desk drawer.

This cane was one of those happy accidents, not so much an accident, but no planning went into it - just shades of purple and white, bundled together to see what happened. My favourite sort of caning!!

I made it about a year ago, so it seemed fitting to use some of it for a pendant and ring and a pair of earrings, on its anniversary. There is now only a tiny bit left to remind me what it was like!