beadyeyedbrat

In The Beginning

This page will show early attempts by PC artists. The purpose of this page is to show

newbies that no matter where you start, there is hope. <BSG>

My VERY first complex cane

I had forgotten about this cane until I was reorganizing (for the 5th? 6th? time) and came across it. I was trying to make a pineapple cane with a neutral background. I hate the color I used, but I thought it would go well with the pineapple.  After I made the cane, I thought it was too ugly for words. So I made a shell mold and pressed thick slices of the cane into it, hoping to salvage all the clay and make it work. I still don't like it. This was supposed to be used in a luau, spread across the table along with confetti and Hawaiian style doodads.

What I learned: If you hate the color, you probably won't work well with it. JMHO

My first

attempts

These looked so great before baking.

Now they look like

orphaned children.

Maintaining the barrel shape

takes patience and

a light hand.

The barrels are scrap

clay covered with a

sheet of pretty clay.

I put the holes in the barrels before baking, then put them in the oven for 10 minutes, then applied the cane slices when they cooled.. Since the slices are supposed to stay raised, this assures that I won't smash them by trying to put the hole in later.
I'm going to try some sanding and buffing to see if I can make them look better. I think some of the clay may have slumped a bit. Note: If you wear glasses, be sure to do so when attempting to do these. The smallest cane slice used here was 3/16".
*Update 10/28/01 Nothing I did saved them. They've gone into the "cover me" pile.

Everyone has to start somewhere. Here are some early pieces from other Polymer Clay addicts

Sea glass
"This dates back to 97', I think. I was doing a lot of organic textured pieces and had started to incorporate sea glass into them.  The connectors are from the fishing section at Walmart. I forget what they call them but you can get them in a black finish too."

Jody Bishel
jbishel@aol.com

From the "Ugly Cane" contest at

Polymer Clay Central. SJ thinks this set is

boring. I don't, but it definitely does not

reflect her talents. JMHO
Sarajane Helm
SJPolyclay

May I share some of your early work?