January meeting : Suzanne's notes

Colorful Bangles with “Stroppel” Cane

This cane was shared by Alice Stroppel, her website:  http://polymerclayetc.com/

You can also google it on youtube, she has posted a video.

Suppliers:        

Liz Barnes:       aluminum blank - http://www.etsy.com/shop/gottagettadeal

Margaret          Renaissance wax – www.shadesofclay.com

Make a base bangle with scrap clay – diameter size as you wish, round, oval, flat etc. should be at least 10” long.

• Sheet black clay on thinnest setting of your pasta machine
• Lay canes on black sheet until covered
• Cover canes with black sheet
• Continue alternating canes and black sheets - 3 layers usually works well
• Slice pile in half
• Stack as you deem pleasing to the eye
• Slice in half if you have a stack big enough
• Stack as you deem pleasing to the eye
• Slice thin enough to run it through the pasta machine on 1^st setting

I run it through to the 3^rd setting on the pasta machine – thick enough to wrap without tearing and thin enough to manipulate easily

• Wrap slices around prepared bangle

Note:  I wrap it along the width of the bangle as opposed to the length – I like the look and I think the flexibility of the shorter wraps is better for bangles – in my humble opinion and I was focused that way and didn’t try it on the lengthwise….yet…J

• Continue until bangle covered
• Smooth seam, I use my new favorite tool, knitting needle
• roll the bangle a few times so the slices adhere well to the base and it helps integrate all the slices – check for bubbles
• Position the snake with the seams facing inside at the top of the soda pop can
• Overlap and cut at overlap
• Remove from soda can to join the two ends, smooth
• Bake on the pop can at temperature recommended by manufacturer

I also sometimes add a little strip of clay on the joint for a nicer finish

• texture a small sheet
•  cut it to the width size that appeals to you
•  measure the length – for this bit I also slant my end cuts to minimize the seam joint and overlap the ends, smooth with the knitting needle
• bake bangle for 15 minutes.
• dab some paint with a hard brush, let it dry and then sand away the top to leave the paint in the texture
• apply Renaissance wax to the whole bangle
• buff – soft cloth or a buffer (I use a dremel with a modified screw end and circles 600 thread cotton)

Comments

[Louise]

Bonjour Monica, nous devrions avoir une rencontre en février. J'attends la date pour confirmer . Suis le blog pour la réponse ici dans les commentaires.

[Monica]

Bonjour,



Mon nom est Monica. J'ai déjà rencontré Gaby qui m'a parlé de votre groupe. J'ai fait du fimo sur verre depuis longtemps, mais j'aimerais me lancer dans les bijoux. Quand est votre prochain rencontre? Puis-je me joindre à vous?



Amicalement

Monica Robert