My First Bird Polymer Clay Cane




Last Friday I shared my first buttons in polymer clay.  This week I’m sharing my first bird cane in polymer clay.
For those of you who do not know what a ‘cane’ is in polymer clay, it is a long roll of clay that has other colors and patterns in it.  When you make slices from the end, the same pattern appears with each cut.  Look at last Friday’s post for better pictures.
I decided to make a bird we have locally, the Black-headed Grosbeak who lives in our pine-oak forests.   I had those colors of clay and I like him.  He has a short stout beak for seed cracking and is butterscotch and black with some white. 
I traced a picture of the bird, made a copy to put under my glass workspace and found my clay colors – butterscotch, black, white and tan.  The limb is copper and gray.  The body was first, then the head and last the wings.  I put green around and all this sounds so much easier than it was and took longer too!   I made a short cane and ended up with 3 somewhat even cuts that I put on black clay circles.  It was difficult enough to make a cane the size I did.  If I want more birds cut, I’ll have to make longer canes.  Anyone have any tips I could use? 


I find it difficult to slice 1”+ discs and get them even.  Any tips from anyone out there?
Practice will undoubtedly help.  Yesterday I started to make this bird and ended up with lots of waste clay in a ball.  Today I took a calmer different tack and was more successful.  I’ll get better!
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Location: Prescott, AZ, USA

Comments

  1. UnknownJune 29, 2012 at 7:33 AM

    Linda, I'm no polymer clay artist, but I have read a couple of things about slicing canes evenly. One thing people do is to make the clay cold, like put it in the freezer for about 10 minutes or so, which stabilizes the cane. Another thing, there is a cutting gauge out there that you can buy. And thirdly, my own favorite, there is a little cutoff saw you can buy from Harbor Freight, http://www.harborfreight.com/bench-top-cut-off-saw-42307.html and people swear it is the best for cutting canes. I bought one some time back, and I cut tiny pieces of wood for pendants with it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Linda Britt DesignJune 29, 2012 at 8:48 AM

    Thanks Mary Hicks for the suggestion. I just ordered the little saw and will let you know the results some Friday! Learning every day!

    ReplyDelete

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