Sculpey Polymer Clay
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Speckle Cane
By Amy Koranek

The Speckle Cane is probably the easiest to achieve. Making this cane first will teach you the foundational technique for making rods of equal size and length. The colors I used in the sample are Sculpey III Lemon, Atomic Orange, and Red Hot Red. Any colors will work but I think that the Speckle Cane lends itself nicely to a monochromatic color scheme.

 

What you'll need:

1 oz. each of 3 or more Sculpey III colors (I used colors which are monochromatic - side by side on the color wheel).
knife for sectioning clay
baby wipes for clean up
clay roller or glass jar

1. Condition your lightest color first. Then roll it into a rod about 3" long on the work surface. Clean your hands and work surface and repeat with the medium color. Clean again and repeat with the darkest color. Working from lightest to darkest and cleaning your hands and work surface between each color will keep the darker colors from transferring to the lighter ones. You should now have 3 rods each about 3" in length.

2. Gather the three rods together into a bundle.

 

3. Gently roll the bundle on the work surface until it is one smooth rod. As you roll, don't let the colors turn. Roll this new rod gently until it's about 8" long.

4. Divide the rod into four sections each about 2" in length.

5. Bundle the four sections together in your hand. Gently squeeze them together. Roll the bundle gently on the work surface until it is again about 8" long. Always be sure with this cane to keep the stripes on the outside straight - don't let them twist. When the cane is about 8" long, repeat steps #4 and #5 to multiply the speckles. You can keep repeating steps #4 and #5 until the cane is as speckled as you like.

 

6. Once the cane is as speckled as you like, roll it gently on the work surface but keep it short. The speckle cane is now complete but for the purpose of these projects, I'll describe to you how to change it from a circle cane to a square cane. Gently apply pressure along one side of the cane with your hand. Turn it 1/4 turn and apply pressure again. Repeat this step until the cane has four definite sides.

7. You can now make the cane more square by rolling along each side of it with a clay roller, or glass jar.

8. Pinch the corners all along the length of the cane with your fingers. Turn the cane and repeat this process on each corner. After pinching, roll along all four sides again with a roller. This process will allow you to turn any circle cane into a square cane. Next, we will reduce the cane slightly.

Reducing a cane means making the diameter smaller while increasing the length. By reducing you can make the details in the cane more intricate. This is a foundational technique that will work with all cane types.

Reduce the cane by gently rolling along the side with the roller, applying gentle pressure as you roll. (See step #7.) Then turn the cane 1/4 turn and repeat for each side. Repeat this process on all sides until the cane is approximately 1" square. The length of the cane is not important at this point - only the measurement across. Set the cane aside and allow it to firm up while you work on your next cane.

While making a cane, the clay tends to soften as it becomes the same temperature as your hands. Allowing the cane to firm at room temperature will make it easier to slice and use. You may also find that you prefer your canes to be even more firm for slicing. Placing them in the refrigerator for a few minutes will give even more firmness.

 

 
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