Tokens ~ Education ~ Making A Flower Cane With Shaded Petals: Part III

Making A Flower Cane With Shaded Petals

Part III: Packing, Wrapping, and Reducing the Cane

Step 29

To fill in the remaining gaps around the flower, I chose some of the black clay that I had conditioned in Step 20 and rolled it into a log.

Step 30

Reduce and lengthen the log until it is at least 18 inches long.

Step 31

Pinch the entire length of the log to make it more triangular.

Step 32

Divide it into twelve 1.5 inch sections.

Step 33

Place the 12 sections of black clay in the remaining gaps around cane as shown in this picture.

Step 34

Squeeze gently to compress everything together. Keep a close eye on each element of the cane as you do this. It will give you a glimpse of how it will reduce. Now is a good time adjust the elements and ensure that everything is lined up as you'd like it to be. Pay special attention to the tips of the petals. Round the black clay over them slightly as you compress, while making sure that the 'tip' is still showing through -to ensure that they won't "square-up" during the reduction process.

Step 35

Once you feel comfortable with the way that all of the elements of the cane are lining-up, begin wrapping it in a thin sheet of black clay.

Step 36

Trim the clay so that the edges meet.

Step 37

Smooth the seam.

Step 38

Begin reducing from the center outwards. Squeeze it around the center. Work slowly, turning the cane around and flipping it over as you go.

Step 39

Continue reducing from the center outwards.

Step 40

Reducing a cane of this size takes practice! If you're reducing it correctly, there should be very little distortion happening on either end of the cane.

Step 41

As you work from the center outwards, be careful not to allow the center to become to skinny.

Step 42

Once you have reduced the cane to about 1 inch in diameter, trim one of the ends.

Step 43

And voila! We have a flower cane with shaded petals!

The following pictures shows some beads that I made using this cane. The pendant is sanded and lightly buffed, the small round beads are unfinished:

Thank you for your interest!

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email Valerie at tokensbeads@hotmail.com

BACK

Back to

www.tokensbeads.com