Free Flower Cane Tutorial

Tutorial: Basic Flower Cane
by Linda Riopel of NKDesigns 

Here’s a little tutorial to help you get started in cane making of a flower.  This is a very basic cane.  One of the most enjoyable aspects of making canes is the versatility the artist has in color choices, number of petals, number of veins and the center of the flower. Have fun!

Materials:
Skinner blend (white plus your choice of flower petal color) rolled into a plug. 
½ block of translucent clay (Premo or Kato)
¼ block of contrasting color clay for the veins and to wrap the Skinner blend plug.
Tools:

•    Tissue blade knife
•    Heart Shaped (or your desired shape) cutter
•    Pasta machine

                                  

Step 1:  Cut three veins into the Skinner blend plug for the veins.  Here I used turquoise and white Skinner blend and added turquoise veins.  I wrapped the Skinner blend plug with a darker turquoise very thin layer (the thinnest setting on your pasta machine.)

Step 2:  Reduce this plug by gently squeezing the center into a “dog bone” shape and gently elongating the cane to approximately 7 to 8 inches.  Do not roll the cane.  Cut this long cane into six pieces.  Trim off the ends.

Step 3:  Decide what you would like for the center of the flower.  Here I used a black center and placed some white lace canes around it.  You can just use a bullseye cane or if you prefer, just a snake.

Step 4:  Gently shape the six pieces into a petal shape with the veins at the bottom and place around the center of the flower.

Step 5:  Make a long thin snake of the translucent and place in between the petals. 

Step 6:  On the thinnest setting of your pasta machine, make a thin strip of translucent and wrap the entire cane.


Step 7:  Reduce this cane (dog bone shape – just squeezing the center of the cane) and then elongating it until you have about six inches.  Do not roll this cane.

Step 8:  Cut this long cane in half and reduce again, giving you different size flowers.
Here you will see how I placed the flowers along one side of a flat heart.  I’ve added leaves and white flowers.  If you wish to copy this background, there is a tutorial on how this is done. 



I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Copyrights 2009 Linda Riopel