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Lace Cane Tutorial Cont'd |
Now repeat the process of cutting and assembling into a cane for a smaller more intricate patterned cane. (fig 09) Leave some round and make some of your cane square by rolling it with a roller. (fig 10) Making and decorating beads: Tiles beads: Use the canes as they are and simply slice thick pieces off for tile beads. Round beads: Roll a small piece of clay into a ball about the size of a marble. If you plan to cover the entire surface of bead, you can use scrap clay. If you'd like some part of the base bead to show through, make sure you use matching or complimentary colours. Cut a few thin slices from your lace cane and cover your base bead. For making same sized beads, roll out a sheet of clay, cut out the same amount of clay with the same sized cutter. I've used a Makins cutter. Kemper cutters are also good. Even a tissue blade will do, just mark it to the same size for each cut. Since all the pieces contain the same amount of clay, they will be the same size. (fig 11) Roll in the palm of your hands to smooth, using very small circular motions. Large circular motions produce oval shaped beads. To make bi-cone beads, use a CD cover or an acrylic tile over the top of a round bead which is resting on your ceramic tile and slightly depress while rotating the tile in a circular motion till you get the cone shape. (fig 12) For tube beads, roll a ball into a small plug of a single colour, add canes slices to the end and smooth. (fig 13) For the unusual shaped 'fold over' beads, take a cane slice from a square shaped cane and bend two opposite tips till touching (fig 14) …then bend the two remaining tips the other way. (fig 15) |
To finish: The smoother the beads, the less sanding there is to do. Smooth using knitting needle or tile or hands. I usually pop my finished beads into the fridge to firm up for an hour before I pierce holes into them. To pierce beads, use needle tool or toothpick in a drilling motion. Do not simply push as it will distort the bead. Place beads on bed of quilt batting in a shallow baking tray or thread through a very thin knitting needle which can hang on edges of baking tray. Bake in a preheated oven at 132 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes. Allow to cool. Sanding will add to the quality of the bead but takes a little more effort. Using 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper in some water, sand each bead till totally smooth, dry and pop back into the oven for ten minutes to take the powdery look away. Have fun! If you need any assistance or want to share your caning story, please feel free to contact me...check home page for contact details.mail me Yours in claying, Mel |