Flower Power Cubes cane, an extruder polymer clay retro cane mini tutorial by Ronit Golan

 

In this mini-tutorial, a square flowers and cubes cane, I use a technique I've encountered years ago but never tried it. Basically, it is a reducing technique with an extruder tool.

When I first tried this technique I shared the square cane, with the little flowers, on a Facebook group - Fun with canes - and I've been asked for some instructions, so I made a new cane, took some photos and here it is. Also, the members helped me find a suitable name for this design, they gave me wonderful ideas, Thank you ladies! I went with "Flower power" and added the cubes – here is a presentation for "Flower Power Cubes" square cane, enjoy!!!

Level - Beginners to advanced – For this cane you need some experience with the pasta machine, simple flower canes and with an extruder.

Tools you'll need:

Polymer clay - The clay needs to be thoroughly conditioned and soft enough.

Pasta machine - I work on the thickest setting to cut the circle disks.

A small circle/round cutter - I use a 2 cm/ 0.8 inch diameter round cutter, it's a bit bigger than the extruders' opening; I've also used in the past a 1.6 cm/0.63 inch size, that is a bit smaller from the extruders' opening. Try to work with a cutter that its size is like or close to the extruder opening.

An extruder tool - I recommend a suitable extruder tool that is easy to work with. I use Lucy tools extruder now, and used for many years the Makings extruder.

A square disc for the extruder – I used the disc that its square side measurements are 6 mm/0.23 in.

A blade

A ruler

Let's start!

Choose your color palette - it can be 5,6,7 colors, whatever you like.

Condition the clay and finish each color sheet on the thickest/biggest setting.

Use a cutter and cut each color to disks. I cut twice every time to get a thick disk. I condition the clay again, cut disks and condition and cut again, until I finish the clay and it is all disks.

For this cane I need 5 rolls - 3 from the disks and 2 from the flower cane.

For every roll from disks I need 16 (double) disks. Maybe you need less or more, but you can figure it out only by experimenting with your extruder.

I arrange them in a sequence that I like so I'll have a variety of colors.

I roll/reduce each roll until its diameter fits the extruders' opening and put them aside for now.

The flower cane.

I make a very simple flower cane. You don’t need to make a big cane for this. The amount of clay is like the amount for 2 rolls from the disks, because eventually we need 2 flower rolls to extrude.

First, I make a cane for the middle and a cane for the petals.

Then, reduce the cane for the petals for 5 or 6 petals, each petal length should be 5 cm/2 inches.

Then assemble the flower; The center cane in the middle and the petal canes around it.

The background for the flower cane.

I use here 2 background colors, but you don't have to if it's complicates things.

For 2 colors background - mark with the blade in the middle of each petal height. Take the first background color and make triangles to insert between the petals, from the middle to the bottom (for 1 color background insert from top to bottom).

Do the same to the second background color. Insert them from the middle, attaching them to the first triangles and to the top of the cane.

Add another sheet for the background - condition the clay for the first color, on the thickest setting, and cut a long sheet to cover around the petals, its side should be about 2.5 cm/ 1 inch. Cover the first color and then the second one.

The outline – Use 1 color for the outline (or 2 if you want to play here, all is possible), condition on a thick setting and wrap around the flower cane.

Reduce the cane until it fits the extruder opening (it sure will be long) and do that carefully.

Cut the ends on both sides, at each end, until you see the whole design fully intact. Then, from each side measure the length of the roll you need for the extruder and cut, do that from each side, so at the end, probably, you'll get a leftover of the flower cane, where the 2 colors of the background are attached (you can use it for another project).

TIP! On one side of the flower cane add a circle of clay. I used the outline color, prepared it on setting 3 on the pasta machine. Then cut 1 circle disk and add it to the flower cane.

NOTE! This side will be the first side that comes out from the extruder, it will be the side that touches the square disc.

(In this project I did that only on 1 flower roll, so later you can see the difference in the photos, but I encourage you to add that to each flower roll).

Extruder time!

Now you have 5 rolls to extrude, do that as you already know and experienced. After every roll I extrude I clean the square disc and the cylinder pushing the clay.

When you're finished, you'll have 5 long "square rolls".

Combine and join them all together from their top to bottom.

I prefer to cut and clean the first 5 cm/2 inches from the side that first came out from the extruder, then I cut and clean the other side, so I'll see a perfect pattern design, flowers and squares/circles.

They should be the same length, all 5 "square rolls".

Measure the length and divide it by 5, you'll have a total of 25 parts.

Now, the FUN part!

I construct it "freehand" style. I separate all the parts, the flowers and the squares and start the first layer with 5 parts - I combine 2 flower squares with 3 disks' squares.

Then continue to the second layer, third, fourth and fifth and you're done!

Congrats!!

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