Supplies:
2
sheets of 8"x11" typing paper
Wide cellophane tape
Scissors
Narrow cellophane tape (optional - you can use the wide)
2 ounces translucent clay
2 ounces of opaque clay in the same brand as the translucent
1/2 ounce of a second opaque clay, also in the same brand as the translucent
(optional)
A jar for rolling out the clay (or a pasta machine if you have one)
Long, thin cutting blade
2 small pieces of plexiglas or mirror or glass for reducing
"Why," you ask, "must you use the same brand as the translucent?" When you are making canes, it doesn't matter which brand of polymer clay you use. What helps is staying with the same brand for all the clays used in the cane. As an example, you would not mix Fimo Classic clay with Fimo Soft as they are actually two different types of clay and one "moves" faster than the other. Or Sculpey III with Sculpey Superflex since they, too, are two different types of clay. While Premo and Sculpey III are similar in consistency, they are not generally compatible in canework. Again, you ask "Why?"
Different clays are made with different ratios of chemicals, so some "move" faster than others. The softer clays will squish out faster than the firmer clays. Think of a sandwich. You put cream cheese on one slice of bread and mayonnaise on the other. Jam them together and squeeze. The softer spread - mayonnaise - will squish out faster than the cream cheese. Canes work along that same principle. With this line of reasoning it works better when you use the same brand of clay.
A word of caution, though. Even if you use the same brand of clay, different colors will move at different speeds unless the cane is allowed to "rest" before you begin to reduce it. The cool colors are the ones that move faster: e.g. blue, purple, greens. Also, it can depend on how much you have conditioned and then worked a color - this, too, can contribute to its moving faster. So just let it sit overnight to let the different sections reach the same consistencey. If you're in a hurry pop it into the refrigerator and leave it sit for about an hour, depending on the size of your cane.
