Polymer Clay Master Class offers you a close-up look at the creative processes of eleven acclaimed polymer clay

artists as they
share their expertise with one another and you. In five lessons
with sixteen guided projects, you will gain an understanding of
the polymer clay skills youve always wanted to master, such as:

Altering the surface with carving, transfers, imprint, and

silk screening

Incorporating mixed media, such as metal, wood, and fiber

Designing using cold connections, hollow and lightweight

forms, kinetic construction, and jewelry-finishing techniques

Includes work by Judy Belcher Leslie Blackford Robert Dancik Dayle Doroshow Lindly Haunani Wendy Wallin Malinow
Sandra McCaw Julie Picarello Seth Lee Savarick Sarah
Shriver Cynthia Tinapple.
Challenge your assumptions about methods, style, and collaboration, and get ready to start on your own creative journey.

judy belcher & tamara honaman

Polymer Clay
MASTER CLASS
Exploring Process, Technique, and
Collaboration with 11 Master Artists

$22.99 (CAN $26.99)

Available everywhere books are sold.

www.pottercraft.com

polymer_clay_master_class_new.indd 1

1/8/13 6:18 PM

Tessellated Canes by Judy Belcher

Much of the jewelry I create celebrates both left-brain and rightbrain ways of approaching the creative process. Similar left-brain/
right-brain strategies can be employed when making the tessellated canes for the Twirling Necklace. Use the left side of your
brain to cut, mirror, and list the various ways your original cane
can be recombined. Or exercise the right side by smashing and
morphing the original cane into a new triangle and create dozens
more tessellations.

Supplies

polymer: 6 oz. (170g) white; 6 oz.

(170g) turquoise; 6 oz. (170g)
yellow (I used Kato Polyclay, as
it holds even minute details clearly
during the caning process and firms
up quickly so I can immediately
slice the cane.)
pasta machine
cutting blade

1. Using the Two-Color

Skinner blend technique,
create various hues of lime
green polymer and, with
the pasta machine, roll each
color to a 1 x 3inch (2.5 x
7.5cm) strip on a medium
thickness. Stack each strip, beginning with white and
gradually getting darker, ending with the original
color, to create a gradated cane. Repeat to create a
gradated cane in turquoise.

2. Turn 1 gradated
cane on its side and
cut 3 triangular-shaped
wedges. Repeat for
the other color.
3. To create a
master cane that
will be recombined into many
tessellated or
mirrored canes,
combine the wedges, making sure they remain
straight throughout the cane. Work toward
a form that loosely resembles a triangle.
Compress the cane, folding over any edges that
stick out, as they will form curved elements

polymer_clay_master_class_new.indd 2

that are lovely when repeated. Choose a

point of the triangle and use your fingers
in a pinching motion to refine the point
and press down against the work surface
to flatten the opposite side to form it into
an equilateral triangle. Turn the cane and
continue to refine. Reduce the cane so
each of its sides is 1/2 inch (13mm). Cut off
the distorted ends of the cane, as they will
not mirror well.
Note: Each of the 5 variations of tessellated beads
shown in steps 48 requires segments from this master
cane. While you may not have enough of the master
cane to create all of the combinations that follow, if
you combine the pieces gently, you can take them apart
and try different combinations. Build at least 3 variations of the tessellated design, as they will add interest
to your finished necklace.

4. Tessellating the master cane is the most fun part of the

process! For the first design, cut six 1-inch- (2.5cm-) long
segments from the master cane. Put 2 triangles together
so the sides mirror each other. Repeat, mirroring the same
2 sides, for the other 4 segments. Piece these 3 new segments together so the centers meet and all sides mirror to
form a hexagonal cane.
5. White center point:
For the second design,
still using 6 segments,
look at the side of one
of the triangles mirrored
in the first cane. Choose
a different side to
mirror and piece these
segments together as you did before, paying
close attention to the center point to ensure
that the new pattern is different.

6. Blue center
point: This design
also uses 6 segments, mirroring
the side of the
triangle that is
different from
the first 2 variations. Piece these
segments together as you did before, paying close attention to the center point.

7. Complex: For an even more complex pattern, cut two

3-inch- (7.5cm-) long segments from the master cane, mirror
one side of the triangles, and reform them into a new triangle.
(Use the technique in step 3 to form the new equilateral
triangle.) Stretch and reduce the triangular cane so each side is
1/2 inch (13mm) wide. Cut the cane into six 1-inch- (2.5cm-)
long segments, and mirror again as in the first 3 variations. This
complex cane can be done in many variations, depending on which sides of the master triangle
you chose to mirror for the first part of the step. The image shows only two of these variations.
8. Square: The master cane can also be recombined into tessellated square canes. Cut two 3-inch- (7.5cm-) long segments of
the master cane, and mirror one side of the triangles. Reform this
new, diamond-shaped cane into a square cane by pressing with
your fingers and rolling each side with an acrylic rod. Stretch and
reduce the square cane so each side is 1/2 inch (13mm) wide.
Cut the new square cane into 4 equal segments. Mirror these segments so the centers meet
and all sides mirror each other to form the tessellated square cane.
Think about all the combinations that this method of mirroring can produce. Seven canes
are shown here, but by manipulating the master cane, hundreds more of these beautiful
canes can be built.

1/8/13 6:18 PM

Tessellated Canes by Judy Belcher

Much of the jewelry I create celebrates both left-brain and rightbrain ways of approaching the creative process. Similar left-brain/
right-brain strategies can be employed when making the tessellated canes for the Twirling Necklace. Use the left side of your
brain to cut, mirror, and list the various ways your original cane
can be recombined. Or exercise the right side by smashing and
morphing the original cane into a new triangle and create dozens
more tessellations.

Supplies

polymer: 6 oz. (170g) white; 6 oz.

(170g) turquoise; 6 oz. (170g)
yellow (I used Kato Polyclay, as
it holds even minute details clearly
during the caning process and firms
up quickly so I can immediately
slice the cane.)
pasta machine
cutting blade

1. Using the Two-Color

Skinner blend technique,
create various hues of lime
green polymer and, with
the pasta machine, roll each
color to a 1 x 3inch (2.5 x
7.5cm) strip on a medium
thickness. Stack each strip, beginning with white and
gradually getting darker, ending with the original
color, to create a gradated cane. Repeat to create a
gradated cane in turquoise.

2. Turn 1 gradated
cane on its side and
cut 3 triangular-shaped
wedges. Repeat for
the other color.
3. To create a
master cane that
will be recombined into many
tessellated or
mirrored canes,
combine the wedges, making sure they remain
straight throughout the cane. Work toward
a form that loosely resembles a triangle.
Compress the cane, folding over any edges that
stick out, as they will form curved elements

polymer_clay_master_class_new.indd 2

that are lovely when repeated. Choose a

point of the triangle and use your fingers
in a pinching motion to refine the point
and press down against the work surface
to flatten the opposite side to form it into
an equilateral triangle. Turn the cane and
continue to refine. Reduce the cane so
each of its sides is 1/2 inch (13mm). Cut off
the distorted ends of the cane, as they will
not mirror well.
Note: Each of the 5 variations of tessellated beads
shown in steps 48 requires segments from this master
cane. While you may not have enough of the master
cane to create all of the combinations that follow, if
you combine the pieces gently, you can take them apart
and try different combinations. Build at least 3 variations of the tessellated design, as they will add interest
to your finished necklace.

4. Tessellating the master cane is the most fun part of the

process! For the first design, cut six 1-inch- (2.5cm-) long
segments from the master cane. Put 2 triangles together
so the sides mirror each other. Repeat, mirroring the same
2 sides, for the other 4 segments. Piece these 3 new segments together so the centers meet and all sides mirror to
form a hexagonal cane.
5. White center point:
For the second design,
still using 6 segments,
look at the side of one
of the triangles mirrored
in the first cane. Choose
a different side to
mirror and piece these
segments together as you did before, paying
close attention to the center point to ensure
that the new pattern is different.

6. Blue center
point: This design
also uses 6 segments, mirroring
the side of the
triangle that is
different from
the first 2 variations. Piece these
segments together as you did before, paying close attention to the center point.

7. Complex: For an even more complex pattern, cut two

3-inch- (7.5cm-) long segments from the master cane, mirror
one side of the triangles, and reform them into a new triangle.
(Use the technique in step 3 to form the new equilateral
triangle.) Stretch and reduce the triangular cane so each side is
1/2 inch (13mm) wide. Cut the cane into six 1-inch- (2.5cm-)
long segments, and mirror again as in the first 3 variations. This
complex cane can be done in many variations, depending on which sides of the master triangle
you chose to mirror for the first part of the step. The image shows only two of these variations.
8. Square: The master cane can also be recombined into tessellated square canes. Cut two 3-inch- (7.5cm-) long segments of
the master cane, and mirror one side of the triangles. Reform this
new, diamond-shaped cane into a square cane by pressing with
your fingers and rolling each side with an acrylic rod. Stretch and
reduce the square cane so each side is 1/2 inch (13mm) wide.
Cut the new square cane into 4 equal segments. Mirror these segments so the centers meet
and all sides mirror each other to form the tessellated square cane.
Think about all the combinations that this method of mirroring can produce. Seven canes
are shown here, but by manipulating the master cane, hundreds more of these beautiful
canes can be built.

1/8/13 6:18 PM