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Polymer Cane Bracelet

Design by guest Donna Kato

The simplest of polymer clay canes is used in this bracelet composed of rondelle-shaped beads from designer Donna Kato. Add an embossing powder-dusted focal piece and you've got a wonderful addition to your jewelry collection.

Materials:
Kato Polyclay - black, white, green, turquoise and yellow
verdegris and green embossing powder
Kato Nublade tool
Kato Marxit tool
Kato acrylic roller
thick bamboo skewer
elastic for stringing
pasta machine
Lisa Pavelka's Polybonder Glue

Steps:
General
1. Condition all polymer clay prior to use. To do this, use the Nublade to cut a thick slice. Flatten and compress the slice by rolling with the acrylic rod.

2. Roll the flattened piece through the thickest setting of the pasta machine. Reset the machine, skipping one setting, to the third thickest setting. Roll the slice through.

3. Finish by folding and rolling until the clay is soft and pliable. Note: compression with the rod will ensure that the clay does not crumble beneath the pasta machine rollers.

Color Mixing
You can create a great variety of shades and tones of green and turquoise from the five colors of clay in the materials list. To formulate "recipes," roll a sheet of each color through the thickest setting of the pasta machine. Select a small cutter. The shape is not important - just make sure to use the same one through the entire formulating process and follow these instructions:

1. As an example, we will mix bright lime green. Intuitively, we know that lime green is composed of yellow and green and that there is a higher ratio of yellow to green. So, begin by using the cutter to cut 4 pieces of yellow clay and 1 piece of green.

2. Mix the six pieces together. Is the color "lime -y" enough? If not, cut another two pieces of yellow and mix them in. Continue cutting pieces of yellow and mixing until satisfied with the color.

3. By counting the cutter holes in the two sheets of clay, you'll be able to create a recipe. Donna Kato's recipe for bright lime green is 12 parts yellow to 1 part green. Through the formulation process, use a small cutter. Should you need larger quantities of a mixture for your projects, use a larger cutter.

4. If you wish to mute a color, add a bit of black. If you wish to lighten a color and make it more opaque, you'll add white. Experiment! Color mixing in this way will provide a custom palette for your work.

Color Mixing Recipes by Donna Kato:
Bright Lime Green - 12 parts yellow, 1 part green
Olive-Lime Green - 12 parts yellow, 1 part green, a bit of black
Sage - 2 parts green, 1 part turquoise, a bit of black
Dark Turquoise - 2 parts green, 1 part turquoise
Hunter Green - 1 part yellow 1 part black, 4 parts green
Olive Green - 6 parts yellow, 1 part black
Medium Turquoise - 1 part green, 1 part turquoise, 1 part white
Grass Green - 3 parts yellow, 1 part turquoise, 1 part green
Light Grass Green - 3 parts yellow, 1 part turquoise, 1 part green, 1 part white

Reduction
Once the canes are made (instructions below), reduce a portion of the cane to a diameter of approximately 3/16 inch. It is best to let these reduced canes rest for a short time before slicing them.

Canes
Olive Green Bullseye Cane
1. Mix Olive green and Sage. Roll a rod of clay 1/2 inch in diameter and 2 inches long.

Figure A

2. Roll a sheet of white through a medium-thin setting of the pasta machine (#5 on an Atlas machine). Wrap the white sheet around the olive rod, cutting the excess clay away and making a butt joint where the edges meet so there is no overlap (Figure A).

3. Roll a very thin sheet of black (#7 on an Atlas machine). Wrap this sheet around the rod.

4. Roll a sheet of Sage through the thickest setting of the pasta machine and wrap this around the rod.

Figure B

5. Roll a very thin sheet of black and wrap this around the rod (Figure B).

6. Slices from this cane will be placed on medium turquoise base beads.

Balanced Jellyroll Cane
1. Mix dark turquoise and hunter green. Roll each color through the thickest setting of the pasta machine.

2. Place one sheet atop the other and cut through both sheets to make a rectangle shape.

3. Roll this through the pasta machine, still on the thickest setting.

4. Reset the machine to the third thickest setting and roll through again.

5. Reset the machine once again, to the fifth thickest setting of the pasta machine and roll through.

6. Fold the sheet in half. Trim the edge opposite the fold.

Figure C

7. From the fold, roll up tightly (Figure C).

8. Slices cut from this cane will be placed on olive green base beads

Figure D

Skinner Blend Ikat Jellyroll Cane
1. Mix olive lime colored clay. Through the thickest setting of the pasta machine, roll a sheet of white and of olive lime. Place one sheet atop the other and, cutting through both sheets, cut a right angle triangle shape (Figure D).

Figure E

2. Separate the two sheets. Reassemble them, offsetting and pressing the diagonal sides together to form a rectangle or square shape with a white tab and an olive lime colored tab extending beyond two of its sides (Figure E).

Figure F

3. Fold this sheet in half, folding the same colored edge back onto the same colored edge (Figure F). Place the fold on the rollers and roll through the thickest setting of the pasta machine.

4. Fold and roll the sheet through the pasta machine in the same way four more times.

Figure G

Figure H

5. Cut the sheet in half (each half should have the complete blend, not one half primarily olive lime and the other primarily white) (Figure G). Place one half atop the other. Divide in half again and stack one half atop the other (Figure H).

Figure I

6. With the acrylic rod, taper the white and the olive lime edges of the stack (Figure I).

7. Roll a very thin sheet of black through the pasta machine. Place the black sheet on the stack and cut around the stack.

Figure J

Figure K

8. From the tapered white edge, roll up tightly (Figure J) to the tapered olive lime edge (Figure K).

9. Slices cut from this cane will be placed on olive lime base beads.

Skinner Blend Ikat Jellyroll Cane 2
1. Substituting medium turquoise and light turquoise for bright lime green and white, make another Ikat jellyroll cane.

2. Slices cut from this cane will be applied to grass green base beads.

Skinner Blend Ikat Bullseye Cane
1. Mix bright lime, grass green and olive lime.

2. Using the two colors, set up a Skinner Blend as instructed above through step 4.

3. Fold the sheet again, as if you were going to continue blending. Place the bright lime edge on the rollers and roll through.

4. Reset the machine to the third thickest setting and roll through the same way as before.

5. Reset the machine again to the fifth thickest setting and roll through.

6. Trim the bright lime edge and from that edge, roll up tightly to the grass green edge.

7. Roll a sheet of black through the fifth thickest setting of the pasta machine. Wrap this sheet around the rod.

8. Through thickest setting of the pasta machine roll a sheet of olive lime. Reset the machine to the third thickest setting of the pasta machine and roll through again. Wrap this sheet around the rod.

9. Roll a sheet of black through the fifth thickest setting of the pasta machine and wrap this sheet around the rod.

10. Slices cut from this cane will be placed on bright lime base beads.

Skinner Blend Ikat Bullseye Cane 2
1. Substituting medium turquoise and light turquoise for the Bright Lime and Grass Green colors, follow the instructions above for steps 1 through 6.

2. Note - Slices cut from this cane will be placed on grass green base beads.

Making Beads
Base Beads
1. Roll the base bead color into sheet through the thickest setting of the pasta machine. Roll the sheet up tightly and roll until it measures approximately 1/4 inch in diameter.

Figure L

Figure M

2. Press the 10mm side of the Marxit on the clay rod (Figure L) and press to transfer the marks onto the clay (Figure M). Roll each piece into a ball. Following the marks, cut five or six segments. The featured bracelet has 25 beads. You might need more or less, depending on the size of your wrist.

Figure N

3. Place the ball on the tip of the skewer. Cut slices from the reduced cane and position them on the "equator" of the clay ball. Depending on the size of the ball and the size of the canes, you might use four or five slices per bead (Figure N). Reposition, if necessary then press the slices to the clay ball.

Figure O

4. Remove the ball from the skewer and lightly roll between your palms. Flatten the bead, to make the rondelle shape (Figure O). Reinsert the skewer from both sides to make the bead hole.

Focal Bead
1. Roll a large ball of any clay&151; the color isn't that important. Use any shade of green or white.

2. Flatten the ball slightly between your palms.

3. Using the skewer, drill the bead hole.

Figure P

4. Apply verdegris embossing powder to the edge of the bead. Apply green embossing powder to both sides of the verdegris powder (Figure P).

Baking
1. Place all the polymer clay beads on a paper towel covered tile.

2. Bake the beads for 1 hour at 275 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are using another brand of clay besides Kato brand, remove the rondelles before one hour, following manufacturer's package instructions.

3. Let the Focal bead cool entirely before handling. The embossing powder is sticky when it is hot.

Figure Q

Figure R

Stringing
1. Arrange then string the beads on the elastic (Figure Q).

2. Tie a knot next to the focal bead (Figure R). Apply a bit of glue to the knot. Hold it until the glue is "dry" then cut off the elastic "tails."

3. Pull the knot into the focal bead.

Resources
Kato Polyclay and clay tools
available from Hobby Lobby, Aaron Brothers and Pearl Paint stores, or online from Prairie Craft Company
Prairie Craft Company/Kato Polyclay
Website: www.prairiecraft.com
or Website: www.katopolyclay.com
Guests
Donna Kato
Artist and owner of Prairie Craft Company
Website: www.prairiecraft.com
Also in this Episode

Carol Duvall Show : Episode CDS-1910
•	Colorful Polymer Cane Bracelet
•	Shoebox: Musical Egg, Sock Monkey
•	Artist Linda Ames

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Colorful Polymer Cane Bracelet

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