Although the title of this project is rather ambitious, this technique uses straightforward steps which should lead to success for even novice cane-makers. It is simple yet effective and produces a basic flower design that can be used in many other projects.
Skill Level: Suitable for beginners upward. Approximate time to make (not including baking): 1 hour You will need: Pasta machine Tissue blade
(The following measurements assume a standard polymer clay block-size of 56g.) 1/4 block of black clay 1/4 block of green clay 1/8 block of white clay 3/4 block of light-coloured clay (in the photos I used yellow, but other suitable colours would be white, orange, pink, light blue, lilac, etc…)
Step 1 Roll the coloured clay into a ball.
Step 2 Roll out a flat sheet of black clay on the thinnest setting of the pasta machine.
Step 3 Cover the coloured ball in a single layer of the black clay, setting aside the remainder of the black clay sheet for later.
Step 4 Roll the black-covered ball into a cylinder approximately 21cm long.
Step 5 Trim off the ends of the long cylinder then cut it into five pieces approximately 4cm long.
Step 6 Bend each 4cm long cylinder into a ‘U’ shape (to form a petal).
Step 7 Trim the ends of the petals so they are flat.
Step 8 (optional) Gently press the bottoms of the petals from both sides, so that they become slightly concave at the ends. (This will help them to fit the round centre of the flower more closely.)
Step 9 Roll the white clay into a ball.
Step 10 Cover the white ball with a single thin layer of black clay.
Step 11 Roll the white ball into a cylinder which will fit in the centre of the petals. (You can trim off the ends of the cylinder first if you prefer.)
Step 12 Arrange the petals around the white centre.
Step 13 Roll the green clay into a cylinder approximately 15cm long, then cut the cylinder into five pieces approx. 3cm long.
Step 14 Shape each small green cylinder into a triangle.
Step 15 Flatten and lengthen two corners of the triangle.
Step 16 Insert the green triangles between the flower’s petals.
Step 17 To start reducing the cane, press it gently from opposite sides and then rotate it slightly and press in from the sides again. Keep pressing and rotating until the shape becomes slightly taller and thinner, then turn it face down and press and rotate again until it has become a cylinder whose height measures more than its diameter/width.
Step 18 Pinch the ends of the cylinder as shown in the photo. (This helps to prevent the main section of the cane from distorting when it is rolled out.)
Step 19 Roll the cane out into a cylinder.
FINAL RESULT:
