We at Makin's Clay® continue to be impressed with the creativity of our Design Team Members! One challenge we have faced for years is how to successfully CANE with Makin's Clay® due to the softness of it right from the package! This project, along with the Aquatic Pools necklace we featured recently by Amanda Phillips, is an example of how you CAN CANE with Makin's Clay®! We are thrilled our Designers have found a way to achieve great results using this technique!
CANED Flower Pendant
Designed by Lisa Haney
Supplies:
Makin’s Clay® - Blue, White, Yellow
Recommended Makin’s® Tools
Makin’s Professional® Ultimate Clay Extruder®
Makin’s Professional® Ultimate Clay Extruder® Disc Set B – Oval disc
Makin’s Professional® Ultimate Clay Machine®
Makin’s® Cutter Set – Squares
Other Materials:
Bail
Barbara Trombley’s Original Art Glittering System™ Glitter – Lemone’ Ultra Fine
Beacon™ Tacky Glue
Bead piercing pins (4)
Damp Paper Towels
Flat Back Crystals
Kemper Cutter - ½”
Loctite® Super Glue
Neck Wire
Needle Tool
Permanent Marker
Stiff Blade (Wall paper blade works great)
Straw
Tile
Method:
Roll the blue clay through the Makin’s Professional® Ultimate Clay Machine® on a #4 setting. Cut 12 squares using the medium square cutter from the Makin’s® Cutter Set. Place the squares between two damp paper towels to keep them from drying out.
Repeat with the white clay cutting 6 squares.
Repeat with the yellow clay cutting 2 squares. Cut the yellow squares into thirds.
Stack the squares in the following order repeating the pattern until all of the clay is used:
Blue
Blue
1/3 Yellow
White
Blue
White
1/3 Yellow
Place the remaining blue square across the blue and white end of the stack. Trim the
square to fit.
Start reducing the square by pushing in the corners and rounding into a log shape. Squeeze the center of the log and pull the ends longer. Work towards the ends by squeezing and pulling. Keep the cane from twisting as it gets longer.
Continue reducing until the log is thin enough to fit into the extruder.
Mark a line down the center of the end of the log, the
yellow clay should be on one end and the white and blue on the other. This line will be used as a guide for lining up the oval extruder disc with each end of the petal. 
Insert the log into the extruder. Place the oval extruder disc on the end of the extruder lining the ends of the oval up with the line drawn on the clay. Place bead piercing pins on either side of the line. Replace and tighten the extruder cap. The pins will keep the disc from turning when the cap is twisted on. Remove the pins and extrude the clay.
Once the clay is extruded it should be oval shaped with the yellow clay on one end and blue and white clay on the other end. Lay it on a flat surface and gently flatten the side with the yellow clay. This will be the bottom of the petal. Let the clay dry. If the clay is not dry, the petals will be hard to cut and the top part of the petal will smash flat. Makin's Clay ® will usually be dry in 24 hours, however, the clay may take several days to dry enough to proceed. 
Stand the dry extruded cane with the wider side of the petal downwards. Cut 1mm petals by pushing the blade straight down. If you have to saw the clay with the blade, the clay is not dry enough. Cut 23 petals. I like to place the petals into three rows of 11, 7, and 5 with the petals all facing in the same direction.
On a tile, cut a ½” circle for the base of the flower. Mark the center of the circle with the straw. This will be a guide for placing the first row of petals. The tile can be rotated so it will be easy to add the petals.
Apply a layer of Beacon™ Tacky Glue around the outer edge
of the straw mark. Add the first row of petals using the straw mark as a guide.
Once the petals are placed, use a needle tool to push the bottom of the petal into the clay base and pull up on the top of the petals to give them some form.
Add another layer of glue and the second layer of 7 petals.
Use the needle tool to help position them into place.
Repeat with the last layer of 5 petals.
Add a dab of glue to the center of the flower, a crystal, and then Barbara Trombley’s Lemone’ glitter. 
Since the base of the flower has not had chance to dry yet, the petals of the flower can still be adjusted. If the petals are too far apart, gently squeeze them towards the center. Once the flower is arranged nicely, let it dry.
Glue a bail on the back with Loctite® Super Glue. Cut another ½” circle of blue clay, apply tacky glue to the back of the pendant, and then add the blue clay circle covering the back of the pendant and the base of the bail. Press all the way around 
Add a neck wire and you have a great teacher’s gift! Or, group several flowers together and add a pinback for a nice pin. Several flowers on a barrette would be nice, too!
Always start making a flower using the end of the extruded cane even if it does not look like it will be a nice design. One petal alone may not be impressive but when you put them all together you get very unusual flowers. These flowers are all made from the same cane as the flower pictured in the project.
Even if the petal does not look like a true flower petal, make flowers with it. You get some pretty funky flowers!
Experiment with different colors.
2 comments:
Wow, now that's downright AWESOME!
Perfect flowers in perfect tutorial!
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