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What Else To Do With Skinner Blends Part III: Making the Ikat Canes

Step 38
Roll the plug, tri-color end first, through the pasta machine on the thickest setting (#1 on an Atlas).






Step 39
It should look like this.
Roll this through a medium setting on the pasta machine (#3 on an Atlas).





Step 40
Now it should look like this.







Step 41
This long sheet of clay will be used to make 2 separate canes.  So we'll take this opportunity to cut it now, before it becomes too long and unwieldy.  I'd like one of the canes to be slightly larger than the other, so I'm going to find the middle and make a cut about 8 inches from it.  I find the middle by loosely folding the strip in half, but you could also measure with a ruler or measuring tape if you'd like to be precise.



Step 42
After cutting, you should have 2 strips that look like this.








Step 43
Pick up one of the strips and pass it through a thin setting on the pasta machine (#5 on an Atlas -If you don't feel comfortable with #5, #4 should work as well...).
Then do the same thing with the other strip.




Step 44
Now there should be 2 very, very long strips of tri-colored clay.






Step 45
Lay the shorter strip of clay flat on your work surface.  Trim the edge of the clay and get your ruler handy.




Step 46
Begin making cuts along the strip every 2 inches.







Step 47
Once you've made all the cuts, the strip should look like this.








Step 48
Begin stacking the pieces by laying one on top of the other gray-to-gray, and black-to-black.  Stagger each piece slightly as you go.



Step 49
This side-view shows the stagger a little bit better.





Step 50
Continue stacking and staggering until you have used up all of the pieces that you cut from the strip.






Step 51
Once finished, the stack should look like this.  Set this aside and lay out the second, longer strip of clay.



Step 52
Cut this strip of clay just as you did the first in Step 46.  Make the cuts every 2 inches along the entire length of the strip.







Step 53
Begin stacking these pieces evenly, one on top of another, but this time, flip every other piece so that they are layered gray-to-black, black-to-gray  (see Step 55 for the side-view).




Step 54
Continue stacking in this manner until you've stacked all of the pieces.






Step 55
Once finished, the stack should look like this.  Now we have 2 stacks that will make 2 separate Ikat canes.  We will be reducing them in the next section.

What Else To Do With Skinner Blends
Part IV:  Reducing the Ikat Canes


Step 56
Now we have 2 stacks.  One goes from gray-to-black and is staggered, the other has black and gray stripes on the sides and is not staggered.  We're going to reduce the gray-to-black, staggered one first. 



Step 57
Begin by pinching the ends closed to form points.




Step 58
Reduce from the center outwards.  Begin by gently compressing the points inward towards the middle.






Step 59
The idea is to turn this flat stack into a round log.  Just keep working slowly and gently from the center outwards.





Step 60
Keep working until it gets rounder and longer, being careful not to allow the middle to get too skinny.





Step 61
We're getting there...







Step 62
Once the cane is about 1 inch in diameter, begin gently rolling it on the work surface to even and smooth it out.





Step 63
Once the cane is reduced, cut off one end ...







Step 64
... And have a look!





Step 65
Onto reducing the second stack. 





Step 66
Gently squeeze from top-to-bottom and side-to-side to ensure that there is good contact between the layers.





Step 67
Stand the stack up on your work surface and trim off the uneven edges (the gray-black striped sides).  Only trim a little. The idea is to have clean, striped edges, but don't cut off so much that you lose the design.






Step 68
Turn the stack on one of it's sides and begin reducing it into a rectangular cane.  Use your hands or your acrylic brayer to begin lengthening it from the middle outwards.





Step 69
Work on one side, then turn it a quarter or half-turn and work on another side.  Compress it by rolling from the center out to one end, then from the center out to the other end.  Use the striped sides as a guide.  Keep the corners lined up to minimize distortion.





Step 70
Once it is reduced to about 1 inch across and 1/2 of an inch high, trim the end.






Step 71
And this is what it should look like...




Step 72
Now we have 2 Ikat canes to work with!





What Else To Do With Skinner Blends
Part V:  Creating the Holographic Weave

Step 73
I've taken the 2 canes and reduced portions of them into usable sizes.  The smallest ones have been reduced to about 1/4 inch in size and these are the ones I'll be using to make a bead.



Step 74
Remember all of the scraps we created while making the canes? 
Choose from those scraps to create a base bead that is about 1 inch in diameter.






Step 75
Thoroughly condition the scrap clay and roll it into a ball.






Step 76
Begin cutting even slices from the rectangular Ikat cane.





Step 77
I've cut approximately 2 dozen slices, which should be more than enough for this application.






Step 78
Begin applying those slices to the base bead following the pattern shown in the picture.  (Hint:  Whenever you're creating a pattern with component caning, pick your slices up the same way and lay them on the bead the same way each time.  This will give your pattern symmetry...even if the slices themselves are slightly asymmetrical in design.)



Step 79
Continue placing the slices around the bead until the last meet with the first.  If you're lucky, they'll come together perfectly.  In all likelihood, though, you may have to adjust them a bit until they fit like a puzzle.



Step 80
Now cut a 1-2 inch section from the round Ikat cane.  Pinch along the black side to form a teardrop\leaf shape.  Then slice it.



Step 81
Apply those slices around one of the open ends of the bead, where the base clay is still showing.  I'm placing the wider, gray sides into the triangular gaps created by the rectangular slices.




Step 82
Try to line up all the edges and push the black tips down so that they meet concentrically in the middle.



Step 83
Repeat Steps 80 - 82 for the other side.  Except, this time, pinch along the gray side of the cane to form the teardrop/leaf shape.


Step 84
Once all of the slices are covering the bead like a puzzle, seam all of the edges.


Step 85
After seaming the bead, study it to determine how you would like it to look and what shape you would like it to be.



Step 86
This is how I chose to shape mine.  Here's a view of one side...






Step 87
...And here's a view of the other side. 
Hmmmm...now where to place the hole?




Step 88
Once you've predrilled the hole and smoothed as many fingerprints away as possible, place it on a sheet of paper on a ceramic tile.  Then bake the bead according to the manufacture's instructions (I baked this bead at 275 degrees for approximately 40 minutes). 

Step 89
When the bead is baked, determine how you would like its finished appearance to be.  This particular design can be very dramatic, even with a matte finish;  however, I chose to wet-sand mine through 7 grits of sandpaper and buff it with a soft cloth. To really bring out the depth and produce a glassy shine, you might elect to seal the bead with a polymer-friendly sealant such as Future Floor Polish or Flecto Varathane.

Step 90
Here is a picture of my finished bead!



Here are some examples of other ways I've used these canes:













Here are some examples of other things I've created using Ikat canes in a Holographic Weave pattern:

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