How to make a "Spotted Langloisia " cane
          

Ah what? What on earth is a Spotted Langloisia, a.k.a. Lilac Sunbonnet or Langloisia setosissima ssp. punctata? It's a really cool looking flower and, I think, a perfect candidate for caning. Oddly, I'm not a typical floral cane type, but this flower captured my caning urges. ;-) I hope you have as much fun with this cane and flowers as I did.

Here are some links to various pics of the real thing.

Here's how I made my artistic interpretated Spotted Langloisia cane...


  Supplies
  • polymer clay colors
    • pale pink
    • chartreuse (yellow green)
    • lilac/lavendar
    • magenta
    • dark maroon
  • pasta machine
  • acrylic rod
  • a fresh sharp blade
  • wax paper

  Steps  
  The cane parts  
1.

Use the Skinner blend method to make 3 color gradation sheets that are each approximately 5" X 5" using the widest setting of your pasta machine.

  • One (2 color) sheet with the following color order: pale pink, magenta.
  • One (3 color) sheet with the following color order: pale pink, lilac, magenta.
  • One (4 color) sheet with the following color order: pale pink, chartreuse, lilac, magenta.

2.

Roll up each sheet into a log in the color match direction.


3.

Compress each rolled sheet to approximately a 2" height.

   

4.

Flatten & elongate so color gradients are short and sheets are long.


5.

Pass each sheet through widest pasta machine setting, then cut each of the 3 sheets in half, set all 6 sheets aside.


6.

Roll out lots of long thin strings of very dark maroon. Aim for making them a bit irregular in thickness. This is one of those times where it's good to have those finger ridges in the strings!

  Building the flower petal cane  
7.

Lay out all 6 sheets in the order shown. Start laying the dark maroon strings over the sheets. (place the sheets on wax paper to help being able to easily pick them up.


8.

Cover the first 5 sheets with the dark maroon clay strings. These will become the lines of spots you'll see in each petal. Note the last sheet in not covered with the strings.

9.

Stack the sheets in the following order:

  • one 2 color SB sheet
  • one 3 color SB sheet
  • one 4 color SB sheet
  • the second 4 color SB sheet
  • the second 3 color SB sheet
  • the second 2 color SB sheet

Compress the stack, making sure to NOT trap any air.

 


10.

Reduce cane length-wise until it is close to desired size, then shape the cane so it will resemble an extended teardrop. Let cane rest before slicing.


11.

If your canes' ends are distorted, cut away the ends until you see the pattern you want. Cut 5 good extremely thin slices from the cane. Arrange evenly in a round (every 72 degrees).

For a tiny bit more realism, you can make an extremely small simple two color cane (e.g. yellow or chartreuse or some other bright color, wrapped with a thin outer layer of dark maroon). Cut tiny little slices and place in the center of the flower.

If you place the very thin slices, of various cane sizes, on a sheet of clay (middle pasta machine setting), as Donna Kato demonstrated in an episode of the Carol Duvall show, then pass the decorated sheet through the pasta machine to firmly press the slices into the clay sheet, to can produce a lovely picture or a pendant.

Also, be adventurous. Try different colors in your cane.

   
 

Have a great polymer clay time.. ;-)

Desiree

Last update to this page: 3 Jan 05. Send comments, questions or suggestions to Desiree McCrorey.