GAPCG Monthly Meeting

The Common Extruder - A demo with Connie Clark! Connie’s demo will show us some easy cane designs made using an extruder as well as how to make earring components.
Join us in person at the Doraville Art Center where attendees will be entered in a drawing to win a pair of earrings created by Connie! (You must be present for the drawing to win.)
Here is the SUPPLY LIST - if you'd like to work along with the demo:
DEMO
Sunday, July 19, 2026 by Connie Clark.
The Common Extruder: Simple Extruded Canes
and Decorative Elements.
SUPPLY LIST:

• Extruder. (Note: the syringe style extruders designed for ceramic clay don’t work well with polymer clay as it’s much stiffer and very difficult to force through a syringe style extruder.) Ones used for polymer clay typically have a screw/winding shaft.
• Extruder disc/dies of different shapes and sizes. Squares, Circle, Rectangles are most versatile.
• Clay- recently conditioned of various desired colors.
• Bullseye or other previously assembled canes.
• Circle cutter that cuts a size to fit clay in your brand of extruder barrel. An alternative is to use the open end of the extruder barrel.
• Lubricant/oil for clay extruder, clamp if you have use one with your extruder, or drill set up if you normally use one when extruding clay.
• Brayer tool.
• Sharp tissue blade.
• Optional: Kemper pickup tool, or can even make a similar tool using two sharp sewing needles imbedded into a formed clay handle forming a tool to help pick
  up small delicate cut cane slices.
• Deli sheets.
• Cookie cutter(s) of desired shape/size for earring or other component you want to make with your extruded cane.
• Normal claying tools: roller, work mat, paper towels, etc.

TOPICS/POINTS TO COVER:
Some easier types of extruded canes & borders:

• Ron Lehocky’s Easy Peasy Extruder Cane (using square disc & Clay Core Extruder Adapter 1mm size).
• Pixelated Retro Extruded Cane (using either a Square or Round disc resulting in different variations).
• Assembled interlocking extruded shape canes (using compatibly designed discs).
• Extruded strands for decorating & borders (using tiny/small round disc, or thin rectangle shaped disc).

Color coordination/design:

• Using a common color with each color used in a blend will help to unify them and
  make each work with the others. Julie Picarello’s book Patterns in Polymer-
  Imprint & Accent Bead Techniques.
• Keeping the variety of colors to a limited number with principles of design in mind.