"Stacker Bead" Tutorial
Updated and Enhanced (with text)
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All you need is a long blade and unconditioned polymer
clay. I normally choose 5 colors, but this rule is not "set in stone".
Pearl colors work well....but clay with glitter or other aggregates in it
doesn't.
This technique is also called a Damascus Ladder...it's just my version of how to
make wonderfully detailed beads.
For the story on how they were "discovered", click here. |
 Step 1 - Select Colors. There are so many things about the use of color that I can't explain, so I won't try. All I can say is, the more diverse colors are, and if they are placed just right, in the right order, the beads will be spectacular. Black and White are also very valuable in creating a "pop" effect. I highly recommend this book if you want to learn about use of color. I prefer Sculpey III because it is soft enough to just cut and use. No conditioning required, except sometimes with Translucenet. I don't use translucent in Stackers because I save it for better applications. Just cut it right off of the block! |
 Step 2 - Cut thin slices. Slices should be roughly 1/16"-1/8" thick (2-3mm). If they're too thick, they'll dominate the revealed pattern. If they're too thin, they may barely show up. But they definitely don't need to be all the same thickness. Experiment and see what looks good to you. |
 Step 3 - Stack the slices. The order that the slices are placed will decide what is on the outside and inside. The two outer slices will be the main colors in the striped sides of the cone that you will create in Step 6. The other three inner colors will be the inside of the part that you cut through in Step 8. Again, play around with order. Make several stacks with the same 5 colors and shuffle the colors to see what happens. |
 Step 4 - Cut in half and re-stack. There are actually two ways you can do this. You can put each half of the sliced stack in the same direction, as is pictured above. OR, you can mirror-image them by placing the same color together in the middle. In this case, red would be the center and blue would be the color of the sides. Or blue would be in the middle and red would be the color of the sides. Each version has different results. One side will likely have some uneven layers....trim this off and use as some colorful scrap clay. The cube should be as cleanly cut as possible, but don't obsess over it. |
 Step 5 - Roll into a ball. This is pretty self-explanatory, but one tip is to press in each of the 8 corners just a little to make the points not so susceptible to severe distortion after rolling. If there's some waviness, it's no big deal. But the spheres with the straightest lines are in my opinion, much nicer. Keep the sphere in the cup of the center of your palm to keep it as even as possible. Keep pressure steady and even while rolling it. If it starts to turn into a wobbly shape, gently roll it back into a sphere. |
 Step 6 - Roll into a long tapered cone. This part can take a bit of practice to perfect. I've seen students do a great job, but most of the time it's kind of awkward until your hand is trained to do the right thing. I tell my students to use the dominant hand, and keep the pressure towards the base of the thumb, on the palm. This part of the hand is fairly sensitive in most people, so any unevenness in the forming cone is easily felt. Watch it too, and most importantly, keep your fingers closed, and your whole hand stiff, as if it is a board. You want the shape to be as close to the photo as possible. Only roll it AWAY from you, not back and forth. Roll, pick it up, put it back where it started and roll again. Repeat.  Step 7 - Cut the cone somewhere between the point and the fat end. For this step, two things are always true: If you cut the cone closer to the small tip, the bead will be smaller. If it's cut closer to the fat end, it will be larger. The cuts that you do in Step 8 will look similar in some ways and different in some ways even within the same rolled cone. Every cut is a complete surprise. Some look great, some look so-so, and some just look terrible. That's part of why I do this. |
 Step 8 - Slice down center to reveal pattern. This step also takes some practice. Rarely do mine ever get cut so close to the center that the beads are the same size. Most of the time the blade may decide to go in a different direction. You may get a large bead and a medium bead from the same cone. Note: I suggest putting the cones in the fridge for a few minutes before slicing if the ambient room temperature is over 75 degrees F. (24 degrees C). If it's too warm, the clay may be a bit soft and will smear and pinch the desired design. Chilling it will stiffen it, so it will resist the downward pull of the blade and maintain the clear, crisp design you desire.
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 Stacker Beads! - Roll them up starting with fat end first. If the clay is fairly soft (don't squish it to see, just estimate), it should roll nice and smooth. If it's too cold or stiff, it will break when you start to roll it. Press it gently against as you roll, so the surfaces will bake together. One thing about making Stackers is that you want to handle them as little as possible. The more your hold them, the more you are distorting the shape. One of my fans suggested rolling them around plastic mixing straws, if you don't have a drill. I prefer to drill them after they are baked because the beads aren't over-handled, and I can move the hole if I want to. You could also choose to use a piercing tool (like a toothpick) to poke a hole in the center. That will work well, but remember that it may contribute to fingerprints and dents from being touched too much. Bake them according to the directions on the package. |
| Drill: I prefer a Dremel handheld cordless drill. It has an extremely high RPM, like 20,000. I got mine at Loew's for about $45. The stylus design is nice, because it has a very adjustible speed dial on it, so you can go from very slow to very fast. It also has a pretty ergonomic design. Those run around $90. You can always try eBay if you want to find a deal. |
| I hope you have enjoyed this
completely free tutorial. Traditions are passed on from person to
person so that they will survive, so please share what you know with others.
It gives me great pleasure to know that after I'm no longer making beads,
Stacker beads will continue to be born throughout the world. Share
what you know...give it freely...and others will freely
share with you. The pioneers of polymer clay made it possible for us
to do what we do because of their generosity in knowledge. |
