Book excerpt: Caning techniques with polymer clay allow you to create your own intricately detailed, sophisticated and chic jewelry. This clear and concise guide, by professional jewelry designer Mathilde Brun, shows you step-by-step how to make clay "canes," layers of clay strategically pressed together, to adapt into multiple jewelry pieces. Polymer clay is ideal for DIY jewelry: flexible and pliable, it permanently hardens quickly under low heat without shrinking. By making "canes" of clay, delicate patterns, like lace, are made possible with uniform results, an unattainable feat with mere brush or pencil. With simple and easy to follow directions, learn how to turn your canes into necklaces, pendants, earrings, pins, rings, and brooches. Supported by over 400 step-by-step illustrations, material lists, and instructional guidance on the cane-making, conditioning, shaping, color mixing, pattern imprinting, curing, sanding, and buffing of polymer clay, this book provides everything you need to realize your own unique jewelry and design potential.