If you asked my 5 year old self what she wanted to be when she grew up she would have told you she wanted to be an artist. Smart kid.

I forgot that along the way like many of us do and trained in computers. My hobbies have covered everything from drawing to painting to jewelrymaking.

In my teen years, my grandmother would take me with her to shows and fairs where she would sell her knitting. Eventually, she invited me to set up to sell my crafts. Sometimes this was decoratively painted ornaments, sometimes beaded jewelry.

About 11 years ago, pregnant with my daughter, I found myself making my own beads from polymer clay. You could make any designs you wanted, bake in your own oven, paint, finish and use it however you'd like. I was hooked.

TECHNIQUE

Polymer clay lends itself to many imitative techniques. My favourite is millefiori or caning. This is the same technique that glass beadmakers (and candymakers) use to make repetitive designs. Images are built up using rods of glass. The larger image is then pulled and stretched to make a longer but smaller one. Slices from this cane are taken and applied to whatever you like.

Clay lends itself to particularly complex canes - faces, roses and butterflies are some of my favourites.