Polymer Clay Faux Pebbles and Millefiori Flower Cane Beads
Spotlight: "I am in love with polymer clay, and think this hobby is going to last for many years." ~Zuleykha-M
One of the most exciting things that is happening in the polymer clay world today, is how artists are connecting from all around the globe. Russia is just one of the countries that is embracing this wonderful medium in a big way.
Today's Spotlight features Zuleykha McMillan, who is Russian born and now living in the UK. Her passion, her quick absorption of knowledge and her hunger for more is exhilarating to see!
Related links for today's spotlight include: (1) Faux Pebble Beads; (2) Disc Beads; (3) Leaf Cane; (4) Polymer Clay In Russia and
(5) UK Polymer Clay.
Here's What Zuleykha Wrote:
Hi Cindy,
I am originally from Russia, but now I live in the UK, Newcastle upon Tyne, where I moved 5 years ago. My profession is a chemist, and my day job is teaching chemistry at the University. At nights I do crafting :) I started playing with polymer clay nearly a year ago, last Christmas. I found pictures of some beautiful works in polymer clay on Internet, and got really interested, started searching for information on polymer clay. When I had enough information in my head I bought myself lots of clay for Christmas and my new biggest addiction began!
My main passion in clay at the moment is millefiori [see photos below], I love making canes, I love the magic of that moment when you cut reduced cane and see the picture inside it. Even if that picture is simple stripes :)) Although I've been working with clay for less than a year, I feel like it is my thing, I am in love with polymer clay, and think this hobby is going to last for many years. I still find a lot of things in claying quite challenging, and not everything comes out as I want it. So I hope, that if I try again and try harder, eventually clay will do everything I want it to do :)))
I love watching your tutorials, and seeing your hard work! Most of it I already know, and I just watch your vids because I enjoy watching someone (and you in particular :) ) working with clay. I am normally at work when I watch your videos, and it makes me want to go home to my clay table and make more and more beads :)))
One thing in particular which your video lessons inspired me to make, is faux pebbles [see top photo]! I've seen people making them and I knew the theory of it, but I didn't have any success on mixing clay with dry powders on my own. It worked only after I saw you doing it in your "Faux pebbles" video! :))
Thank you very much, Cindy :) Regards and best wishes.
~Zuleykha McMillan (Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK)
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For having less than a year of experience Zuleykha, your work is amazing! Without a doubt, polymer clay is definitely your thing!
I love your funky faux pebbles especially the black heart shaped one. And your Millefiori flower canes are wonderful! On the pink disc beads, the way you turned up the petals on the ends, adds a lot of character. And I also really like how you lightened the look of your flowers and leaf canes by using white as the outlines instead of black.
I am excited to see how far you take your love for this medium. How about everyone else… are you guys as impressed with her work as I am? Please show your support in the in the comments below!
** If you have been inspired by my teachings and would like to be featured in an upcoming Spotlight Article, then please do write up something creative and email it to me along with a selection of your project pics. Make sure to send me high resolution photos that I'll be able to zoom in on to show the details of your work. If you don't already have my email address, simply leave a comment below and I will get it to you right away.
Filed Under: 14: Feature Guests by Comment. 
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Comments on Polymer Clay Faux Pebbles and Millefiori Flower Cane Beads
4:56 am
Zuleykha, your work is wonderful and i love your pebbles,I also love to make canes and i no what you mean about that first cut its whoops of delight or oh well try again, always a challenge i think it is why PC is so addictive.I also think Cindy's teaching is the best
7:57 am
Wonderful!! I love your pebbles and the millefiori beads. But most of all I love your enthusiasm! Keep up the great work. You have inspired me!
8:20 am
Love your beads and faux pebbles, Zuleykha. Continued success, it is addictive and rewarding! Will look for you in future spotlights.
8:48 am
Wow, Fabulous work. Love your beads… and I just realized I have admired you stuff on etsy.com before…. very nice work!
10:04 am
All of these beads look GREAT! I too, love to make canes. Not all of them turn out. It is such a surprise when I cut one in half and see a beautiful cane. Keep up the GREAT work. Cindy, I LOVE and look for your video teachings every Friday. Please don't ever stop!
10:11 am
Wow, your work is amazing!! I love it. :)
1:20 pm
I LOVE the round millefiori flower beads. They are beautiful! I am still working up the courage to try another cane. One of these days. :)
4:02 pm
Simply lovely… :)
~Lisa
12:03 am
Just beautiful, I also love the ones outlined in white. I don't know why everyone thinks they always have to use black. I use white and other colors quite often. Black is lovely but so are many other colors. You just have to take a deep breath and go for it. Everyone always sends in such terrific work. I am going to also have to take a deep breath and send in some of my pictures sometime.
Thanks for the wonderful inspiration.
12:42 am
I met Zu at Helen Cox's play days and at that time she had been working with clay for only a few months – I can vouch for the quality of her work. She is one of the most talented clayers I have met to date whose attention to detail is stunning. And Zu has a blog on which she puts tutorials – so you can develop what you have learned through Cindy. Do follow her up and learn even more – the more we learn, the more we can share, and the more we, in particular in Britain, can promote this fabulous art.
Incidentally 'Cindy's girls' met at the NEC (National Exhibition Centre) in BIrmingham in the UK at the Craft Fair and spent a busy day picking up ideas and buying goodies. There is, we discovered, a new clay which has been marketed in the UK. They call it Uro – I am yet to get some, but will keep you informed.
10:28 pm
Beautiful Work, just amazing. Everyone, check out her esty site, her stuff will blow you away!
1:21 am
Dear Cindy, thank you so much for the feature! That is true, that any time I see your video at work on my lunch break, I want to leave work and run home to my clay table :))))
Dear all, thank you thank you thank you so much for all the sweet comments you left for me! I really appreciate that, you inspire me for making more stuff :))
Penny, I hope I will see you again at the Polymer Play Days next year! :)
1:29 am
Zu – With luck I will be selling polymer clay at the playdays next year – I am certainly going to be in January when Helen Cox brings Sandra McCaw over to do a workshop – that should be a very exciting workshop. She is showing us how to make 'the McCaw Cane'
1:54 am
Penny, that would be fantastic! Unfortunately, I can not go to Sandra's class, but I will definitely go to playdays :)
3:56 pm
Sorry guys for taking so long to respond to this thread. As you may all realize now, it is getting too busy for me to respond like I would like to. Thank you all so much for the great comments and keeping this community alive! I love it that you guys in the UK are having more 'Cindy's Girl' Meet-ups! That is fabulous!
Also thank you so much for saying such nice things to Zuleyka. I am sure she really appreciated that and feels quite welcome here now!
You are truly amazing Zu (if I can call you that). A total inspiration to us all!
1:02 am
Zuleykha, I'm so in love with the beautiful things on your blog and Etsy store. Your flower with curled edges has my brain all discombobulated (spelling?) trying to figure out how to do it. I know you sell a tutorial, but I'm on disability, and therefore thrifty, thrifty (Cheap!) I am only able to clay for short periods of time, anyway. I just had to let you know how much I appreciated your work–it's Gorgeous!
11:46 am
"discombobulated…" — I can already tell you are going to be very fun to have around here Phaedrakat.
@All – the link by name goes to where Phaedrakat shares some information about her unique name, and about how she has "…been poking around this blog for months now." I'm so glad she decided to come out of the woodwork, so to speak. Please everyone, join me in making her feel welcome.
11:15 pm
Thanks, Cindy! I just noticed your kind words of welcome here. They're very much appreciated…