Canework is traditionally a technique done in glass work, also called millifiori or millefiore, where rods of different colored glass are combined in a pattern and then manipulated in the glass blower's torch to become a part of a design on or in a glass object. Usually these designs are composed of many small flowers, hence the name millifiori, which means "a thousand flowers". Canework is a technique that has become popular among artists who work with polymer clay. In this medium it is used to develop very intricate designs. The resulting cane can be stretched and manipulated much as the traditional glass is, without the heat of the torch, and the cane can be sliced, each slice revealing the complex design within.