I was just started to mess around with adding beads and fabric to my embroidered works when we left the States, as seen in my mermaid pinup piece. In the interregnum between then and our stuff arriving, I really started to experiment with materials like plastic wrap and Swarovski crystals.

Now I’m unpacking my lifetime stash of beads and crystals and ribbon, and this beetle is just the beginning!

lagniappe: I use gold paint to freehand sketch the outline of the works on black felt. I wanted the gold to show through here and there with this one, and it didn’t quite work out, so I’m going to try it again with maybe another subject.