Number Three

This is Number Three in the series of abstract beading that I've been doing. This one seems to have taken forever, but the beading has had to take a back seat on a number of occasions - work, family obligations, fitness routines, etc, etc, but it's finally finished! It's intended as a gift for a sister-in-law's birthday, and I'll be framing it in a similar way to the ones below. A local framer made a number of frames for me a few years ago, to frame the mixed media embroideries that I was making and selling at the time. I still have a number stashed away, so I've put them to good use. Once again, I've raided Grandma's button jar, but I used a few of the very pretty glass buttons this time, and a bottle green silk for the fabric background. It uses colours that I know my sister-in-law likes.


Here are the last two that I've done, framed and hanging on the wall along with a goldwork dragonfly that I made a few years ago. There's a close-up of the dragonfly below. I cut the mat boards myself for the two lower ones. I used to be able to buy ready-cut mat boards in this size at Crazy Clints for $1.50 each, but they no longer stock them. A friend has a hand-held mat board cutter which I used to borrow to make larger mats, and it's fairly easy to use with a bit of practice. So, I've invested in one of my own. It makes it easy to do my own framing, and saves a lot of money on framing costs!

As you can see, I've changed the orientation of the blue and gold one. I think it looks better this way around, with the beads "exploding" at the top... (the mat board surround IS even, although it doesn't look like it in this photo, because it's on a bit of an angle.)

And here's the dragonfly.