Embroidered Collage

This abstract 6"x6" came about because I wanted to play with needlelace again.  I thought it would be interesting to try out the layering that I had read about.  The effect is interesting, but it needed the beads to set it off and pull some of the dramatic black into the rest of the piece.  I have more ideas for developing this technique in my work and am looking forward to trying them out.

The background is the last of the four with the flame paper that I started way back in June - the one in the upper right of both pictures.  After I decided to work in strata I added more paper to it, but my camera ate the work in progess picture.  I then toned it down a little with some dry brushed gesso and gold point before I stitched on it.

This piece has a little more character around the edges than some of my others - it's a little lumpier because of all those layers of paper being folded on top of one another at the corners during the stretching process.  If I want a neat look then I need to use fewer layers of paper at the edges or develop a different technique doing the corners.

I haven't figured out what to call it yet, though.