Embroidered Collage

After a few refinements I completed this piece that I began by playing with paper.  First I extended some lines and drew some circles with watercolor crayons.  But I had made the dark blue circles far too intense so I had to color in some more with greys and light blues and do a wash of color to mute them down.  I couldn't decided at the time whether I liked that the effect melded the papers together more or disliked the that it muted down their individual characteristics.  Seeing the collage completed I am certain that I like the melding effect. 

Then I went looking through my beads.  I decided to add a little pizzazz by putting in the peach/pink beads on top of the raised turquoise paper but also wanted a focal bead of some variety.  I auditioned a few and picked this one because of the intense color.  The circles caused by a droplet falling into water seemed an appropriate next layer.  I considerd adding more backstitch in different colors or wrapping some of it, but decided that the simple lines worked best for the piece.