This Beaded Thing started out to be just a sampler of different beading techniques I was trying, and "grew like Topsy" into a fantasy undersea garden which named itself "Caribbean Blue". (Yes, I'm an Enya fan.)
Several years ago I took a "beading on fabric" class with Larkin Van Horn, http://www.larkinart.com , and was so inspired by her gorgeous work that I've continued to play with the concept ever since.
Since this particular piece was never intended as a "project", I don't know how long it took ... but I know it "seeded" about 6 months ago, and branched out bit by bit during that time. I framed it in a shadow box to give the beads some measure of protection ... but no glass, to give the viewer free visual access. Now I realize that it needs a larger frame.
The full piece is about 7" x 7.5" (9"x11" framed), shown in the top picture. The second pic is a closeup, followed by 3 detail shots.
