.stumpwork.

Several years ago, a friend got me interested in stumpwork (I saw her doing it, and my brain exploded) and then everything went horribly wrong. Meaning I started doing stumpwork, but not really.
Stumpwork is a old school style of raised embroidery - using cotton padding to make everything 3-D, including fabric applique, beautiful beadwork, and a long tradition of using beetle elytra as decoration. It is totally amazing and beautiful - truly the original 3-D artwork (if you discount sculpture, reliefs and trompe l'oei). But because I am incapable of following directions for anything (also why I cannot bake, knit, or crochet)I immediately tossed the idea of raising embroidery from a background, and gave everything legs so it could stand up on it's own - because the only thing I was "stumping" was beetles.

this is Cedric - the first stumpwork piece I made and sold - rather than gifted

I finished two more pieces last night - two tiny bees with transparent wings - complete with tiny pollen covered legs. Naturally they're on the etsy shop because I need to get these things out of my house.

So cute!