Newsflash: Thrift store find leads to new artwork

So today, staying out of the house to let the cleaners have elbow room to work, I decided that it was a good day for the thriftie.  Very hot and humid and stormy, so playing among the racks of clothes and other fun stuff beckoned.

And on the wall where there are loads of plastic bags of vaguely related small items grouped, I found a bunch of little round clay tiles, with desert animals in relief on them, nicely glazed, too, clearly not the best of the pottery's  product overall, but very charming, and instantly gave me a great idea for combining handmade paper molded over these forms, with stitched versions of similar hanimals.

So when it got cool enough this evening to venture to the third floor, I dug out a few bits of my handmade paper, various kinds, as an experiment. If they work out, I'll make a new post of paper, any excuse you know, and summer is best for this, because of all the water involved, and the need to be outdoors.

Here they are, paper in place, sprayed down with plain water to accept the forms.  Bear with me, the lighting's terrible, just the lamps at my disposal, and I can't carry this tray until it dries.  I notice the water droplets came out nicely, though, how typical.  Not portable for days yet.  Way over on the right in the top pic is a lovely column which is the interior of a conch shell all the outside of which was weathered away by the ocean. Click to see marginally better.

And now comes the annoying part, waiting for them to dry completely before attempting to remove the paper from the tiles. Too soon and the shape, which is very fragile and hollow, will collapse. But the weather is so hot, especially up in the studio, where the AC only sort of works, that it might not be too long.

Meanwhile I'm figuring out how to relate the pieces to stitching, and think goldwork bees and lizards might be just the ticket.  I vaguely remember there are other colors in the spectrum, but I'm blinded by gold at the moment.  Then I have to figure out the logistics of the stitching probably on linen, paper way too fragile for this purpose.

So now I can improve the shining hour, like the busy bee, by seeking out bee ideas in stitching. Or by checking whether any of our embroidery blogistas know of a great source for goldwork bee and lizard and turtle and beetle shapes?