A Tale of Two Scarabs

 

When I received the curious insects, I searched online for images of scarabs and was taken with the jeweled scarabs I found. They became the inspiration for the beads and beetle wings which adorn these pieces.

At first I only had a vague idea about blinging them out in some way. Usually I glue the fiberboard pieces together and paint them before moving on and adding content. This time I wanted to push the idea of how to put them together as they came with several captivating pieces and I wanted to use them all in a distinctive way. After looking at them and rearranging them for a while, it came to me that it would be fun to hinge the wings so they would move and it was smooth sailing after that.

The wings don’t lie flat because of the clock faces underneath, but the peek at what’s inside allows them to reveal part of their secret upfront, which I like about the pieces. While they are delicate, the wings can be moved and repositioned to reveal all.

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Pssst… If you have a phobia when it comes to needle and thread you can also glue your embellishments in place with a bead glue.  The results would be just as spectacular.

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 PRODUCTS USED

 

METHOD

• Spray or paint fiberboard pieces to your desired color. I started with gold, but later changed it to black.
• Trace wings onto a beading foundation and add beads, sequins or cabochons.
• Add glue to the backs of the beaded pieces before cutting them out.
• Glue small hinges onto wings and base of the curious insect.
• Add texture or images to the big wings that go behind the insect before glueing all together.
• Cover the glued on hinges with decorative Washi Tape. I use two methods of attaching things wherever it’s possible.
• Add a grandfather watch face to the main body.
• I used the oval piece to frame a collage on the back. On one piece I used Mica Fragments to cover the back of the wings.