Christmas Ornament Bead Embroidery Kit "Claws"

“Claws” is a set of cat paw prints: a black field, pink pads and a white outline. Six colours, the shortest palette in the batch.

What the picture shows

The photo shows two identical paws. Each is made of one large pad below and four toes above it. The field inside is worked in black beads with a fine metallic sheen, the pads in pink, from pale at the edge to deeper in the middle. The whole outline and the divisions between the toes are picked out in white beads, so the drawing reads as a silhouette from a distance. There is almost no colour here: the piece works on the pure contrast of black, white and pink. The beads lie in tight arcs and the canvas underneath does not show.

What is in the kit

• Artist canvas with the full-colour pattern printed on it — no chart to follow on a screen
• Czech Preciosa beads, 6 colours
• Beading needles
• Thread for bead embroidery
• Instructions and finishing guide

Specifications

• Finished size: 32×66 mm (1.26×2.6 in)
• Beads: approx. 496
• Bead colours: 6
• Difficulty: average
• Base: art canvas

The piece is small and simple in drawing, a good first project. The embroidery is cut out along the outline and mounted as a brooch; the pin and the backing are chosen separately. Six colours and clear outlines mean few switches between shades, so the work moves quickly even on a weekday evening.