Beads on the Painted Canvas: Continuing with Mindy

I haven't had time to work on this as much as I'd like to, but did get a few more beads added and some background.

I had a bit of trouble finding a pink to use on the background around the flowers on the left, and tried everything I could find in my stash, plus buying more at the LNS to see if I could get something that would look right and also coordinate with the light pink on the flower tips. Couldn't find it.

Then it occurred to me, after I kept bringing home exactly the same pink I already had, that when I used the beads on the flower, it would change the look of the floss enough to work fine. You can see where the arrow points that there is a definitely different look!

Also had the same problem with the green. The one I had originally bought looked too bright in intensity compared to the other colors, and again, I went out two or three times, and brought home the same color # - even after consulting the color card. (that will teach me next time to take in a plastic bag what I already have so I can compare. ) Anyway, I went ahead and used the green, and as basketweave makes a color look lower intensity due to the light break-up on the surface, it's perfect.

I also decided to try, in a different area to compare, using plain cotton floss for the white repeating pattern to see if I liked it better than the Kreinik 032, but I didn't. It was entirely too flat looking. The little bit of sparkle in this braid seems to be subdued when the stitching around it is finished. It's great, and the sparkle seems necessary for continuity of the overall look when also using the beads.

Again, it's really amazing how these clear beads look the color of the background on which they are placed, just by applying them with the same color floss. At this point, as gorgeous as the colors are, I'm needing a rest from them, and will go back to the first one I started, which is Art Nouveau in style, and in soft, earth tones for a change. Having the three to "rotate" (as Pat of Needleartnut says) really helps me not get tired of the project as a whole - and keeps me busy.