Ribbon Card Bug and Crystal Chain

Friday I saw a really unusual visitor to the yard.  The last few weeks the number of bugs in the yard has dropped off.  It is only normal that you will see a butterfly or bee or lacewing in the yard.  But they have been scarce.  The birds have disappeared too!  No mockingbirds or blue jays only doves.  I was beginning to think someone put a strong poison in their yard and killed off the bugs the birds eat and the birds moved on.  So Friday I was watering and something flew out of the curry plant.  It was about 7 inches long and had big round wings.  It was slow flying because it was wet.  It flew into the apple tree.  At first I thought it must be a bird but it's body was narrow like a stick.  So after looking on the Internet I believe it was a flying praying mantis.  I had read they can eat a lot of bugs but this one was really putting on the feed bag!  Hopefully it will move on to eat bugs elsewhere.

The reason I have for telling the story was that I now wanted to put a praying mantis on the ribbon card.  But somehow that doesn't sound very pretty.  The card really does need a bug.  If I put a lady bird beetle on the left side it will be two much red.  A lacewing would be pretty but rather small to embroider.  So I need to decide soon so I can finish the card and mail it.  I tried a copper bug not very realistic but them neither is the embroidery.

 

Small copper bug.

 

Close-up of bug.

 

What I may end up doing is use the butterfly I made for the Herb Robert Project.  It wasn't realistic enough for the look of the rest of the embroidery.  When I get my nerve up again I want to make another butterfly using sewing thread for Robert. 

 

 

Herb Robert butterfly.

 

Today I also made a black and clear crystal lanyard it came out 39 inches long and it was made randomly picking beads. 

 

 

 

Black and clear crystal lanyard.

 

It was a very productive day I even made the final card that I owe for the ATC swap.  The cards I sent to Canada have not arrived so I will make them all again and hope they arrive this time.  Now back to reading "The Return of the King".