Happy Holidays! Bead embroidered collar process

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!

Its that time again where we run and run in hopes of finishing Christmas goodies,  shopping ,

wrapping ,  decorating,  entertaining, and enjoying one another's company.  Managed to get the  tree

decorated ,  all the Christmas cookie jars out,  put lights outside for the first time :) ,  still working on making fudge and my favorite ham rolls. 

                                                         Buger 2011 Christmas Tree

progress on my first collar for the Etsy Bead Embroidery Guild ( EBEG team) first Bead Fest  'Winter Wonderland' ,     WOW ,   that was a tongue twister to say,  photo below shows the suede backing after its glued and is being stitched with size 8 seed beads , I chose a tarnished brown color to finish the edging of the piece, after all the white I was completely and utterly in need of some color, I had to fight my urge to use a completely outragious color! That in itself was quite trying.   I haven't decided if I like this piece as much as others but am doing a few things I have never done, for instance, the collar. I still have the clasp to do , my thoughts are not clear as to if  I will use a metal clasp  or  some variation that I come up with. Possibly another petrified wood to compliment the focal?  

My thoughts have started from a bare tree branch covered with snow, then the tarnished angel feeling came about while doing the frosted cubes and gold triangles, following with the cream seed beads I found I wanted more color, but fought the urge and finished with pearl white, awhhh...

now comes the finally in this bead embroidered collar,  I need to get beading to finish by the deadline !

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!