The very first lily - The Wounds Of Love:

The first lily to bloom onto our artists and makers forum was Sue Eley's. It appeared all serene, soft with curving white felt petals and a beautifully intricate underside structure of the tiniest green glass beads. One petal was bleeding a red heart glass bead from a delicate glinting red gash of sequins. The little heart is suspended from the petal. A little jewel of pain The wounds of love, says Sue, from Oscar Wilde's tale The Selfish Giant.

Sue is an artist and maker who works with Essential Tremor to make the most delicate work in watercolours and beadwork, yet can equally turn her hand to stone cutting. Sue Eley also writes a blog about making and Essential Tremor called  Mrs E Does Craft: An Essential Tremor Perspective.

Sue, worked through Essential Tremor and a lily allergy humorously and patiently to bring us this lily, saying  ' Progress, but slow as detailed work. Silk waste and merino, glass beads for opulence' and later  'My tremor has given me grief over this to the extent that I wish it spoke pain more loudly.' Perhaps that was the moment she decided to attach the red silk wound and the falling red bead droplet !

Words:  Salma Caller