Cottage Portrait...Rocks!

The embellishment around the cottage portrait itself could not compete with the delicate stitching on the printed photograph. I wanted it to hopefully complement it, and set it off, not divert the eye.
So I got to thinking...something symbolic and of the place....

This is the beach right below where the cottage sits, up on that bank. For some reason, the rocks that wash up on the sand here can be very flat and perfectly round or oval. I often collect them when on walks, and have a goodly stash of them here at home. Momentos.
And they would make a really nice little border around the cottage portrait, too!

No drilling for me. I used four-hole buttons, pre-threaded with super strong Silamead thread, and glued them onto the backs of the rocks with E6000 glue, letting them cure overnight.

Then, one by one I threaded each of the four hanging threads into a needle and brought them through to the back of my fabric.

On the back, I tied off my treads using a triple square knot, and then clipped off the excess.

Combining the rocks with some ribbon would make a pleasing contrast, was the idea...this is River Silk's "Sand Box" collection, which I bought last fall while in Houston. (I am always buying embellishment supplies that remind me of Lake Michigan.)

And here you have it.
It may not be the absolute best most appropriate border for the piece (it is a little heavy), but my cousin will be reminded of all our walks together, and she will know EXACTLY what I am getting at here.
I just need to do a little fly-stitching along the seams there, stretch it over foam core, back it, and mail this off to her!