We have the lovely Alison and Don of Adventures in Wonderland to thank for today’s beautiful thing.

This is the marvelous, unexpected work by embroidery artist Emma Pannell. The artist uses almost entirely discarded materials, and she’s best known for her habit of embroidering on recycled aluminum. She uses traditional design techniques including engraving and goldwork embroidery. She begins by burnishing the insides of tin cans. The process turns the metal golden, and she then embroiders and embellishes the metal, creating artworks that look both traditional and entirely new.

There are certain motifs that turn up in Pannell’s work that remind me of indigenous crafts, which is maybe why I’m so drawn to them. She likes to play with the concept of “combining ‘high’ art techniques with ‘low’ materials,” elevating simple recycled items into beautiful pieces.

You can follow Emma Pannell on her website and on Instagram and Facebook.