My Petite Inspiration Box Swap

The pics you've been waiting for!  Here is my Petite Inspiration Box - with the bird's nest theme. I put together the contents (see below) and struggled with how to decorate the box itself.  because my theme was red and powder blue, i thought the box had to follow suit.  Once i decided to just go with the tried and true sepia vintage/copper/robins egg blue - it all came together.

I sanded, gesso'd then covered the matchbox with vintage book pages.  For the top i used precut scalloped ovals (from paper source) as a base for a paper bird with skeleton leaf wings.  A bit of vintage script from an old letter as a sort of banner and a touch of whimsy with the blue chip trading stamps and sparkly flower.

The copper mesh nest was the perfect place to hold my hand-made speckled eggs. I forgot all about the ends until i saw pics on-line of someone else's box  - so the button and ribbon was a last minute touch.

This is what the three recipients would see when they opened their jam packed box.

I wrapped assorted ribbons and trims around a vintage flash card and attached it with lady bug stick pins.  Some two tone MSL twine and some lace pieces complete the
fiber selection.

In the paper realm, i included a page from a gardening book, two foreign dictionary pages,a mini book or locket, some silly chicken stickers, a mini magnet, red foil sticker and a milk cap.  The yellow matchbook is actually flower seeds.

This shows more goodies - red and blue sticker labels, a vellum envie and note card, red photo corners (5 because you need 4 and you always lose one!), bird postage stamps, some word game cards, some bird images and a faux stock certificate.

 In the chunky doodad group you can really see the red and blue theme come alive.  A butterfly, some lady bugs, a wee bird, buttons, marbles, beads, leaf sequins, a vase shaped glass bead with a flower, and some hand painted earrings.

In the metal assortment were various charms butterflies and dragon flies, a winged horse, some copper scrap angel wings, a key tag a brass ring and teardrop finding and an opticians lens.  all the little things fit in the tin case.

I gave each person two little birds and three eggs wrapped in a napkin and wrapped with the stem of the blue paper flower.  I tried to stick within the "guidelines" and just send what would fit in the box itself.  But i had some over flow!

I really had fun putting these together.  But that was NOTHING compared to the joy of receiving the boxes in the mail, from my trading partners.  Just wait til i show you!

Happy Halloween and other scary thoughts

I carved the pumpkin and made the goodie bags for the neighborhood kids. I loaded the dishwasher and cleaned the kitchen counters and vacuumed the den carpet.
(insert loud screeching car brake noises here)

WHAT???????????

Yes - i am home doing domestic chores, something i never do. Why you might ask? Because i lost my job this week. After moving to California 8 and a half years ago for this exciting opportunity, it all came crashing down on Tuesday, when the company laid off a third of their head office workforce. Some 130 people out of work. I suppose i take some comfort in that - knowing that it wasn't just me being singled out. My friends and former colleagues have been very sweet and supportive.
Many of them say the same thing: time to focus on your art. I have never considered myself an artist. A teacher, yes. A good crafter, yes. Pretty talented at using art as a jumping off point to create something with my own point of view, yes. But i never went to art school and never spent any serious time focusing on art. I really do need to get another job - but i do have some breathing room. So maybe I will. Maybe i will focus on art for a while.
My husband has been incredible making sure i have everything i need and space to figure it all out. Doesn't he know all i really want is for him to load the dishwasher and do the vaccuming? But then again, all great artists have to suffer don't they?