The french one

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Todays challenge is called "the french one." A fellow matchbox-challenge-companion commented that I obviously hadn't struggled with this challenge (thank you!) but I actually did. At first I made a small fashion drawing based on haute couture - but I couldn't figure what to put inside the box to somehow complete the matchbox. I soaked with it for a long while as I liked the idea of haute couture - it somehow epitomises french! The suddenly the idea of Coco Chanel appeared - and pearls... lots of pearls!

I based my watercolor drawing on this photo of Coco Chanel. I guess you could say with a modern twist - minus the cigarette!!

I lined the inside of the box with black silk and added a selection of genuine vintage pearls...

- and added a finishing touch of a Chanel inspired handmade trimming in black and white (also a Coco Chanel trademark). And I guess a bit of french appeared after all!

Coco Chanel photo found via fashion-square.blogspot.com

A little bit of lace

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Todays matchbox challenge is the lace one. For this challenge I dived into a box of hand dyed lace, silk and silk tulle and a bit of gold trimming.

I wrapped the box in layers - a bit like draping the corset of a dress.

The inside of the box lined with silk and a little handmade lace rosette brooch tucked inside. You can't acutally see the entire brooch but it is made from lace, silk chiffon, silk tulle, a matching feather and an antique button decorated with gold seed beads.

Oh... and the lace and silks were hand dyed with tea and beetroot.

Growing beautiful

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The name of the matchbox challenge for day 3 is "the birthday one."

I approached this box with an image of a flower in full bloom (in what a consider a happy color). A flower to signify growth - growing more beautiful with each year that passes. Then I stitched on a few strings for banners and added the letters + a few small festive feathers.

Then a little surprise element for the inside - a bit of confetti in matching colors...

- and some lovely wise words... to be appreciated especially as you grow older!

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that counts. It's the life in your years."

Abraham Lincoln

Birdie and his hidden treasures

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Day two of the matchbox challenge - this one is called the bird one. Mmm... where does one start? Well birdie was a given. I then came to think of these gorgeous yellow winter berries which I had to capture the other day - there was something about the yellow berries against the icy-blue sky that really captured me.

Anyhow... I remembered this yellow (do you have color memory?) and thought it had to be paired with birdies beak. Then a bit of red to add a bit of color and warmth (oh, and a bit of watercolor splashes under birdies feet to mimick him hopping around on the ground)...

- and then his hidden treasures... (diving into my box of trinkets) a gorgeous blue magpie feather and a real bird skull!!

 

And voila... there you have it - the bird one!

Multum in parvo

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It's been a while... I've been very much caught up in my heart cause. 

But I cannot resist this fun little February challenge from Jeska at Lobster & Swan. To make a matchbox for each day of February. My favorite motto is MULTUM IN PARVO (much in little) so I had to go with this challenge. The list looks like this - and this image being my first challenge - the airmail one.

 

1 the airmail one
2 the bird one
3 the happy birthday one 

4 the lace one
5 the french one
6 the thank you one
7 the water one
8 the music one
9 the recipe one
10 the pretty one
11 the shabby chic one
12 the antique one
13 the gold one
14 the love one
15 the fancy one
16 the nature one
17 the sweet one
18 the gentleman’s one
19 the rose one
20 the country one
21 the garden one
22 the cute one
23 the travelling circus one
24 the forget me not one
25 the Japanese one
26 the sparkly on
27 the last days of winter one
28 the romantic one
29 the extra one!

This matchbox contains five vintage floral stamps and will be posted in my Etsy shop along some of the other matchboxes (or I'm wondering if I should auction the lot at the end of the month??). As always the procees goes toward my cause rescuing Greek cats. 

To join or read more about this fun challenge, check out the original post here.

And do pop over and check out Jeska's over the top gorgeously detailed first matchbox... love it and leaves me wishing I had more time to spend on each box - disappearing into a fairy world of tiny-ness as I loved as a child.