Secret Garden Swap -- the Reveal

 The box that I sent to my Secret Garden Swap partner has arrived in Malaysia, so I can now show you what I sent her!  I decorated a paper mache box (painted off white first), and filled it with all sorts of treasures.  I found the picture of this girl with the flower pot, and decided to build my design around that.  So, the picture really drove the rest of the design.  I covered the box with coordinating papers and added a lace ruffle:

On top of the box, I added a piece of chipboard that to me, looked kind of like a garden fence.  I layered on more lace, flowers, some jewels, and lastly a key that I glittered:

I filled the box with lots of laces and trims (of course!) along with velvet flowers and leaves, one of the darling little match boxes I bought from Elyse at Tinkered Treasures, and some additional glittered keys:

I really loved making the glittered keys.  I think I may make a few more batches, and put some in the shop. :)

This was such a fun project, with a lovely theme!  Now I can't wait for my next swap!

Shhhhhh! Secret Garden Swap Sneak Peek

I finished my Secret Garden swap project and it is in the mail!  I had a lot of fun with this project; the theme really captured my imagination.  I don't want to ruin the surprise for my swap partner, so these are a few tiny sneak peeks.  Once she receives her box, I'll reveal all.

I've got 2 squares left to go on my 39 Squares project (I'm doing 40 squares).  And, I think I've come up with a new stitching project for myself that I'm excited about.  More on that later.  So, here are a few more peeks:

Square 38

Here's my next square, which I stitched yesterday while sitting in a hospital waiting room. That's a story for another time, but I will say that it was calming to me to be able to stitch while I waited.

Meanwhile, my daughter Chloe is on fire with her stitching!  Last night she came up with this mixed media creation:

Today I'm mailing off my Secret Garden swap box to my swap partner -- all the way in Malaysia!  Stay tuned tomorrow for a few sneak peaks of that fun project.