'Tis good to give...

..but it is a whole lot of fun to receive! I can't wait to show you the matchboxes that I received from the Petite Inspiration Matchbox Swap. As I told some of my swap partners, I felt as if I had been thrown from the Farm Team to the Major League! I had previously looked at all these women's blogs and they are all VERY talented! 

I am so charmed by what I received and love this process of making something beautiful out of something as simple as a matchbox! So on we go...

First, the picture on the top. The box at the back is created by Steph Oyler. It is covered by the most beautiful sage green , pink and lavender glittered flowers and has beautiful sage velvet braided trim on either side. The bird is surrounded by flowers and has a beautiful tail feather, gracefully swept forward. You can see the adorable blue tutu-ed ballerina in front of her box. Love it. Pam Keravuori created the one under the first one. She used a two-toned blue polka-dotted paper and the same elegant bird as Stephanie. The box is edged with antique cream lace and has my initial on it (Yay! I love my initial) connected by a brad that matches the paper. In the front of the box, she has a pink frame with the word "nest" written on it in pencil (cool). It is hooked by four tiny brads. You can see the wonderful vintage (1940's) Japanese bird swooping in front of her box. I loved the bluebird button card with the different buttons. Isn't that cute?

This is a box created by Catherine Aguilera. I remember seeing Catherine and her beautiful daughter at Silver Bella. I should have said beautiful Catherine and her beautiful daughter...they are both stunning. Catherine's box has the sweetest pink bird in a white-washed nest with a fluffy pink feather underneath. It is flowing in the breeze right now (the breeze is from the ceiling fan!). I love to watch it. Well, as I would have imagined, everything Catherine placed in her pink-flocked, antique-papered box was done with such attention to detail. There are little tiny file folder labels at the top of some of the goodies, stapled with teeny-tiny staples. One of them held the most gorgeous white iridescent angel wings. There was also a set of the tiniest garden tools, with a beautiful brass patina...love patina. Many things were wrapped with thin bits of pastel seam-binding and had tiny labels. Just so lovely!

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On the upper section is Steph's box again. You can see the vintage wallpaper border poking out. It is a nice-sized hunk of it. I missed the window of opportunity for finding vintage wallpaper and I treasure every little bit! There is also an adorable gold-wired nest that I am guessing she wove herself, with three tiny bird eggs inside. That is my family! Jud, Kat and I! Steph and I both love Easter so she included the sweetest little chickie gift tags! The chick actually has a party hat on! She also included some extra treats, including a black cherry scented pen (truly smells great!) and, joy of joy, some printed packing tape! Everyone's box was sealed with this tape except mine :-( but now I can have my packages that are pretty on the outside, too! :-). Under Steph's, is another picture of Steph and Pam's boxes. 

I just love them all! Aren't they little treasures? 

I laugh when I read some of this because I sound sort of like a cross between someone who is writing copy for a fashion show and a sixty-year-old kindergarten teacher! I think it is because I love these boxes so much. I just ooh and ahhh over every little part of them. They must sit by my bed for months before they move to the craft room and then a cannot take anything out of them for several more months. I am always a little sad because the creators make and place everything so perfectly inside the box and I can never get them to look quite the same.

And, yes, I am a little odd! But odd in a sort of...ummm...contented way. And I have found a whole tribe of odd people just like me. Really, there are many more of us. Be afraid...

P.S. Thanks, Kat, for taking picture for me. I was busy filling my May Basket. That's another story!

P.S.S. My dear friend, the talented Lynn Richards, has a beautiful give-away on her blog. Just click on Blue Skies under my favorites. Check it out!