Birthday Treasury Swap

I just finished a birthday treasury swap that Inspire Co. hosted. This is something out of my normal sewing crochet realm.

What a fun little challenge this was! My swap partner was Susan from Texas and her birthday tradition is going to Red Lobster Restaurant for her birthday. How yummy is that tradition? So with fun ideas in mind I got to work.

Susan mentioned that she was turning her home into a cottage and this was my main theme. A cute vintage cottage - which we all know I love. So I layered, paint upon paint upon paint, to create beautiful cottage chic feel. Using nail polish remover (because sandpaper was rubbing too much off) and q-tips I rubbed the white paint off to reveal pinks, greens, and yellows. The first cube has a party hat made from vintage paper and tissue paper with a bakers twine string. The second was a cute little vintage playing card from an Old Maid set. The card was Susanna but the bird quickly turned it into Susan :).

The third cube in that row is by far my favorite. It features a cute little peter rabbit from a vintage 1914 Easter card, with which it took all my might to deconstruct (the cards words were stained and watermarked). Adding the fluffy pom pom for his tail made him even more adorable. Susan loves bunnies so I hope this cube will also be her favorite.

The second row had to include her birthday cupcake with candle. Using a cupcake wrapper that was made from recycled paper, I wrapped fabric covered pom poms that were dipped in glue and sprinkles. The candle is marker covered tin foil and paper. A birthday wouldn't be complete without a flowery bouquet. Vintage millinery flowers in a peachy pink tied with a polka dot ribbon finish off cube 2 in the second row.

Now this cube was my hardest and largest! Lovely turquoise wrapping paper with a sweet memories sticker were the first things added. Where to go from there had me at a loss. Red Lobster was the tradition and I knew this cube had to include it. At first I thought of making the restaurants sign out of clay but it just didn't go with the cottage theme. Then it hit me. Getting my paper and markers I drew a lobster crate like they use to catch the buggers and printed out a little lobster in a shade of pink. I didn't tell him that they usually eat his kind at the restaurant.

Now finishing off the shadowbox I used a pretty blue butterfly sticker, vintage wallpaper, and some more of the vintage Easter card. If I take something old and deconstruct it I have one rule - I must use as much as possible of that item in the new purpose. The second cube was Susan's present from me to her - but if she unwraps the polka dot fabric I'm afraid she will just find a wooden block. The last cube, to finish everything off, was the word BEAUTIFUL. This is something we should remind ourselves at any age. We are always beautiful. The little bunting was made with bakers twine, vintage paper, and tissue paper.

My hope is that when Susan sees this lovely shadowbox it fills her heart with joy. I would love to know what are your birthday traditions? What would you like your birthday treasury shadowbox to be filled with?