Secret Present Progress

Matt and I were brainstorming what to get our friend for Christmas and decided on: his favorite candies in a pretty box. Matt bought the candies, I made the box. So, y'know, I'd say we each put about 50/50 effort into making this U_U

First up, I went through my sex toy box stash, hoping to find something approximately the right size to hold a fistful of candy bars and peanut butter cups. The L'amourose looked about right! I believe this once contained the Rosa Rouge? 

Wait, no, that photo says Prism VII? Jesus, what even WAS that? 

Anyway, next up I had to figure out which papers to use. Here is but one wall of my Fancy Paper Collection. (there is another half of a wall and a closet full not pictured)

I had to find papers that would compliment each other and also have enough acreage to cover the box halves. I decided on this lovely pink paper with a silver floral pattern that I've had since I moved here in 2006. It was the first fancy paper I bought and I only used it twice, once for an art show that was at Floating World Comics and the second time for my Saint Anal Beads collage/painting in 2009. I've been holding onto it for something special since then.

I liked how the metallic silver ink gives a nice "pop" off of the pink background, and then the blue patterned paper is a lovely, subtle compliment. It's lush without competing against the other design. 

There would be no second chances if I fucked up with the pink paper, since what I had on hand is all that I have of it, so I made a template out of some cheap crappy paper first. 

It (mostly) fit!

I made a cute little high speed video of my hands gluing the papers onto their box halves, but I am technologically incompetent and don't know how to make them accessible to you guys ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

But! Here they are! Ta-da! Ta-da!

The pink one is the lid and the blue one is the box. 

Adding a couple layers of additional paper makes it a very tight fit, but I'm throwing in a ribbon that'll go underneath the candies and dangle over the edge so you can pull on it to help pry the top and bottom halves of the boxes apart. Sorry, that probably doesn't make much sense, I'll post a photo of it when it's all done. 

Ok, I dunno. And don't go thinking I'm doing this for everyone. So far I have acquired presents for exactly three people. 1) My husband, 2) Our Very Special Friend, and 3) My Secret Santa Recipient. I don't even have cards for anybody else yet. Jesus. [stressed out and weeping emoji]