Cherry Blossom Keepsake Box

by Jessica Hathaway
(Port Saint Lucie, FL - USA)

A few years ago, my husband and I decided to move to another state, Kentucky to Florida to be exact. He sent resumes out for months, got a few hits and eventually got "the one". We weren't familiar with the area and it was difficult to house shop from Kentucky, so he went to Florida before me to begin his new job and find a house for us. He left before Thanksgiving. I didn't see him again until the last week of January. I spent week after week, and 3 consecutive holidays, packing and cleaning and continuing to work, but I was so alone. I learned some basic origami earlier that year, so I turned to that to fill my time. I found the cherry blossom to be the most interesting,and challenging at first, because its comprised of a one inch square of paper. Once I'd gotten the hang of it, I continued, eventually making a hundred and fifty of them out of pastel pink squares with yellow rafia centers. The question after that was: What do I do with all of these flowers?! I created two pieces that I am very proud of. One I gave my grandmother as a Mother's Day gift that following spring. The other has become one of my favorites :) Its an oriental themed keepsake box, made of paper mache, covered in oriental themed scrapbook paper, lined with pastel pink satin, trimmed with pastel pink satin ribbon, and topped with origami cherry blossoms in that same pink. I continue to create some pretty awesome keepsake boxes and origami is such an inspiration. Thanks for listening.