Inspired by Chanel Paper Flower Headpieces

I've been crazy about Chanel's paper flower headpieces since I saw them in 2009, and, last summer, I finally sat down and tried to make one.

The headpiece wasn't for me, though, but for my embroidered Chanel model, with a face based on this photo of Sasha.

My first attempt was too "true"; I'd embroidered cheekbones and Sasha's smile lines, which looked too harsh when I'd done.  So I put the whole project away till a year later, when I decided to avoid the "real life" look and embroider a snowflake-y apple cheek for a less trying-too-hard look (I hope).

I'd planned to hang the piece in my new office, but didn't want to purchase a fancy professional frame--the piece isn't good enough for that and is fairly large at 16x20 pre-frame--so today I found a shadowbox at a crafts store that would support the depth of the flowers.

I realized that I should have some matting, but again, formal matting seemed too proper.  Then I remembered my yardage of vintage French ribbon, a lovely gift, and thought that it might work around the edges (I cut the wide ribbon in half so it would fit the frame).

And it's done, not perfectly, but texture-y enough for me.

I hae a companion piece, a print by the talented Thomas Meyer, in my living room. 

Its humble cousin will go to my office, though, where, when buried under sheets of printer paper, I can look up and imagine all that paper repurposed as a floral headpiece.