FRENCH SHELLS

THESE ARE "AFTER" PICS OF SOME INCOMPLETE SHELL BOXES THAT I FOUND AT A PARIS FLEA A FEW YEARS AGO. (THE BEFORE PICS HAVE VANISHED FROM MY CAMERA!) AT ONE TIME THESE SHELLS WERE IN LITTLE METAL FRAMES, WHICH WERE HINGED AND MEANT TO OPEN LIKE A REAL SHELL AND WERE USED AS A TRINKET BOX OR THIMBLE HOLDER. THE ONES I FOUND EACH HAD ONE HALF OF THE SHELL MISSING BUT THE METAL FRAMES AND HINGES WERE STILL INTACT. I ALSO HAD A FEW LONELY PIECES OF PETTI-POINT, SO I CUT THESE TO FIT INTO THE METAL FRAMES, ALONG WITH A CARDBOARD STABILIZER AND SILK RIBBON TO LINE THE INSIDE OF THE TOP. SOME VINTAGE TATTING WAS ADDED NEXT TO THE FRAME TO GIVE IT A FINISHED LOOK AND I ALSO ADDED A TATTED TAB TO HELP OPEN THE BOX. THEY ARE NOW USEFUL AND SWEET. THEY SORT OF REMIND ME OF EASTER EGGS!