My second shot at box 25 and I couldn't be happier with the result.  I think the straight but interesting grain of the afromosia is perfect here.  The top is veneered bookmatched RS ash and the accent paint is Miss Mustard Seed's artissimo (a midnight blue) with a dash of mustard seed yellow to lighten it up.  Super snug fit between the two boxes, as you can see here: http://imgur.com/pJDN631

Finish here is waterbased poly on the afromosia, shellac on the ash, resaissance paste wax on all.  I think this is only the second time I've preferred waterbased poly on a piece to oil-based or shellac.  Here, WB was the right answer because the afromosia can have a lot of chatoyance.  That's absolutely gorgeous in some applications, but I'm not looking for that much visual interest in the wood on this guy - it has exactly the right amount of flair with the WB finish.  Also the color match between the ash and afromosia worked out better this way, though we'll see what happens when they age.   

This box is what I've been shooting for since I started the contest.  While I've made a number of pieces of furniture, I'd never made a box before this contest.  I skipped over the part of woodworking where you hone your skills on smaller pieces.  I've really enjoyed stepping back and getting into the detail work of making tiny boxes.  It's allowed me to play with new species of lumber and to think a little differently, more intentionally and more specifically, about things like wood choice in terms of species of wood but also the grain of a particular piece.  I've also gotten to play with new techniques like veneering and accenting with milk paint and fabric, which are great tools to have in one's arsenal.