This is very interesting, because normally I would detest such a huge border, but I think it works very well, here. If you did it to kind of camoflage the small picture size, you've succeeded! Nice exposure & a pleasing composition.
The photgraph itself is nice. The shadow on the top is a bit distracting. However, I, (though I have used it as well) am not a fan of the border. It detracts to much ffrom the photo
Nice job going the other way with this shot, and though as a rule i hate borders, I think this one is brilliant, emphisising the intention of not using all the space for your shot, and to me implying the intention of not using everything else you might use, of living smaller and simpler in the face of our consumer culture. nice tones and focus, in fact good enough that that little string of stitching on the left side bugs me.
there is more frame here than image. I do see that you met the challenge though, as any amount of money can be viewed as affluence to those who have little.