Wow I'm impressed! Your project came out beautiful! I love the image and colors and fabric patterns you chose. Most of the time I do not much like the pictorial kind of paper piecing patterns, they look too poorly drawn. But I love yours! Yours looks so professional, it's amazing this was your first! Nothing like diving into the deep end eh?
Don't completely give up on PP though. I've been doing the easy and fun kind of foundation paper piecing to make regular quilt blocks, and I love that kind of PP. They make me look like a skilled piecer.
Best of luck in your quilt show! I'll bet you win a ribbon!