HOARD Keep Collect- an Altered Book

As promised, a peek into another altered book I recently created. The is the first of two installments (to keep you coming back). I previewed this gem a few months ago when it was just a cover and first spread. The book got stuffed into a drawer and was forgotten, but then I found it one day and got so inspired, I completed the rest of the book in 3 days. The fact that it is a mini Little Golden Book, measuring a mere 2 3/4" square, helped! I used some of my favorite items that needed a specific home, like the button card with a pine tree landscape. I added a watercolor washed pasture and tipped the card in for an over sized page in the book. The back of the round tag from the pocket, opposite, reads, "D'avantage est rarement suffisant." Translation, "More is rarely enough". heehee

One of my favorite altered book techniques is the folded triangular page. This one tabbed with back to back inchies. A bird on the front and....

...A dog on the back. The short folded pocket holds an altered dog tag (no pun intended- I didn't think about it until now) treated with Ranger alcohol inks and images stamped in Stazon inks. (By the way, I found that plain ol' rubbing alcohol cleaned Stazon ink from a rubber stamp COMPLETELY if used while the ink was still wet.) Two key charms were attached with Diamond Glaze which also seals the alcohol ink so it doesn't scratch off. The ochre colored paint on the pages is guache, used translucent to allow type to come through. Water based inks stamp perfectly over guache. Where the type shows completely through the paint, I used cheap-o water colors.

Here a vintage hairpin acts like a paper fastener for a piece of glassine (sp?) envelope. Postage stamp is sewn onto the glassine. Vintage handwritten school paper shows through. Because I am a tireless collector, I could easily fill another book or two or three with more about hoarding, keeping and collecting!