Altered Book - Finally!

I had joined the "4 Artists 4 Ways" class earlier this year and was really impressed by Lenna's lessons on making an Altered Book. Unfortunately, I had a couple of false starts and did not come back to it until my vacation.

The book is "prepped" - kinda (pages are 5 1/2 x 7 1/2). I need to treat some of the pages using the different techniques Lenna taught...

If your interested, the "back drop" is a Challenge Quilt I made back in 2006 for our Guild - I called it McDonald Gothic (with apologies to the artist) :).

I did decide on a theme for my book. I realized I had a boat load of old dictionaries that I want to use up. I love some of the old words (and definitions) that we don't use often. So I've been browsing and found some "cool" words" and pictures to match.

This is my first page - the graphic came from am 1893 issue of The Century Magazine (I thrifted a bound copy of a year's worth of issues awhile back) which I used chalk to colour in (tip from Mary Green). She really does not have all those wavy lines in her face but that is how she came out on my scanner - I did not have much luck taking a picture of her either (any suggestions). Used that napkin technique in the background (I have a packet I have to use up, LOL) I've used before and stamping. The frame graphic came from a class I took with Beth/Karla before Christmas called a Romantic White Christmas. I already have 3 more pages lined up (in my head) so hopefully I can start filling in all those blanks.

I am waiting till last to do the cover as I have so many different things I would like to try - hopefully it will "speak to me" (ha, ha) at the end... Enjoy, Jewels.