My competed Asian altered book (AB)

In May, 2006, Kathy T and I started a one-on-one Asian RR (round robin). Kathy's dh cut both books in a shrine shape after Kathy drew the shape on the books.

Early this year, she finished her book and we called the swap complete. I still had many, many unaltered pages, so began working on them. I've been on sort of a mission to finish my very first AB, although I have over a dozen that are in various stages of completion. There are still about 20 unaltered pages in the book, but I'm saving them in case I find something super special to add. You never know!!!

The following is my book in whole, at least how it is as of today. I took advice from a dear friend (thanks Linda) and added the pages from the back to the front, so you can start at the beginning of this blog and you will begin from the beginning of the book. I did NOT photograph or scan Kathy's pages, because I didn't ask her permission to do so, and I'm really picky about getting permission before I put anything on my blog.

So grab a cup of coffee, tea, or glass of wine, and prepare to stay awhile. There are many photos and I tried to explain how I made each one. You might want to click on the photos for a better view. They will open in the same window, since I don't think blogger has the capability of opening photos in a new window. All images were attached using white glue, unless noted. The exception was my handmade paper (hmp), which I attached using glue stick.

Here is the cover of the book. I just finished it this morning. The images came from a 1987 bamboo calendar. I began by cutting the pieces to size. I cut the width first, and found out the little bamboo slats had nothing to hold on to. To my horror, the slats began falling away from the piece. I tried to fix the first cut with white glue, but after it was dry, it was hard and not user friendly. So I switched to gel medium and coated the entire calendar twice, not knowing for sure which part I wanted to use. When it was dry, I cut a template in wax paper so I could see just which parts I wanted to use.

Originally I planned to put the wording on the front, then realized that many Oriental countries' books begin at what we consider the back. That's when I decided to change the layout to respect their heritage and custom.

I wanted to use these cool chopsticks on the front that have little "grooves" in the top. I used my red Zig pen to accent the grooves. I then positioned the chopsticks so it looks like I am picking up the guy on the bridge. Just my sense of humor coming thru. I attached the bamboo calendar to the book covers using gel medium and the chopsticks using E-6000. I clamped everything after I glued it, and had to affix each chopstick separately so I could get them in the right spots.

This is an overall view of the middle of the book.
Here is a closer view.
I've rotated the book a bit.
This photo is of the back third of the book, mostly showing the "trip" I took.
And finally, another view of the back portion of the book. Enjoy the journey. It took me about a year and a half to complete it. It shouldn't take you nearly that long :>)

Inside pages

Altering begins on the inside front cover by showing all the countries of Asia. The right side explains the "rules" of the round robin with Kathy and me. The left side was created using several layers of gesso I textured. When dry, I painted red and yellow acrylic over the gesso. I printed the information on red CS. I tried to match the reds, but the paper is a blue (or cool) red and the paint I have is an orange (or hot) red.

This is the title page. The backgound on both sides is pigment ink applied using DTP (direct to paper). On the left, I combined an Oriental coin and Chinese drum. To the right of that, I added a chopstick container. I plan to add the chopsticks later, but I want to stamp and decorate them first. The next element was an AB rubber stamp. What do you do when you aren't a good stamper and the image doesn't come out clear? You cover it with Chinese characters left over from the cover. The stamp partly reads "created by" and I wrote Kathy's and my name on the line.

For the right side, I glued gold confetti stars and dots to the page, using gel medium. I also added three good luck wishes I stamped into polymer clay, then DTP'd with red pigment ink.

Although not a good picture, here is a closeup of the polyclay wishes.

Since the AB stamp didn't turn out well on the previous page, I decided to try again. This one was a bit better, although I cut it off in the photo. Collage pieces, joss papers, and tape transfers are on the right side.

I made this sign in page, but neither Kathy nor I have made our tags, yet. I love these little kids on the Chinese coin envies. I use more further in the book.

Collage pages

I had this really lovely Art Deco image and wanted to use it. I printed an art deco Dover image onto shaving cream paper, cut it to the shape of the book page, and added the image in the center of the printed image.


I made an identical spread in Kathy's book. Left is printed paper, stickers, shaped wire "S" with bead, and silk flower. I got such a laugh out of the shoes and socks this gal was wearing, I could think of nothing else. My book, smaller than Kathy's wouldn't allow me to write "Shoes."

The right side's background is made up of various Oriental pages. Over this I layered paper sprayed with Color Mists, then mulberry paper, then a Dover image and punched flowers.


This is one of my favorite spreads in the book, possibly because it took so long to make. I kept looking at the Geisha headdresses and kept thinking I could make a decent representation myself. I punched 1" circles out of printer paper, cut a pie shape out and rolled them into a cone. Then I attached each to heavy cord. The background is a combination of red pigment ink and turquoise handmade paper (hmp). I arranged flowers with button centers on both sides. I attached them with white glue, which I now realize is a no-no, as is really evident on the left side.


These are supposed to be cherry blossoms, but what I didn't know when I made the spread was that cherry blossoms have petals and are relatively flat. So these aren't exactly a good representation of cherry blossoms, like what is shown in the image on the right. The left background is shaving cream paper made on pink copier weight paper.


OK, don't laugh, but I like the Poppets. At least I did until that's all I saw for two years!! I had to make a Poppet, so this is my silly interpretation of Claudine Hellmuth's famous people she introduced in her second book. The green on the left was made using bamboo leaves.


I originally started this spread for Kathy, since her ancestors were from Russia. I never felt like I got it right, so I tried to tear it apart and failed miserably. I took the salvaged part and stuck it on the pink and black dot faux glassine tissue and added fibers in the upper left corner. To this day, I don't like this spread, so obviously I didn't use it in Kathy's book.


These cute little people are also popular images on coin envelopes. I loved them, partly because my friend Belinda sent them to me, and partly because they are plastic and double sided. I used one pop dot each to elevate them and so you can see the backs. I added Majong tiles and little plastic pieces you put in a light/sign. The backgound was made using two complimentary scrapbook papers.


My friend Belinda sent me a bunch of Oriental images, and this entire page was made using a small fraction of what she sent me. I painted the background red.


Green paint and blue glaze were combined for this background. Scrapbook paper and other elements were used to create this spread. Ironically, I got the image on the right upside down and didn't notice it until after I photographed it.


Another of my favorite spreads, this one began when I spent a few days with Kathy and we dyed muslin. We mixed straight vinegar with Easter egg dye pellets and spritzed the muslin. That's where we got the lovely pastel colors. I used Kathy's wonderful sewing machine and made little rectangles using her material and trims. When I started this spread, I added "Wonder Under" to the back of each muslin piece, then ironed the material to the book pages. Next I added punchinella, tickets, strips of washi paper, and the images I cut into ovals. I also added safety pins for the final touch.


I started this page with two different washi papers and an Oriental page from a book. The black and white image was colored using my new Zig pens. I added a piece of bamboo from my garden, then strung these lovely turquoise stones on black and gold fibers and hung them from the bamboo.


Inspiration for this page started with the Oriental cabinet type card. I glued it to the page, then masked off the two girls. Unfortunately, some yellow seeped under the mask and I didn't see it in time to get it off. Next, I added the little dots around the girls using puffy paint. I stamped the fish and flowers using Stampin' Up BLUE (which really stamps turquoise on the page), and a stencil and punchinella using the same puffy paint. The ginkgo leaf is foam and I used red acrylic paint. The necklace belonged to my Grandmother, so I added it to the page using safety pins. If I ever get rid of the book, I'll want to keep this necklace.



This turned out to be another spread I really loved. It all started the day after the 4th of July, when I saw the spent (used) fireworks packages in the street near where I live. I picked them up, knowing I would use them in my spread. To honor the Chinese New Year (CNY), which also shoots off firecrackers and fireworks, I added joss paper and coin pockets, which Chinese parents usually fill with small coins and give to their children on CNY. I painted the background gold. Other elements on the page include a firecracker label and ribbon that reads "2000 Wishes."


I found this image in a scrapbooking or possibly a stamping magazine. I loved it because I thought it looked Asian. The background is a napkin that I also thought looked Asian.


"Show me the way" is the name of this spread, because the words/characters at the bottom mean that. I used a piece of earring I thought looked Oriental on the left, and some punched melted crayon flowers on the right of the crane picture. The background is scrapbook paper.


A landscape image from Dover was the inspiration for this piece, but the real challenge was getting the four disparate papers to match. I used paint and pigment inks, along with Krylon Gold Leafing pen to coordinate the colors. The shards, which started out as two, are something I found in my yard and I had to break them to get them to adhere to the page. Even E6000 wasn't thick enough to fill in the humps. I colored them with the gold pen, as well as outlining the image.


The Buddha image on the right was gifted to me by Kathy, as was the circle image behind the Buddha's head. It was created using a software program that turns an image into a Kaleidoscope image. I carefully cut around the head, then put the circle behind it. I strung the beads that were gifted to me by my friend Dawn. The background is faux glassine tissue and the title was printed on my hmp.


This two page spread didn't scan very well because of the beads and domino I used. This page is much prettier in person. I created this while Kathy and I were having our RR. The left side began with a page from an Oriental paperback, then I used a sea sponge to adhere the gold paint. I added black webbing, then attached the domino I received as a gift to the center of the page.

The right side began with a map of Asia, to which I added the image and some beads gifted to me that I strung and attached before I glued the page into the book. Actually, the image was added last.


Technically, Guam is American, not Asian, but it's in the general area and I wanted to use some of the travel brochure images I sent for.


I had these images and wanted to use them. Probably not my best spread. I used shaving cream paper for the background, Oriental book pages as mats, and Dover clipart. I added white and gold ric-rac for the embellishments.


I have to admit this is one of my favorite spreads in the book. I love the bisque glaze I bought on clearance, thinking I would never use it. The images are Dover clipart gifted me by Kathy, the vellum is from Theresa, and the orange embellishments on the left are actually decorative fasteners. I also added some fibers and beads on the right top. The feather on the right is from my yard that a chicken left.


This image came from a postcard of some Indian event sponsored by Boeing. I used my deckle scissors to edge the postcard. The background was DTP'd using chocolate Vintage ink from Ranger onto Foders text and maps of Delhi in India. The business card at the bottom right is from an Indian deli in Wichita. I love their food!! I DTP'd it to coordinate the color. Die cut hmp tags, fibers, Zig pen, and stickers complete the spread.


I received this sticker of the Flag of Tibet from a friend. I wanted to show both sides, so I cut a window in two pages and sandwiched it in between them. The image on the left is from a travel magazine. The background is yellow and red acrylic paint. The circles are blue and made by dipping the inside top of a bottle cap.

This is the back side of the Tibetan spread. You can see the back of the flag and what each of the colors and symbols mean. The image is from a travel magazine.


At one time I had both Kathy's and my book. I was in the process of creating this spread and decided to take a picture of the two side by side. Kathy's book is on the right. Hers is nearly an inch wider than mine.


Here are the completed pages in my book. I named it Tea and Tiles because I used a Majong tile on the left, strung with fine gold thread, and an image of a woman drinking tea.


The above photo is the left side of a Korean spread. These are actually pictures of pages for Kathy's book, but I made two spreads exactly alike (including the other side below) for both of our books. The birds were Dover clipart that I printed on red CS. The bottom is Korean text. I strung beads and a feather onto a fiber and attached the piece using two black paper fasteners that you can't see very well.


The right side of the spread showing Korea's flag. The background is melted crayons.


Ways to get around in Asia are shown in this spread. I began with copper glaze, added the photos that I edged with a Krylon Gold Leafing pen, then decided it was way too plain. So, I added the gold paint around the images that I stencilled thru punchinella.



Pages 1 and 2 of a four page Jakarta spread.
Pages 3 and 4 of a four page Jakarta spread. I had so many images of Jakarta, I decided to use a scrapbooking trick and separate them with black electrical tape. I also had a brochure in Malaysian from Jakarta that I cut up and interspersed with the images.


For this spread, I used authentic ephemera from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. The Petroleum Towers are shown in the picture, and the brochure on the right is given people who travel to the top of Menara Tower.
I attached the ticket with two decorative clipolas. The coins are Asian, I'm not sure from where.


I colored Oriental paper (left) and printed characters and clipart (right) with pigment ink, then added the picture from an Oriental menu my friend got when he traveled to the Orient on JAL.

More collage pages

The background on this spread is newsprint from Singapore. The image is from Dover. I copied the mask in the woman's hand, and since I'm not an artist, it didn't turn out very well. I added a stretchy gold cord to the mask.

Here is the same page glued into the book. On the right is a triangle I made from two book pages. The background is joss paper and the image is from Kathy.

This is the back side of the triangle. I used Chinese paper on this side. A Dover print I cut out is on the right side over gold joss paper. The background is Krylon Gold Leafing pen.



The black and red backgrounds above were created using paint and baking soda. Although the backgrounds didn't turn out as well as some I made later, I wanted to showcase the backgrounds, so used simple images of Buddhas from Bangkok.


I make handmade paper, but normally out of paper pulp. I experimented with day lillies and got two sheets and a partial sheet from the batch. This is how I used the partial sheet. I also had this large coin that I tried to use on several spreads and it didn't fit anywhere. I finally decided it would fit on this page if I put it in a small see-thru baggie. The image came from a magazine and the postage stamp came from China.

I found this background image in a JAL (Japanese Airline) magazine. I loved the castle and the writing. I added the Sumo warrior to the simple spread.



The background for this spread is gold paint. I stencilled red acrylic paint using punchinella as the stencil. The circle of dragons was created using a software program. The writing on the far left is from the spine of an Oriental paperback. Gold foil and vases are on the right.

This is another spread I liked when it was finished. I used bisque and light blue glazes for the background, spread with a credit card. The images are from Dover, and the vellum characters were from a friend.

Although it doesn't look like it, this was a tape transfer. The background was scrapbook paper. I strung small Chinese coins on a fiber to complete the spread.

I called this spread "Words of Wisdom." I used a Chinese newspaper for the background, then added fortunes around the central figure. I have added even more after this was scanned.

My attempt at a kimono came from reading directions for an origami kimono. I wanted to make it from copper mesh, but didn't have any, so I took some window screening and spray painted it copper. I then folded the kimono per the directions and added the tiny roses to the sleeves. I added a rose at the bottom that I made using paper pulp left over from a paper making session that I molded in a candy mold.

The right side is a page from the JAL magazine. All I added was the dragonfly. I sponged red, yellow, and gold on the pages using a sea sponge.

The background was DTP (direct to paper) using pigment inks. I stamped the collage image onto the page. The RS is from Claudine Hellmuth and is called "Bangkok Post."

This page was created the same as the one above. The stamp (from Claudine Hellmuth) is called "Sisters." I added die cut tags made from my hmp. I printed the word "SISTERS" using my new Zig pens.

Back in 2004, I bought some postage stamps with a Chinese New Year theme. They came with this cool frame that was even sticky on the back. I knew I would use it and the identical one on the back at some point. The background is tissue strips. I added images and Chinese New Year coin envelopes, which are given out on that day.

This is the next page and it was created in the same way as the previous one, with the exception that I used cancelled Chinese New Year postage stamps on the left.

This was my attempt at a digital spread. I mostly managed to use up a lot of colored ink. The RS in the upper right was borrowed from a friend.

I called this spread "Solitary Confinement" which I took from the chapter title (upper right). I thought the image went well with the name, so I cut a window in the page and placed it inside. I used what I thought was red pigment ink, but it turned out to be pink when it was DTP'd to the page. Lesson learned: check color before proceeding. The left side is covered with what I call the poor person's vellum: wax paper. I covered over the ruler, scrapbook paper, and page from an Oriental book, then placed the postage stamps on top of the wax paper.

I used various collage elements, including printed papers, clip art, fortunes, and pages from Oriental books. I was just playing around trying to learn collage techniques. I'm still very unsure of myself when it comes to collage.

A trip through Asia

I had a large block of pages in the back of the book that were not altered, so I decided to take an imaginary trip to Asia. The only "rule" I imposed was that it had to be realistic and not willy-nilly. In other words, the trip had to be one that would make sense if someone had enough time and money to take it.

The first spread in this block is "Where in the world (Asia) am I?" I wrote a postcard (actually a die cut) to "my dearest friends" and used a real Chinese postage stamp. The background is gesso mixed with blue acrylic paint.

The right side of the spread is a tape transfer. Here it is shown in closeup.

The second spread starts with shaving cream paper. The left side has a pocket that holds valuable documents and real ephemera from Asia. The hearts were cut from fabric which had been glued to cardboard. I put flat beads in the center and on the right side.

The right side has a real booklet from American Airlines.

There are several pages in the little booklet. Also on this page is a handmade paper (hmp) die cut tag with a portion of Asia from an old World Book. "Destination: The Far East" was printed on some hand painted paper.

This collage is made up of several real pieces of ephemera. A bead at the right top actually anchors a fiber on the next page. A flower with a bead center is the other embellishment.

The water bottle label is in some Asian language. I just had to use it. The airplane is JAL or Japanese Airline.

More ephemera and an explanation of where I was going. Looks like I hadn't added the bead to the center of the flower when I took this picture. The background for these two pages is gesso and red paint mixed together, then spread with a foam brush.

Japan

Tokyo

The journey begins in Japan, with Tokyo as the first stop. The background has dark green and dark blue glazes. I used a real luggage label on the left, and strung beads to spell out Tokyo on the right, along with travel brochure images.

Kyoto

The Golden Pavilion in Kyoto is quite a tourist site. I was lucky enough to find two images of it in two separate travel brochures. Hmp die cut tags, fibers, and the back side of pearl buttons were used as embellishments. The background is brown faux glassine paper.

Sea of Japan

This scan is a bit hard to understand because there is a fish transparency over the pearls which doesn't show up well in a scan. The left side was made using dark blue and light blue glazes applied with a sea sponge.

Mt Fuji and Hakone

The left side is a very textural spread. I first glued the image of Mt. Fuji to the page. Then I mixed Plaster of Paris with sand and pink paint, and spread it on the gessoed page. Finally, I added the words I printed.

Hakone, on the right began with dark blue glaze I spread on using a dry brush. I printed all the towns and tourist attractions on blue paper, which I also used to mat the picture. I used flat beads with oriental script as photo corners, which I applied using E6000.

Stalled trip

When I saw this picture, I thought of an airplane mechanic. The caption reads " We couldn't complete the next leg of our journey until the mechanic fixed the plane. All ephemera is authentic and from Cathay Pacific Airlines. I didn't tack anything down, so you can see both the front and the back. The background is green metalic paint overlaid with awning samples. The right side is the same.
Here is a closeup showing the peanuts and the luggage tag. The caption reads "Finally on our way, I ate my bag of peanuts.

Seoul, South Korea

Left side tells how we landed at the Inchon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea and was printed on tea dyed paper, then mounted on some beautiful thin red paper that had gold embedded in it. I used this same paper for both South Korean spreads. Chinese coins on both pages helped tie the two together. Right side also has yellow mulberry paper and a scrapbook travel piece I got at the Dollar Store because it has Asia on it.
More of this luscious red and gold paper and Chinese coins, along with the same tea dyed paper were used in conjunction with travel brochure images of South Korea.

On to China

We are now on our way to China, as I write in this postcard to a "dear friend." Charms are also from a dear friend. Red rectangle is dyed used fabric softener sheet.
Closeup of postcard showing a real Chinese postage stamp.

Dalian

I found this image of Dalian in a trade magazine. Accrding to the article, Dalian is now a worldwide exporter and importer, competing heavily with Beijing and cities in the south. When I saw the image, I immediately thought of the caption. The left side is clip art on a painted paper doily.
This closeup is probably better in the larger photo.

China

This page begins the journey thru China. The background is a combination of beige tissue and dyed muslin. The muslin was torn and laid on the ground, then spritzed with vinegar and Easter egg dyes (pellets). A button and pressed ferns were added to the magazine image on the right. Sea glass and a real Chinese postage stamp were added on the left.
This is actually a better overall photo which I took before I added the postage stamp.

Beijing

I had many images of the famous building Gate of Heavenly Peace, but I only chose two. The embellishments include a Chinese coin envelope and two decorative Chinese coins I strung on fibers. The background is beige tissue.

Ulaanbaatar

What would Ulaanbaatar be without the letter "a?" This is the capitol of Mongolia and the pictures are from the internet. The background is green glaze swiped randomly on the page. The embellishments are fiber wrapped pipe cleaners and bent into shapes, then glued on using E6000.

The Gobi

The Gobi is the largest desert in Asia and the coldest in the world. It's hard to imagine a cold desert, but that's what I learned from the internet. Green glaze background was spread with a credit card on the left, tissue paper background was glued to the right. Click on the image to read about it (printed on shaving cream paper) and the dictionary definition of Mongol.

Xian

These terracotta statues were recently discovered near Xian and have become a tourist site. There are thousands of them in a cave near the city. I added "journey" twill tape to both sides of the image, and slit it to hold a postcard. At the top, there is a two sided page die cut page divider and I put the word "Xian" in it on both sides.
Here is a picture of the spread with the postcards added.
The background is cranberry color wash. Tags are die cuts attached using various brads. More photos of the terracotta statues and an explanation about them complete the spread.

Yantzee River

The Yantzee River is the longest and most famous in China. There are many Yantzee River cruises. I first gessoed the pages, then added spots of pink. I found some shaving cream paper that matched and printed information about the Yantzee River. I tied the two spreads together with wide gossamer ribbon.

Shanghai

Images of colorful and beautiful Shanghai could only be displayed using a bright background. Red and yellow acrylics were swiped onto the pages using a bristle brush. The charm was strung with mizuhiki cord.

Guilin and the Li River

This spread was hard to photograph due to the glare on the silver tape I used for accent. Travel brochure photos are glued to pages I gessoed. I stapled sheer ribbon to the metal tape on the right page, then stuck the tape on the page so the staple backs wouldn't show. it's too bad these photos are hard to see. The views are simply stunning.

Taiwan

Taiwan! Even the name sounds colorful. The images were so bright and happy, I wanted to continue that by painting the background red. I added gesso to the red and it turned pink. Not what I originally wanted, but I dealt with it by adding black spray webbing. I glued pink flowers with confetti hearts for the centers to three of my hmp die cut tags.
This background was created using Color Mists. The kimonos are stickers, the slide mounts are metal, and the images on the right side are from a travel brochure.

Hong Kong and Eastern Asia

I drew the route on the map at right. Embellishments included a charm from an Asian earring and a dymo label. I cut out small airplanes and added them to the map using dimensional pop dots. The background is gesso.
Hong Kong was written using a dymo label maker. Key charms were added, one to fibers, the other to a painted puzzle piece. Images are from a travel brochure.
It was now time to say good bye to Eastern Asia, as the trip would now take me to Southeast Asia, also known as Indonesia. This spread consists of an overhead transparency, circa 1968, and a dymo label. Click on the image to read about my thoughts as I wait in the Hong Kong airport.
These are authentic receipts, some of which were from the Hong Kong airport. I called the spread "duty free," which was printed (and highlighted) on one of the receipts.

Philipines

I had no images from the Philippines that were usable, so I cut out the map and added a bit of humor. The green fibers at the bottom are not part of the spread, but accidently got trapped under when I scanned the pages. The background is light blue glaze spread with a credit card, and a few splotches of red.

Indochina

The countries known as Indochina are (from left top) Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia. I cut words and a map from a travel brochure and glued them over a lightly gessoed page.
This is one of my favorite spreads. I used information from the five countries and turned them into the flowers. I painted the background red and yellow, then added the "flowers" that were matted on patterned paper. Next I drew the stems and leaves using ink pens. Although it doesn't really show, I cut out the word "Indochina" and slipped it into a red transparent file folder divider and stapled it to the top of the page.

Vietnam

Vietnam was a problem for me, because I remember the war there. Now it's all commercial and the travel brochures assure us that travel is safe and tourism is flourishing. This first page tells a bit about Vietnam. I used travel brochure information and part of an overhead transparency
Sites to see in Hanoi, along with a slide mount and a Hanoi citizen. The background is silver glaze and the journaling is a green hilighter.
Pictures of and along Halong Bay, also in the north. I used some of my mismatched stickers and letters printed on my handmade paper.
The old transparencies (copyrighted 1968) had Vietnam split into the north and south. I was able to use part of a transparency for Danang and the Mekong Delta in central Vietnam. On the left, I added some punchinella (sequin waste) and fibers. The background was made using bottled yellow acrylic paint mixed with light bodied gesso.

These are images of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) and other areas in the south. The background is yellow acrylic paint mixed with light bodied gesso.

Cambodia

This is the first of six Cambodian spreads and it introduces the country and some interesting facts about it. The background was created using a copper glaze (for walls).
Phnom Penh images were from travel brochures. The "mat" at the bottom right is a tea bag with the tea removed.

Angkor Wat is probably the most famous Wat in the region. I used dark blue glaze and copper Lumiere to create the background.

More dark blue glaze for the background and travel brochure photos. Names of places printed on shaving cream paper. More information on Angkor and Siem Reap. Dark blue glaze background overlaid with message printed on paper pre-painted with copper glaze.
I used scraps from the copper glaze paper used in the previous spread to tie this spread of Cambodia to the other. I left the background plain and added overhead transparencies and travel brochure pictures of Siem Reap in Cambodia.

Laos

Background is pink, brown, and gold paint. A black Sharpie was used for all journaling. Travel brochure photos and vintage transparencies were also used on the four spreads.
Slide mounts were covered with the same background as I used on the left side and the frame. Red paint was splashed with Krylon Gold Leafing Pen ink.
Not my best work with a Sharpie. I've always said I didn't like my handwriting, and this is a good reason for it. I used a Sharpie, which was too thick for the task. I have since gotten some Zig pens that would have been my pen of choice were I to do it again. On the left is an overhead transparency with Laos outlined in gold. Background was made using dark and light blue glazes applied with a credit card and gold paint applied in splashes.
The information about the Wats was from a brochure printed in lavender. I tried to match the background using several media (acrylic paint, H20, pigment ink, ink pen). Each of the images were found either on the internet or in various travel brochures. This spread took a lot of time because of dots detail, but it took even longer to find images to match the text.

Buddha Park

I found all these images on the internet where I learned about Buddha Park. This is really a fascinating place with Buddha statues larger than skyscrapers.
I punched 1/16" holes along the edge of the page and strung fibers thru the holes. One of the holes broke during handling. I'm going to have to figure out a way to reinforce small holes if I decide to try this technique again.

Vientiane

I began by painting the middle of the page with yellow acrylic, then red on the outside. I then added the images of Vientiane Wats, or temples. I used a blue Zig pen for the lettering.

The very important lesson I learned was to measure everything. I measured the image on the left and drew the arch to match it. For some reason, I thought both images were the same width, but they were not. When I realized it, I tried to compensate on the right side, but made it even more predominate. Perhaps I can draw something in to compensate for the blank spaces that would make the "arches" more believable.

Thailand

Thailand is full of color and diversity. Background was masked using tape, then painted purple, then red. Red was overstamped using gold paint and punchinella. Purple used white pigment ink and a rubber stamp. Elephant is jade bead from a local bead store that is going out of business.
There were so many things to document from Thailand, that I decided to create an itinerary. I numbered and printed the itinerary on my hmp and used the printings to frame a vintage (1968) overhead transparency.
I matched up the images with the numbers from the itinerary on the previous page. Some of the numbers are stick-ons used on clock faces. Others are stickers. I also added a pewter elephant on the top right, but didn't scan it, since 3D items don't scan well on my scanner.
Ayuttwaya got its own page because the image was so large. Background is faux glassine paper I made using tissue paper, Future Floor Finish, and mica powders. I outlined the picture with Krylon Copper Leafing Pen. Embellishments included buttons, fortune cookie wrapper, tooth pick, and sea glass I stamped using black Staz-on. I made the "sea glass" using broken clear glass I tumbled in sand for about a week.

The rest of the photos from the itinerary. I purposely broke up the photos so 10 was not next to 11, etc. I wanted the reader to search for each of the images. I also added a pewter elephant on the left page, and a cocktail umbrella on the right near the other ones in the photo.

On the Oriental Express

Map on right shows route of Oriental Express. Toy railroad track (which didn't scan very well) was used for embellishment. Background is wallpaper sample.

"From Bangkok on the Orient Express" printed in Krylon gold leafing pen, which also outlined the magazine images. Background is red paint.

Phuket

"We spent several days on Phuket Island" and "Then on to Malaysia and Singapore" printed using Krylon Gold Leafing Pen. Background is H20s. Left side has real sea shell. Right side is a tape transfer of the cabin on the Oriental Express. The same image was used in a previous spread.

Malaysia

This colorful spread began with authentic ephemera from Malaysia. My friend's name was splashed all over these, so I colored over the ephemera with crayons as a way to camouflage it. If you click for a larger view, look at the left middle that is colored grey and brown. It's a Dr's release that reads "No evidence of SARS." MALAYSIA created using a Krylon copper leafing pen and a Sharpie for the dots. The silver embellishment in the upper right is part of a disposable lighter I took apart. Original Malaysian newspaper and image of the Oriental Express. Tiny rubber stamps were added for color. Krylon Gold Leafing Pen outlines the images.
A simple spread using travel brochure images and a plastic slide mount colored with Alcohol Inks. Background is two layers of gesso.

Singapore

Talk about using anything you can find. The tag holder is a freebie sample of face cleanser. I merely washed the cleanser out, allowed it to dry, and colored it with Twinkling H20s to match the baby wipe background.
Tag in pocket is die cut from my hmp. The message, "Old and new come together in this modern city" printed on shaving cream paper and glued to tag.

Background is a napkin colored with H20s. Tags are die cuts made from various papers. "S" is fabric.
All of the ephemera came from Singapore, including a SARS brochure. I DTP'd each with dye ink. The dragon is a 3D scrapbook element, and the ribbon is threaded thru a tab pull top.
Authentic ephemera cut using a large circle punch. Pics on right were from a travel brochure, on left from a trade magazine. Puzzle pieces colored with paint using a sea sponge.
More authentic Singapore ephemera and memorabilia. The picture on the right began with two identical images. I cut one using a circle punch, then glued it over the first using pop dots. Note the warning on the left under "55." Click on image for a better view.

Indonesia

I had so many images of Bali, it was difficult to edit them down to just a few while not ignoring other areas of Indonesia. The background is handmade faux glassine paper.

More images of Bali and a map of Indonesia, all taken from travel brochures. Background is gesso drybrushed on the page.

Myanmar

Formerly Burma, this country is famous for Buddha statues and Mandalay.
Gold mats and Buddha pictures compliment the Myanmar transparency.

The Road to Mandalay was made famous by a Kipling poem. I printed it on shaving cream paper and added pictures of the tour ship of the same name that travels the Irrawaddy River..

More Buddhas and Wats seen along the Irrawaddy River. The background is some lovely tissue like hmp.

Leaving Asean

Lovely handmade paper was used for the background on the right. Clock charm and travel brochure photos were selected, along with black Sharpie.

Bhutan

I couldn't wait to get to Bhutan. The very name was enchanting to me.
I made Claudine Hellmuth's famous "peeling paint" technique for this background. Then the page split. I was mortified, but covered it up as best I could using blue duct tape. Magazine images and pearl buttons were added to the page after I repaired it.
For this background, I used a sea sponge and dark and light blue glazes. A black Sharpie was used for the journaling and the pictures came from a travel brochure. Although hard to see, I outlined the pictures with a Krylon Gold Leafing pen.

India

I was on a journaling kick and wanted to use this image, since it was so bright. I began by painting the background pink, then I stamped several yellow keys using yellow paint. I covered up all but part of one, which shows how planning can save effort and products. "India" is hand printed in Figures stamped on hmp. I actually drew lines on the page in gold to keep the journaling relatively straight. I don't normally do that. I used a black Sharpie for the journaling. Unfortunately, Sharpies bleed and smear, something I didn't realize till I had messed up the right side. This is the first spread for India.

Some of the most beautiful and colorful pages came from India. I had so many images, I made a collage of as many photos as possible. Some came from travel brochures, some from magazines. The black with gold swirls mat on the right side is cut from an old hatbox. I recently added a pewter elephant in the top right (by the elephant photos). The page scanned better without it.

Several years ago I got a wonderful gift from a fellow altered artist. It was wrapped in this colorful paper. When I saw it, I knew I would use it someday. I added a piece of a gold necklace for the embellishment.

The elephant was part of a cover on a travel brochure. I knew I had to use it. I love the image. To contrast it, I added a silhouette of the Taj Mahal. I learned that dark colors should be the background for light objects, and light backgrounds for dark objects. These seemed like the perfect compliments.

I really wanted to include the Taj Mahal in a spread, but didn't want to clutter it with other images. I used glue to hold the magazine image, then added black electrical tape for effect.

Red Fort: Old Delhi

I'm not sure if I was getting really tired of the trip, or if I wanted to keep the spread clean, but this is not one of my best spreads. The one thing I liked about it was I found two different views of this fort, one in a trade magazine, one in a travel brochure. The bottom picture is NOT crooked in the book, but that's how the page laid when I scanned it.

Dubai: Saying goodbye

The truth is, I ran out of pages in the book before I ran out of countries to visit. Dubai is part old, part new, part ultramodern. I tried to capture that in the photos. The background is copper glaze sponged on with a sea sponge. I used a Sharpie to write the message.

Last page

This is the last page and inside back cover of my book. On the left is a tape transfer. On the right is the original pocket that came with the book. Since this was a RR, I got the idea of having Kathy and me both write when we worked in the book. The inside back cover background is gesso, red, yellow, and gold paint that I textured. I then added the ink pen sticker and the Asian vellum.

Pages in Kathy's book

Kathy and I have the same shaped book. It was convenient when considering layouts, but her book was wider than mine, so the spreads were more proportional.

This is a four page spread that I connected using blue duct tape. This is an example of a spread that was never finished. Each time I got Kathy's book, I would rework something or add an image, or paint over something on these pages. I don't have photos of the finished spreads, but they don't look much like this, now. This is the outside.
This is the inside full spread before I made any changes.
Left side outer page looks nothing like this anymore. Kimonos are stickers.
Right side of spread. Far right looks nothing like this anymore, either. The Vietnamese do dais were scanned from a museum poster advertising a showing, copied onto photo paper, then cut and pasted over blue and gold glazes.

I called this spread "The search."
The background is newspaper from Singapore. I cut the girl's photo from the back side and pasted it in the window. The image in the blue circle was printed on my hmp. Wire, a dymo label, and a fortune cookie wrapper complete this side.
Image is a tape transfer, and the two characters (copied from the fortune cookie wrapper) was made using scraps of holographic stickers.

One of my favorite spreads in Kathy's book was "Firecrackers." I used real bottle rockets and firecracker label images. I first poured as much white glue as possible into the bottom of the bottle rockets and allowed them to dry for about two days. I turned the bottle rockets over and poured glue into the tops and allowed them to dry. There is no way these will ever fire. Clipart Geishas, a painted slide mount and washi paper complete the spread on a gold glaze background.
I'm not sure why I created this two page spread outside the book, but possibly it was because Kathy had her book at the time, and I had some of her pages. I began with pink and yellow Twinkling H20s, then made a flower using Krylon Gold Leafing pen. The puzzle piece was colored using the same pen. The panda image was from a magazine, and the postage stamp was real. The "Believe" leaf was cut from a metal tea light container, colored with alcohol ink, and stamped with metal stamps.
The bamboo was from my garden, the image from a magazine, and the mizuhiki cord was added for balance.

More pages I did in Kathy's book

Here are some more of the pages I made in Kathy's book. Again, her book is a bit wider than mine, but the shape is the same.

These are some of the first pages in the book. The background for both pages is my hmp. The right side has various washi and origami papers cut in strips, along with Mizuhiki cord at the lower right.

The left side is a pocket that I painted with several coats of heavy gesso, then several layers of red and yellow paint, mixed in with more gesso. I took a kid's flip-flop with a deep indentation and stamped into the wet gesso and paint. The image is packing tape transparency. I glued a metal star to the clipola which acts as a handle to open the pocket.

This shows the inside of the pocket. The technique is the same, but I used blue and gold paint. The letters are die cuts that I painted and the images are from various books and magazines, including National Geographic.

This is a really bad picture of the tag I placed inside the picket. I used gold and blue paint on one side and red and yellow on the other. The Mosque is a tape transfer.

Again, you can't really see much except texture and glare in this scan, but all the names of the countries in Asia are listed.

Fashionable Shoe is made with scrapbook paper background, a cabinet card, wire, a silk flower, and stickers.

Looking more like a scrapbook page than an AB, the background is wallpaper. Brown mats were used behind the photos and the dark and red brown squares are leftovers from scrapbook layouts. I stapled the fibers onto the page, because glue didn't hold anything on the wallpaper. I ended up using double sided tape to hold the images to the wallpaper.Left closeup

Right closeup.