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.