Altered Book-A Woman of Property

I fell in love with altered book making about eight or so years ago.

 I have always loved books... they are my very best of friends and always have been.  My mother taught me to turn to reading for all the ups and downs life sends me.  She always said "friends will come and go, but a good book will always be there for you."

 So, when I discovered the idea of altering a book I dived right in.  I did not do a very good job, although I do still have my very first altered book.  But, when I was in Vegas a couple of years ago, I saw some books that had been sawed into shapes. (Sorry, it has been to long for me to remember who had those books).  But, since I always have a plethora of books around I sawed a few thinking I would see what I could make of them.

 Nothing, they are still in the cupboard waiting to be altered.  But, I read this book called A Woman of Property, by Mabel Seeley.  It was not a very good book per se, but I did relate to the main character in that she worked her whole life to become a woman of property thinking that that would make her become "one of them", especially for the man she loved who belonged to the upper eschelon of the area, so they could be together.

 It did not work, poor soul.

  I could feel her drive and her pain... I think I tried to become something I was not for so many years, trying to fit in, to please, to belong.  My main objective was to be number one, the chosen one, in the eyes of another.

 It did not work for me either.

Any way, the book moved me and so I took a profile from a magazine, drew out the ladies head, cut the book into that shape.  I then removed many of the pages, glued the remaining ones together to make a few  heavy pages.  If you have ever done this you know the book gets a bit soggy and it takes a while for it to dry.  I kept the book around my studio, and every once in awhile I would find something to put into it.  Not much but a few things I added.  The vintage sequined piece I put on the front because it reminded me of something rather pretentious.  The edges of the pages were ugly so I added beads to them.  I wired a row of pearls on one, I sewed a red seed bead necklace to one, and  I sewed some blues one on another.  Then the book was forgotten.  But this last week or so, I picked it up again and beaded the other pages.  Now, I am ready to finish it.  I think it is looking pretty good so far

I am now going to add somethings about "being yourself" to the pages...

The sequined head dress and bead edges are lovely...but don't change the fact that the book was boring, lol

Once in a while I added a few background papers to some of the pages...

The section titles I liked so I made sure they were left when I was cutting out the extra pages...

First sight and second sight were the two parts of the book... that seems to point me towards something...

Sometimes I empty brushes from another project, or a piece of tape...

The silver paint left over from another project gives the woman a face...

Each time I work on this book, it reminds me to forget those who don't already value me as a part of their world...