I've been A.R.T.ed (Act of Random Thoughtfulness)

Halle gifted me with three gorgeous tip-ins for my money book. She actually sent them to me before Christmas, but this was the first time I've had to scan them. Thanks for the really unique additions to my book, Halle!!

The Fortune: An AB about money

I started this book in either late 2005 or early 2006. I started collecting images way before that, because I liked the idea of money for a book. I liked it so much, I even created a Money deco which 10 talented artists worked in. I didn't start the book because I didn't have a good book for it, even though I have many books I could alter. A neighbor was moving and asked if I wanted a ton of her Danielle Steele books. I looked at them and they were very sturdy. One was called "The Fortune" and I knew the time had come to begin this book.

I didn't take any photos or scans of this book as I was making it because when I started it, I didn't have a scanner. My computer or ISP had a major meltdown in late 2006, so I was offline for nearly two months. In that time I created most of my work. It just goes to show what staying off the computer can accomplish. I was able to create nearly 2/3 of the book during that time. The rest has been tinkering and thinking about how I would finish the cover.

I have spent the last three days scanning, photographing, and uploading to blogger, images of this book. The pages are in the order they appear in the book, however, they are not in the order I created them. This is the first time any pictures of this book have appeared anywhere on the internet. The only people who have seen this book are those friends who have come to my house.

I reference several background techniques that I don't explain in the text. The reason for this is because I have tutorials on them, but they are only on ABC, the altered book yahoo group I help moderate. After I take a short break from the computer, I will add them to my main site. When I do, I will edit my blog posts on this site, referencing the exact page for the tutorial.

I used at least five bottles of Elmers White or School glue on this project and I quit counting after I had gone thru 10 glue sticks. I am not a fan of glue sticks, but some of the magazine images were so thin, I had to use them. Also, I used a glue stick anytime I used a napkin, paper towel, or hmp (handmade paper). I always applied the glue to the page, not the thin or fragile paper.

I hope you enjoy reading about this book as much as I enjoyed making it. Now that it is finished, I can't wait to share it with everyone in the AB community. As always, you can click on any image to get an up close look.
The front and back covers and inside front were cut from a tee shirt. Because the edges were a bit wonky, I added the green satin ribbon to finish the edges. I also made a plate using polymer clay. Even the little simulated brads are made of polymer clay. I attached the tee shirt using iron-on wonder under and the poly clay using E-6000.
From front to back, this is what the book looks like as it will be displayed.


As you can see from some of the bent and torn pages, my cat Bleubeard, got to my book. Find out why when you read the text.

Money pages

This is the first image you see in the book. I printed the words on green printer weight paper, then placed it behind the opening and cut off the excess. I glued another sheet of the same colored paper to the page, then placed the image over it. It was much easier than trying to line everything up on one page. I stamped the AB No1 to the left of the image and got it upright . I had originally stamped it on the title page (below), but stamped it upside down.

Those of you who get JoAnns coupons probably recognize the "Moolah" image from a 2007 Christmas flyer. I thought this was the perfect way to get in the holiday spirit, so created this page when I noticed how naked the page next to it looked. I started with Santa material, then added the Borders card and moolah using gel medium. The Christmas house was a covered button I took apart and attached using E6000.
I could have called this the "open door policy," but liked the title I gave it better. I found the door in a magazine and backed it with heavy cardstock (CS). I have come to the conclusion I like my writing more than my printing. The words were printed using my Krylon Gold Leafing pen.
This page was scanned, the one below was photographed. I thought each one cut off a bit of the left image, so I wanted to show the best view. Sadly, neither did that well. I thought the arrows coming out of the images looked like "07." That's why I wrote "completed in" using a gel pen.
This view provides a better idea how much the scanner cuts off the original bottom of the scans.
The next page in the book, this was actually the first page I completed. Magazine images and titles were used.

The left page is a magazine image I couldn't pass up. I used bandages to attach it to the page, thus creating a statement.

The right side background was created using the DTP method and Ranger vintage lime ink. I used a few images I had collected, including the clear credit card I originally planned to use in my Asian altered book. I decided it needed to go in the money book because Delta (which is shown on the back of the card) doesn't fly to Asia. For the title page, I stamped the AB stamp but got it upside down, since it was unmounted and I couldn't determine which side was up. Undeterred, I added my name like it was planned that way. The left side is Patio paint applied using a credit card, then oversprayed with Ranger Lettuce Color Wash.
This orange scrapbook paper was a bit too bright for this spread, so I dry brushed silver glaze to tone it down. I then added various stickers to spell out the title. This is the left side of a two sided spread. I created it and the one below outside the book when it got too full to work in.
Words that refer to money in some way were the only things I used on this spread, then glued to the book.

My friend Kathy gave me this pamphlet from Bank of America. It was too large for my book, so I had to cut it down.
I attached the two pages using copper tape. The inside left had advertising, so I laid down a coat of gesso, then randomly dry brushed copper Lumiere paint over part of it. I then added the piggy bank images.

Although this is a poor photo of the left page, you can barely see an altered thoughts stamp image. For the right page, I played off the book's chapter name. In ancient times, stones were often used as currency.

"Money for nothing" lyrics, a song made popular by Dire Straits, became the background for the Ozzy free money. This is the left side of a spread created outside the book after it became too full to work in. The background for this and the image below were spritzed with Lettuce Color Wash by Ranger.

Momisms are often quoted and used in ABs and art journals. This one was printed using a green Zig pen.
The left side uses two images that I turned into a flap to hide the inside. See below for the inside of "Growing Investments."

The image on the right is a game piece you can open (but I never have). I attached it using two different colors of green masking tape. Everything is mounted on scrapbook paper and also attached using green masking tape. Both sides titles were created using a Dymo label maker.

This shows the flap open to reveal the entire image.
"Passing the buck" began with a scrap of scrapbook paper, over which I added the magazine image and the clothing tag. I added the title using a Dymo label maker.

The right side uses magazine images and a cluster of silk flowers I made leaves for and wrapped with play money.
The left image came in the mail, describing the new color of money. It was printed on both sides, so I adhered it to the page using brads, which I don't seen to have scanned. The right side is made up of several images, including the crown I made from a colored paper towel.
This shows the back side of the new color of money.

I found this image in a computer magazine and wanted to improve on it, but after several months, came to the conclusion it was fine the way it was. I simply cut a triangle from scrapbook paper and printed the title on my hmp (handmade paper).

Images come in all sizes and this one came in two sizes. I mounted them back to back in the book.

The left side is a smaller version of the image on the previous page. The caption reads: "Too many of us look upon Americans as dollar chasers. This is a cruel libel, even if it is thoughtlessly reiterated by the Americans themselves." The author is unknown.

The right side is a tape transfer over green glitter paint and blue acrylic paint. Although the image had nothing to do with money, when I saw it, I thought of the sentiment/title.
I enjoy a play on words, so I had to create the page on the left. I began with blue scrapbook paper, which I also used on the right page. The sentiments were printed on patterned scrapbook paper. The sentiments read "I feel like I've been quartered," and "Maybe I've been nickled and dimed." The other images are from a Numismatics brochure.

The right side went together easily. I began with the matching paper, then added mulberry paper to the background. Finally, I added the image and the title, which I found in an economics magazine.
I loved this image and thought for about a minute until I got the title, which I printed on some paper I colored.
I got an ad thru the mail for State quarters and couldn't resist using it as the central image, around which I added pictures of other coins.
In the spring of 2006, my front yard was surveyed so the water company could repair the lines. I grabbed the flags before they got too weather worn and got to thinking about how much we spend on utilities every month. I had a blank expense sheet and filled it out with imaginary dollar amounts.

I chopped off the title to the left side when I scanned it. I named it "misbehavin'." I double matted the image and the title on a hand painted paper bag.

We were studying various collage techniques, including perspective, on one of my yahoo groups when I decided to make this spread on the right. I substituted a small head and a small piggy bank. Her hair is made from real shredded money. The background is H20s.
These two pages were more about the shaving cream paper background than anything else. I also added punchinella (sequin waste) to the right side. The first of four collage pages. I wanted to use as many images as possible, while learning collage. I'm really poor at composition, but thought the more collages I created, the better I would get. Not sure that's true, but I'm trying. The "fixed rate" on right page is raised and the coin on the left page is real.
The second of four collage spreads, it has one of my favorite images: the dressmaker form. To it, I added a real dressmaker pin with a gold head. On the left is a real coin and a business summary I received in the mail. The right side has a real coin also.
The third of four collage pages, this one started with coin wrappers, which are now hard to find. The upside down "Money" has a brad in the "O."
This is the fourth in a series of four collage pages.
I've used the stack of bills on the left in several spreads. This one uses small images of the "eye" from the dollar bill (found on the backside of the bill on top of the pyramid). They were printed on a laser printer and colored using two green Patio paints.

The right background is more of the same "eye" only larger. The dollar bill in the pocket is two sided and very realistic looking. I decided I wanted to make it interactive so people could remove it and see both sides. The small gold band was attached to the clear pocket to highlight the eye. A light green paint was brushed all over the pages, then glazes were applied using a sea sponge. After that I added black Sharpie on the left page and Krylon Gold Leafing on the right. What's in the pocket? Why money of course!! And yes, that a real British coin glued to the envie.
I call this and the next pages an experiment gone wrong. However, they say we learn from our mistakes, so I hope you will learn from mine. I had these images that were double sided, so I decided to cut windows and insert them in it. However, they don't look like they are in windows, but rather just applied to the page. To create an effective window, you need to use a transparent image, such as one printed or stamped on a transparency, or a transluscent image, such as one created on vellum. The image on the left is a larger version of the two in the windows. I double matted it.
The left page is the back side of the windows and the right side is another larger photo double matted with a ribbon added.
These are two of my favorite spreads. The left side started with the yummy handpainted paper. It was so beautiful, I knew I wanted to use it, but didn't want to cover it up. The basket of money was the perfect thing to spotlight it. Various coins represent the "o's" in the title.

When I first saw this image on the right, I knew the title. I printed it on my hmp. Just my sense of humor showing thru the art.
A tie and colored paper towels were used as the background for the $ I cut from a colored book page. The green in the top is too close to the green in the $. I should have used a different background color. That's a lesson I've learned from this and other spreads.

The right side was a gold ribbon strung thru the word "Money" which was on the cover of a magazine.

Cash in hand

I've been collecting hand images for awhile because my next big project will be a "hand" book. I had enough hand images with money that I was able to make three spreads. As you turn the book pages, you see the words "Cash" "In" "Hand" which I hand formed using wire and green heart beads. Again I chose to keep the background simple, focusing on the images and the words rather than anything else.

More pages

Another of my favorite spreads, the idea came when I found the images of burning money. I decorated a pack of matches with my hmp and a piece of shredded real money.
For the left spread, I began with images from several magazines, then added three red buttons for effect.

I added fake coins to the coins in the right image. I began with strips of scrapbook paper (a way to use up the scraps), then glued the image over them.
I built this simple spread around the title I found in a magazine. I used press on letters for a simple spread. It was actually too simple, since you can see the gold ink that bled thru from the next page.
The left spread started with a small, but significant image. I added importance to it by placing it over two mats.

For the right side, I wove different sizes of Christmas paper ribbon to form the grid. I then inserted a rose made from play money that I colored with highlighters.
My first ever pop up. I know it is simple, but when it's your first, it's meaningful. Collage pieces include hmp, sale stickers, tape transfer, and pages from coin brochures.

I loved the image on the left, so wanted to dedicate an entire page to it. I found one that didn't have text, so I could showcase it.

On the right, I started with a page from a legal pad, then using my finger, spread paint on the paper. The three diamonds and the Krugarands (shape of dollar sign) are raised using dimensional dots.
A Mexican tradition is to give 13 gold coins to the newlywed couple at the wedding. The background was lightly sprayed with cranberry color mist. The dimensional pieces were created by laying a piece of punchinella (sequin waste) on the page, then spackling over it with dimensional spackle. I tore one edge of the mat for effect and used a corner punch to mount the image.
I had several pictures of piggy banks, so dedicated two pages to them. The background is strips of scrapbook paper and the title is printed on hmp. Real coins were added on the left with E6000.

One of my favorite spreads, I made the art doll on the left and an angel on the right from money. The background is gesso mixed with green paint. If you don't see the angel, start with the halo and work your way to her coin foot.
For the left spread, I used different stickers to create the title. On the right, I found the image first, then found the title. I used crayons to color the background.
"I heart Ben to pieces." You might need the larger view to see that I raised some of the puzzle pieces on the left using dimensional dots, as well as the heart and the word "to." Images are from various sources.
Want to know about Ben? Click on the image for a larger view and you will learn about the security thread, the watermark, the paper, micro printing and serial numbers. The black in the upper right is not part of the spread, but an errant fiber.
Green vellum and mulberry paper were used for the background. The image was from a Numismatics pamphlet.
If I could do the left side over, I would move the message. I didn't plan very well. It reads "Never invest your money in anything that eats or needs repairing." I should have learned that lesson before I got Bleubeard, my 18 lb. cat.

This is one of my favorite spreads in the book, possibly because it is so colorful. I was drawn to the image and wanted to mirror it on the page. I began with gesso, then added a bit of red acrylic, which turned to pink when mixed with the gesso. Next I swiped blue acrylic , then sprayed black webbing on the page. Finally, I glued on the image. Chocolate coins should never be added to an AB if you own a cat. Bleubeard went nuts over the smell and pawed and scratched at this and other pages in the book. Apparently, chocolate is better than catnip in his world.
Shaving cream paper was used for the background on this two page spread. The images were from magazines and the green embellishment is a bamboo leaf. These images came in a brochure and I immediately thought the guy could be retired. From that, I modified the old saying to read "Give a man a fish and he'll eat today. (on left page) Teach a man to fish and he'll retire in wealth." (on right page) I printed the saying on colored printer weight paper, then added the images and the wire.
The crab at the top holds the tag with the fish hook I found in a magazine. The backside of the tag reads "I'm hooked on cash."

I demoed the background for this two page spread on ABC. The left background was made using cardstock, the right side using a brown paper bag. For some reason, I seem to love clock hands. I used them and poker chips as embellishments on a spread otherwise filled with magazine images and words.

The background for this spread began with quarter wrappers. I colored the wrappers using a rinse aid resist technique I demoed on ABC. It was one from Claudine Hellmuth's second book. Next I added the images which came from various magazines.
This is another background I demoed on ABC and another example I made using one of the completed backgrounds. I then glued the spread into the book. Here's another technique I experimented with: Claudine Hellmuth's peeling paper, found in her Discovery Workshop book. I was lucky enough to find the dollar images in a newspaper that was printed on beige paper. I think I peeled to much at the bottom, so tried to hide it using green paint with glitter in it and magazine images.

I love interactive pages, so I was thrilled when I found the two scale images. I began by cutting a piece of heavy cardstock (heavy to withstand opening and closing) and adding the scale. Then I punched holes for the brads and carefully scored about 1/2 inch in. I added the background paper, then the image that I attached using brads. That way I was able to position the inside photo in the proper place.

For the right side, I added some marquee cut gems to the spread and mounted it on a mat helter skelter.
When you open the flap, you see a smaller image of the same scale and the title I gave to the page.

I named this page "Patriotic Money" because I used every patriotic image I had. The message this spread conveys is as relevant today as it was a year ago when I made it. From the patriot act, to politics, to dogs of war, to money and our flags as prominent symbols of America, these images send a definite message about the USA and our money. The blue background used on both pages is a wallpaper sample from a wallpaper book.

Way back in 2006, when I was nearly half finished with this book, I found the image on the right on a cover of a trade magazine. At the time, it was predicting the future of our money. I placed some scrapbook paper with circles behind the bulls eye image.

The left side started with the credit card I placed in the middle third of the page. Months later I got the little stickers advertising different credit card looks, and knew exactly where to put them. Sometimes you just have to let a page sit until it firmly develops.

Adding pockets to a page is one of the first things you learn when making an AB. Normally you use a lot of pages, typically one or two for each pocket. I didn't want to waste all those pages, so I used scrapbook paper and cardstock to hold the ATCs I got in a money swap in 2004, as well as Chinese money and a few tags that didn't fit in my accordion pockets (shown later on this page). I decorated the pockets with faux money and a real money band from my bank. This is a closeup view of one of the tags in the pockets. I found the "ribbon" in a magazine and it was printed on both sides. I just had to staple it to this tag. Although you can't see it, hidden behind the tag and the $500 bill is a $100 air freshener, still in its package.

I found many of these coins in a Numismatist catalog and others from an ad I got thru the mail. I used scrapbook paper for the backgrounds.
I loved these images, even though they didn't exactly go together. When I saw the money rolled into the padlock on the right, I immediately thought "Secure" so that's what I named it. The background is a green napkin.

Accordion pockets and tags

One of the first techniques I saw demoed by Beth Cote on the Carol Duvall Show were these accordion pockets. Cote used coin envies, I used bank envies. After cutting off all the top flaps, I painted the envelopes with green paint and sprayed them with Color Washes (Lettuce and Bottle) from Ranger. Cote used double sided tape, I used a thin strip of white glue along the length of each pocket down the middle only. From thereon, I did not follow her instructions. She cut tabs the width of the pockets, I did not. I simply collaged both pages, then attached the set of pockets, open end facing out, to the right side of the page using craft glue. I held the pockets in place with clamps until they dried. Then I realized that I loved the left side of the page and didn't want to cover it up with the accordion. To make the accordion work, I had to attach it, so I collaged the left pocket using heavy paper and CS, then attached both sides of the Velcro to it. Next, I closed the book and the Velcro stuck in the correct place on the left side.
You can see how the pockets fit together in this picture and get a decent view of how I painted and decorated the pockets.
The left page was too much fun to hide, so you can see the entire page here, along with the way I decorated the end pocket. I did this because I needed something stiff to hold up under the constant opening and closing of the Velcro.

Here is a better view of the page I didn't want to cover up.
What would pockets be without tags? This was a chance for me to use all those small images that were too cute to ignore, but not big enough to warrant a separate page in the book. It was also a chance for me to practice a bit of collage composition, something I'm not very good at.

I cut all the tags from used manila folders and either colored them or covered them with scrapbook paper, mulberry paper, handmade paper, or wallpaper samples. I arbitrarily assigned "front" and "back" to these tags, but there really were no front and back, only first and second side as you pull it from a pocket.
Back side of above tags.
Front side of second set of tags. My scanner held three tags comfortably, so that's all I scanned at one time. The top tag in this set incorporates the "points" I removed from the rectangles of one of the tags. I try not to throw anything away.
Back side second set of tags.
Front side of third set of tags. Right bottom tag has a piece of an old record that I stamped using white Brilliance ink and a Stampin' Up vintage key.
Back side of third set of tags. The bottom right tag has a picture of a ten dollar bill that has "In God We Trust." Below that I added "All others must pay cash."

Still more pages

I liked this image which compared the growth of the Euro to the American dollar. It was the perfect way to introduce the two humorous sayings. The one on the top reads "Money isn't everything, but it ranks right up there with oxygen." The bottom one is "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a cash advance." The background for both pages began with a cheap white napkin that I spritzed with several color washes from Ranger.
I began this spread by creating grids on the pages using a green highlighter. I added the images that I thought best went with the saying I printed on hmp. The saying reads "Banks lend by creating credit. They create the means of payment out of nothing."

It took forever for me to come up with a title for this page. For months this page sat without one, since the only thing I could think of was "All the Presidents' Men," which didn't apply, since they were actually Presidents. Finally the light dawned and I had the title that had eluded me for so long. The background is green paper, the images are from various magazines, the puzzle pieces are covered in my hmp, and the title, printed on my hmp, sits on magic mesh.
A spirelli and rick-rack were the only items used on the left. I cut the unique image, which looked like it could be turned into a spirelli piece, then wrapped it with fine gold thread and added an image in the center.

For the right side, I began with dark purple paint, added gessoed rubber stamped keys. Over that I added the image from a magazine. The money tag in the top right got in the scan by accident.

I found money images in everything, including the image on the left that came in the mail as the front of an anniversary card for some company.

On the right, I rolled up green tape, leaving the sticky side out. I dipped the tape in gold embossing powder and heated it, then formed it into the cent sign. I added the information about copper, which came from the inside of the card on the left.
I had so many images of money, I had to do something. Since these images were all linear, I hated to cut around them. I used green ribbon as filler, along with a dime wrapper and a real coin for accent.

The background for this collage (the hundred dollar bills) began as a gift bag. The rest of the images are from various sources. The money clip is raised on the page using pop dots.

"The measure of a man's worth" started with the ruler image on the left. When I saw the image, I started thinking not about money, but about the ruler. To compliment the title, I found this picture of a swimming team from Hawaii from the 20s or 30s and turned it into a tape transfer. Using restraint, I sponged bits of light green paint on the page, then added the tape transfer. The left background is a piece of green tissue like paper that is more opaque than regular tissue paper. Unfortunately, it wrinkled like tissue paper when I applied it using glue stick. Finally, I swiped the words cut from various sources with a green highlighter pen.

Not one of my best spreads, this page started with a green tissue paper, to which I added the title I printed on my hmp. The image is a blow up of the eye and pyramid on the back of the American one dollar bill.
This was also a simple spread. I really liked the image, but it was an ad for "Mony." I disguised the ad by adding a different title I found. Not sure I wouldn't jazz this page up a bit, if I did it again. I think it would look good on a black background.
Do you want a bit of contradiction in your life? Here is one. So, IS time money or not? You decide. The hands at the top left are for a clock and were added using a black brad. They twist to any time.

What would a money book be without paying homage to the money used in board games? Some of my favorite games are represented here. The title, "Game On," was made using a Dymo label maker. The background was made using two colors of green Patio paint applied with sea sponge. The image in the upper right corner is a two-sided chipboard "money" flash card. I punched a hole in it and turned it into a tag by using a brad to secure it to the page. It hangs off the page, and can be seen in some of the overall book photos.

Like potato chips, you can't make just one "Money Games" spread. More games are represented here. The title was made using a Dymo label maker. The background was made using two colors of green Patio paint applied with sea sponge.
The inspiration for this page began with the photo culled from a magazine. I immediately thought of cork for the background, but inadvertently cut it an inch too short, as I did the ugly orange and white dot scrapbook paper in the background. Gluing the paper to size was no problem, but I couldn't do that with cork. So, I glued it over the ugly paper, thus being able to hide the seam. I colored Starbucks stirrer sticks using a scratch repair pen and added them using E-6000. I had a heck of a time trying to get the images adhered to the cork. I used gel medium and even that didn't want to stay. I wanted to add the message using tape, but I didn't have any red tape. Using my finger, I colored the tape red, then added some money bands my bank gave me (until they learned they weren't allowed to hand them out, but had to destroy them).
Color became an issue when I printed the title to this spread using my hmp. As you can see, it really doesn't match like I thought it did when I held it to the image. To get a good color match, always use a full spectrum light, such as an Ott light. The background is dyed paper towel, which wraps to the next page. The dunce cap is from a flyer I got in the mail and the image is from a magazine.

I found this image in a two page spread in a magazine. It was too wide for my book, but not long enough. Not to be discouraged, I created little extender flaps and covered them with dyed paper towels that I extended onto adjoining pages. To mask the shortness, I used play money to frame the image. As you can see, I named it "Windfall."
Here is most of the image. It's a bit large for my scanner, but you are seeing most of it. Please note the buckled image. That happened when I used white glue to adhere the image and didn't spread it properly. White glue is very wet and magazine pages are thin. The combination makes it nearly impossible to use together if you want a smooth image. If there's one thing I learned in making this book, it is that you must use only a thin layer or white glue if you are using magazine images. Now I use an old credit card to spread the glue around the image. The key is to spread it completely and thin.

A dyed paper towel, continued from the previous page, was used as the background for the left side of this spread, over which I added a smaller version of a magazine image I used in the beginning of the book.

You really have to click on the larger view to appreciate the right spread. I started with H20s for the background, then tore and alternated blue paper and vellum to simulate the ocean. Last was the sandpaper to simulate the sand. I used a two sided faux twenty dollar bill to make the boat origami style. You can learn how to fold just about anything into any shape by searching for "origami" on the Internet. I added the sail using one of the "eyes" I created and described earlier. Lastly, I added the magazine image of the beach ball and umbrella, which was used as the inspiration for this spread.
I had the words "Slow Boat to China" and planned to use it in my Asian book, but when I found these boat images, I changed my mind. I began by painting the right page using H20s. I drew a crude island and painted it green, then matched the image to the island. Next, I added the magazine image on the left and drew the image I thought the man holding the telescope could see, which was a larger version of the small island image. These three images were from two different trade magazines, which I receive free each month.

I was tired of using all magazine images, so I created this collage using the book title from the dust jacket and some rubber stamp images from Claudine Hellmuth's collection on my hmp, along with one magazine image, more hmp, and one small pressed maple leaf. I chose to keep the book page as the background. After all, it's one of the best canvases/backgrounds you can use in an AB.

Part Four: The Fortune

On the left, I tried a technique I saw in a scrapbook magazine. Since I'm not a scrapbooker, I don't think I actually did it right. You begin by cutting a circular or oval wreath, then add your images around it. I had so many images, I didn't want to stop, so the wreath is completely covered, including the inside which is supposed to show.

The background for "Part Four" is DTP using Linen Distress Ink and Vintage Lime Ink, both from Ranger. I glued a copy of a cabinet card to the page, then cut the circle from the play money and placed it over the gal's face. I was very happy with this page, even though it was simple.

An envelope from "Money" magazine was used as the background for this spread. It is held on with masking tape. A weather vane image was added to the top. The page on the right is actually a tip-in. I added five to the book from a swap I hosted in 2006.

For this spread, I started with some ugly orange paper with tiny white dots. I dry brushed silver glaze over the paper to tone down the orange and subdue the dots. "Got coin?" is a combination of stickers and coins. Many of the coins on the page are real, but some are not, including the Mardi Gras jester in the upper right, the Chucky Cheese coin in "got," and the gold covered chocolate Euro in the lower middle. The coin in the plastic sleeve is from a Las Vegas casino. It is too old (probably from the late 70s or early 80s) and beautiful to hide either side. I decided to allow the viewer to either turn the sleeve over or remove the coin to inspect it.

I will put another bank envie on the left page as soon as I go to my bank. There are just too many tags in the envie. It doesn't stay properly closed and it causes the page to sag. The background is a paper towel that I laid my tags on when I painted them and sprayed them with Color washes. The bank envie was made using the same method and materials as the tags.
The fronts of the four tags in the envie were made from a piece of heavy cardstock. I cut two of them smaller because of the images I was wanted to use. The top tag has a men's tie for the ribbon and two coins with a coin holder over the top of them. The two smaller tags were painted with light and medium green Patio Paints, then spayed with "Lettuce" Color Wash. The larger of the tags were painted with light and medium green Patio Paints and dark green acrylic paint (I think Delta), then sprayed with Lettuce and Ranger's "Bottle" color wash.

For the left tag, I added a fringe to the bottom and a matching fiber in the hole. Talk about using what you have!! The gold squiggle was formed from an eyeglass earpiece. I don't have the proper tool (round nose pliers) for twisting the metal properly, but I still like how it turned out. The middle tag has an image, and the right tag has a green leather shoelace acting as the clothesline for the cute image (a favorite of mine). I added more green leather shoelace in the hole.
I ran out of images before I ran out of tags. To make up for it, I added metal press on "cent" letters to the backs. The top cent is silver, the bottom two are gold. These were the last things I made for the book.

Back pages of book

The back spread of the book contains two niches. I cut these in a block of about 30 pages using a craft knife after I glued the pages together using gel medium and securing with clamps until dry. The secret is to coat only the outer edges of the pages. I inserted a self healing mat behind the last page and cut the niches. I also cut one loose page at the beginning of the block. Then I glued a lid from a plastic eyelet container in the window of the top niche and placed the real foreign money inside. Since the back cover was already ironed on, I was now able to glue the block of pages to the back inside cover.
The small perfume bottle was the perfect size to hold the shredded money. You can buy this at the US Mint in Washington D.C.
This side view shows how much the perfume jar protrudes from the niche. I substituted it for the one I originally cut the niche for. You can see that the niche isn't very thick.

The luscious background paper was gifted to me by my friend Kathy. She made it using Bounty paper towels and alcohol inks. Isn't it just the perfect the end to this project?

Thanks for looking at my money book. I hope you've enjoyed it. It was a fun book that took me over a year to make. Of course, I worked on it off and on, some days doing as many as 10 spreads, then going weeks without even touching it. It was a true labor of love.