4x4 board book for a swap

I took part in a swap with SSReflections' yahoo group. We made a 4x4 coaster book. I cut mine out of cardboard to make the pages more sturdy. I glued white tissue paper on top of the cardboard to give it texture. I used Molten Metals acrylic paint in bronze and painted the tissue with that. Tissue paper adds a great texture to collage. I crumple it up before I glue it down so it isn't just flat. It's also very forgiving. If it rips, you can just stick another little piece on top of the hole to fill it in.




I used a book in Russian and cut circles out of it to make the background behind the images. I love foreign text. I used Tattered Rose distress ink and a stipple brush to distress the paper a little bit, then went around the edges in black ink. I stamped randomly on the paper to add something to it, so it wasn't so plain.



The images came from Altered Pages. I think the collage sheet is Screen Sirens. Very sophisticated images, and I thought they'd go well with the colors I chose. I love pink and bronze together. I cut out the women and glued them on top of the circles.



I embellished with flowers and butterflies. Butterflies are such a mystery and so pretty, and since they like flowers, I thought flowers would make sense too. I also used a spray of gold beads that I got from a Christmas bin at Michaels, buttons, stickers, mica, lace and ribbon, heart glitter, Stickles, and Robin's Nest Dew Drops. Lots of stuff.

One of the things I love about swaps like this are the ability to just go with what strikes my fancy. I didn't feel like I had to match things and I took the opportunity to just play. I need to play. I feel like my muse has taken a vacation, and this gave me a chance to have some fun.