Ancestors

I recently spent a crafting day with Jean from B J Crafts and this is the second project that I made.
I had asked to recycle a book using Mixed Media  products and Jean provided me with a hard covered book to use  and I just had to bring an old picture/photograph for the front.

I was pleased when I saw the book I would be using as I had already read it in paper back form so wouldn't have to sit there reading it before I could get started !! Lol.  The first thing was to cover the entire front and back covers using Imagination Crafts Rusty Patina. I chose to use a dark brown and a sea green This dries remarkably fast so the next stage was to get really messy and using your fingers daub on Imagination Crafts Starlight Wax in a rustic gold colour and rub into the surface to give the sparkle. I could choose the embellishments and I went for butterflies (what a surprise ), an old key, buttons and a Heartfelt flower die  which were all given the same treatment.  The old photograph I took along was a photo copied image of my G.G. Grandfather. The original photo is a lot bigger and shows he is carrying a shot gun and has his faithful black dog at his feet. 

The Frame was created from stiff card and  I used a craft  knife to cut a cross in the centre  carefully peeled back to create the aperture. Coated same as the other embellishments and then the picture was tucked behind and the frame glued to the book front.   I had told Jean that I intended making the book centre into a hidden compartment by carefully cutting the centres from the pages and gluing together but when I got home and had left it on my desk for a week or two decided instead that as the picture was of one of my ancestors I would start the book off with his details and then add all the rest of the family on subsequent pages. (I love genealogy and this particular branch of the family tree I have manage to trace back to 1463)

I have glued two pages together to make them more sturdy throughout the book and painted over the pages with a cream paint to cover the wording. I used a tree stamp to decorate the top of the front  page which has Samuel's details on it listing his parents and siblings and subsequent pages  will go through each of the family members in turn. I will be in there right at the back eventually along with my children and their children. Something to keep me occupied on a cold winters night!

Entering into the following challenges:
Altered Electics # Anything goes altered projects.
Electic Ellapu # Anything goes.
Rhedd's Creative Spirit # Anything goes.