Materials:
Old hardcover book (from yard sale or second hand shop)
White paint, gold paint
White Glue ( I used Aleene's :)
Ribbon
Silk flowers
Picture &Poem
Clear Mac tac
Spray Gloss
Plate holder(stand up kind, dollar store)
Method:
Open book to the middle and break the binding, so that it will lay flat.
Paint the sides of the book with glue, so that when it drys the book will stay opened and the pages will stay together.
When glue is dry, paint entire book white.
I also very lightly sponged all over the pages surface with gold paint, and also painted the page edges gold.
Now find a pretty picture you would like to use, or get even more personalized (depending on who the book is for) ie: Scan an old pic of your mom, etc....
Once you have selected a picture, and poem or sentiment. Either write them or print them on white paper, then glue to centers on opposite pages of open book. I angled mine.
I also cut clear mac tac the exact size of my picture and poem and covered them with it.
(there was a reason for this... If you have printed your picture or poem, using an inkjet printer, when you go to varnish the book, it will make the ink run)
(protecting them first with the mac tac won't allow this to happen.)
I also again lightly sponged with gold paint over the picture and poem.
Now you are ready to varnish, I used Plaid folkart spray gloss. a good coat or two.
Let dry.
Now you can embellish with a ribbon book mark, glued into the top of the spine and let it dangle down the center.
Also add some pretty flowers, sparangly.
Put into an easel style plate holder, and your done !
