Altered Books

My mother was ahead of her time. She was a Greenie before it was popular. We used to think it was just her Scots ancestry, but frugality and green lifestyles go hand in hand.
Mum had a collection of altered books, our old school exercise books were filled with art and craft clippings, hand written patterns and drawings that she used in her own crafts. They were well thumbed.
Now I have my own altered book journals that I love to bits. I store all my inspirations in them, so if I have a day when I don't have a plan, I just dip in and find something. All the websites and blogs and books I've read about and one day want to check out..my green recipes for cleaning..dreams..art ideas and much more. They would be one of the first things I would grab if the house caught on fire.

My current journal is an old diary, which had not been used, titled Women Who Dare, populated by some pretty amazing women - mostly American, and whom I had never heard of. Some of it I have painted or glues pages over as a base for my journalling, but some, like the one inserted I have left untouched. I hope you can read it - Deborah Sampson in the 1700's impersonated a man and went to war - and removed a bullet from her own leg - phew!