Altered Art Journal Cover

In my previous journal post, I shared the spread which completed my altered art journal. It started life as an old children's book which I purchased quite cheaply at a Red Cross Book Sale and I've enjoyed the thick pages with text that often showed through as part of my backgrounds. See all the art I created in it over the past couple of years by clicking HERE for 2019 and HERE for 2020. 

I wanted to retain some of the cover, and the spine needed repair. Started with white gesso to prep the bits I'm going to alter. I maybe should have done a couple of layers and made it smoother, but in the end it adds to the magical feeling for me - as though the flowers have materialised in front of them. Decided I'd go with pretty background colours and then use the stencil which featured in both my first and last page

I had no expectations but this isn't where I thought I'd end up. I love that it's unexpected; I love that I've retained much of the original cover; the paints are my favourite colours; I adore the Shine (both the word and use of iridescent paints); and I enjoy the details of the wording on the original cover

They now look like they're touching magical flowers

Isn't the back cover sweet?

It began like this

and finished like this

It's definitely been an adventure. Now all blooming and complete, it makes me very happy.

And now I can start my new journal which is totally different with very white pages!