My Book of trees

I was not able to finish my book of trees in Dwellingup and as there was only two days between flying out to Melbourne. I finally finished it last week. This book I made in Memory of my father-in-law Trevor Earl McFarlane. I didn't get to know him very well as he died about a year after we married, but the little I did get to know of him was of a real gentleman, who was very quiet, much like my husband John. He also loved gardening so I thought he was the perfect person to make it in memory of.

On the cover made from a vintage small photo album is a photo with one of his baby sons, he was a real family man.

On the inside cover in a little pocket a family history and a tribute to the people of the maori race in maori and english. the next page is a clear pocket with his wedding photo.On the front of this little aged mesh hinged page is his baby photo, it was common for Scottish baby boys to wear a dress, maybe it was a baptism gown, seen close up it is very beautiful and he has a long chain hanging from is neck was this to keep him amused while the photo was taken we will never know! The frame hinges Joanne bought me over the internet and I wanted to put them on something special. The twigs top and below are wrapped in vine and aged copper wire.A peice of mica with a sprig of dried fern for his kiwi heritage and the owl his wisdom. Hanging from the right side of the mica is a lovely old marble I found in a tin of bits and peices, I just loved the colours, Nina made a groove, I did help just a little bit, then it was wired and attached with a nina knot. On the peice of old linen used to hinge the mica are the words `bound together with cobwebs' which suggest to me the fragility of life.

Two doors made of aluminium sheet and sanded then some Golden fluids rubbed on, open to a photo of Trevor's father behind crisscross wire through eyelets. Bits of old chain attached with copper brads hold the doors closed. Below on a peice of blue silk an brass metal leaf is wired on.

this last page was two pages from a vintage album attached together with the lovely twisted branches off the vine at Banksia Springs covering a large arbourtorium sandwiched in between.

An old door key hole a brass cog give this page the effect I wanted and relates to the period.

The larger back cover is covered in torn vintage papers. Images of vintage trees are placed behind vintage optical lens. A Photo of four scottish gentlemen in traditional garb one of them being Trevor's Grandfather. Placed at the bottom behind another vintage optical lens is his son John tying the generations together. An old pencil wired one side and lovely peice of greenstone a gift from the lovely Corryn in New Zealand on the right side. On the left a vintage bottle with twigs inside and the metal number 4 indicating 4 generations. Bound together with aged copper mesh and twigs wired to the side, an old key to hold the closure. Below is the wire used to hold the book together.

All the pages are bound with nina knotts, old chain, aged washers, and hanging from these is an sharks tooth that was an earing belonging to my mother, and just on top on the left side is a silver ball that opens out with a fold out metal pages for photo's given to me from my mother-in-law Trevors wife Gladys. There are also some vintage beads not visible in this side view photo. On the opposite side you can see the old marble and in a little open out frame a photo of Gladys, isnt she beautiful.
I love this book now I have finished and so enjoyed making it, I didnt try to do anything original as I just wanted to learn all the techniques. This book will remind me of a wonderful week in May 2008 spent with seven other creative women, the good times we had, all the laugh's, relaxing and just taking the time to be creative.
Now the storm is over I can shut up the shop and leave my safe warm little home and do other things. I have a bag packed to take to do some Misty Mawn pages at home with all the materials I will need.
Have a good weekend and I will catch up with you again with more on Melbourne retreat and time spent in Perth.