"Gold Gilded Journal Cover & More...."

I have been busy working on my new journal project. I decided to give it the dramatic effect of having it's own platform. It works really well as a lap desk when I'm curled up on the couch doodling by the fire! This wooden board underneath the moleskin journal has been permanently attached by my using a tile adhesive (super strong!!!). Once I stuck my journal to the board I began to paint the board and the cover of my new journal. This is the start, I'm sure I will come back to it and possibly add beads and other sorts of rich colored embellishments. I kind of want it to look like a jewel from the outside. Then as you can see I finished the drawing on the first page. I'm still trying to decide if I want this journal to be single page drawings or two page spreads?? I'm leaning towards to single page but who know when I may change my mind. The image on that first page has hair that spells out Art Mail. I have recently received the most beautiful Mail Art from a dear friend of mine and it meant so much to me that she spent so much time creating it just for me, thank you Carmelina!!! I did this page as a reminder of how it made me feel to walk out to my mail box and receive such a treasure.