I started out making the book from the back, with the Virgin of Guadalupe page. I suppose it makes sense now to look at the book chronologically. I didn't realize this until recently, but I guess it starts off kind of grim. The first page is supposed to be Autumn-like, but that got nixed in favor of going for straight-up Goth. What is more Goth than Death and Poe? As in, Death, from the Sandman comics, and Poe, Edgar Allen.

I did the background a bit grungey, kinda like the comic's style. The black lace is actually a bit of tatting I did awhile back. The pocket with the skull zipper-pull is made of suede paper and a small zipper. Here's a better picture, although overexposed...

you get the idea, though? Figuring out how to do that pocket was a bit of a $%&, so I did an accordian fold on the left side and brads to keep it in place.

At the bottom, the niche has a swivel opening. Here's the back:

The brad lets it swing into place.
Here's the Poe page, with my stamp of the Raven. The background is the poem, "The Raven" and I made a turn-dial that says "Nevermore" in different fonts no matter how you turn it, because...the raven you see...just keeps saying "nevermore."

Okay, anyway, I painted the wood key and lock embellishment, distressed them, did the black netting, and attached the feather. My daughter says the black tulle makes it look too wedding-y. Weeelllll, considering the subject of the poem and what happened with Lenore, I think that's appropriate. Goth!