If you can accept my very generalised thinking of a basic 'book' idea, you will have opened your mind to some wonderful creative art work by very talented makers of 'Artist Books' and 'Book Art'. Use a search online and you may be enthralled and amazed! Not only altered books, but whole sculptural creations to contain words, thoughts and ideas.

I have started very small, and tentatively.

'ULURU' is a container made from the card cover of an Australian softback book. I constructed the cylinder and its lid, then painted it in acrylic paint with sand mixed in.
The sticks are cut to fit, and painted with symbols from the Native Australian people's myths and stories. See them as the pages of this 'book'. They are also symbolic of the Aboriginal memorial staves which can be seen in Australia. www.nga.gov.au/panos/LRG.cfm?MOV=MemPoles/Poles

I'm a celt, but several of my early years were spent in that beautiful country, and i claim an affinity with the place.