The Mars passport gluebook

I typically work on several gluebooks simultaneously. I like the distraction of moving between several projects. That way I don't get bored with what I am working on. Last year I was in a small bookshop when I came across some small notebooks created by a company called The Unemployed Philosophers Guild. They have awesome "passport" notebooks, like the Canada Passport, Oz Passport, Hell Passport, and the one I like best, the Mars Passport. Immediately I started to imagine what it would be like someday if people really did carry a Mars passport. I knew I wanted to make a Mars-passport gluebook of all things space-related, just for fun.

The identification page is neat and requires a picture. I knew immediately what I wanted to use - what I always thought was a very strange image of dog on a 1974 Hungarian postage stamp. To me it looks a little like a creature from outer space.

After I had the "photo" in, I started to play with paper scraps that might look strange to someone who had never seen shorthand, for example. Shorthand looks like it could be a language used in outer space, doesn't it? Of course, I needed a postmark or two, and some number stamps, to make everything look official. 

I tore out some of the pages to make room for the layers of collaging paper that were going to eventually fatten the book. After that, I started working on collages with all the materials I could find that were space related, and that I could make work together.

Often times I incorporated papers that were not space related, like the scrap of math problems from an old British school book. The answer key contains the pound sign, which looks strange to me, only because I don't see it often. All the numbers in a line looks like a secret code. The bit of Indian script, (Hindi perhaps?) is mysterious.

Do I have to mention that I'm sifting through and using a ton of space-related postage stamps?

I don't know how many hundreds of space-related themed postage stamps were created during the Cold War era, but I seemingly have a limitless supply of these. Of course, I have also been receiving stamps and things from art friends who know I'm on the lookout for these things. Look what I got at Christmas time from my friend in Germany? These are going to be fun.

Here are the last few pages. I love this USA $2.40 stamp. I'm lucky to have found that one. I've received other awesome things like the moon stickers and space washi tape from my friend in Australia. Here I've incorporated them below.

Obviously, I have more to do. I'm not even half way through with this little book. It's slow going, I have to admit, but I'm enjoying the process and don't feel the need to rush. I have in mind what I want it to look like so I'm not going to cut corners and quickly finish it. I've got time... .