old books and fresh flowers

As promised I will be showing some more pics of the plants I saw during the week.  I have to edit them so they don't take up too much space.

The pic here is something I created from one of the orchid photos.  

 

Isn't this flower just exquisite:
it hasn't fully opened yet.

The altered picture was created using adobe photoshop.  In the standard edit page I went to Filters and then Distort and selected the Polar Co-ordinates option.  This is one of the more simple alterations I have done but it is very effective.

Now to the question of old books.  I have noticed of late a tendency to use old books for various kinds of arts and crafts - altered books, collage etc.  Personally I have a problem with cutting up books; they seem to be too precious.  I wonder how others feel about this issue.  I bought a book from the op shop recently with the intention of using it in a creation I am planning but I find it impossible to cut it up.  It is not an important or particularly special book and cost me just $2.


Well that is my quandary at present.  Any help would be appreciated.