Spring is Music to my Eyes

 Happy Sunday everyone! leslierahye here sharing with you an art journal page that I did in my K & P Imports art journal. Right now the world around me is bloom with beautiful spring flowers. This is my favorite time of the year to photograph nature. My family often takes a trip out into the county to capture the glory of the wildflowers near us. This page contains one of my bluebonnet photos that I recently took.

I began by creating a watercolor background with layering washes across the page. Once dry, I splattered the same colors from the wash to get concentrated splats of color! After they were fully dry, I doodled a border with black an white paint pens. I fussy cut my photo and glued it down. I then traced around the photo with white paint pen and a grey brush PITT pen. With the paint pen I added the quote "The earth has music for those who listen." The flowers in the fields and along the roadways are a symphony to me. I hope you enjoy my page!

Citra Solv Adventures

Citra Solv is a natural cleaner with a wonderful citrus scent. But I didn't break out my bottle for spring cleaning! This versatile product is an amazing tool for creating artful backgrounds, ATCs, image transfers, and so much more!

I created these dreamy backgrounds using nothing more than a generous application of Citra Solv on some pages in an old copy of National Geographic. Simply fill a spritzer bottle with some of the cleaner, liberally coat several pages of your choice in the magazine, and allow the pages to mush together for 10-15 minutes. {If you prefer, you can directly apply the Citra Solv with a foam brush} Open the pages, mush together some more if you wish, and then soak up any excess ink with paper towels. Tear out your favorite pages, allow them to dry, and you will have several unique backgrounds for your art! The process can be quite messy, so be sure to cover your work area with newspapers for easier clean-up.

Here are a couple of pages I created for my art journal using the backgrounds and an image transfer of a bird from The Graphics Fairy.

Creating an image transfer using Citra Solv is a very simple process. Just follow these easy steps:

• Print out an image using a laser printer, or get one made at a copy shop or your local library. The ink used needs to be toner-based to work, so don't use copies from an ink jet printer. Be sure to reverse the image when printing, especially if contains any text.
• Place the image face down on the desired surface, saturate a cotton ball with Citra Solv and rub it all over the paper until the image is clearly seen. Wait a few seconds, and then gently burnish the image with the back of a spoon. You may lift the corner of the paper to make sure the ink is transferring from all parts of the image.
• Lift the paper and a beautifully imperfect image will appear!

The process is very unpredictable, but very satisfying! You never get the same results twice, so these transfers are a sure way to add unique images to your ATCs, art journal pages, collages, or other mixed-media projects.

I've been experimenting with Citra Solv image transfers on fabric and paper for a workshop I'm teaching this Tuesday at Ephemera Paducah - Stitcher's Stash Journal. I altered this image of roses in Romantic Homes magazine by gently rubbing it with just a bit of Citra Solv on a cotton ball. And I love the image transfer of a dress stand on Stonehenge paper! Some tips to remember when creating image transfers are:

• Don't use too much Citra Solv or the ink may run, causing the image to blur or parts of it to disappear completely.
• The fragrance is very strong, so be sure to work in a well-ventilated area.
• Black and White images usually work best for this process.

I purchased my Citra Solv at Jerry's Artarama in Nashville, TN, but you can find a list of online and brick-and-mortar vendors who sell the product here. I can't wait to demonstrate these fun techniques, and I hope you will try them out for yourself too!

Until next time: Make Art...Be Happy!

Kimberly

{Altered Books 101} Prep & Backgrounds

When it comes to altering books, the possibilities are endless. But it doesn't have to be a complicated process. With just a few simple materials, you can be on your way to creating an altered book in no time! All you really need to get started is a book, a glue stick, a ruler, and some clips. Use what you have on hand. Clothespins will substitute for the clips. A school ruler or a thick piece of cardboard cut to size will work perfectly for tearing pages. Most of us have books we no longer read taking up shelf space, and usually some kind of glue in a drawer or cupboard. Just grab what you have and let's get started!

The first step to altering a book is tearing out some pages throughout the book. Removing some of the pages makes room for the embellishments, photos, or ephemera that you might wish to add. It also keeps the the book from expanding too much on the fore edge, which reduces stress on the spine. I used a 1/4" steel rule to tear out my pages, but you can use a ruler or a piece of chipboard cut to the size you want.  I like the tattered edges created by tearing, but if you prefer even edges you can use a craft knife instead of tearing the pages. 

I divided my book into 5 sections and tore out 30 pages between each of them to create deep spacers for the bulky items I want to add to the book. Run a glue stick along all the edges of each section, and use the clips to hold them together while they dry. You can also use a tacky white glue or gel medium for this step.

I chose a theme of Lost & Found for this book, so I decided to include a quote on that subject, and a vintage escutcheon plate from my stash. The background was created with layers of white gesso, paint, scrapbook paper, a tea bag, and Stabilo and Derwent Inktense pencils. I used a vintage typewriter to type out the quote on paper torn from the book.

For this background, I layered white gesso, acrylic paints, the same pencils, and another typed quote. The circles were made with Yellow Ochre gouache. I used the cap to stamp the circles on the pages. 3 rusty keys from my collection were the perfect finishing touch! 

Clear gesso and pearlescent watercolors along with crumpled and torn tea bags created lots of texture and shimmer for this background. I love how the transparency of the watercolors and the tea bags allow the book text to peek through!

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse at some of the techniques I like to use for altered books. I'll be back on March 21st with 3 more background techniques, and the cover for this Lost & Found Journal. Until then, be sure to check out the great tips and techniques my fellow design team members have shared, and stay tuned for more inspiration as Altered Books Month continues!

ALTERING ART JOURNALS~

Altered Book month is just getting started!!  I'm Sharing one of my art journals today.  Nothing finer than a row of art journals, all finished, except maybe a new art journal waiting for your next good prompt!

The journal I'm sharing is from 2010.  It has been my Everything Art Journal, made from an old encyclopedia.  The Everything journal is where you go when you don't have a specific journal.  I have a handwriting art journal, a yearly art journal, a Journal 52 art journal, a bleach journal, a gratitude journal, it goes on and on!  Many art journals going at once.  I love that!! 

I covered it with sticky paper that you would normally use with your die-cutting machine.  I used gaffers tape where the papers met, and inside on the outter edge of my pages.

So many pages.  So many thoughts!  So many colors and techniques.

Some are just black and white, others have colors and wiggly lines.

And then, there are the pages that hide my secrets.

Until it is so full, it doesn't close anymore!

Which is why you have to remove some of the pages from the book before you begin preparing your pages.  Bound books have long pieces of paper with 2 different pages on it.  It goes from front to back, like a composition notebook.  I remember being in school and trying to rip out a page from a composition notebook, only to have a page in the back fall out.  Of course, I was 6.  So when removing the pages, you need to hold a ruler close to the inside of the page and rip them out that way.  The ruler will keep the binding intact, while leaving you with room to create!  I removed a lot of pages from this poor, unloved encyclopedia from 1980 :(  It was at the Junque Store all by itself.  The letter "E".  No other volumes were there.  

After I removed the pages (and saved them to use in other projects), I glued 5 pages to each other with a glue stick.  Then I primed them with gesso and used the gaffers tape on the outside edge.  Ready to be used at any time!

Many more Altered Book posts still to come!  You won't want to miss any of them!

xxDaniella

a pocket-size, hand-bound art journal

Recently a friend challenged me to make a hand bound book to
swap with her--she's much more skilled than I, but she knows I love
making books, bless her!

Here is the 4 x 4 inch art-type journal made just for her:

It has a wrapped, repurposed suede cover,

a simple button closure,

and five stitched signatures.

Do you make your own books?  How about altering books?  Join us here
at the Altered Arts Magazine blog for Altered Book Month in March.

Have a wonderful Saturday,
:)trisha

A Pattern for Love Journal Page

Good afternoon! leslierahye here to share with you this fun journal page entitled A Pattern for LOVE. I layered pattern paper from a vintage pattern onto my K & P Imports art journal. I layered colors onto my tissue papers and Pink Paislee  Tag with Rangers Dylusions Ink Spray and Tattered Angels Mist. With Prima's Raspberry Red Chalk Ink, I edged the tag and the page and then sprinkled with gold embossing powder and heat set. Next I adhered the tag and some tape onto the page. I finished the page by doodling and writing little quips that provide advice for love—such as Be Kind.

Products used in the creation of this journal page : 

Kunst & Papier Art Journal—K & P Imports

Designer Dries Clear—Art Glitter Adhesive
Color Wash Tags, Color Wash Stamps—Pink Paislee

Card stock—Bazzill Basics
24K Gold—Globecraft&Piccolo Embossing Powder
Color Brush Twin (Black)c
Mod Podge (Matte)—Plaid Enterprises

Glimmer Mist (Vintage Pink)—Tattered Angels

Dylusions Mist (White Linen, Funny Fuchsia, & Cherry Pie)—Ranger Industries
Chalk Inks (Raspberry Pie)—Prima Marketing Inc.
Tissue Tape, Pattern Tissue Paper

Thank you for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed my journal page!

Bringing in the new year with a new Art Journal

Good afternoon! leslierahye here to share with you this fun journal page I created using Graphic 45 Staples, Stampendous! Cling Stamps and Retro Cafe Art Gallery collages. This was the first page of my new art journal and I wanted to capture the essence of this journal with my design. In this journal I will be exploring different techniques throughout the year. 

To create this journal I began by misting the background, lifting off with a towel color to achieve the desired look. Once I was happy with the background, I layered on the Castle Gate image with Mix'd Media Inx. I glued down an ATC sized collage image from Retro Cafe Art and added Graphic45 Staples Flowers. A bit more misting helped to tie the new elements into the page. Once the page was dry, I was able to create some doodling and journaling with my charcoal pencil and white prismacolor pencil. I hope you enjoyed my creation! Thank you for stopping by!

Products used in the creation of this journal page : 

Staples Flowers—Graphic 45

Mixed Grunge Stamped Collage—Retro Cafe Art Gallery

Cling Castle Gate—Stampendous!

Kunst & Papier Art Journal—K & P Imports

Designer Dries Clear—Art Glitter Adhesive

Charcoal Pencil—General

Pencil (white)—Prismacolor

Mist (Antique Copper)—Maya Road

Glimmer Mist (Vintage Pink)—Tattered Angels

Dylusions Mist (Black Marble)—Ranger Industries

Mix'd Media Inx by Donna Salazar (Truffles)—Clearsnap