Vintage Flashcard Dos-à-Dos Sketchbook

Ever since I found a stash of jumbo vintage flashcards I've been thinking about various ways to use them for handmade books. With a generous length of 3.5" x 10.25" they proved to be ideal for a double-sided mini sketchbook!  It includes a mix of papers for jotting down notes and journaling, and watercolor paper for sketching, painting, or collage.

To make a Dos-à-dos book of your own you will need a few simple materials:

• Vintage Flashcard {or cardstock or heavyweight paper}
• Bone Folder or other Scoring Tool
• Scissors
• Decorative Tape or Masking Tape
• Awl or piercing tool
• Tapestry Needle with a large eye
• Ribbon or other binding thread
• A variety of paper including watercolor paper

Here's how to make the sketchbook:

• Score the flashcard into thirds and fold.
• Wrap tape around the spine to reinforce and embellish it.
• Measure the paper for each side of the book. The paper should be the same height and 2X the width of each section. Fold the paper and stack 3 pieces together for each signature.
• Pierce each section of the flashcard and the signature for in the center to create holes for stitching.
• Thread the ribbon through the hole, wrap it around the spine, then go back through the same hole and tie a knot. Start on the outside of the cover and leave a long tail to wrap around the book as a closure.
• Start on the inside of the second signature, wrap the ribbon around the spine, bring through the hole and tie a square knot. Snip off any excess ribbon.

An aerial view of the sketchbook shows both sides, one with watercolor paper, and the other with a mix of vintage book paper, handmade paper, a tag, and an old slide. The beauty of this type of book is that it can be made in a variety of sizes with an endless array of papers and binding threads or ribbons! Dos-à-dos is a French term meaning "back to back" and traditionally includes two separate books that are bound together, but this is my nod to that type of binding.

Here's the sketchbook all closed up with the ribbon and a sparkly clip-on earring to hold it in place. I already started embellishing the book with some vintage stamps from my stash, and some text and images from a book about birds. This will be a fun little book to tuck into my tote bag for sketching and collaging on the go! If you don't have flashcards this large, you can substitute any heavyweight cardstock or paper in the size you choose. I hope you'll enjoy making your own!
Until next time - make art...be happy!
Kimberly

A Bird Knows Mini Book

I'm nearly 2,000 miles from home visiting dear friends in California! My family and I began our journey in Portland, OR and drove down the Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco, and then headed 4 hours east to our friend's home. The journey was filled with spectacular views of the silver Pacific Ocean, majestic redwoods, mist-shrouded mountains, and beautiful architecture in San Francisco. I'm not homesick, but thoughts of home are always in the back of my mind. I'll miss the beauty of the west coast and the company of our friends, but like a bird, I'm always happy to return to my nest and the familiar comforts of home.

I brought a few essential art supplies with me, and along the way I've been gathering pretty paper and shiny bits and baubles. I found this charming package at Monticello Antiques while we were visiting the beautiful city of Portland, OR. I used the contents along with some stickers to make a little mini book expressing my sentiments about home. I wish I could stay longer in this lovely area, but home is calling and I must fly back soon and feather my nest with my newfound treasures.

Posted with Blogsy

{Altered Books 101} Cover Story

The cover of an altered book often tells a story about what's inside. I chose a theme of Lost & Found for this book, so I wanted to embellish the cover in a way that reflects that idea. This book is all about the lost or discarded objects I love to find and collect for my art. I used some of those treasures for this cover, along with a few new tools and supplies to create a story that offers a glimpse of what's inside.

I loved the marbled turquoise cover of the Reader's Digest that I chose for this project, so I didn't want to cover it completely and lose the pretty pattern. Inspiration hit via Daniella's post about using tissue paper to cover her altered notebook! I covered the spine with a page torn from an old French book, and then I layered over the entire cover with tissue paper from 7gypsies. Matte gel medium from Liquitex worked well for both types of paper. I tore the edges of the tissue paper deliberately, revealing bits of the patterned cover and that gorgeous color!

A metal tag from Graphic 45 perfectly represented the sub theme of locks and keys found in the pages of the book. I used letter stamps from a fabulous vintage printer's set I recently scored on Ebay to stamp out the Lost & Found title. One of my favorite tips for using letter stamps is to choose the word you want to use, line up the letters, and then wrap the stamps together with Washi tape. This makes it so easy to stamp evenly spaced text! Some vintage trim from my stash and the word "Journal" stamped on a piece of cotton fabric finished off the cover.

I loved the 7 Gypsies tissue paper so much that I decided to use to create 2 simple backgrounds for the inside pages. I layered it over a piece of the French book page on the right, and directly on the book text on the left. Painted paper doilies and a bit more old book paper complete this set of backgrounds.

A page torn from a vintage postcard album that I found at an antique store and some of my cherished Liberty London fabric tape made for a quick and easy background! I can tuck a photo or a postcard in the grooves of the postcard page, or even some altered tags or ATC cards.
I hope you've enjoyed my posts during Altered Books Month here on the blog! I've learned some fun techniques from my fellow Design Team members that I can't wait try for my own books.
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!

Upcycled Books!

Good morning! leslierahye here to share with you one of my favorite types of arting : Upcycling!
This is one of my upcycled books made from a lunch sack [from take out], envelopes from junk mail and bills, and old book paper.  After trimming the ends and edges of envelopes [leaving some as pockets and some as pages], I punched holes in the middle with my Japanese screw punch and then stitched the pages together and to the paper sack cover. The bottom of the sack was cut on 3 sides leaving a hinged "flap" to make a wrap-around cover. The flap was covered with book paper to provide stability. 

This type of handmade book is great for arting or journaling and fun to give as a gift. Thinner books are great additions to altered books providing artists with extra art space.  They can be glued in on the stitched edge.

Products used in the creation of this journal page : 

all upcycled items : paper sack, junk mail, books

More on tip ins and the ultimate in upcycling--Altered Books--NEXT MONTH as Altered Arts Magazine Blog takes on Altered Books!

Thank you for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed my project!

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

{Altered Books 101} Choosing a Book to Alter

A mysterious alchemy occurs when a book is altered. Suddenly, an object that was destined for the landfill is transformed into a piece of art and rescued from oblivion. Altering a book simply means changing its appearance or structure into something new using a variety of media and techniques. An altered book can be torn, painted, burned, collaged, have pages removed or added, or even be cut into an entirely different shape.

I fell in love with altered books many years ago, but I still hesitate a bit before I start a new one. I am passionate about books, and love and respect them deeply. That means that ripping them apart or marking in them with ink or paint can feel a bit strange! The end result is very satisfying though, and I prefer to believe that I'm rescuing books rather than destroying them. I choose the books that I alter very thoughtfully, and of course I would never use a rare edition, or valuable book. Instead, I focus on books that are tattered, worn, outdated, or no longer useful.

Choosing a book for altering is an adventure! I love digging through antique shops, thrift stores, rummage sales, or library sales for books that I can use for collage, handmade journals, or for altering into art. To make it easier for you to choose your own books for altering here are four basic criteria to consider, and a couple more suggestions for types of books to use.

Size is the first factor we'll consider. Larger books obviously provide a bigger canvas for your techniques and art work. Atlases, outdated textbooks, and children's encyclopedias are some fun examples of these types of books. I love the children's book shown above that I found at an antique store recently. The charming illustrations on the cover and the colorful pages are perfect for altering. Large books have lots of potential, but smaller books are more portable and easier to display and store. Both have their place depending on the project at hand.

Ah...Reader's Digests! If you're a bit concerned about altering a book, these are the ideal choice for you. They're inexpensive and readily available at the sources I mentioned, or even online at sites like ebay. Reader's Digests often have lovely covers and end papers that can serve as beautiful backgrounds for your art. These books were mass produced so there's no need to feel guilty about using one as a creative base.

A second way to select a book is by color. I'm especially drawn to books that have white, cream, blue, or green covers, so I have quite a few of those in my collection. Color doesn't have to be a consideration however, because any book you find can be altered with paint, paper, or other media.

Collecting books by theme is a third and especially fun way to choose a book. Gathering books this way insures that you will have plenty of text and images for your art that reflect your interests. I can't pass up a book about birds, and I recently started looking for books about sailing. I enjoy using both these themes as motifs for collage, sketching, and painting. I also enjoy books about gardening, travel, vintage cookbooks, and music. Look for books that cover topics you are interested in, and they will be a pleasure to alter.

A fourth way to choose a book is to use one that has personal meaning for you. You may be drawn to a book for its title, subject matter, illustrations, the cover art, or even a childhood favorite. Of course, you can use your own treasured book, but I sometimes prefer to find another copy for altering. I've had the two books shown above since I was about 10. So even though they bear my daughter's name and would make a sweet journal for her, I may decide to find another copy and keep these as mementos. Children's classics are usually inexpensive and easy to find at used book stores or antique shops.

A wonderful type of book to consider for altering is the dictionary. They're available in a variety of sizes, colors, languages, and formats. Dictionaries contain loads of text and even images interspersed throughout their pages. Choose a page to alter that has a word or definition that pertains to your art work for adding depth and meaning.

Children's board books are another fun option to consider. Search dollar stores or yard sales for inexpensive copies. These books often have interactive elements like flaps, pockets, spinners, or fold-outs that can make your altered book interesting and unique.

When it comes to altering books the sky's the limit! I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into what I've learned about choosing books for altering. Next month, I'll share techniques for preparing books to be altered and some fun backgrounds to get you started. March has been declared Altered Books Month, here on the Altered Arts Magazine Blog, so be sure to pop by throughout the month for more inspiration and ideas from all the design team members.


Make art...be happy!
Kimberly