NOT ALL ALTERED BOOKS HAVE TO START AS "BOOKS"...

We are enjoying Altered Book Month. So many wonderful ideas and tutorials.  I hope you've been visited us!

I am showing a journal I made with sponsor products, back in September.  This is an empty book that is just a book.  Wonderfully empty pages inside!  Just waiting for something to be written on them.  But books like this don't have to stay plain.  Altering the cover is a fun way to make a plain book your own.

SUPPLIES:

• Kunst & Papier Journal
• 7 Gypsies Collage Tissue
• Prima Marketing Flowers and Ink
• Canvas Corp. Tag and Rope

Gather your supplies.....

Take out just one piece of the collage tissue.  The sheets are super big and there are a lot in the pack.  Get your gel medium and a paintbrush.  Paint a thin layer of gel medium on the journal and place the tissue on top.  You can also collage the tissue onto the cover.  Either way it's a fabulous look.

After it is dry, rub the ink all over the tissue.

The ink is a subtle way of brightening the journal up.  The collage tissue is called "Life" and I circled all the "Life" words on it.  I also circled a few other words.  I added some gauze to the lower center of the journal and a piece of rope.  Then I placed the canvas tag on top, some corrugated cardboard and a little tag.  I glued the other piece of rope to the back.  Some gauze and flowers on the left, and a few paperclips on the right were the finishing touches.  I use this as a handwriting journal.

So, is this an altered book. or is it just a decorated book?  Is it good the way it was or did you hear it asking for a make over too?  

Keep visiting us here on the blog.  There are lots more Altered Book posts to come!!

ALTERED RAT TRAP

Altering rat traps is so fun!  It is a great piece to alter, for a very small investment.

I started by removing the metal from the wood base of the Rat Trap.   I sanded the wood and adhered text paper to it.  I used Ranger Industries "Perfect Pearls" to make a faux patina on the metal.  I attached the Rat Trap to a mini hanger from Melissa Frances.  The resin flower on the lower left and the clothes pins on the top right are from her too.  

Some other Ranger products I used are: Pins, A Bottle, Pen Nib, Baubles, Sprocket and Stamps.  The flowers and Inks are from Prima.

Canvas Corp. twine made the bow, and I used some of their burlap on my trap, too.  A miscellaneous key and gauze finished it up!

I would love to see your altered rat traps!  Just leave a link and I'll be sure to check it out!  If you've never altered a rat trap, give it a try!  They are a fun and inexpensive way to use up your scraps!

xxDaniella

Le Pot de Papillon

Good afternoon! leslierahye here with an altered coaster : Le Pot de Papillon—the butterfly jar! As an artist one of my favorite things to do is to upcycle cardboard--coasters from restaurants are perfect! Many are about the size of a fat book (4×4") and make wonderful substrates for small art. 

I covered this coaster with 2 layers of Kraft colored Tissue Stock from Canvas Corp using Nori Perfect Paste as my adhesive. I also used the Nori Perfect Paste to adhere the trimmed "La Fleur" mason jar from the Retro Cafe Art Gallery collage sheet. 

I created handmade flowers with the soft subtle Color Wash card stock from Pink Paislee and adhered them to the side of the jar image. I completed the composition by posing mini butterflies in the jar and upon a few flowers. Knotted Wood ink from Prima Marketing Inc. was edged around the coaster to darken the edge a bit.

Products used in the creation of this journal page : 

Vintage French Mason Jars—Retro Cafe Art Gallery

Designer Dries Clear—Art Glitter Adhesive

Nori Perfect Paste—Yasutomo
Color Wash cardstock—Pink Paislee
Tissue Stock 12×12 Kraft—Canvas Corp.
Chalk Ink, Knotted Wood—Prima Marketing, Inc.
dies (Mini Fanciful Flourish - B117S, Daisy Strip - B259, Flourish Leaf Strip - B178, Small Heart Lollipop Fringe Cutie - B391, Miniature Rose - B152, Sunflower - DL121, Tiny Flower Kit (Set of 3) - B376 Mini Butterflies w Angel Wings - D138)—Cheery Lynn Designs
coaster, sponge brush

Thank you for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed my altered coaster!