Springtime in Paris

It's the first of June, and while spring is still (barely!) here, I'd like to share with you a favorite spring themed book I created a while ago.  (Please bear in mind my French is very limited, so if you notice any crazy phrasing, we can thank Google Translate . . . ;)

Prima Marketing Inc. flowers

Altered Pages images

vintage sheet music and text pages

die cut pages from Glitz

Bazzill cardstock

Have a wonderful Sunday, everyone!
:)trisha

Sea Dreams Cottage

Houses are one of my favorite motifs for mixed-media art, so I was very excited when I learned that the theme for the Spring 2014 issue of Altered Arts Magazine was Homes and Abodes! I've always dreamed about living in a little cottage by the sea, so I decided to create a mixed-media assemblage using Sea Dreams Cottage as my theme.

Here's a little glimpse of the project while it was still a work in progress. I started with an unfinished wooden house from the craft store.  Color Wash papers from Pink Paislee provided the perfect backgrounds for a painterly pink-washed sky, blue seas, and soft green sea cliffs.

I used snippets of my favorite fabrics and vintage trims to create the scenery, and vintage buttons from my stash for the finishing touches. I thought the watercolor vellum banners from Pink Paislee looked so coastal and charming!

If you haven't ordered your copy of the Spring 2014 issue of Altered Arts Magazine, you can do so here. You'll be so inspired by the beautiful projects inside!
Happy altering!
Kimberly

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!

For the Love of Altered Books!

            An example of a finished altered book page - layered with color, wording, silhouette, and stamps.

This is the last of my more regular posts for Altered Arts Magazine.  While I am busy with other artistic endeavors, I will be posting periodically as the occasion arises.  Altered Arts with Mixed Media is my heart and soul!!!  Keep a look on my blog and FB to view more ideas and art published in Altered Arts Magazine. Thank you all for your positive input. It has been so enriching helping those who need ideas and want to know more about "how to."  Keep emailing me and messaging for input.

I am in awe of all the posts by the design team showcasing tips, techniques, and glorious eye candy with art designed within books.

Although this is not an altered book, I felt it important to show other ways to upcycle books and create new, useful art.  Chipboard or wood is great when covered with old book pages.  I would make a copy of the page (One of my favorite books), adhere and cut with a knife.  Further embellishment can be achieved with watercolors, stencils, paints, and beads.

I am drawn to Victorian images, layering and collaging - fast and easy.  As shown on other posts, I adhere several pages in a book together to give strength to the surface.

Word paper is added on the left side and a collage image of the child.  The left side started by using a metallic, thick body paint for the background.  A quote is added with ribbon and grommets around it.  Punch out letters is added to the bottom.   Most times I like to express a thought, song, or feeling in my altered book art.

For those who do not want to do art in a pre-made book, you can make your own using other art you have created, along with scraps of left over cardstock.  2 pieces of Davy board (heavy bookmaker's cardboard) was used for the cover.  I have plenty of it on hand.

The cover was made by cutting some of my designed paste paper to fit over the Davy board.  The word "inspire" is stamped on the front.

A long scrap of cardstock is folded accordion style and glued to the inside cover.  Before that, the piece of cardstock is enhanced with oil pastels and layering of stamp images.

My last post showed using unusual media like wall glaze.  here I used wall glaze, watercolors, oil pastels, collage images, and embellishments.  The one embellishment by the "Dream" quote I handmade with mica powder, creating a mold, and thick embossing powders.

For those who like to scrapbook, here is a page on an old board book.  Inks were used on this page, however, chalks, and spray inks would be fabulous as a background as well!  Background paper was ripped, and scrapbook ephemera added.

In my last post (March 18th), art shown had tip in's and a pop up.  Tip in's do not have to be just a whole page, you can add a tip in in a shape like the hands above.  When the page is flipped, it looks like the hands are clapping!!!

Cutting, and shortening covers add excitement and texture to your books.  This was my display at CHA in 2007.

In "Board Book Play," by C&T Publishing, I created a mini necklace from a small board book.  Leather and Velcro tabs holds the cover closed.

I adore to create in board books.  Yard sales has many children board books for pennies!  Although, I have been sent blank books, I have a stash of children books - one's I wouldn't save for grandchildren, eaten and beaten books.

A window is cut out and a transparency printed out on my ink jet printer.  The image is my own graphic design.  Paper, paint, fibers, and a rub on complete the look.

Here is another two pages showcasing how to create art without using paint.  Scrapbookers love to create in this style as well as other paper artists.  There is even room for a photo to complete the page!  Add dimension by not collaging all elements flat, cut them out and use scrapbook Glue Dots (the thinnest dimension dot).

 By sponging paint colors when wet, the shades blend to form other colors.  Stamping on the background, embellishments and created graphic stickers convey my expression.

A close up of the pages and how sponging along with stamping create a 3D look beyond the embellishments!

This was from an alphabet "Round Robin" I participated in.  On the right side, I put the letters of the alphabet that each person was using in their designs.  When I received my book back, I knew who did what art on the various pages.  A fun index!!!

Many ways to alter books with various media!!!  Some art even makes a statement!!!

I'd like to end with some artwork my son did when he was 8 or 9 years old.  He is now 20!  This was a round robin that the organizer sent books with homemade papers.  My son wanted to be a part of the round robin and did this page on the organizer's book.  Children can learn to upcycle and reuse books in a very creative way!

I chuckle that the cat is drinking catnip, there is bones in a bottle, and the shirt has a stain.  Children are the most free and creative people I know!!!

I know there are so many ideas and examples on this post!  As always, I will be around to answer emails and messages on FB.  I am here to help and inspire when I can.

Thank You!

Cre8tivelea Yours - Lea

Do you? Altered book elements--outside the lines

March is officially altered book month at the Altered Arts Magazine blog, and here is a simple, yet interesting, altered book technique for you to consider . . .

Here it is:  extend your altered book layouts beyond the confines of the page borders.

(I told you it was a simple one.)

Here are some photos of other outside-the-lines layouts, these from a coffee/tea themed book:

collage images from Altered Pages

(I did not make the atc--it came in a swap)

Adding various sizes of papers, extra-long embellishments, or ribbons/fibers (as with the tassel shown above) are all easy ways to extend beyond the borders of your altered book layouts.

So, do YOU stay inside the lines?

:)trisha

Altered Books - Preview

Altering books begins in my dreams.  I can express feelings, thoughts, and ideas within a cover.  It is almost like re-writing a book!  Notice how I incorporated the text in my art - "Creative Energy" is the title!

Next month is Altered Arts Magazine's Altered Book Month.  During this month, all posts will be related to anything and everything altered within books!

I have been altering books since the mid 1990s.  An artist's group I belonged to rescued a large amount of books from a library.  They were books that were old, and couldn't be sold, so they were going to be thrown out.  It felt amazing reclaiming these books.  To us, they were another canvas that is bound,  a way to carry and display art easily.

This altered book is from 2005, an art piece published in Altered Arts Magazine.

My favorite part of altering books, is the "round robin" aspect of creating.  All the artists involved did art on several pages, then passed the book to another artist.  When it was all done, each person who participated had a book filled with designs from several artists!  Breathtaking to display, inspiring to see the many styles of creating.

Altering encompasses any type or style book.  Paperback books, hard covers of various sizes, or even fabric books!  I have also saved ledgers, foreign books and have ripped pages out to re-use in other books. We revisit my favorite theme of upcycling - transforming items that would normally be thrown out.

In the next month, I want to showcase various techniques, tools, and media to inspire those wanting to delve into the unlimited realm of altered books.  The whole design team will cover all these various aspects with their own style and flair.  This gives the reader a great deal to choose from!

Not sure how to start?  Check out Kimberly's post on how to choose a book for altering!  This is a great post describing how to choose from the vast amounts of old books begging to have art created in it!!

For a beginner, the book above is a perfect way to start.  Contemplate collage and begin there.  After adhering several pages together (Check out a March post to learn how.), inks, paints, stickers, and embellishments were manipulated on the page to form the design.  Basic design ideals of symmetry, contrast, and repetition give the page a pleasing overall look.

Create your own gallery of art!  Display your books around the house.  Join a round robin so you have designs from several artists!  Not only are altered books like a journal housing your expressions, it is an easy way to keep themes or various art creations together.

Until next month.....

Cre8tivelea Yours - Lea

a "love"ly collage . . .

Sorry, yes, I know, bad pun--but it's February now, and I'm thinking
of Valentines (and warmer weather) . . .

LOVE stamp and vellum bunting by Pink Paislee

wallpaper stamp by Something Tattered

collage image from Altered Pages

Now here's the question--make this a card front, or turn it into a hanging?
It's only 5 by 8 inches, so either way . . . what do you think?

Have a wonderful, creative Saturday, everyone!
:)trisha