A Book With a View...Or Books

It is here, Altered Book Month!  Altered  books encompass anything and everything you can think of.  You can see above, several books altered utilizing a variety of media!  This includes, paint, ink, stamps, formed elements, encaustic wax, fibers, and other textural items.

Here a book was created by using leftover canvas, fabric paints, flowers, and buttons.

Pockets can be made from several pages.  Rip different parts of the pages from the very bottom to the top and then use double stick adhesive tape around the 3 edges (Remember not to adhere the top which is the slot for the pocket.) and viola', pockets!  You can even just fold over the end of the page up, adhere, leaving one end opened.  

This book is grungy, painted with Plaid's Wall Glazes.  The pocket on the bottom was a rectangle of textured cardboard.  I found the center and folded the ends to the center.  I adhered the finished pocket to the page.

Pop-ups are a wonderful surprise as one turns the page to see the art.  There are templates and I believe a die-cut to create these easily.  

Art with a view.  By covering a children's board book and cutting doors, you can create a niche of sorts.  You can clearly see how the altered lady (sewn and collage, and bead necklace) sits behind the doors.

Altered books are a different type of journal to me.  I express my thoughts, my views, and my heart within each book I alter.

On the 24th, I will show some examples of tip-in's, using unusual materials, and other fun ideas!

Thanks to Kim for her beautiful Nature Page that graces this Altered Arts Flyer!!

Cre8tivelea Yours - Lea

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

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

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!

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

Junque Blooms Tutorial

I have a passion for paper, so of course I have stacks and stacks of it precariously perched on shelves and tucked into drawers in my studio. One of my favorite ways to use up some of this treasure trove is to create what I call Junque Blooms.

Any kind of paper will do for these pretty blooms. I especially love to use vintage sheet music, book paper, or sewing pattern tissue. For this bloom, I decided to use some some papers from the Graphic 45 Curtain Call collection. I love the neutral colors and interesting patterns!

To make the blooms, simply tear your favorite papers into small, medium, and large circles. You can also use punches or die cuts, but I prefer the shabby look of torn edges. Use a pencil to lightly sketch the circles in various sizes on the papers and then carefully tear around the lines. I used 4 different patterns in 3 sizes for a total of 12 circles.

Lightly spritz the paper circles with water and then crumple them to create texture. Be gentle, but don't worry if you get a tear or two, they just add character! Fold and unfold the circles 3 or 4 times for the best effect. The more you play with the paper, the more the fibers break down until it eventually feels like fabric or even leather. I brushed on some Twinkling H²Os Golden Nugget watercolor paint for a bit of sparkle. Stack the circles and then use a needle and some thread to stitch them together. Tie a secure knot and snip off the excess thread.



Use a strong adhesive like Crafter's Pick The Ultimate Glue to secure some ribbons on the back of the circles and to add a pretty center for your flower. I used a vintage clip-on earring with the back removed for my flower center. And now the Junque Bloom is complete!  I hope you will have fun using up all those papers in your stash to make some for yourself!
Kimberly

WINTER WREATH

I made this wreath for for the Winter 2014 issue of Altered Arts Magazine.  The theme was "All that Glitters".  This wreath was sprayed with glitter like crazy!  I also used glass glitter and glitter glue.  This wreath is a great recycling project because it is made with paper towel and toilet paper rolls. 

I used about 14 TP rolls and 5 PT rolls for this project. The first thing I did was run them through my Cuttlebug to flatten them.  Then, I cut them into 1" sections.  Because they are flattened, they make an oval shape.  I used a hoop that I've had for years as my shape to hot glue the ovals to.

 I glued them diagonally, and glued the end to the oval in front of it.  Here is the first row.

Then, you glue the ovals on the inside of the hoop in the same manner as the first row.  The outside second row is glued in between each oval but the end isn't glued down.  

I added yet another layer of ovals around he top and left side.  When all the ovals are on the hoop, spray paint your wreath.  It is the easiest way to color the rolls.  I finished the wreath with rolled paper flowers with tons of glitter on them and some gauze.  The buttons, resin pieces and hanger are from Melissa Frances

My wreath is proudly displayed on my front door.  When people come to the door they always tell me how pretty it is, and ask where I got it.  When I tell them it is made with toilet paper and paper towel rolls they are amazed!  I hope this inspires you to make something amazing!!

xxDaniella