Posts filed under ‘altered book’
Self Help Altered Book swap
My latest altered book for swapping is about the humorous side of Self Help books. I’m using a book from the ’60′s about improving your life as the substrate and there are some very funny quotes and dated anecdotes in there as inspiration.
Here, I make a play on the Ayn Rand quote about our mind being the most powerful weapon. On this page, there is a drawing of Stephen Covey and his thoughts from a Southwest Magazine article.
But when we flip the page, I have a drawing from a NY Times magazine of a body with headaches, dizziness and blurry vision (get it–our brain is NOT a good weapon?).
I also have a “Fix Yourself” page for the book too.
Mini board book project
Although our teacher has moved, we’re continuing with our altered book swap and projects. This month, our hostess had a mini-board book project which took about 2 hours and I spent about 30 minutes at home completing it.
She bought these easter-themed books and brought out her stamps, stamp pads, and some small paper/images for us to use. For text, she challenged us with a page of Fenimore Cooper-like story.
I put together a little story about a naturalist who collects specimens and observations–but ends up being a doctor in the end.
enjoy!
Written on the body altered book
This was the latest book for my altered book swap run by our fearless leader Diane. It’s called Written on the Body and it features Victorian nudes.
I do find that I’m getting so much better! On the left page is a transparency attached with paper clips over tissue paper which I stamped lightly on. In the center is a “flag book” format where if you pull on the ribbon, it flips out and you can see the whole postcard. If you’d like to see it, here it is (but it is a nude!).
For the second page, I have a handmade background paper on the right and on the left is a dress pattern tissue paper (which I thought brought out the irony since she’s not wearing clothes!) with a figure and another text transparency attached with a brad.
The third page (the first time I’ve had time to do three pages!) is a vellum pocket with the postcard in it and the left is from a retail paper bag.
Lastly, one side of the sign-in tage was a book page, with tissue paper stamped with letter and a sticker with my name and date on it. The second side is featured below and it’s a magazine photo with a question mark. What I was trying to suggest that if women were taking photographs, the results probably would have been different.
Altered Journal
This is what I made yesterday at Kelly Kilmer’s class! It was a wonderful experience and I’m very glad I signed up. She is as generous, patient, funand warm as she is online. I did get some new tips from her but also saw in person some of the techniques she discussed online. As others have pointed out, one of the highlights of the class is just the chance to use her stash–especially her tapes! I now understand her addiction…I share it now!
I also found a love for transparencies and some really good tips from Kelly about how to use and attach them. She also gave me a couple extra pieces and I bought some more at Stampers Warehouse in Danville after the class.
The other thing I’ve been discovering about my style is that I really do like to mix up the textures. I already knew that I like to use everything including “waste” but I really do like to mix it up. This was one of the spreads where I used the wax paper I painted on and use it inside the book–partially for an unusual texture but also to remind me of the great workshop.
Kelly Kilmer class
I took the plunge…I couldn’t resist meeting Kelly Kilmer in person after taking her on-line journaling class since January and so I signed up for her journal course at Stampers Warehouse in Danville this weekend. Sound be fun!
And I have my altered book swap group Sunday so it will be a fantastic weekend!
Alphabet Altered Book
Last weekend I took a 2-day course at Castle in the Air with Ulla Milbrath constructing an altered book in a Moleskine Japanese style accordion book. We did 26 pages and the covers! So it was a good lesson in working quickly and not overanalyzing (okay–I failed that because i skipped a couple letters so I could keep up!).
It truly was a lot of fun, I learned some new techniques, and got to play with a bunch of lovely papers and materials. it was a great way to spend a rainy weekend.
Check out my Flickr! paperarts set to see more photos of the project.
getting better!
This page spread was within an old Hallmark book about nature. We were asked to use the existing artwork when possible. So here I added some glazing to enhance to existing photo, added two pop-up fish, one flat fish, and another one which folds out along the edget. I like the way the pieces I added look like they are part of the part.
I had cut the fish out of a magazine and then added some blue glaze to the white edges. The flip-down fish is attached with a brad and there is a piece of yarn which is the handle.
For this spread, I had purchased some natural history ephemera from Urban Fauna (San Francisco) and it included this page from an old field guide for liverworts and ferns. I couldn’t decide which side to use so I decided to make it fold out so you could see both sides and it goes along with the existing fern forest images on the right. I also did want to keep the quote on the bottom visible so I made a flap out of the decorative paper I pasted on top. Both the field guide page and the flap have a piece of yarn through a metal eyelet.
My tag was covered with a napkin I nabbed from my godmother’s house during thanksgiving dinner! I loved the colors and patterns.
2008 altered book swap
This was the last swap for 2008 in my altered book group. I finally gave it back to the owner yesterday so i can blog it now!
This was the cover I got and the CD was my signin. I used scrapbook paper as the background and simply used my Brother label printer for the text and name.
These spreads were based on songs which have special meaning for me: the Beatles’ “In My Life” and Gloria Gaynor’s “I will survive.”
The first is a disco-based page with an art-deco focal image and I have Bette Middler peeking out from a pocket because she is a survivor!
The second is my interpretation of “In My Life” which makes me think of all the homes I’ve lived in. All collaged from magazine scraps. I gessoed a map from a free tourist magazine, added a strip of tissue paper left over from Xmas presents, and cut geometric patterns from a magazine. I love using materials on hand because it makes me feel creative and very green!
Mendocino project
Last weekend, to escape the holiday chaos, we went up to Mendocino to the Agate Cove Inn (which was lovely!). Since it was raining, I planned for an indoor cottage weekend and brought three (!) bags of crafting supplies.
I completed one project which I learned at Lisa Sonora Beam‘s “The Daily Observer” workshop–it’s a mini-journal made from greeting cards. I brought the cards I received from colleagues for my 40th birthday last month. I was very proud that I finished something and that I did it within a month of my actual birthday. [Following the photos, I describe what I did.]
40th birthday mini-journal
As you can see, it’s very simple. I gathered my cards in a nested fashion and arranged them in a pleasing way. Okay, I’ll admit that it took me an embarrassingly long time and unbelievably numerous combinations to set them in an order I was happy with! Ridiculous but I finally did get an arrangement I love. There was a slight complication in that I had a multi-fold card which I inserted off-center. I then used ribbon yarn I had purchased at Stitches West and just tied the ribbon. Easy!
The next step is to journal on any blank pages within the book and at first I resisted. I was planning on adding tags to write on so that I would be able to keep the “integrity” of the cards but suddenly realized yesterday how silly that was! And so I broke down and wrote a few things directly on the cards and it was liberating! I plan to write a little bit more about the parties at work and then include a photo of that day as well.
I realized that I really didn’t want to throw away the cards for such a big birthday but didn’t want the clutter. Storing a mini-journal is much easier and gives more structure to these mementos. Thanks Lisa for the great idea and inspiration!
For photos, see my Flickr! set of mini-journals.
bookish girl
This was a project from the spring made during our monthly altered book swap workshop led by Diane B from alteredbookstudio.blogspot.com. She had pre-drilled the holes to make it easier (okay, her husband did…) and we used wire to tie on the embellishments. Her posting and instructions are here.
The book title made me think of something rustic, vintage and quaint. Diane had brought all sorts of objects from her stash and a red/gold tasseled brooch-like object inspired me. I strung it on top of a big wooden bead and used a button as a face and the tassels became pigtails and the brooch became a cute hat.
The arms are made from beaded wire wound around a couple drawer handles. I had a lot of fun making this and I’m quite proud of it…but what should I do with it now?
