This article contains projects for all levels of paper crafters.

Last year, we discussed making backgrounds as a first step toward book altering. I thought it was time to show you some new-to-you-and-me techniques I’ve been playing with lately. A big round of applause goes out to the local book arts group I recently joined, Mile High Book Arts. This group of lovely ladies keeps me inspired. Once a month, we get together and a member of the group leads a project or teaches a technique that the others may not have tried yet. It’s a great way for me to make sure I sit down and do nothing but play once a month. A recent meeting focused on texture techniques and some of those are explained here.

All of the backgrounds in this article were done in a children’s board book. I wanted to play rough with these backgrounds and I thought the sturdier page would help support my playtime. All of these techniques will transfer to a regular page, but always experiment first if you’re concerned about the outcome.

One thing to note when using a board book is that the pages are shiny and it may be difficult to get paints and adhesives to stick to the surface. To remedy this, artists use a variety of techniques. One is to use gesso to coat the page and give it some “tooth” so that papers and paints will adhere. Another technique is to sand down the pages to take off the shine. After sanding, I take a damp paper towel to make sure all of the dust is cleaned off the page. I’ve recently read about artists peeling the shiny layer off the board book pages altogether, but I haven’t tried that myself yet.

I’ve been playing with Claudine Hellmuth’s peeling paper technique quite a bit lately, so I had plenty of masking tape on hand for this first technique. It’s a faux leather look, created with nothing but masking tape and brown paint. Apply torn strips of masking tape in any direction and apply brown paint over it. You can daub at the wet paint with a crumpled paper towel for added texture and interest.





When the paint is dry, a gloss or matte sealer can be applied over the top, depending on the effect you want to achieve. I used a satin gloss sealer on this sample, but some artists use Future Floor Finish instead. I got a little heavy handed with the brush, and I think I may have rushed the sealer application, as the paint may not have been completely dry, but I really like the weathered look I got in a few spots.



The next project made me happy all the way through its progress. I started by tearing up discarded book pages from another project and gluing them down randomly until the entire spread was covered. Some of the pieces are sideways and upside down, and I think the spread looks like a great background as it is. In this photo, you’ll see some paper hanging over the edges of the pages. Later, those can be torn off to match the page edges, or you can leave them as is.



After the torn paper pieces were completely dry, I took a Masquepen and applied the liquid frisket to assorted words on the pages. Frisket is a latex liquid that dries to a rubbery finish. You can paint over the masked spots and then peel up the mask later, letting what’s underneath show through your painted page.



Another background idea - crackle your pages! The crackle medium you use on unfinished wood pieces and paper mache boxes can be used on your altered book pages just as easily. The technique requires two colors of paint and a crackle medium. Lay down one color and let it dry, then cover the page spread with crackle medium. When that’s dry, apply the second paint color. You’ll see the page “crackle” before your eyes, as the second layer of paint dries. Experiment with the application of the crackle medium – in brush stroke direction and thickness of application – to get different results each time.



The final project is fabulously sparkly and simple. Paint a dark background on your pages and spray with spray glitter and/or webbing. These sprays are very striking on a black background.

The best thing about all of these techniques is that they are incredibly easy and most of them are quick, depending on the drying time your paint and glue applications require. Look for these page spreads in future articles when they are completed with additional artwork.

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