I discovered altered books while paging through an issue of Sommerset Studio magazine. About a week later I saw one in person at a local stamp store. I had to pick it up, turn the pages, touch the cover, and try to see how it was made. My addiction was rooted then and there! I came home and searched the internet for any information I could find on the subject. Hours later I joined the altered books @yahoogroups mailing list; I am now the co-moderator of the group. That was in January of 2002 and the list members have taught me much about freeing the creative muse that we all carry inside of us. Anyone can alter a book. If you've ever drawn a mustache on a picture, or written notes next to a recipe in a cookbook, you've already played with altering.
Where does a newbie alterer start? Finding a book to work in is the first step. I like to browse the local thrift store shelves for old books. Goodwill and Half Price Books are good places to shop, as are the half price or clearance tables at bookstores. Choose a book that has a theme or title that appeals to you! I love to garden and my first altered book had a gardening theme. Books with sewn in pages are best; pages that have been glued into the binding may fall apart once your book is filled with artwork. Spiral bound books may be a good choice for a newbie as they will lay flat while you're working in them. Find a book that feels good in your hands and go from there. You'll be working on the inside of it for many hours, and can decorate the cover later on when the book is finished. The title of the book itself may be a deciding factor for the inner artwork. For example, a book about the Victorian Age might make a nifty setting for old laces, buttons and related rubber stamped images.
Supplies for altering are no different than those used for rubber stamping. If you make your own cards, chances are that you already have the basics of decorative papers, rubber stamps, paints and inks. Most of us also have a stash of crafting items lying around unused that can be used for altering a page. A few basic supplies that I could not do without include:
- Glue stick
- Decorative scissors, especially a deckle edged pair
- A small hole punch
- A pair of small sharp scissors for cutting out images from magazines, etc.
- Textural items such a sea sponges, crumpled plastic wrap, Penscore, wire mesh
- Go through your crafting supplies and see what might create an interesting background.
- Place these items in a shoebox to create a "texture box" of your own!
- Once you have a book, an idea, and some supplies, you'll be ready to get started.
Altering can be messy, so protect your work area. I use a plastic tablecloth purchased from a dollar store. It's easy to fold up, and I don't feel bad about having to replace it. Waxed paper, also from the dollar store, helps to protect pages beneath the ones I'm working on. There's nothing worse than having paint or glue seep into a section that is already finished! Keep a wet rag handy to wipe your hands; some of us prefer plastic gloves when working with paints and dyes. It's really up to you.
Now what? Have a blast!
Open your book. Grab a glue stick. If your book is open, the two side by side pages facing you are called a "spread". This spread is your decorating field. If the pages are thick enough, you can begin to work now; if they are thin or old, you will want to glue the pages to the ones behind them for extra bulk. Some alterers will glue thick chunks of pages together and cut niches or holes into them.
Pages that have been glued should be allowed to dry before you begin.
Probably the easiest way to cover a spread is to paint it using artist's gesso. This is an acrylic medium that covers the paper and gives it "tooth", or something for other mediums to grab onto later. Once the gesso has dried, the pages can be covered with a variety of things. My favorite paints to use are Lumieres by Jaquard because they come in a beautiful assortment of colors and they dry rapidly. Inexpensive acrylic paints can also be used and work just as well.
You may also color your spread using direct to paper techniques such as those used in stamping. This allows the words on the pages to show through and can be a neat effect. There is no right or wrong way to alter a book! It's your art, and very individual.
Additional things to do with a spread include:
Make titles or quotes using a ransom note technique. Cut letters out of a magazine and paste them individually to create the words you need.
- Punch holes into the pages and insert fibers or beaded wire to dangle from a page edge. - Use snaps to hold paper ephemera to a page.
- Sew the collage items to the page using embroidery floss, wire, fibers, or dental floss!
- Page edges can even be sewn on your sewing machine using a zigzag stitch
- Use your rubber stamps to create backgrounds and words.
- Rubber stamps can also be used to create a border around a page.
- Rubber stamped polymer clay pieces make great embellishments, as do those made out of paper clay. Follow package directions for baking and drying before use in an altered book.
These are but a few of the things one can do to alter a book! I am just starting to discover the creative potential that altering holds. Once you start, you won't want to stop! For more information and inspiration, check out these websites:
Karen's Whimsy: http://karenswhimsy.com/alteredbooks
Karen has tutorials, tips and step by step instructions for the books she has done.
Lisa Vollrath: http://lisavollrath.com
Lisa is a member of the alteredbooks@yahoogroups.com mailing list.
Her site contains some wonderful photos and also tutorials and tips for AB's.
ArtChix Studios: http://www.artchixstudio.com
Site focuses on book arts, altering and assemblage. They also have an online store that sells wonderful images for collage, stamps, and art supplies. They publish a quarterly zine called "ArTitude. Lots of tips and photos of work to inspire!
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