A ROMANTIC ALTERED BOOK

This altered book is adorned with roses,  poetry from The Rhubaiyat of Omar Khayyam,  bits of vintage lace, feathers, and illustrations from a  Moliere book.   I created it for my dear friend Jilly.   All that she is, is in this book.

The cover of this Birthday Book adorned with vintage velvet flowers

The pages whisper of love and romance.

Gilded words beguile, enchant.

And whisper of long, forgotten days.

Mysterious pages of a long ago romance.

A fairy tale romance never to be forgotten.

(I rescued an old school book to make this altered book.  The books I use for my projects would end up in the landfill.  This way they are given a new life and create much enjoyment.)

AN ALTERED BOARD BOOK … roses, romance and a roue or two

The sunlight streams through my workroom window.

It dances over

Ribbons, lace, velvet flowers

Paper, paint, feathers, jewels.

Drifts of  poetry on paper inspire me.

I create

an altered book about romance, roses and a roué or two.

Hand-made paper and  a vintage rose corsage  cover the book, and invite you to turn the pages.

A  journey to a fantasy land

Where mere mortals can walk in a

wonderland of roses  and poetry.

A gift for a treasured friend.

ALTERED BOARD BOOK … BUTTERFLY BABES

The cover

The butterfly child had a dream.  She would be a butterfly

She dreamed she joined the circus.  She dreamt she dwelt in marble halls.

In her dreams she danced with gypsies.  She would be free as a butterfly.

What is a butterfly?

Folded pages holding butterfly cards.

Madam Butterfly.

I will not leave you alone.  (throws herself weeping at Butterfly’s feet)

BUTTERFLY BABES.

ALTERED BOARD BOOK … I CARRY YOUR HEART WITH ME

I created this book for my beloved daughter, Roxanne.  The poem is by e.e. cummings.

I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart)

I am never without it (anywhere I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done

by only me is your doing, my darling).

I feat no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) I want

no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)

And it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you.

Here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

And the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows

higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide).

And this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart).

SCRAPING BOOKING … ALTERED BOARD BOOK FAMILY BEAUTY FROM THE PAST

 

Scraping booking using old books or board books is  a wonderful way to create a completely unique piece of work.    You can do ANYTHING  you want, use any material you desire, you can think outside the box.  No more wandering up and down the aisle at Michael’s buying expensive scrap booking elements.  You can plunder old magazines, greeting cards, use  odd bits of button and lace.  You can paint, scribble, go over the top.     You will have a wonderful adventure.  Basically all you need is glue and paper.    Then add whatever embellishments  you want.  It is not structured.  You can’t do anything incorrectly.  You can simply enjoy yourself.

To make this book I photocopied the photographs and the clip art.  I painted the buildings and flowers with water colours.  The background is patterned paper napkins.  The stamps represent my Grandfather’s travels as a merchants seaman.  I worked on this book over a couple of months.  It was an 80th Birthday present for my Sister.

HOW TO MAKE AN ALTERED BOOK AND CREATE YOUR OWN ART

This is a simple introduction to altered books  plus information on reference books and on-line information.

 

 

Look for older books in  Thrift Shops or at Library book sales.  Older books have heavier pages.  Really really old books don’t work because their pages are wafer thin.   Older books are generally “sewn” together, and this makes a better altered book than pages that are glued together.  Newer books are glued.  Look for books that might fit a theme you have in mind.  Text books are a good choice.  In fact any book (from ledgers to children’s board books) can be turned into an altered book.

If you open your book  you can see this book has sewn pages (or signatures)

Because you are adding material to your book you must eliminate pages to compensate.  I sometimes eliminate 5 pages for everyone I keep in.    You need to glue a few pages together to support the weight of the items you are adding to your book.  Even putting  a layer of paint on your book thickens it by 3 pages.  Spread the glue evenly with an old credit card then put sheets of wax paper between the pages, weigh them down until they dry.    Now you are ready to have fun.

Through experience I have found these are the glues that work best.

Plaid Mod Podge as a waterbase sealer, glue and finish.  Glue your collages onto your pages with this.

Liquitex Matte  Gel.  Use as above .  It has a matte  finish.

Golden Gel Mediums Clear Tar Gel.  Use this to glue your pages for the least amount of wrinkling.   I have experimented with many glues and found this works better.  NEVER NEVER USE A GLUE STICK.  You’ll be sorry.  Over time your pages and what you have glued on them will come apart.

If you are painting your pages look for Artists’  Pigment at your craft store.  It has the cleanest colours and the least amount of water.  Your pages want wrinkle as much if you use Artist’s Pigments.

These are your BASIC instructions.  You can put a thousand things in your book.   You can paint, use pastels, cryons,  pages from other books, old cards, almost anything.

You can fold, punch and sew you books.  You can use fabric, and jewellery and on and on and on.

Three books that will be an enormous help to you are

ALTERED ART by Terry Taylor

ALTERED BOOK COLLAGE by Barbara Matthiessen

ALTERED BOOKS WORKSHOP by Bev Brazelton

If you Google Altered Books on-line you’ll find detailed instructions and lots of ideas.  Google Altered Books images and you will end up spending delightful  hours looking at other peoples creations.

The hardest thing about doing an Altered Book is starting it.  You are not destroying a book.  You are giving it another life.  And generally you are saving it from the landfill or paper recycling.