Altered Book Collage - Book Review

 

Join me as we look through Altered Book Collage, with lots of great hints and tips when altering a book.  You can also use some of the examples in your art journal and creative work.  See the video below

If you would like to check out more information you can check out the book on Amazon HERE or place this link into your browser - https://youtu.be/Y7L0d9hHUPw

Altered Books - Studio Essentials

Thank you for joining me in my studio for the Art Studio Essentials Daily Series which I hope will kick start your creativity and enable you to check out some of your supplies.  Today I will be showing you my Altered Books.  These are a great way to recycle old and worn books.  Why not pay your Charity or Thrift store a visit to see what interesting books they have that you can use.

You usually find that the Children's section has a good selection of hard back books and they usually have some that have a variety of flaps that are used to tell the story that you can use for a feature in your own altered book.

Don't neglected your art supplies that are screaming to be used.

Check out the video below for more on some of the books I altered and why they are on my studio essential list.

I AM TEACHING

I am teaching on the BADASS Art Journal Course, and I will be offering a Free Bonus if you sign up using my link on the page.  Check it out here and see what Great additions that you will be getting!! 

BADASS Art Journal and Bonus sign up

Check out the bonus line-up HERE

If you are interested in learning how to alter a book check out some of the books I found on Amazon, also check out some of the art supplies listed in the video that available at a discount!

Altered Book Special Effects

The Following books I own and they have some really useful ideas for you to try.  Look out for my review

Altered Board Book on Amazon

Altered Book Collage on Amazon

Finally, sign up to my Mailing list and receive the publication 25 Ways to fit Art and Creativity into your Life!

Altered Directories - My 31 Art Studio Essentials

Altered Directories

It is great to have you join me for another day in my studio.  I kind of got a bit backed up, life happens and you roll with it, so I will be running slightly over into February with the Series.  You will still get 31 Art Studio Essentials in this Daily Series, so I hope you will hang in there with me.

Even in those times where stuff happens, what are you doing with your time?  There should always be time spent for something creative even if you only have 5 minutes to spare, and what you do with it is vitally important.  

Directory waiting to be altered

Today I will be showing you a selection of Altered Directory Journals.  This is a great way to recycle and you probably have a directory laying around that could be put to a creative use. 

I also did a series on my blog called 31 Art Journals showing you a variety of cool Art Journals that you can make.

It is great to check out the different shapes and sizes that directories and catalogs come in and the ideas you can come up with as you re-purpose them.  When your running low on time you can break up the tasks in small chunks and say stick some pages down, or add gesso to a selection of pages.

In this directory I prepped the pages when I had time with gesso.  I could then go back and either add images, journaling or whatever took my fancy.

Check out the Video and get a closer look at the Art Journals created.

If you are researching how to be more creative on YouTube then check out the tips and advice on ways to be Creative and regaining your Creative spark, sign up to my Mailing list and receive the publication 25 Ways to fit Art and Creativity into your day!

I am also Teaching on the BADASS Art Journal Course and will be giving away this Bonus when you sign up - Check it out HERE

Stay blessed and be a blessing!

Journal Celebration Art

I grew up writing in a diary.  My first was one of this girly ones with a clasp and a lock to keep prying little brothers eyes out.  I didn't really understand how to use it but would write things like my favorite pop stars names in, favorite colours and such.

As I grew up I would use note books to write my thoughts, the angst of a teenager filling the page, no one seem to understand - little did I understand myself.  My older and wiser self could have offered much wisdom to the 18 year old who felt that she knew everything about the world.

Off and on I would share my thoughts on the pages of numerous journals, the years passing, experiences, joy, and pain found their places. When I was introduced to art journaling I was thrilled, being able to capture images, or thoughts, It could be as short or as long as I wanted.  As I have matured I realized that my journals could be what ever I wanted them to be.  I like keeping many journals, I enjoy creating in the art journals as they capture a mood for me and can be as complicated as I require, and with each morning I am drawn to work in my 'morning pages' journal doing my 3 pages free flow writing - check out The Artist's Way Starter Kit by Julia Cameron.  Many an idea has sprung from these pages, or a solution to a problem been found.

I have also grown to love altering books and since taking the book binding course have become a fan and love the different types of binding methods that can be achieved, especially with the spine of the book.  I am coming to the end of my book binding course at Shepherds, the five weeks have just flown by.  Tuesdays is the last session and we will have made a total of 5 books. we have been using some beautiful Japanese hand made paper and cloth, I have been in my element, and I will share the books made at the end of next week.

Mother and Child with their Journals

I celebrate my joy in learning more about making my own books and created this painting which shows a mother sharing her handmade books with her daughter, who is getting her first book to start filling with her own adventures.

I am looking forward to making many more journals and sharing them with you here.  What creative activity are you looking forward to getting started?  let me know and share what you are doing, blessings!

Soul Food....Surprise package!

I got a surprise package in the mail a couple of weeks ago, I was blessed to win the February prize draw which consisted of a set of stencils from Artist Cellar

The stencils are from the Cathedral Plans series and Old World Map series, can be used as a mask or as a stencil and are made from quite a hard wearing plastic.  I have been playing around a bit using gesso, a fairly thick modelling paste and working on fabric.

Here is a sneak preview of a few books that I have been altering.

Stencils used from the Old World map series by Artist Cellar

On this book, which was from my local pound store I used fine poly-filler.  After it had dried I had to sand it down slightly before painting.

I haven't finished with them, but I like how they turned out so far.  I also used the same stencil on some fabric to see how it would look.  I decided that I will be using it for a lesson with Susana Tavares who is showing us how to make a fabric Art Doll

Stencils used on Fabric

There are so many more techniques that you can try out with the stencils, they are very durable and wash out with warm soapy water, can be used on their own, or with other mixed media tools. I am looking forward to sharing some of the ways I get to use mine.  What new techniques have you been trying out?