Altered Book - First Attempt.

Hello all and welcome to my crafty blog.

My post today is my first attempt at an Altered Book.  My son showed me some wonderful art based on 'carved' books where the artist had created whole scenes by simply cutting the pages in a book.  I say 'simply' but I know it takes skill to create this kind of art and it is ,sadly,  a skill I do not possess :(

There are other 'altered' books where the a piece from the centre of the book has been cut out and the remaining recess / frame  is used as an aperture to display a varity of objects. Some are simple and others, a myriad of details and textures to interest the eye.

Anywhoo, this is what I thought I could achieve with a very old book and also  incorporate some of the wonderful wooden embellishments that my friend and DT teamie Judie creates and sells in her in-line shop Crafty-Emblies . 

 I started by opening the book about 1/3 into the pages and using a box-cutter and a steel ruler set about 'carving' out the centre of the pages to a depth I gauged deep enough to take the items I had selected to go into the recess. I then glued the pages together to make sure that the 'frame' was sturdy and didn't weaken when I added the objects.

I then distressed the pages with various inks and embossed random areas with copper embossing powder and set the powder with a heat tool. Some judicious sanding with rough sand.paper and curling the edges helpd to create the worn effect I wanted.

Some Tim Holtz grunge-board arrows which I had inked and painted with some shimmer paint were added to the wooden cogs  to add interest add. The wooden embellishments can be inked, painted or distressed, but I wanted to see the colour of the wood in contrast to the other elements I was hoping to use.




I went through my stash and looked for bits and pieces that already had a grungy look and took some time to place them in the book. A handmade flower and a popped up butterfly added extra interest and colour.

This kind of art can be controversial as the destruction of a book , as I did above, can cause distress.  In my defense, this was a very old book, already destined for the rubbish heap, when I rescued it for use with other crafty projects. 

 The colours catch the eye and the eclectic mix of objects seem to interest anyone I've showed it to. So far they are mostly family and friends....so what  else are they going to say!

I am  pleased with the outcome and this is definately something I  would try again....when the right book comes along.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by to read my blog and leave a comment.  You time and comments are appreciated.

Angela x






Crafty-Emblies