Altered Books
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Altered Book Ideas
Have you ever wondered how an Altered Book is made ?
There are many ways to make an altered book, you can start out with an old book and alter it using your artist skills, you can start with a blank board book and paint it with gesso then decorate it or you can alter a large second hand dictionary or encyclopedia. Read on to find out everything you need to know
Enjoy!
Please check out my New Art Blog2012
What Is An Altered Book???
For Those Who Have Never Heard Of An Altered Book!
The International Society of Altered Book Artists (http://www.alteredbookartists.com) defines an altered book as "any book, old or new that has been recycled by creative means into a work of art.Altered books are unloved, discarded books that are turned into works of art.
They can be part scrapbook, part journal, part canvas, part mad experiment.
Altered books are an on-again off-again passion of mine. I love the concept and have gathered a collection of books, stamps, papers and ephemera that should allow me many hours of creativity.
Altered books are a creative means of exploring your world. This multi-medium process of resurfacing of an otherwise "dead" book provides an opportunity to experience a multi-sensory, multi-dimensional embodied process of creativity.
More Altered Book Ideas
New Directions in Altered Books
Amazon Price: $64.92 (as of 02/14/2012)
List Price: $19.95
For several years now I thought I was done with the concept of an altered book, but then I hadn't seen or read Gabe Cyr's book until this summer. Gabe puts to shame other authors who have come along and offered us formularic ways in which to create--to alter--by intoxicating us with new paths, stimulating our senses and re-invigorating this old dog into thinking once more of reclaiming a tired, discarded friend and turning her into a piece of art.
Her steps are easy to follow, but she doesn't instruct so much as lead one along a path to one's own creative urges and juices. It is this ability to arouse the creative urge and the plethora of eye candy she has included in the book that makes this among the best books on the subject of altered books!
If you want to learn, or regain your excitement about altered books, this is the book to own!
Artists' Journals and Sketchbooks: Exploring and Creating Personal Pages
Altered Books Are:
Altered Books Are:1: A book which has been Altered (changed)into a piece of ART by painting, drawing, gluing stuff on, stamping,or beading over the print, collaging onto the pages or cutting a niche and putting items into it.
2: There are No Rules in making an altered book so the pages can be cut, folded, glued together and you can cut niches into the book
3: The pages can be covered with fabric, polymer clay, you can make textile pieces and pockets and put hidden messages in your Altered Book
4: The main thing is to have fun and let your creative side out!
Collaborative Art Journals and Shared Visions in Mixed Media
My Altered Book Begins by Gary Reef
Collage Lost and Found: Creating Unique Projects With Vintage Ephemera
My Experience With Altered Book Round Robins
I was introduced to Altered Books before they became a main stream art. I was very fascinated with them and interested to know more about them, so I started a yahoo group and invited some friends of mine who were Fiber Art Dolls Designers. They were keen to explore different mixed media art like a hobby as their dolls were their main job.
We started doing Altered Book Round Robins, where we would choose a theme for our books, then each start our own book. Every month or so we would send our own book to the next person on the list to do their thing in our books. Usually we would do a couple of double page spreads in each Altered book, then send it to the next person.
Tim Holtz Products
Use these products in your altered Books
Tonic Studios Tim Holtz 817 Kushgrip Non Stick Micro Serrated Snips
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Tim Holtz Idea-ology Idea Book: A Compendium Of Curiosities
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Seasonal Paper Stash Paper Pad (Tim Holtz)
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Lost & Found Salvage Stickers (Tim Holtz)
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Tim Holtz Idea-ology Tool Kit
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Sizzix On The Edge Die By Tim Holtz-Snow Flurries
SIZZIX-On the Edge by Tim Holtz Alterations. Make more...0 points
In This House: A Collection of Altered Art Imagery and Collage Techniques
More About The Round Robins
At the same time we would receive a book from another artist and would have to tune our creativity into their chosen theme and work in their books.This was a sometimes daunting task and it was also so exciting to see what others were doing and learn new techniques.
Finally the time came to get our own Altered books back. What an exciting time it was. Once in a while we would be a bit dissapointed about work done in our book, but most of the time we were thrilled and so grateful for the beautiful art work that we got to keep for the rest of our lives. I would encourage everyone to give this type of art a go, its so much fun and you really can not go wrong.
Alter This!: Radical Ideas for Transforming Books Into Art
The Complete Guide to Altered Imagery : Mixed-Media Techniques for Collage, Altered Books, Artist Journals, and More
Altered books Workshop
Alphabetica: An A-Z Creativity Guide for Collage and Book Artists
Use a Childrens Board Book To Make An Altered Book
One of the easiest ways to make an Altered Book is to start with a children's Board Book.You can usually get these books on sale so they don't cost you an arm and a leg.
This saves hours of gluing pages together and these books have very thick pages so they tend to hold together better in the long term.
What you do is use Gesso to paint over the shiney pages to start with then you can use acrylic paint and handmade and other paper techniques to get the base of your page before adding ephemera and other 3 dimensional objects.
Some people say that you need to give the pages a light sanding first but I have never done that and never had a problem
The picture is of a book that I altered the cover of.
Which Book Is Your Favorite?
Altered Book Arts
Why Would You Want To Create an Altered Book ?
Altered Books are a popular way to creatively share words and images and artistic expressions .Altered Books are a fun and enjoyable way to create new books and journal from old books. By removing pages and painting layouts, unique creations may be made from books, which currently lay on the shelves collecting dust.
Altered books are a popular trend among artists using drawing, painting, collage, as well as other skills like stitching and carving!
What can you tell me about Altered Books?
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whitneywpanetta
Jan 15, 2012 @ 3:52 pm | delete
- I love all of your resources! I am a big visual journaler, i recently started a blog, lookbetweenthelines.com, about it. I would love to see it become more mainstream and love to see other people putting out information about it!
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seedplanter
Nov 25, 2011 @ 8:02 pm | delete
- I have friends on Etsy who create altered books and until I began selling art prints on Etsy, I had no idea such a craft even existed. It is amazing what can be done with a single book, and this lens has covered a great deal of that. You've inspired me! Thanks for a well-balanced lens and a topic that's fun and unique.
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daphnedangerlove
Nov 15, 2011 @ 8:58 pm | delete
- If I had all the time in the world, I'd spend it making altered books. I love creating my own books and notebooks. Super lens.
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MelissaInTheSky
Sep 27, 2011 @ 8:05 am | delete
- Fabulous lens! Really interesting and helpful.
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LiteraryMind
Sep 8, 2011 @ 1:54 pm | delete
- This is absolutely fascinating. I never knew this craft existed. So many old unloved books at Garage Sales -- reduce, reuse, repurpose. Love this!
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Close2Art
Aug 31, 2011 @ 12:08 am | delete
- Love the books, such great artwork, love it...:)RWJR
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Kimbesa
May 21, 2011 @ 9:41 pm | delete
- Outstanding showcase and lens...thanks!
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WildFacesGallery
May 12, 2011 @ 8:27 am | delete
- These are simpy stunning and look like a huge amount of fun.
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fantasticallyfictional
May 7, 2011 @ 5:20 pm | delete
- Very nice and inspiring how you can shift the whole meaning of something by modifying it slightly.
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Jhangora
Apr 25, 2011 @ 12:12 pm | delete
- It is something new for me, but I really like the look!
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ShandiGP
Apr 23, 2011 @ 1:10 am | delete
- I've made a few of these! Didn't know that's what it was called. Can't wait to check out some of these books!
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athomemomblog
Apr 14, 2011 @ 10:27 am | delete
- I'd never heard of this before, it looks like fun! Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of spare time these days . . . maybe when the kids are grown. :)
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tvyps
Feb 6, 2011 @ 6:55 pm | delete
- Interesting subject...I had no idea!
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JudyDunn
Feb 5, 2011 @ 8:13 pm | delete
- Creating an altered book/sketchbook/journal. It is very freeing to just play on each page. Nothing is too big, and it doesn't have to be great or important. Fun lens
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nikki
Nov 16, 2010 @ 2:36 pm | delete
- hey i like altered books. mine is cool atleast. i dont like ones that ive seen on the internet though
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JanTUB
Sep 11, 2010 @ 6:25 am | delete
- I teach people to make quilts, to design, and about design, but I love altered books.
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mariah thompson
Jul 20, 2010 @ 6:21 pm | delete
- ok I am actually making an altered book for an assignment for art does anyone know if i need the pages to relate to the same thing or if they can be completly random can you make them on the internet and what else should i know email me at mbthompson16@live.com
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2Eklectik
May 27, 2009 @ 12:59 pm | delete
- Great idea! Interesting lens.
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BevsPaper
May 22, 2009 @ 6:53 am | delete
- Love this lens! 5*s and I lensrolled it to my Make a Purse out of Old Books lens.
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0ctavias0fferings
Apr 4, 2009 @ 9:48 am | delete
- Very interesting lens. Not something I would do to any of my existing books but I might consider experimenting a bit with something picked up from a thrift shop. 5* and a sprinkling of Angel dust for your Altered Art.
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alana
Oct 23, 2008 @ 3:53 am | delete
- hi di!
Alana here from 'Budget Direct' (and then I moved back home to New Zealand) I'd LOVE to hear from you, I think about you often. Email me? alanaalana (at) gmail DOT com
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Gandree
Sep 4, 2008 @ 8:24 pm | delete
- I just heard about altered books this afternoon. What a unique way to put a discarded item to use - Very Green :0)
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annetteghallowell
Aug 10, 2008 @ 7:16 pm | delete
- I love this lens! I have been "itching" for some new projects as I face the imminent departure of my one and only to college next week. I am thinking of doing this combined with photography...Now I just need an old board book! 5* and a new favorite for referring back to!
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alteredkat
May 23, 2008 @ 8:59 am | delete
- cool lens! very informative!
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beachbum_gabby
May 8, 2008 @ 12:11 pm | delete
- very cool and creative. Rewarding 5*!
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by DiMcDonald
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I love Art, making altered books, working in my art journals, writing and creating websites. I hope you enjoy this page. Please favorite it...
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