altered books

BEWARE: your altered book project can suck up hours upon hours of 'free' time...
it's VERY addictive!

want something creative to do that won't take up too much space (everything can be kept in a shoebox) and can be as neat or as messy as you want? alter a book!

supplies:
1. hardcover book to alter (old ones work best; stronger bindings)

2. whatever art media you can find: colored pencils, sharpies, ball point pens, ink, acrylic paint, crayons, chalk, charcoal, pastels, watercolors, etc. also glue (high quality glue stix), 'best test' paper/rubber cement, stapler, safety pins, brass fasteners, needle and thread, masking tape, packing tape, scotch tape... i'm sure there's much more i'm forgetting...

3. "other" media: make-up, nail polish, food coloring, white out (one of my faves), spices (art can explore ALL your senses- but avoid sugar... so the ants don't come a callin'), uncooked pasta/couscous/beans/rice... anything that can add color or texture to your piece.

4. stuff to collage with: ticket stubs, magazine cut-outs, old love notes, used gift cards and expired credit cards, scraps of your favorite t-shirt that's so worn out it's unwearable, old receipts, candy/food wrappers, hotel key cards, clothing labels and tags, keys that have misplaced their locks, dog hair, photo misprints, extra buttons... again, that is just a start- you can use ANYTHING!

you can have a theme for a two page spread, ie. song lyrics, an old photograph, or simply a color or sometimes the actual words on the page of the book will inspire you (my book was macbeth- lots of inspiration there!) sometimes the supplies you have on hand are your inspiration (joan miro once created an entire painting around the stain left by a fallen dollop of blackberry jam!)

don't feel limited by supplies- this project need not cost a fortune. a whole spread can be created with a single sharpie or ball point pen or... a regular ol' #2 pencil.

experiment! create! enjoy!

=)


here are some of the 'spreads' from my first altered book. let me know if you'd like to see more... and if anyone decides to take on this artistic challenge... i'd love to see what you come up with!