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Altered Books – Back to Basics
by Wendy PettiferAltered Arts Deck Crew Member
Welcome aboard the S.S. Reflections and, in particular, the Altered Arts Deck.
Altering books has become a popular and widespread activity. There are many books, websites, and Yahoo! groups on the subject now, but it can become confusing and hard for someone who is just starting out on their first altered book to feel confident to start one.
So let’s get back to basics on altering a book and you will see how easy it is and that all your page spreads do not have to be complicated or full of the latest techniques.
You will quickly realize that the first and foremost “rule” of altering books is that there are NO RULES. But here are some suggestions to start you off on your altered book journey.
You will need to choose a book – hard covered are best and one that the pages are sewn, not glued in. These two things will help your book not fall apart during and after alteration. Depending on the weight and type of paper used for the pages in the book, it is also advisable to glue together two pages at a time – I find using a glue stick the best and then smooth the pages out with the edge of an old credit card.
You can decorate every page in the book or leave unglued pages between altered pages – it’s all down to personal choice.
To start decorating a page, you can leave it with the printed word showing through, paint it, cover it with decorated paper – anything goes. Then add wording, graphics, stamping, embellishments and whatever else you want to use.
I am showing you, within this article, two examples of pages I have done in a family themed altered book I started recently. The photos are scanned copies – I try not to use original photos in my altered books as everything else I use is not usually archival safe.
The decorating of the front hard cover of the book is usually left till last. This is done so that the cover will not be damaged while you are still working on the inside.
So, if you haven’t tried altering a book yet, I hope this brief “how to” will give you the confidence to start – you could also get together with several friends and swap your books around so you get other artist’s work in your book too.
Altering books does not have to be elaborate and hard – getting back to basics and having fun with your book altering can be the start of an ongoing artistic journey where you decide where you will go to next.
Until next month – happy altering...
Wendy Pettifer
wendypettifer@ssreflections.com
Altered Arts Deck Crewmember
Reflections Publishing Group, LLC
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***Disclaimers - While individual techniques may vary, always follow product manufacturers' directions and cautions for safety and best results.
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