About Me

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Hi, Welcome to my Blog. I'm an eclectic kind of crafter delving into many pots. I am just about managing to keep up my Scrapbooking Diary (usually about 6 months behind), plus any cards as required. I have a new found love of Watercolour and Bible Journaling plus recently Faith/Art Journaling too. I've challenged myself to make an art journal page a day for this my 60th year. Previously I've also dabbled in ATCs, Tags, Altered Books, Mixed Media, Décopatch, Knitting, Crochet, and Embroidery amongst other things. I live in Surrey, UK with my husband, our son has left home now. For exercise I usually play Badminton and go Ballroom and Latin Dancing. I also like walking/Geocaching and sometimes do a bit of Bouncing on my Rebounder (mini trampoline). I have been learning to play the harp for the past 10yrs. I am now officially retired. I am a born again Christian, currently worshiping at my local Vineyard Church.

Sunday 25 March 2012

Altered Book : Part II (lesson 4)







Hi Folks, Well here's the next installment of my Altered Book journey. My book isn't that thick but it was all I could lay my hands on before the course started. My theme is Seasons and they will be getting one signature each of 8 pages! Elizabeth, over at The Altered Book Lover suggested that I did the glued pages for this lesson not consecutively but one per season/signature which is what I have done.

The best thing about this Altered Book lark is that there aren't any rules (save getting a sewn spine book). Jolly good job as one would think I had definitely lost the plot this lesson, but as there isn't a plot - that's fine.                          

I glued my pairs of pages together using the following:- 1) Pritt Stick  2) Anita's Tacky Glue  3) Inkessentials Glue N'Seal   4) Boldmere's Gesso.  My Cuttlebug makes for a jolly useful weight so my book sits under it most of the time.

The tags I used to mark the sections are from clothes/products. I have been saving them for ages and at last, found a use for some of them. I have noted the glue I used on the reverse of each tag.

So for my Seasonal title pages:-

I did Spring first, inking the pages using the direct to paper technique as outlined by Elizabeth in the lesson. I decorated with some previously made ATCs and bits and bobs. I even found the feather on the day I made the page.  
I did Winter next, Gesso was the background to these pages, although as they were quite bare, I stamped the music score first. I also stamped with distress over the Gesso and as it seemed to remain sticky I ran some talcum powder over it - now it is OK.
Then came Summer. I inked the background with distress stains, added a cacophony of diecut elements and then some stamped images too. Vanilla Sands is a make of clothing here in the UK and inspired my beach page.

Finally Autumn, loads of diecut leaves, a few trees and more stamping, with a Cotton Traders Tag.
The only thing I haven't managed as yet is to use glue as the main part of a page and as an element in itself. Might have to save that technique up for later.

14 comments:

Jacqueline said...

Oh wow!! That's gorgeous! I haven't even started to decorate mine yet....thanks for sharing.

Jackie x

Sherry said...

Your pages are sensational - each one truly unique. I like how you've kept the book text visible too - that's what I want to do. You're way ahead of me, all I've done so far with lesson 4 is stick the pages together and found the pritt stick did the least damage to my fragile pages.

I'm looking at your book in reverse order - now off to find your earlier posts x

TheChrisGregory said...

Wow - truly inspirational.

SandeeNC said...

wow, awesome job! LOVE your pages, they turned out so pretty!! I cannot believe I was not one of your "followers", but I fixed that! waving hi from the hills of North Carolina :)

Julia S-W said...

What a brilliant job you have done so far BJ! I really love the way you've kept to the seasons on each page spread. The detail is fab on each page. My favourite so far is probably the winter set because I love all the things you've included: the reindeer, the gorgeous stamped (?) pine trees and the way you've made the page look frosty and iced. I also love the sparkle on the spring page - it really lights up the work!
The way you have documented your progress with photos makes such a difference too - even down to the tags which show the adhesives you're using - VERY CLEVER!!!!
Juliax
ps don't assume from this that I only like two sets of pages - not true but I'm trying hard not to write an essay!!

peggy aplSEEDS said...

oh my gosh, you are a fast worker! i think i will have to stop blog hopping and get some work done on my AB!

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I'm not sure how I missed this until now, but this past week has been a bear, since I've been gone far more than I've been home. Not good for someone who normally works from home.

I really like what you have done with the seasons. I foresee the lesson this week and next will more than likely take up many of your pages, though.

But what you have done with these pages is astonishing and very well done. I was not expecting people to decorate their book pages right away, just to get familiar with various glues. Not sure why I thought that, since many are REAL artists and crafters, unlike the group I taught before who I spent half my time teaching how to use blogger and how to write a blog post! I really MUST rethink my "audience." Thanks for your reality check!

BTW, I post at about 11 pm my time (shown as Kansas time) every Sunday night. That is midnight on the east coast, since I always link to Creative Every Day at that time. I have a "London" clock on my right sidebar, so you can check the time difference, which should be six hours again, now that you have gone to Daylight Savings Time. That was the only clock this web site had. I was hoping for Britain Time, but got London instead. Hope you are on the same time as London, OR I hope this helps.

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

Just read your question on my blog. I was afraid this would happen and we will have 5 spreads (single or double, your choice) next week, too. Then we get into design elements and color, all of which take several pages. After that, we fold multiple pages, make pockets, and put a zipper, which takes 5 pages, in the book. You will either be missing a lot of the lessons, or will probably need a bigger book. May I suggest you get a book that is large enough to either hold your book you have created so far, or that can attach to it in some way, like gluing the inside front of one book to the inside back of the other. Just a suggestion. Until then, feel free to parse the pages as you see fit.

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

OOPS, that should have read in two weeks, not next week. Ironically, I just checked and got Oct. 28 as the last lesson right before I read your message.

Helen said...

What fabulous pages! I've done my gluing but no decorating - but seeing Elizabeth's answer that's ok then!!

Karen said...

Oh this is looking just fabulous my lovely! So much colour makes it a delight to look at! Reading Elizabeths comments I suspect you are worried about your number of pages, just like me! So thank you for asking that :-D ooking forward to seeing how your book goes xxx

Terrie said...

What a great homage to each season! I like how you spread your glue experiment pages throughout the book - wish I'd have thought of that..... Great looking book!

Craftymoose Crafts said...

Your season pages are magical! So colorful and well thought out! Nice job.

elle said...

My book isn't very thick either . I luv your theme.