Saturday, July 3, 2010

Altered Book Round Robin

I joined MixedMediaUK to try and expand my artistic horizons. Now I'm wondering what I've got myself into! 

I have signed up for an Altered Book Round Robin.
I thought I would show the process - someone might be able to learn from my mistakes :)

Each member of the group picks a theme for their book, alters the cover, strips out unwanted pages, and makes a sign-in spread, plus a spread of there own. Then the books is sent on its way around all the other members of the group, who each interpret the given theme on a spread of the book. Eventually it comes back to its owner full of eye candy. Well, that's the theory! Being brand new at this it is a steep learning curve for me.

This is the original book. I chose it because it was traditionally constructed, with sewn signatures, and nice and sturdy but not too heavy for postage. Mine was a second hand copy.

The theme that I chose was "Dragons". I had some nice hand made paper in brown, which I used to cover the book. I was aiming for an antique kind of look and it worked quite well. I wrote the words "Here be Dragons", using a basic Gothic script, with gold ink on a torn scrap of the brown paper and mounted it on a torn piece of the paper I was going to use for end papers, just to make it pop a bit, and added metal corners that I got from Quietfire Design.  I used Acrylic Matt Medium as the adhesive and was pleased with the results, as I have never used this before.
       
More soon on the travails and trauma inside the book.
Please leave a comment, constructive criticism welcomed!
                                                                                                                                                                  


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9 comments:

  1. Very nice. All the best with your round robin. They are fun.
    Yes the white paper under the brown title, does make it stand out.

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  2. Thanks Yogi, you were quick off the mark! The photo has come out a little light - the mounting paper is actually pale blue with brown and prple splodges. Maybe it will show up better on the end papers :)
    Sally

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  3. Looks great so far, I want some of those square corners now! Love the brown paper too, and just wish I could let a phrase like "using a basic Gothic script" roll off my tongue so casually!

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  4. Great Sally! I love round robins, haven't done one in a while. Have you seen this?
    http://arthousecoop.com/projects/sketchbookproject

    I'm participating, you don't get anything back, but I like the idea that it travels. Thanks for playing in the atc swap. Like your blog- I need to put in on my home page, so I drop by regularly. :)

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  5. Sally, I now have your book, and just one comment about the cover, which I think is very effective. With the paper being a bit delicate, I wonder if it will survive the trip around us all. It would perhaps been better if you had left it until you received it back. Keep your fingers crossed.I will put it in a box when I send it on, so the corners don't get knocked.

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  6. Love your theme! the book should be awesome when it's done. The cover is great, but how about distressing it a bit more?

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  7. Thanks Beth, that art house rr looks fun!

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  8. LOL Lindart, I think it is going to be pretty distressed by the time it gets back to me, judging by Textile travels' comment! Seriously, the scan is not good, the paper is much darker and looks rather like leather. I can always set to with the sandpaper when it gets home!.

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  9. The cover and lettering looks really, really good! Enjoying the process is half the fun with projects like this, I think.

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