First Altered Book

Only two minutes left until Christmas day is over ... and it will be over by the time I finish this post.  

I worked on an altered book this past week.   It's a 1909 spelling primer with little stories and pictures related to the words to be memorized.  I tried to work around the pictures but I am finding out how incredibly messy I am with spray paint, powders, and glue.  I burn my fingers with the hot glue gun and open up powder jars upside down, and spray paint everything on my work table.

Working with a book is challenging because the paper is so thin.  I gesso the page lightly to build up it's strength but if I over saturate with fluids, the page can warp and tear away from the binding.  Hopefully I will get better at this.

OH ... I'm so excited about latest finding.  I've wanted to work with Adobe Photoshop for years.  I use to work with CorelDraw over a decade ago but want to learn PS but the only problem is I can't afford it ($300-600 for latest version on eBay). I went on Adobe site and found out they are moving toward monthly plan options, giving people the opportunity to try their apps, store work in their cloud, and view tutorials to learn how to use the apps, AND I can download it for free for a month. I downloaded Photoshop CC (2014), Lightbox 5, and Bridge CC.  I have a month to view training materials at the beginner's level, play with the product, and then pay $9.99/month if I want to continue. 

First challenge is to learn "layering", which would allow me to create digital collages.

Here are my first messy pages in the altered book:

Family Tags - Bill

Hi everyone!  I had to put away the paints and ephemera to deal with life and the pursuit of money to pay the bills!!!  I really missed creating something so I tried a small project - a tag.  My first tag is for my father, William Thomas Reese, Jr.  One side is about his pre-Philadelphia life in Hamlet, NC, when he was known as "Tommy".  I found a cute picture of dad in short britches.  The second picture is from his North Carolina State yearbook.  The other side of tag is an early picture of him with my mother in Fairmont Park, Philadelphia, PA, when he preferred to be called "Bill".  

The tag used is a black Inkssentials Crafts tag by Ranger, #89, 6 1/4" x 3 1/8" in size.

I actually found some "wheaties" in a jar in my closet.  The penny dates matched the two pictures, 1933 (dad's graduation) and 1936 (mom & dad's marriage year).

Stamps on eBay Now ...

I brought back a huge lot of rubber stamps to list on eBay, helping my friend Fran continue to down size her supplies ... and of course to net funds for new stuff!!!

Stamps are being listed this week on ebay and you can see them at Plotsky's Collectibles.  Here is an example of some lots currently up for auction:

October, 2014 - A Little Bit of Autumn

I want to try and express my feelings about Autumn, my favorite season.  This was 1st attempt but it doesn't quite do it for me ... I want to try again.  

Starting with a flat 8x10 canvas, I applied gesso, and after drying time, I layered on some fragments of paper stock, including the two birds in upper right corner.  Next I used Liquitex Modeling Paste on a word stencil, adding some dimension.  Flowers were added in lower right corner, and several pieces of feathered grass were glued on.  

Next came the sprayed on ink using Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Summer Glow, Pumpkin Spice, and a touch of Plain Jane Baseboard Semi Opaque Matte Mist in Red Rocks color.  

I used heat gun to dry and then applied Ranger Perfect Pearls in Perfect Bronze, Perfect Copper, and Forever Red, giving sections a sparkly glow.  I misted the whole piece with water and used heat gun again to adhere powders to the piece.  

Finally, small embellishments were added, including a stip of lace down the left side.

Finally, small embellishments were added, including a stip of lace down the left side.  The round piece is a lid to an incense box, the bee is a pin I picked up at a garage sale for 25 cents.

The 8x10 size of canvas made it easy to find a frame around the house.

October, 2014 - Happy Halloween

This project was just plain fun.  I wanted to create Halloween cards for my best friends and my two sisters.  The easiest way was to duplicate the design but I ended up tweaking every card.

The inspiration was a wonderful photograph of early silent film star, Gloria Swanson.  The photo already has two layers; Gloria's face and an overlay of lace.  I added a Halloween-themed film, bordered it with lace, yarn, feathers, and flowers, and added embellishments.

I found these great black lace chokers on eBay for between $1 and $2 a piece with free shipping.  Coming from China I had to order early but you can't beat the price.  They were also adorned with various colored stones.  I wrapped them around the top of card using a tiny black clothespin to attach so card could not be opened until it was removed.  On back of card I tied a black lacy bag filled with a little present.  This one has a piece of Howlite ... attributed to bringing a sense of calmness and to strengthening positive traits.

Inside the card is (yes AGAIN) a vintage Halloween costume collage on the left, bordered with washi tape and a cute metal owl pendant in the corner.  Right side starts with four different photos; 1) a full moon with image of a woman's face stamped on top, 2)an old haunted house, 3) cutout photo of eight witches having tea, 4) Eat, Drink & Be Scary words and pictures created with PowerPoint.  I took a white, plastic  stencil, tinted it and applied silver glitter, preferring the actual stencil to the image the stencil created.

Back of card is a stamp of Edgar Allen Poe's poem, "The Raven" ... a large black raven sits on top of the poem.  The was stamped on tissue paper, giving me a clear image (for once).

September, 2014 - Art Journal

Fran, my dear friend who inspired me to get started learning alternative and mixed media art techniques, also told me to keep a journal.  I found it easy to try ideas in the journal, rather than starting a canvas before my ideas could gel.

It's a great place to keep lists of items you want to purchase or inventory lists of items you already purchased.  This way, for example, when you are at an arts & crafts store and there is a big sale on the brand of paint you use, you have your list of colors you already own so you don't duplicate.

I use the journal to try new techniques I read about online ... or to work out a design concept before committing to canvas.  I want to do a series with Buddhas.  My stamping needs practice, which I do in the journal, using COPIC pens to colorize.  I learned to use a Tim Holtz stencil with spackle from hardware store.  This creates a very hard dimensional layer, which you can also colorize with paints and powders.  I'm practicing photo transfer but I read where it's not as effective using an inkjet printer image, but better when image comes from laser printer or copier.  There are lots of photo transfer methods and I want to try them all.

September 2014 - Phoebeliscious & Torination Portraits

It's time.  I'm going to grow up a little now and move from cards to a CANVAS. I have no idea if I can make something good enough for a canvas so I buy a few very inexpensive burlap canvases. This proves problematic later as they warp when I add layers of gesso and gel and paint, and I have to continually clamp them down to keep the canvas from curling. But as an experiment they are perfect.  I think I paid $1 each for these 12" x 16" canvases.

Over the summer I watched many a video on YouTube and came across time lapsed videos showing some really wonderful artists create fascinating works of art. Watching these tutorials helped me get over the fear of the blank canvas or page. These artists are incredibly unselfish and share their ideas, techniques, and places to buy elements. Here are some of my favorites ... click on their names to go to their websites/blogs, or click on the title of video on YouTube to start the video:

• Gabrielle Pollacco -  Mixed Media Canvas Happy Day
• Finnabair (Anna Dabrowska) - Finnabair Inspired Altered Canvas
• Ben Hecht - machina obscura: An Encaustic Mixed Media Painting Series

Finnabair really sparked my interest.  Her art can be steampunk or romantic, raw or beautiful, or all of the above.  She uses her own face as a base in some incredible projects, and I want to try this technique using my granddaughter's face.  I asked my granddaughter, Phoebe, to put her hair up in a bun and allow me to photograph some side views of her face.  From there, I created a huge headdress, totally inspired by the works of Finnabair.

My next target is my grandson, Torin.  Sometimes I try too hard to say everything I'm feeling in one project.  Torin just started college, so I wanted a bit of history on this canvas, like the plays he was in, his love of theater, childhood photos, and his wonderful mind.  I also wanted to use metal embellishments on this one, once again inspired by Finnabair's steam punk self portrait.  

Now the other grandkiddies want one, and I'm currently working on one for my sister's granddaughter.  Joyce had a lot of fun this weekend placing elements to form the headdress on the prepared substrate.  Her granddaughter will be really surprised ... now I have to glue, paint, and finish the piece but I'm waiting on a better quality photo from my niece.

September, 2014 - Fran's Friend Card

Fran, my mentor, teacher, and enthusiast in my mixed media art adventure, is having a stressful time, and I want to cheer her up.  Her favorite colors are autumn shades.  All I need now is the perfect picture to give me inspiration.

Fairies ... they are happy, playful, stress-free and perfect for a cheery card. Back to Google for a VINTAGE FAIRY search and yes, I find the perfect picture. I'm still plagiarizing other people's ideas but by mixing photos, materials, papers, inks in layers, I hope to make the end result my own.

Sunflowers ... another happy Autumn image, and I'm lucky enough to find a sweet inspirational quote by Helen Keller.

I like cutting out the fairies so I can place them on another layer from a different photograph or painted background.  I used copper wire on back of photo but if I had it to do over, I would do several of them as stems for the flowers.  There are also some actual grasses painted over on front and back cover.

August, 2014 - Pansy Birthday Card

August, 2014

I just realized my friend's birthday is in August and I wanted to create a birthday card.  The idea of adding usable jewelry or trinkets to card appeals to me, because it does double duty.  Focus is on her favorite flower ... The Pansy ... and this became the theme of the card.  I looked online (eBay and Etsy) to find two pairs of pansy earrings that would hang from bows on the card, and found one handmade lamp glass pair from Germany, and another glass set with a faceted light purple glass back.

Two layers of lace go across the entire width of card, front and back.  Happy Birthday is spelled out in purple, created from a Sizzix die (oh, I forgot to mention the purchase of a Big Shot for embossing and cutting ... half price with a coupon).

I'm getting braver at facing blank pages and not afraid to throw the kitchen sink on as an embellishment!!!  A collage of pansies fills the back page.  I'm getting kind of monotonous here using the same design over and over.  Must work on this!

July, 2014 - Lynn's Friend Card

I like this card format and the next project would be a hello to a friend.  Lynn and I met at a diner.  We were the "readers", eating alone while reading a book. She stopped by my table one night and asked about the book I was reading and a new friendship developed from there.  She loves pansies and recently moved out west.  The picture I found (Googling "VINTAGE FRIENDS") has two woman talking over a book.  I split the picture between front and back covers so you have to open it up to see it. The vase for pansies on cover is a piece of twisted scrubbing pad for pots and pans.  I'm starting to step outside the box and exploring alternatives ...

June, 2014 - Sailing Birthday Card

My sister's birthday is in July so I want to create something different to send her as a card.  I needed a theme, and once again I turned to Google.  Karen and her husband recently became sailing captains and they just completed their second lone sailing vacation to the Virgin Islands (their video).  I keyed in VINTAGE SAILING and found my inspirational photograph that will become the central theme.  This was going to be a more traditional size card, and I wanted to cover all four sides.

I found a perfect sterling sailboat pin on eBay, and attached it to the cover.  She wears it, and I love the idea of using the card to deliver a small gift or surprise.

Back Cover

Inside Right

Inside Left

May, 2014 - Vintage Engagement Card

May, 2014 - The Start of Mixed Media Adventures - Kristin's Engagement Card

Three years ago I started an ill health phase of my life.  One of the side effects is sleepless nights with a need to walk, pace, or at least stand.  Do you know how lonely a grocery store is at 3 am?  I walked the aisles but ended up buying stuff I didn't need so I had to come up with a better solution.

A friend from school days many decades ago, showed me her new passion ... mixed media art.  She creates divine cards, booklets, and canvases.  I wasn't ready to listen because I was still busy working and taking care of family but it was in the back of my mind that if I ever had the time ...

Hmmmm, maybe I could try scrapbooking.  I created several books but this wasn't quite satisfying my creative urges even it was giving me something to do in the middle of the night.  I reorganized my bedroom and found a perfect buffet at a thrift shop with expanding sides and the proper height to allow me to work while standing.  I could sleep for 20 minutes then work on an art project, sleep for a couple of hours then do some more.  I was ready to go.

INTIMIDATION & INSECURITY abound as I stare at the blank canvas.  What do I do now?  I put down the gesso layer.  Wow, the canvas is now whiter.  I didn't have a vision.  This was too scary so I put the canvas aside and fell back on what I was comfortable with ... an engagement card for my niece.  I love vintage and when I Googled "vintage engagement" and looked at the images, a plan began to form.  The theme would be vintage sheet music with lots of glamour and bling. Bling is NOT ME, but this was kind of fun.  The card turned into a monstrous 12x12 production that needed a box to ship.  But, not just any box, it had to be a huge toille patterned box she could use to store all of her engagement and wedding cards.  So by the time it's wrapped to ship, the cost is $17.  

One side was the card, the reverse side was a sheet music collage.  I attached a lacy pink bag to hold a check.

   

No more wallowing in self-pity ... a perfect venue to take my mind off pain ... creative satisfaction ... and just plain fun.

What can I create Next?