Christmas Carols?!

My followers from last year may remember this altered book I started.  It was a book that I called 'New (Techniques) to You' and originally it was an old hardback book with a religious theme.  Whilst I have kept the theme of the book the 'same,' I have been altering all the pages so that I can explore various art techniques that I haven't tried before. 

Today I added the words to a Christmas Carol - I love singing hymns and carols, and always have, ever since we were 'made' to sing them all those years ago in school assemblies.  I do like the original tunes though and think its a shame that so many of them have been changed these days.  If I have occasion to sing them now I can't seem to help but revert to the tune that I used to sing them.

(I have added journaling to the pages but have blurred them out as they are my own private thoughts).

The technique I tried for this page was to add white gesso and then some black gesso.  After leaving it to dry for a few minutes, I then wiped over it with a baby wipe. It has created a 'broken-up' texture that still shows part of the original image.  The edges were touched up with some more of the black. 

On the facing page I used a dry brush with the black gesso (on top of the white gesso). 

  Love this dated carol singers picture from the early 1980's!

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Apologies for the fact that you haven't seen much of me lately, my husband is on the scene more now. He has returned home from Germany and this week has started his new job, just 15 minutes down the road!  Also our second son just celebrated his 9th birthday, tell me - where does the time go?

Thanks for looking and for any comments,

qwiksave

Altered Book Butterflies

I've taken a break from my Christmas posts today to complete a couple more pages of my ongoing altered book, 'NEW Techniques To You'

I was given some commerical industrial waste from a toy company years ago of stencils.  The cardboard insides I think were used for mobiles.

I have stuck the stencils onto the middle of the pages that I did recently in my altered book and they look really effective.

The white side was the front of the stencil

..and the lettering was on the back.

Each butterfly 'pops' out of its background.

in lots of interesting colour and texture:

I really like the effect.

Thanks for looking and for any comments,

See you tomorrow,

qwiksave

My Abstraction Period

I've moved into my 'Abstraction Period' as 'artists' would say, lol. Hope you don't mind looking at background effects, texture and wild abandoned colour, because that is what I've been doing today!

The effect above is part of my trying out a new background effect, as found in my new 'wonder book' by Claudine Hellmuth (see yesterday's post).

I was trying out an effect called 'Big Crackle' which is to get big crackles on paint just using glue and acrylic paint.

My crackles weren't as big as the ones Claudine has in her book, but she used the american Elmer Glue, while I used PVA.

Wish I could show you them!... :-(

I put a thick layer of PVA on top of a cheap dictionary (Poundshop) and then dropped some acrylic paint on to it. I then gently mixed in the paint with the glue and used the heat gun to get the crackles.

(Sorry, I am having SO many problems with Blogger lately, I was going to add other photos of this, but it just won't let me! Grrr! ......)

* * * * *

I did manage to put this other work in progress photo on before it refused to let me put any others on:
This is my altered book. I have gone over those pages I did the other day with watersoluble crayon to break up the white, I also added random crayoned lines on top of the painted colours. (Page on left, before, Page on right, after)

Thanks for looking and sorry that this is not a complete post,

See you tomorrow,

qwiksave

Altered book and Halloween Treat Bag

I have made a (singular) halloween treat bag today.  I think I might need to make some more or the neighbourhood kids will be fighting over this one, lol.

I found out how to make it whilst blog-hopping today on 'Scrap Time' - Creations by Christie.  There was a step-by-step video which you can follow here (it also has a halloween blog candy offer).

On mine I also added a hole and threaded through some co-ordinating ribbons.

I think my sizing was a little out, so when I do them again I won't make them quite so tall.

The other activity I did tonight was to paint some abstract colours in my 'New to You' altered book:

I just love the dry brush effect:

..and I also like the fact that you can still see the original writing in between the colours.

I may have a problem doing my journalling on all that colour though, so will need to think of a way of toning it down.

* * *

Regarding 'True Stories', Shimelle's writing course that I started today, I have had a bit of a think about the questions people ask me and the one question that I get asked the most is, 'Where do you come from?'  The answer to that is England but I am really only Half-English, as my father was yugoslavian (as was then).  I have the look of an Eastern European, with olive skin, which I guess is the reason people ask, but I have only ever lived in this country. 

Sorry for the lateness of this post, technical problems,

See you tomorrow,

qwiksave

Background Paper Techniques

As my regular followers know, I am altering an old book into a personal art journal and as part of that altering process I am on the lookout for creative techniques that I can use for the backgrounds for my pages.

Today I found a great resource of artistic techniques here at Paper Imagery.  It is a blog that has a 'Technique Tuesday' every week so there are loads of fab ideas to try.

Tonight I did a couple of techniques:

One was this, which was just crumpling up a glossy magazine image, unfolding it and then rubbing it over with a brown ink pad:

and then for the other I did a resist effect using clear embossing onto a page of text:

It was this technique here

I like this idea of placing a resist image over your writing, but still allowing you to read it.

The white Uniball pen didn't work for my journalling on my page yesterday, I ended up having to use a Tipp-Ex Correction pen.  I also used one of the new black Sharpie Pens. This type are still permanent but they are  fine tipped and don't cause bleeding through pages. Perfect. 

Thanks for looking,

See you tomorrow,

qwiksave

Why?

I am pleased to say that I finally finished all the gessoing of the pages of my altered book today and was able  to get on with my first new technique.

I think that the people that know me would have been surprised at the subject matter I chose for my art journal/altered book yesterday so today I have started to answer:

This could have a double meaning but what I intended it to be is the introduction of the book and I will be (secretly) journalling around the cross why I have chosen this subject and what the book will be about.

The new technique I used was for the background and I got the instructions for it here.  I loved how the texture of the black came out and don't think I'll be able to resist using this technique again.  

 The technique itself  is called gesso resist and to do it you do this:

(I used a plain piece of card that I could stick into the book). 

First gesso the card in a random fashion.

Then when it is fully dry, paint over with acrylic paints, again quite haphazardly.

Next scrape off some of the paint using the edge of a dry credit card.

While still wet, spritz it with water, leave a moment or two...

...and then blot with a paper towel.  Gives a great textured background as it is...

..But on mine I added this cross (which was a magazine cutting of a piece of jewellery) and misted it in the way I showed you a couple of days ago:

I then added the lettering and some more black distress ink around the edges before sticking it into the inside cover of the book. 

To do the journalling I plan to use my Uniball white gell pen, they are supposed to be able to write on anything and everything - that is if I can find it!...

Thanks for reading,

See you tomorrow,

qwiksave

New Techniques to You

Today I got covered in black and white! For a lot of the day (until my sons came home from their grandparents) I've been gessoing pages and pages of that altered book I started a while ago.  I also have made its title frame for the front and also for the binding:

I decided that aswell as its pages being full of techniques, it would be more of an art journal with a theme.  And whilst listening to some religious music this morning when washing up, it gave me the idea to make the theme of this book Religion, and more specifically, God.  I've been looking at 'how to' art journal sites recently and they have inspired me by saying you make the journal for you!  Nobody else has to approve, nobody else even has to see it, you do it in your way, and you choose how you wish to do it.  This is me being brave! Not something I do very often.  

Anyway, here is the full cover and front inside page:

Yes, I've called it 'New Techniques to You  Subtitle God?'

I've added black distress ink and scroll stamps (which is how I ended up covered in black!) around the exisiting frame.

Part of the reason I chose this subject was because the original book was religious, so I'm keeping with its theme.  

And even though I will be keeping my views private, I still plan to show you the book as it progresses as I'm going to be doing artistic techniques on the backgrounds of the pages. 

And this was the reason I got covered in white today:

Lots and lots of pages that had to be brushed over with gesso!  Strangely soothing to do though as gesso (it works as a paint primer) has a nice texture to it.   I've still got quite a few pages left to do though....

Thanks for looking,

See you tomorrow,

qwiksave

Auf Weiedersehen

Yep! I'm off to Germany on holiday this morning so may have gone by the time you read this.  As I said, hopefully I will still be able to keep in touch but will have to see how it goes.  I haven't scheduled any posts as my way of working is to panic think of a craft late at night and then do it!  

Tonight I had an idea for my book.  I like the idea of playing with the pages as they are, as well as altering them completely.  So tonight I hole punched two giant holes in a page and turned the circles of type around:

I made a mistake though.  I used gel medium to stick the circles back in the book but the paintbrush I used had a tiny bit of blue paint still on the bristles and has tinted the gel medium and the book!  Oops!

This is the other side of the page:

If you wanted to (I don't!) still read whats on these pages you could still work it out but I just like the interesting effect it has given the text. I think it would have been even better without the blue but I still have the option to stick these pages to other pages if I don't like it.

As I am not very organised and we have had my inlaws visiting for most of the day, I still have some last minute packing to do! :-O   

Have a great week whatever you are doing,

qwiksave

New to You!

I've decided on my theme and title for my altered book, it is 'New to You'.  What it'll be about will be artistic techniques that are new to me.  I plan to scour the internet and youtube and my existing sketchbooks and notebooks and find some techniques that I haven't tried yet.  This book will be a way of showcasing what I've learned, in other words an extension of this blog! lol.

Tonight I just did this quickly, but its not a final idea:

I've been looking at youtube today under the subject of altered books and found out what I needed to do next.  This was to glue some of the pages together so each page that I work on is thicker.  This is especially important if I am going to paint on them or add 3d elements...

So I got the materials together:

Some Gel Medium, a brush, some waxed paper and the book.

Fortunately this technique meant I only had to glue the edges of the pages, not each individual page.  I stuck 5 pages together, but the one on the video I watched joined 50! (or was it 15?)

I stuck the gel medium to all three sides and put wax paper on either side to stop them sticking to the other pages.

Then I put a weight on it whilst it dried.

With drying time it is going to take quite a while to do the whole book. I've done about half today.

In the top picture, I just stamped some images onto a page of another old book, cut them out and lay them on to one of the pages on this book.  It's not a finished idea yet, but I liked the way the text was bigger in the stamped images than in the original text.  I also like the way that the pictures look with printed words in them. I've seen them alot in Blogworld and they look effective.

Glad to report that my son is back to normal now, eating fine and no high temperature.  That is a relief!

Thanks for reading,

See you tomorrow,

qwiksave

Lullaby and Goodnight

I was very good today, I went to the Cancer Research charity shop and took a carrier bag full of books in!  It didn't stop me buying one book in replacement though, lol.  This book was a bargain though, as of course everything I ever seem to buy from these shops is.  It was a book from the 1960's with the words and music to nursery ryhmes and other children's tunes called 'My First Sing-A-Song Book'.  What I like about this one is it has lovely vintage images illustrating the songs. 

There is a lullaby section with this picture:

and it had a very famous tune called 'Cradle Song' which was written by Brahms that I remember singing to my baby (who is now 10!) at bedtime:

(Photo of baby Ryan asleep on left)

And on the front and back inside covers, there is this lovely illustration of a children's park.  This was the type of park I used to go on when I was little:

I remember that climbing frame and seesaw!

This is the book:

Costing me just 50p!   Memories? Priceless!

I also got these 'trainer wings!'

Which are embossed! I will be doing something artistic with them...

But not this! lol.  These were just 35p!

Tonight I also inked the edges of my altered book:

Just need to start thinking about a title and theme now...

Thanks for reading,

See you tomorrow,

qwiksave

Cover of Altered Book

Well, its the very start of the Summer holidays for us...and my oldest son has gone off to cub camp in the New Forest for a week!  More of that later in the post.

As you know, I am altering an old book that I started the other day, I still don't know its theme (although there is a great resource that lists themes for altered books here) but I have recovered it with the paper that I made yesterday:

I just covered it used the 'hospital corner' technique that I remember from High School all those millions of years ago, lol.

My trusty ATG Glue Gun was used to stick it down.

I also cut out the one and only illustration out of the book:

By cutting out just the illustration it has framed the next page:

which has a flowery frame around it.  I'm not terribly keen on the frame but might leave it in as I do intend to keep some parts of the original book.  I will be changing the title inside it though.

As I said, I don't quite know what this book will be about yet, I'm making it up as I go along  at the moment I am just appreciating the process.  That site I have mentioned (once or twice) is a great resource for altered books and there is a great gallery of inspiration to be found here.

* * * * *

As I mentioned at the start of my post, our ten year old has gone away without us for the first time!  I'm sure he'll have a great time doing all those fun things that cubs get up to at camps but it does feel a bit strange in the house without him:

 

Bye Mum!

Just before set off (Ryan is here on the left)

Our other son is going tomorrow morning. He will be camping with his Beavers group but that's only until Monday night.  Still, it's going to be very quiet for a couple of days for me here at home but it will mean that I can come and go as I choose, hooray!

Thanks for reading,

See you tomorrow,

qwiksave