Altered Book in the Making

I have come up with a new project that fits my "caregiver" schedule.  I can work on it for a few minutes and then easily walk away.  That is always good when you sometimes only have a few minutes.  

Yesterday I had more than a few minutes.  So I did a fun thing with the back section of the book.  Using PVA glue, I created a section and glued the edges together.  Then I cut a niche in that section - and glued those edges also. 

I still need to clean up the cut edges.  Nothing like a photo so show up the flaws. 

After those edges are cleaned up, I will paint, or maybe cover the area with fabric.

Then I need to find something to put in that niche. 

Here are some other pages in the book I have altered.

This was a nice blank page to work on. 

Painted paper with a face collaged onto it.

My hands traced and echoed

Just fun mixes of color

A face on an old piece of music, and a luscious yellow/orange field of color

Fun with color and images. 

You may recognize that right hand page - I decided it was too busy and added the apple 

image to calm it down a bit. 

Linking to the Friday Face Off

Until Next Time,  

Stay Creative 

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in comments will result in the entire comment being deleted.

In the Art Room

There are lots of types of art.  One that I often participate in is sewing and quilting.  

In honor of Mother's Day, I am repeating an old post - or at least part of it. Mom's Birthday is in May so even though this talks about her birthday, It was also close to Mother's Day. 

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Yesterday I stopped by Mom's house, as I usually do after work.  She wanted to go get some takeout, so we did.  We ate and talked.  Mom has a birthday coming up, so I asked what she wants for her birthday.  "I just want y'all kids to be happy, that's all." she said.  Hmm... I can't buy that or sew it either.  I will come up with something, I think. 
We also discussed a little retreat that she is going on with "the church ladies."   Mom is so excited about it.  She has been talking about it for weeks. She was given a list of things she needs to take with her. She has all but one of those things in a stack on the guest bed. (I told you she is excited about it.) However, she didn't have a notebook to take (she wants a nice clean new one. )  I told her I thought I had a spare one at home.

K

nowing that Mom's favorite color is yellow,  I dug into my stash and found some nice fabric from Riley Blake.   I had three fat quarters which is plenty for one of these with leftovers for something else. I also saw a strip of a yellow blender fabric so I added it also.
I sewed up the journal cover and put it on the composition book.  Then this morning I got to work early and "borrowed" one of the dogwoods in the parking lot for a photo shoot.

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Mom still has this covered notebook. Although as she has dementia, she doesn't use it. 

In other news, I am working on an altered book.  I spent some happy time watching a class on various things you can do to create an altered book.  Then I did my usual "different" methods based on what I saw.  

Here are the pages I have worked on so far.

This first one is "a bit much."  I am undecided about gessoing over it.

The blue page needs something added.  It is really just a background.  I haven't decided just what it needs yet.

This page is just a background but I am tempted to leave it plain. 

I may do some small simple collage to give it content without covering up much of it. 

Linking to SITAR

Until Next Time,  

Stay Creative 

Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in comments will result in the entire comment being deleted.

Art for Sunday

I was in a local discount store and saw  simple wooden skull shape.  It had some decoration lines on the surface.  I thought  "that could be fun to play with."  

When I got it home, I decided to use it as a "stamp" to remove paint from the gel plate surface. This would give me a print AND would put a base layer on the wood. 

I took the print after it had dried and used some paint pens to embellish it a bit. The fine surface lines didn't imprint well, so I improvised the design. 

I also had the wooden skull shape to paint on.  I used the same set of paint pens and had fun with it.

They look quite different, don't they?

I showed the base print for the one below on April 26th. 

I mentioned then, that I might use a white pen to enhance the design. 

That is exactly what I did with it. 

If I weren't "afraid" of ruining it, I would use the green paint pen to add a bit of color to the

stem and leaves.  Hmmmm.  It could still happen.

Linking to Sunday in the Art Room

Until Next Time,  

Stay Creative 

 Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in comments will result in the entire comment being deleted.

Printing Playtime

I have been playing a LOT with the gelatin plates (One is Gelli brand, and one is Gel Press brand.) 

I have also attempted to make my own plate.  So far it has not been wildly successful, but I haven't given up just yet. 

Here are a number of prints I have pulled. Most of these are planned to be used as collage paper.  Some of them could be collaged onto a surface and have a subject painted with these as backgrounds. 

This one is interesting but I am not sure how I will ever use it. 

The black shapes are from a stencil that I cut myself. 

This one will make lovely collage paper. 

I do wish it were fabric.  I know I can have it printed on fabric, but that is quite pricey for me.

This one is just various colors of paint "mooshed" together on the plate. 

This is what is known as a ghost print. I made a print using string on a black layer of paint. That print was pulled, then the string was removed and the remaining paint left to dry. More paint is added - a thin layer and then this is pulled. The ghost print if often the better image. 

More "mooshed" paint - this should be great collage paper.

This piece was just paint that I put bubble wrap into, the bubble wrap is removed and while the paint is still wet, the print is pulled. 

This one used one of the flower stencils that I cut. I am thinking of going back in with a white pen and drawing on this one to enhance the design.

Another of my flower stencils.

I usually use a lot of color, but this neutral one  - well, I love it. 

This is another ghost print using a circle stencil and some pieces of 

cut cardstock to create the design. But you may notice lots of tiny bits of color from previous 

prints on this one. Once the ghost had dried on the plate, I put a neutral color over it and put the 

paper down.  I left it to dry for several hours (probably too long) as I forgot about it.

A few bits of the paper were left on the plate, but I got them off easily. 

Of all of thes, I think this is my favorite. 

Until Next Time,  

Stay Creative 

 Comments are welcomed. I will reply when possible. Of course if you are a "No Reply Blogger"- I can not reply. Links in comments will result in the entire comment being deleted.