Steampunk a Trendy New Design Style in Altered Art

Steampunk is a currently trendy design with paper crafters of all persuasians. As such, it has shown up in more than one altered book and in various other types of altered art.

For those who are unfamiliar with this design form, Wikipedia describes it as " a subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that emphasizes anachronistic technology, usually from the Victorian age. It is also used to refer to a trend in fashion and music. "

Wikipedia goes on to say:

Various modern utilitarian objects have been modded by enthusiasts into a pseudo-Victorian mechanical "steampunk" style.[ Example objects include computer keyboards and electric guitars.The goal of such redesigns is to employ appropriate materials (such as polished brass, iron, wood, and leather) with design elements and craftsmanship consistent with the Victorian era.

The Viva  Las Vegas stamp site has a number of steampunk stamps, for anyone wanting a visual idea of what this style is all about.  The link leads to the results of a site search using the term "steampunk".

I searched Youtube for an altered book using steampunk, but I didn't find one. I did find this example of altered art jewelry done in the steampunk style:

The steampunk design in this piece of altered art is quite striking.

Using Niches in an Altered Book

One of the many tricks of the trade associated with creating an altered book is the use of a niche.

A niche is a hole that you can in the book.  You can then fill this hole with any little treasure you desire.

You can cut a niche through the covers of the book, if you wish. Alternatively, you could glue or tie a block of pages together and cut the hole through the block.

One tip to remember when cutting a niche:  Do not cut too close to the book's binding, or you will end up damaging that part of the book. Also, a niched block of pages cut too close to the binding is unlikely to close properly.

Otherwise, you can cut the niche to any size and shape that you fancy.  It helps to draw the niche on the top page or cover first, so you end up getting what you imagined.

To cut a niche, you will need suitable cutting tools. I have heard that many altered book artists use power tools used in woodworking This assumes that you have access to a woodworking shop and that you know how to use the power tools -- or that you have a co-operative woodworker in your life who will assist with this task.

Those who are not that fortunate can cut the niches using regular craft tools, such as a box cutter or X-acto knife. I personally use this method of niche cutting. True, the niches I create are not as tidy and perfect as one could achieve with a woodwork tool. The inner edges are often jagged. I smooth them out with a sandpaper block or a sheet of sandpaper.

Once a niche is made, you can use it to display a surprise object. This can be anything that fits in the niche.Some of the objects I have seen used included notes, pictures, snapshots, beads and jewels, leaves and dried flowers, twigs, shells, stones, mirrors, potpourri in bags, punched shapes and anything else that comes to mind.

The neatest thing about using a niche in an altered book is the element of surprise. You could cover it with a "door" and let the reader experience the adventure of finding hidden objects.

In this video, an artist from Altered Arts magazine demonstrates cutting a niche.

Container Art Exhibit of Altered Books

Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to visit an exhibit of Container Art at the Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver. One exhibit, called Hidden Knowledge, was built around the concept of an altered book.  I wish I had thought to take a camera, but unfortunately I did not.

The artist, Rachel Asche, altered twenty-five  Funk and Wagnell encyclopedias, and mounted them, page ends outwards, on white wall boards.  Each of the end pages had an object from nature embedded in it. These objects included a hard boiled egg, bones, twigs, shells and more.

Rachel has a picture of the altered books posted on her blog. In her picture, the books are arranged in a circular fashion and displayed on a table.  One comment compares them to a rolodex of knowledge.

The artist wrote:

The inspiration behind this work is the idea that knowledge can

be lost or forgotten when people no longer value it.

The encyclopedias represent the sum of human knowledge

contained in written form, while the found objects

represent information about the natural world.

You can see the picture and the blog post here:

Forgotten Knowledge: The Completed Set

Book Garden with Live Mushrooms

This has to be the most interesting use of an altered book that I have ever seen.

A library's garden has an art installation using 40,000 unwanted books. Located in the Lower St. Lawrence area of Quebec, Canada, the installation represents a Garden of Knowledge, according to the artists who created it.  Even more interestingly, the book installation contains beds or live, growing mushrooms.

The web site says:

"Sandwiched within and between the reclaimed and decomposing books

are several edible species of mushrooms like oyster and winecap, an

intervention that highlights the living, ephemeral and cyclic character

of these artefacts. "

You can read the full story here:  Mushrooms + 40,000 Books = Garden of Knowledge

The article makes mention of electronic book readers such as the Kindle. Will books become a thing of the past one day?  That would be a shame on so many levels. Books are so much more than just a medium to hold text and pictures. Books are an experience.  I hope we never see the end of them.

Serendipitous Accident Enhanced This Altered Book

Sometimes when you're creating an altered book, something lovely or wonderful happens by accident. Undoubtedly this is true for any form of art.

Corinne Stubson of Oregon is a prominent and well respected altered book artist. Many of her books are like little miracles.

Today, Corinne published a blog post showing a picture of a page that started out without a plan but thanks to a serendipitous accident, it turned into something lovely.  Read about her accident here:

I Love Art Accidents

Most of us who have worked with altered books or other forms of art have had similar experiences.  There are times when you just throw things together willy nilly and hope for the best -- and you get the best. Sometimes you just try something for the heck of it to see what it will turn out like -- and it turns out great.

When this happens, we are delighted.

In interest of complete honesty, it is also true that some of these accidents or experiments are disasters and have to be trashed. 

Either way, its all part of the journey we enter into when we begin to create an altered book.

Is an Altered Book Art?

Every so often, I see a debate raging about whether or not an altered book is art.  To be honest, some people don't "get" altered books. They ask why?  The answer is "why not?"   Why make any form of creative project?  Why paint with oils?  Why compose a symphony?  Why write a poem?  Why design jewelry?   You do it because you can, and because it releases and gives physical form to your creative energies.

If you think of an altered book as being another art form -- with the book itself being the canvas and the various items used to decorate it being the media -- then  perhaps it will make more sense to you.

Then of course there is the debate about what is art and what is craft.  Does anyone really know the answer to that?  I like this quote by Marshall McLuhan:

"Art is anything you can get away with."­ Marshall McLuhan

I know many altered book artists who consider their work to be art. I know others who call their projects a craft.  Art, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.

Some one once said that art is something you create yourself and a craft is something in which you use a pattern created by someone else.  By that definition, an original oil painting is art. A paint by numbers is a craft.   However, that explanation doesn't seem to cover all the basis.

What about quality and skill?  Is a poorly done original project art but a beautifully done project made from a pattern a craft?

Does it matter? 

Whether you call an altered book an art or a craft is up to you.  Just enjoy the journey.

Water Color Paints not Recommended for Altered Books

When artists begin making an altered book, one of the first questions that comes to mind is usually what kind of materials to use. 

The truth is, you can use almost anything that your creative muse calls for. There is no right or wrong when it comes to book altering.

That having been said, some products do not lend themselves particularly well to this enterprise.  Water based glues and adhesives are the biggest offenders in this category.  Water will cause the pages to buckle in a most unattractive fashion.  Unless you are going for that particular look as called for by your creative design idea, you will want to avoid these products.

Water color paints are big on the list of things to avoid. They will cause buckling and wrinkling.  Instead, look for a coloring medium made without water.  Many of us like using fabric paints, because along with little or no water, they tend to be flexible when dry.  Luminiere paints by Jacquard seem to be a favorite. Where I live, you can buy them at Michaels in the fabric paint section.

As for adhesives, avoid water based products.  Gel mediums work well.  Many of the altered book artists I know use Golden's Matte Gel Medium, but I am sure any brand would work just as well.  Mediums are good because they are versatile and have many uses. You can use them as an adhesive, as a medium to mix with other acrylic paints or as a surface sealer and glaze.  These products are also sold at Michaels, in the section with the acrylic paints and such. You can get them at any artist supply store, or online.

Choosing the paint and adhesive for an altered book is always an adventure.

Altering a Children's Board Book

Early on when I became enamored with the concept of an altered book,  I wanted to create a gift for a little boy. I'd never worked with a board book before, but I figured it out as I went along. I'd also never made a video before, but I decided to try my hand at creating a home video showing how this altered book went together.

The video has much room for improvement, and the altered board book is not a work of art. However, it was a big hit with the young guy who received it for his birthday.

I put the video online in the hopes that it would encourage other people to start experimenting. You really can't do anything wrong because there is no right and wrong when it comes to altered book making. Just get a book and some supplies and go for it.

My altered book has a St.Patrick's Day theme.

Stamp Out Breast Cancer -- Second Annual Paper Crafting Event

If you live in Vancouver, Canada, or if you are traveling there on May 15 and 16, you won't want to miss attending this second annual paper crafting event. All proceeds go to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.  I'm Impressed, a craft store on Granville Island, sponsors this event.  It's two days of workshops, makes and takes, shopping and socializing with other crafters.

 The link with all the information is at Stamp Out Breast Cancer.

Tips for Green Arts and Crafts Projects

I've had a Squidoo lens published called Tips for Green Scrapbooking

Yesterday, the lens was named Lens of the Day. It was selected in part because this is Earth Day and the Squidoo team were looking for green lenses to profile.

My lens includes a number of altered art projects, including recycled CDs, recycled envelopes, altered books and various others. There is also a list of tips for green scrapbooking or green arts and crafts projects.

Steampunk Style Jewelery (craft book)

I've just noticed this craft book on Amazon. It looks absolutely fascinating.  I'd never heard of Steampunk jewelery before. Apparently, its the art of combining found objects with fine metals to create elaborate pieces, and its the latest trend. This craft book, according to Amazon editorial, uses the no fire" techniques—like simple stringing, wirework, hammering, stamping, gluing, stitching, and off-loom beadwork. This means that amateurs like me and people without expensive equipment can create the items in this book.

I can feel a new hobby coming on

Tips for Green Paper Crafts

The need to go green impacts every area of our live.  As it turns out, altered book artists have been "green" since day one. The very act of altering a book means we are reusing and recycling and saving a book from the junk heap.

I've just written a Squidoo lens outlining 16 tips for Tips for Green Scrapbooking

The page has a place where you can add your own tips. Why not drop by and tell us how you make your altered book projects even greener?  

Cheap Cricuts at Joann.com

Effective April 10 to 14, joann.com is having a huge sale on Cricut machines, cartridges and accessories. Free shipping applies as well. 

Get the details here:  Cricut Sale at Joann.com

Joann.com Two Day Sale Mar 29 and 39

Altered book artists and other mixed media artists living in the US will be interested in hearing about the two day sale on at Joann.com.

The dates of the sale are March 29 and March 30.  Their entire selection of scrapbook supplies is on sale -- and there is free shipping.  Even better, there is no minimum purchase to qualify for the free shipping.

Your special link is below, and the access code you use to get the free shipping is ACD89.

Entire Stock of Scrapbooking On Sale + Free Shipping, No Minimum Two Days Only at Joann.com

Joann.com does not ship outside the US. I'm a Canadian myself, so I can't take advantage of this event.

Seeking Tips for Altered Book Web Site

I have decided to add a Tips from Readers Page on my Altered Book web site.

If anyone has an AB-related tip that they would like to have published,
please send it to me. Also, please let me know if you give me permission to
publish your name. I don't like using names unless I have express
permission to do so. Also, if you have a blog or web site, I would be happy
to put up a link to it along with your tip.

The page is Tips at the Altered Book

Altered Coffee Sleeve Becomes a Valentine Card

In this piece of altered art, a coffee sleeve from Starbucks is transitioned into a romantic Valentine card, or a Valentine suitable for anyone you care about.

The project uses a coffee sleeve, Valentine themed paper, a shape depicting ILOVEU and a button for an embellishment.

The inside can be be decorated with hearts, stickers, ephemera, hand written messages or anything you want.

The complete directions are at this link:

Recyled Coffee Sleeve Becomes a Romantic Valentine

List of Arts and Craft Stores in Metro Vancouver

I've just completed a Squidoo lens listing all of the craft stores, scrapbook stores and specialty paper stores that I know about in Metro Vancouver or the Lower Mainland of British Columbia.

The lens also has a place where Canadian artists and crafters can post links to their web sites, blogs, Etsy Stores, eBay stores, etc.

I created the lens because I receive so many email queries asking about craft stores in Vancouver.  Now I can just direct people to the lens,

The link is Craft Stores in Metro Vancouver

Packaging Materials Becomes a Wall Hanging

I have added a page to the altered book web site. It shows an altered art wall hanging that I created from some unusually shaped packaging material that came with a new set of cookware.

This is an example of art derived from found objects or from recycled materials.

A little paint, some metallic ribbon, images cut from a greeting card and a few artificial flowers make up the supply list.

My page has pictures,text instructions and a video demo.

Alered Art Wall Hanging from Packaging Material

Squidoo

Wowee! I've discovered Squidoo, the social networking site that's generating so much fuss!

I've created my first Lens. Be kind. It was my learning Lens. Hopefully I'll improve it over time. I've named it Altered Art, Altered Books, Altered Lives. I'm at
Squidoo.com/alteredart

Want to Sell Crafts?

Check the Altered Book web site for new information for those who are interested in selling their arts or crafts projects. I've added info on three or four resources helpful to persons wanting to make a living doing what they love.

It's at this link:

Sell Crafts