Altered Bits

Here is another blog to visit for inspiration - Altered Bits...click on the tab at the right for free templates, images, background sheets, textured backgrounds.... well you get the idea. These are for personal use in altered art and mixed media projects. Have fun!

Today Show, Trashion and Singed Flowers

Bobbie Thomas was on the Today show sharing some 'trashion' tips... I can skip the jean pocket catch-alls, using a tank top for a tote and cutting up old sweaters for necklaces... but the singed flowers were really cute... and from a viewer.

From the Today Show

Viewer idea: Fancy flowers
I was excited about this TODAY viewer submission sent in by Jennifer Ragan from Boston, Mass. There are certain articles of clothing that we assign emotional value (e.g., your senior prom dress or the bridesmaid gown you wore in your sister’s wedding). And while you may never have a reason to wear them again, you don’t want to give them up. Which is why I had to highlight Jennifer’s clever way of turning these old dresses into keepsake jewelry and hair accessories ( JLRY Designs; $9.50-$40).

What you'll need: Satin, tulle, organza or any polyester fabric, scissors, a candle or matches, beads, glue gun/sticks, and hair accessories you plan to use as the base.

Directions:

Cut fabric into circles of various sizes.

Using a candlestick, carefully singe the edges of fabric, barely touching to the flame.

Once slightly cooled, use your fingers to mold and shape the edges.

Layer pieces on top of one another.

When you like the look of your flowers, use a needle and thread to secure the layers together with beads.

Hot-glue or sew flowers onto hair accessories, such as bobby pins, headbands or brooch pin backs.

Here is a video I found that uses a heat gun:

Text Rain

I love words - choosing just the right one to connect with a memory, create a melody or for its visual appeal. I joined some friends for dinner last night at Proof, part of 21C, and after dinner walked through the gallery. I really enjoyed playing with Text Rain - now how do you put that into your altered art?

Text Rain Camille Utterback & Romy Achituv, 1999

Text Rain is an interactive installation in which participants use the familiar instrument of their bodies, to do what seems magical—to lift and play with falling letters that do not really exist. In the Text Rain installation participants stand or move in front of a large projection screen. On the screen they see a mirrored video projection of themselves in black and white, combined with a color animation of falling letters. Like rain or snow, the letters appears to land on participants' heads and arms. The letters respond to the participants' motions and can be caught, lifted, and then let fall again. The falling text will 'land' on anything darker than a certain threshold, and 'fall' whenever that obstacle is removed. If a participant accumulates enough letters along their outstretched arms, or along the silhouette of any dark object, they can sometimes catch an entire word, or even a phrase. The falling letters are not random, but form lines of a poem about bodies and language. 'Reading' the phrases in the Text Rain installation becomes a physical as well as a cerebral endeavor.

The Vintage Moth

Looking for that special something for your garden page? Here's another plethora of free digital graphics for altered art -

Ahhhhh... I needed this -

I spent a little bit of time on Amazon (hah!)... I spent a bit of time on Amazon (better) and found and ordered this little book. It is a thin book but full of ideas and techniques. The only drawback... it focuses only on Golden products, but it is a great primer. I can't wait to try some of the products I have but didn't know what to do with...

Altered Surfaces: Using Acrylic Paints With Gels, Mediums, Grounds & Pastes

Now That's a Fat Book

I was searching last night for more ideas for fat books and I am not sure how I ended up on Altered Route but what a treat! In 2008, blog owner Connie participated in a fat book swap with 120 artist. Each artist created a 120 original pages (!) of a technique with instructions on the back. Can you imagine hosting? Can you imagine binding? Each artist received the 120 pages and bound their own books. Connie has several ideas posted, and CreativeRebelGal has pictures of her binding technique on her blog.

Truly inspiring!

New Swap Announced!!

A Flower Garden - a skinny fat book. Interested in playing? Join our group. Sign-ups close on July 30.

It's Here!

The 'Under the Sea' book arrived today and it is beautiful - thanks Bunki for hosting the swap and to everyone that participated. Fabulous colors, a gathering of shells, a bevy of mermaids and a school of fish.. not to mention all of the fun stuff that makes the book a 'fat book' -

Another look -

Here is another peek at some pages in the book. All of these pages were made by Rebecca Journey-Smith.

photo by Rebecca Journey-Smith

Want a peek?

Want to see a page from our Under the Sea book? I can upload it here... or add a link to the post.... but how about a visit to Vintage Dragonfly...
okay maybe a little hint....

Fabric Flowers

In our Button, Button book I had a page with fabric flowers:



Tip Junkie had a great post with lots of options - visit her blog to view more great ideas -
Fabric Flowers

Little Fat Book

A friend and I made this book last summer. We each made 10 pairs of pages... 5 with an agreed upon theme and 5 free choice. We were learning about the process and this was a fun way to play and practice techniques, construction and embellishments.

Lisa Vollrath

After playing around Go Make Something mentioned in the previous post, visit Lisa Vollrath's site and view her work, especially her 4 x 4 images
and her archive of altered books.

Go Make Something!

Go Make Something is an archive of printables and projects by Lisa Vollrath. So many things to look at - and so many great things that she shares. Images to download, instructions, projects, how-to's.... spend some time there and learn something new - and then

Go Make Something!

The Graphics Fairy

Looking for some vintage images - you have to visit The Graphics Fairy. Browse around to find over 1,200 FREE Clip Art images, that you can use for craft projects, collage, DIY, scrapbooking etc! Karen has been adding vintage image downloads every day since 2007.

Altered matchbook for ATCs

We have a new book in production right now - but I thought I would share something I made today... an altered matchbook for ATC bases. I cut some prepared papers into pieces for the bases - but I cut them 2 1/2" x 4". I ran them through a sewing machine (no thread) creating a perforated edge so that the papers could be torn off. I wanted to make sure that the book could be reloaded with new bases... and maybe even re-gifted... so I used brads to add the pages to the books.

The Paper Trail

Feel like learning something new? Spend some time with Laura Denison on her blog The Paper Trail
She shares a lot of amazing things - it would be impossible to spend some time there and not find something that interests you -
This is one of her youtube videos:

Button, Button Who's Got The Button?

This is a photo of our last book completed this Spring - great takes on vintage button cards -

Fat Books

Fat Books are called 'fat' because there are so many embellishments the book can't be closed. The standard page size is 4" x 4"... but there are 6" x 6" books and skinny fatbooks. Here is a photo of a skinny fat book page by Shauna Palmer. Follow the link to see photos of the entire book.

What is a Fat Book?

Not sure what a fat book is? Read more:

Make a Fat Book: Creating Chunky Book Pages From Start to Finish

"Fat books are an increasingly popular mixed-media form. These little books, also known as chunky books, are four inches by four inches in size. Despite the tiny size of the pages, the assembled book is extremely bulky because the artists making the pages tend to embellish them with plenty of fibers, trims, charms and ephemera. The bound books often cannot close flat because of the thickness of the decorated pages. They look chunky, which is how they came to be called fat or chunky books...."

Welcome to Altered Art Fat Books!

This blog is a companion to the group AlteredArtFatBooks... a yahoo group created for the purpose of creating 'fat books' or 'chubby books' through mixed-media trading. If you are interested in participating the group please visit our home page and request an invitation.