I pulled out my Vintage Fashion altered book that was in a round robin. There were still a few pages left unadorned. I whipped this one out this morning.
Hopefully I can get a little more inspiration and finish this book up.
Search Results of "vintage fashion"
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This month for Second on the 2nd I wanted to reshare or perhaps rehash the debate over art journals vs altered books. Let me know your thoughts.
Take a look….
Over the years there seems to have been a shift in the verbiage used to describe the process of taking a book of little or no use and making it into a piece of art. Or perhaps it could even be a book with great meaning to you and you want to express yourself within it. Either way…you are altering it from it’s original purpose. Hence the name altered book, right?! But the line has been blurred as mixed media and collage entered the scrapbook and paper arts world. I’m not saying this is a bad thing…more products, techniques, blogs and tutorials out there. Mixed media entered the main stream. Along with that is where the shift happened from altered books to art journals.
I’ve always felt (and still do) that explaining to outsiders what an altered book was bordered on exhausting at times. I’d, all too often, get a blank stare from the person I was talking to about my new passion. Somehow changing the way I described what I was doing as art journaling made more sense to my audience. Oh, it’s just art in journal form. Sure, if that makes it easier for you to understand…I’m cool with that.
For me, I feel as if the difference between an altered book and an art journal has a couple different facets. An altered book must first of all have been a written and published book. Secondly, for it to be an altered book, it has a theme. Such as this Vintage Fashion altered book….which happens to be the first round robin altered book swap I ever participated in. Too bad postage costs have skyrocketed since then.
After completing a few themed altered books, I began creating pages randomly with no theme. Just a place to play and be creative. Somewhere along the line I started calling my “no theme” altered books, art journals. It seemed easier or perhaps more logical way to describe them once I heard more about art journals.
For me, I feel an art journal can be comprised of any substrate. Plain or scrapbook paper, card stock, bound journal, moleskin, cardboard. You name it…it’s likely been tried…as well as, you guessed it….published books. This causes the dreaded crossover…well, is it an art journal or an altered book? I feel as if I’m talking in circles.
I think what it comes down to is personal preference. It is art after all. You can call it whatever you want. We all define what we think is art in very different ways. You aren’t going to please everyone and you shouldn’t try. Art is an expression of yourself. There are no hard and fast rules…which is why I got interested in altered art 11 years ago.
So there you have it…my opinion on the difference between an altered book and an art journal. What is your take on this subject? Do you agree or have another ideas? I’d love to hear your opinions.
Over the weekend I decided to dig deep into my supplies for a bit of “use it or lose it” type of editing. Not surprisingly my inner art supply hoarder found use for these items so I wouldn’t be able to justify getting rid of them.
I used torn bits of scrapbook papers, book page, mod podge, craft and distress paints, glimmer mists, fine glitter and embossing powder to cover the textured card stock. Honestly I wasn’t sure at this point if I’d gone WAY too far with it.
After layering the fabric, scrapbook paper and silk leaf I knew the page could be salvaged. I dug out some leaf shaped brads then heated and dipped them in several shades colors of embossing powder until I achieved the desired look. The framed letters were leftover from the title I made but never used on the cover of my Vintage Fashion altered book. The “L’s” are in reality “I’s” but you’d never have even known that had I not blabbed it to you.
Once I adhered the page into my scrapbook journal I noticed how great these two dark pages fit together…love it when things work out like that.
Linking up with Art Journal Journey again for Autumn.
Over the years there seems to have been a shift in the verbiage used to describe the process of taking a book of little or no use and making it into a piece of art. Or perhaps it could even be a book with great meaning to you and you want to express yourself within it. Either way…you are altering it from it’s original purpose. Hence the name altered book, right?! But the line has been blurred as mixed media and collage entered the scrapbook and paper arts world. I’m not saying this is a bad thing…more products, techniques, blogs and tutorials out there. Mixed media entered the main stream. Along with that is where the shift happened from altered books to art journals.
I’ve always felt (and still do) that explaining to outsiders what an altered book was bordered on exhausting at times. I’d, all too often, get a blank stare from the person I was talking to about my new passion. Somehow changing the way I described what I was doing as art journaling made more sense to my audience. Oh, it’s just art in journal form. Sure, if that makes it easier for you to understand…I’m cool with that.
For me, I feel as if the difference between an altered book and an art journal has a couple different facets. An altered book must first of all have been a written and published book. Secondly, for it to be an altered book, it has a theme. Such as this Vintage Fashion altered book….which happens to be the first round robin altered book swap I ever participated in. Too bad postage costs have skyrocketed since then.
After completing a few themed altered books, I began creating pages randomly with no theme. Just a place to play and be creative. Somewhere along the line I started calling my “no theme” altered books, art journals. It seemed easier or perhaps more logical way to describe them once I heard more about art journals.
For me, I feel an art journal can be comprised of any substrate. Plain or scrapbook paper, card stock, bound journal, moleskin, cardboard. You name it…it’s likely been tried…as well as, you guessed it….published books. This causes the dreaded crossover…well, is it an art journal or an altered book? I feel as if I’m talking in circles.
I think what it comes down to is personal preference. It is art after all. You can call it whatever you want. We all define what we think is art in very different ways. You aren’t going to please everyone and you shouldn’t try. Art is an expression of yourself. There are no hard and fast rules…which is why I got interested in altered art 11 years ago.
So there you have it…my opinion on the difference between an altered book and an art journal. What is your take on this subject? Do you agree or have another ideas? I’d love to hear your opinions.
This tale is about the “right way” and the “wrong way” to be creative…at least this is how it went for me this weekend.
Saturday in an attempt to kill some time while waiting for some laundry to finish, I decided to challenge myself again to create for the Art Journal Journey theme of Collage~no wings, no leaves, no faces. To begin, I tore a page from a vintage basic electric manual figuring it had some good background to it already. In addition I snagged a couple of random scraps from my worktable and took the works to the sewing machine.
I then did a bit of journalling along the edge of one of the scraps. Ok…still feeling it…the creative spark was there but dim.
I added some color…still good. Then I sprayed some black mist through my circle stencil. It was as if the mist put out the spark. Instead doing the smart thing and walking away at that point to regroup…I was still waiting for the stupid laundry cycle to complete so I just kept throwing more crap at the page.
I’m still not excited about this one but that’s ok. Challenges are just that…a challenge. Otherwise it would be called super happy fun time.
On Sunday while cleaning up my workspace I felt that creative spark again. This time I made a deal with myself not to push through if I wasn’t feeling it. I noticed a freebie art paper I had pulled from an old issue of Somerset Studio. So I had a great starting point…maybe an easy way to redeem myself.
Given the fact that this page has an eye on it it wouldn’t count for the challenge away.
I didn’t do a tom to the background…I used gelatos to intensify the colors in certain places, some outlining in white gel pen, lots of stamping, gesso through a stencil and heat embossing…but all in a very subtle way. After deciding on some layers of goodies including ink stained babywipes I adding stitching over my layers and around the page in a random fashion.
Some black paint splatters and added “eyeliner” were my final touch before looking for words. see possibility everywhere was just perfect.
So my lesson to myself was to know enough when to walk away. You can’t force it. I suppose it’s something like writers block…you can stare at a page but you can’t will the words or art to flow.
I’m excited to say that two of my hand knit items have been included in Etsy Treasuries in the last two days! How’s that for a little boost of confidence. :)
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‘Red is my color today!’ by juliber
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‘BLUE !!! With Love From: Advertising Festival – Hello World â�¥’ by elinorlevin
‘Schools out for summer’ by halleshobbies
My hopeful outlook for summer.
 Four Vintage Blue Wood Pro S… $22.50
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 summer theme photo cards $4.00
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 Lost at Sea (the good way) -… $18.00
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 STOCKHOLM Traditional Large … $59.00
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 10 Sea Glass Medium Top Dri… $12.00
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 Fun in the Sun – 5×7 fine ar… $12.00
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 Old fashioned Bocce Ball Set… $325.00
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 Santa Cruise- volkswagen van… $25.00
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 Ha ha ha – its sprinkler tim… $26.00
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 Vintage Family Picnic Basket… $29.00
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 A Simpler Time – 10×10 Black… $17.50
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 Got Lacrosse Vinyl Window St… $3.99
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 Set Of 4 Hand Stamped Palm T… $12.00
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 incomplete but so charming….. $48.00
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 Beach Craft Supplies. Driftw… $14.00
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 Modern Girlhood, 8×10 Metall… $25.00
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