book altering / altered art craftalong?

[taped_on_wings]

heini -- you can join a craftalong at any time no matter how long you've been on Craftster.   

As for me, I've gotten zip done on my book.  Blah.  But I am taking a class next semester on artist's books!  Then I'll get something done!

[grapefruiit]

okay i'm so weird. i go through these random phases - sometimes i'm so thrilled about book altering and i can't get enough of it, then other times i feel bad/weird about "destroying" books. but i think i'm over it now. so yes, i will finally be starting my altered book. soon. very, very soon. how is everyone else going with theirs? has anyone actually started yet?

[heini]

I suppose it's not too late to join, if you haven't done almost anything yet.

Should there be some kind of schedule? If the theme of the whole book is favourites, there could also be different theme for every week/month. For example 1. week: song; 2. week: colour; 3. week: food etc.
I think that would motivate (at least me) to do something and not just think "I'll start/continue altering, when I'm not this busy."

[purrpower]

sonjaboo - i think those ideas are all wonderful~! and i agree with what you said about the theme being general. yep yep.. ^^

misi23 - i guess we start when we've decided on a theme?

hmmm.. i personally don't really mind what theme we do, but i really like the favourites idea..anyways yeah.. i guess we'll start when everyone has posted about what kinda themes they're interested in, and we choose one that everyone likes from those suggestions...

Yes, I want to do this. I have started one of these before and it is awesome when you get the book back. Favorites sounds like a good theame very open ended.
Purrpower

[grapefruiit]

I suppose it's not too late to join, if you haven't done almost anything yet.

Should there be some kind of schedule? If the theme of the whole book is favourites, there could also be different theme for every week/month. For example 1. week: song; 2. week: colour; 3. week: food etc.
I think that would motivate (at least me) to do something and not just think "I'll start/continue altering, when I'm not this busy."

of course, if you want a schedule, you can make a schedule but personally i don't think i can do that because i prioritise school and my studies before any sort of art... but i do get what you mean about the whole motivation thing, seeing as none of us have actually started our books.. 
maybe we could work with a very loose schedule - like, a spread a month or something?

Yes, I want to do this. I have started one of these before and it is awesome when you get the book back. Favorites sounds like a good theame very open ended.
Purrpower

yay! more people = good. but just to clear things up a bit, we're not actually passing a book around for this particular craftalong...here we're each working on individual projects, and posting pictures as we go... 

[Subversive]

How do you choose which books to use?

  Here are my book choices so far and why:

1) Cheap copy of The Razor's Edge - chose this one because a) there is absolutely nothing about it that would make me feel bad about "ruining" it (my first attempt at an AB) - crappy hardcover edition with no dust jacket and nothing special about the binding or contents, no one will miss this book or regret its conversion; b) I think I paid 50 cents for it; and c) the story (about a guy who decides to go his own way in the world, seeking spiritual enlightenment and avoiding getting stuck in a boring conventional rut) had a lot of wording that reminded me of my ex-husband, so the AB became about the decline and fall of my marriage.

2) A set of tiny children's "board books" - 2"x3" - picked them up for $1 (for 14 of them) because I had read that board books are a great place to start when learning how to do ABs.  So far I've used one of them as part of a larger altered object -- a sort of shrine for friends of mine who are getting married - the book part contains quotes about love and partnership, etc.

3) A beautiful illustrated 1912 edition of Henry Van Dyke's Little Rivers - Essays on Profitable Idleness  - the cover has gorgeous Art Nouveau illumination with sprays of gold leaves on the spine and calla lilies on the front; unfortunately, the pages are badly water-damaged (which is why I snagged it for $1 at my local library store); my extremely loose plan for this one, to be executed once I have a better idea what I'm doing, is to take out most or all of the signatures and just use the cover - maybe replace the pages with a box of the same dimensions.

[McJulie-O]

How do you choose which books to use?

 


3) A beautiful illustrated 1912 edition of Henry Van Dyke's Little Rivers - Essays on Profitable Idleness  - the cover has gorgeous Art Nouveau illumination with sprays of gold leaves on the spine and calla lilies on the front; unfortunately, the pages are badly water-damaged (which is why I snagged it for $1 at my local library store); my extremely loose plan for this one, to be executed once I have a better idea what I'm doing, is to take out most or all of the signatures and just use the cover - maybe replace the pages with a box of the same dimensions.

This sounds like an excellent idea!....the box would still show the beautiful cover.....OR,

Have you considered making a purse out of it?

[grapefruiit]

Art Nouveau  ........ *drools*

[ACTersUnite]

I would love to join. It is my new passion too. If anyone lives in MN or Northwest WI the MN altered book group thru Yahoo meet Sunday, August 13th. email me at cmhatcstamper@yahoo.com for more info. I have some messages to write so I can join in since I still a newbie. I'm currently working on a book that I bought on etsy that looks like a tag with the round hole in the top-like on hotel do not disturb signs-Cool huh. There are great links at lisavollrath.com and altered books group thru yahoo and give great tutorials, how to etc with really good directions. Email me for more specifics and let me know if you live in the Midwest!

[Kitsuneh]

So, have people really started yet? I think this is an awesome idea so maybe I could join in?

Mmm, must go find book.