m.o.M - mother of Michael

When the Background is in the Foreground

Working on lots of backgrounds in a couple of altered books right now. It's really appealing to the destructive side of me!

This one got a little splotchy, but isn't that really just a design element?

 

How Much is Enough?

I'm working on backgrounds for an altered book class I'm taking. I have noticed that the pages in one of my books seems to just suck up the paint. It's like painting on new sheetrock that's had not primer. While I realize that gesso would probably resolve this issue, I want some of the text to show through the paint.

In a very unscientific experiment, I used the same paint and the same technique on two different books. The second book was swimming in paint (but I probably didn't account for the book being smaller...). So I still don't have an answer, but that's okay. The extra paint sent to some ATCs that needed a background too.

Now I have a matched set!

21

Step One

Not a wildly creative day, but I did take the first step towards some wild creativity.

I started my Altered Book class today! It's online so I can do it at my pace and I paid for it. I knew that once I plunked down some hard earned cash, I would follow through. Weird how that works...

I have bought books on the topic, read articles and blog posts galore, but never actually took that leap into the world of altered books. Maybe it's because my mother always told me that books were my friends. It's always the mother's fault.

So. Step One. Work on techniques for backgrounds. I particularily like this one.

I purchased a couple of books to alter at the thrift store. This one is really riveting reading:

Successful Small Client Accounting Practice. Copywrite 1976.

I don't think it was ever opened until I cracked it open to splash paint all over it!

My favorite is the author. I'll bet he was loads of fun at a party!