This
book teaches the reader to think of a photograph as a canvas for a wide
range of artistic manipulation and coloring techniques.
Once
upon a time, you hesitated to even take scissors to a photo (even an
imperfect one) because if you lost its negative, you’d also lose that
moment in time forever. In this day of digital images and photo
printers for the home computer, photographs are easily duplicated, so
you never have to be concerned about preserving printed photos.
You
can cut, color, collage, and camouflage to your heart’s content. The
photo is now an art medium that can be altered physically or digitally
to create all kinds of effects.
Paula Guhin is a former educator,
visual artist, photographer, and the author of the ever-popular
Glorious Glue, Art with Adhesives, published by J. W. Walch, and Can We
Eat the Art? Her articles have appeared in School Arts, Instructor,
Teaching Today, and many more periodicals. She is also a contributing
editor for Arts and Activities Magazine.
Click on the image to read how to bleach a photo.
I tried it and I love how it came out!
In case you can't quite make out what I wrote, it says, "forewarned is forearmed"
That is kind of what lightning is in regards to thunder.
Today's Question:
What is your favorite type of photo to take? Close-up or wide shot?
Leave your answer and you are entered to win a free book!
Re-Bound shows readers how to take every day materials from around the house, flea markets and thrift stores, and hardware and office supply stores, and turn them into fabulous books. Instead of saying, What can I make a book out of, readers will be thinking, What can't I make a book out of? In Re-Bound, a vintage souvenir wallet becomes a photo album. Last year's trendy sweater becomes a takealong journal. Even potato chip bags get a second life as a handy pocket notebook. This fun pursuit is economical as well as ecological. A variety of attractive, uncomplicated bindings, how-to instructions, and step-outs bring each project to life.
Jeannine Stein (Los Angeles, CA) has been making books for more than 15 years, exploring bindings, mediums, and techniques. She has studied with notable book artists Daniel Essig, Keith Smith, Kitty Maryatt, and Charlene Matthews. Her work has been featured in such Quarry titles as Pockets, Pullouts, and Hiding Places, Beyond Scrapbooks, and 100 Ideas for Stationery, Cards, and Invitations. Her projects have also been appeared in magazines, including Home Companion, Romantic Country, and Stamper's Sampler.
Last month I did a tiny little book with window-screen inspired by the project from Re-Bound posted here.
Well, I loved it so much I made another one:
It is made from:
window-screen or as I call it hardware cloth
recycled jacket bias tape
a soda can
recycled advertising post cards
Yarn
2 binder rings
Here is how I did it:
First I cut the large area off the back of an old jacket.
Then I cut strips on my Simplicity Rotary Cutting machine (dreamy!) If you like to cut fabric up as much as I do this machine is invaluable. I used the straight cutting blade but it also has a blade that cuts pinked edges.
Then I ran the strips through the bias tape machine, (double dreamy!)
Then I stitched the bias tape around the raw cut edge of the hardware cloth screening. I should point out here that I didn't make true bias tape, bias tape is cut a a 45 degree angle to the grain of the fabric, but as you can see it still worked great!
I used the red yarn with a chenille yarn to whip stitch around the raw edge of the back piece of the hardware cloth just to be different.
For the pages of this book I used a stack of advertising postcards. I just punched holes in them and linked it all together with binder rings. I plan to add a lot of dimensional things to this book so I used really big ones!
Today's question:
How often do you write or add to your journal/notebook? Do you have a system or how do you work it into your day?
As a thanks for sharing you are entered to win a free book!
Check out this week's episode of Look, Learn & Create shot at The Swap-O-Rama-Rama at Maker Faire 2009. It features Scatha G. Allison showing us some of the spectacular pieces form the book including the featured skirt on the cover.
Pair cast-off denim with a crafter's unyielding creativity and you have a craft with limitless possibility. Denim is the perfect fabric for many arts and craft methods: it is durable, washable, and dyeable; it can be cut, sliced, shredded, poked, prodded, and cinched. Jean Therapy teaches basic techniques -- building anything from skirts, bags, vests, and accessories -- and illuminates these basic techniques with dozens of clever, funky, and stylish variations.
Jean Therapy includes straightforward, illustrated instructions for more than 20 projects, running the gamut from simple accessories to reconstructed pants, skirts, and halter tops, each featuring design and personalization tips and techniques. Each project has a main beauty shot, detail shots, and a number of technical step illustrations that show creation and assembly details.
It also includes a detailed chapter on customizing and tailoring clothing for a perfect fit -- a key ingredient when working with repurposed clothing.
Scatha G. Allison (San Francisco, CA) is an artist and designer with a background in painting, installation, and mixed-media work, and is known in the San Francisco design community for her distinct cutting, draping, and patterning skills, specializing in couture techniques and reconstruction. Her clothing line, Miss Velvet Cream, is currently available in San Francisco boutiques Venus Superstar and Queen of the Meadow, Show Pony in LA, and La Rouge in Portland.
She is just such a talented and inspiring chick!
Well, I love cuffs and I was sorting through my denim stash and I ran across this Ralph Lauren tag with a flag on it and it just jumped right out and said, "make me into a cuff!"
So I said, "OK"
Here is how I did it:
I cut the waistband off the jeans with enough to fold under.
I went to the leather scrap bin and found a strip of gold lame that I thought would make a fun strap.
I also went to the junk jewelry stash and pulled out a watch band that I could harvest a buckle from.
I glued the cut edge under.
To make the strap I simply poked the harvested buckle through the strip of lame and glued it in place to secure.
Then I simply ran the gold strap under the flag patch and the belt loops and buckled it.
I should also tell you I added a snap on the under side of the lower corner. Because the patch was off center the strap wanted to be off center. This caused the cuff to want to open out a bit at the opposite side (under the tiny flag tag, so I just stitched a little snap on.
If you like this flag cuff and want to see how I made one from recycled book covers pop on over to this post.
Today's question:
What is the most interesting or unique way you have seen the flag motif used?
As a thanks for answering you will be entered to win a free book!
I got this press release and I was thrilled with the news that Project Runway was starting August 20th!
Click on the images and read about all the sewing and fashion books! It made me want to get sewing!
I just got my copy of the new book Making Trousers for Men and Women: A Multimedia Sewing Workshop By David Coffin Comfortable, flattering pants can be challenging to make—but they’re wonderful to wear. In this book, David Coffin provides his inventive, sure-fire methods for getting it right.
With his characteristic precision and straight talk—and with the help of photographs, drawings, and a series of video sequences on the accompanying CD-ROM—Coffin teaches the reader how to get great results—whether making a showcase garment or just whipping out an everyday pair.
For more information and book-related extras, visit David Coffin's blog makingtrouserswithdpc.blogspot.com, all about making trousers and specifically designed for the readers of this book.
A former editor of Threads magazine, David Coffin (Brookings, OR) is the author of Shirtmaking: Developing Skills for Fine Sewing. He has appeared on several online sewing forums, hosted live chats, and appeared on Sandra Betzin’s HGTV sewing program. He has conducted sewing workshops throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, at guild meetings of the American Sewing Guild and the Professional Association of Custom Clothiers, tradeshows, fabric stores, and conferences.
And I can't wait to read it and watch the included video!
Sew much to read and watch! But now on to Crafty Blogger Links to share with you:
Mixed Media Artist Do not fear...making altered books will not cause lightning to strike you!
Cross Stitch at About.com What do you do with odds and ends of embroidery floss? Read these ideas and share your own.
Crafty Princess Diaries Have you thought of starting your own craft weblog? Here is why crafting rocks when it comes to niche blogging.
Cathie Filian When you need a crafty break - whip up this quick and easy snack of homemade hummus and baked bagel chips.
Aileen's Musings Aileen gives you a sneek peek at some felt banners she's making for a swap, and tells you how to make easy rolled felt flowers to use as embellishments.
About Family Crafts As a parent, one of the biggest crafting dilemmas you may face is what to do with all the wonderful masterpieces your child creates. How do you display each piece so it gets the attention it deserves?
inspires artists to make better eco-conscious choices within their work and their studios and shows them how.
The book has four sections:
The first offers safe and green practices for the workspace.
The second contains recipes for DIY art supplies such as ones for mixing your own nontoxic paints and adhesive.
The next two sections share a fresh look at using recycled materials through creative step-by-step projects and a gallery.
The book also contains a resource guide for ecofriendly materials and supplies, including websites and forum links.
Karen Michel (Island Park, NY) is a mixed-media artist. She runs a 10-year old nonprofit art center for kids, the Creative Art Space for Kids Foundation, with her artist husband Carlo Thertus. Along with sharing her love for the arts with children, she also teaches adult workshops to beginners and established artists alike. Her books, paintings, and collages have been exhibited internationally and have been published in various books and magazines, including her own bookThe Complete Guide to Altered Imagery.
Today I thought I'd share this page with you all. Click on the image to enlarge and read about how to juxtapose images
I love the technique of juxtaposing images and use it on just about every page in my altered book/journal. Here is one example:
The roosters have really nothing to do with the napkin holder but I felt visually they went together.
![](<a href="http://www.buyhandmade.org"><img src="http://www.buyhandmade.org/images/100x100.jpg" alt="I Took The Handmade Pledge! BuyHandmade.org" width="100" height="100" border="0" /></a>){kind=link}