Altered Books in May

It is nearly time for this month's Saturday workshop! Altered Books.

On the 23rd May in Boxmoor we will be making, starting and learning new techniques to make unique little works of ART from old, unloved hardback books.

It is such a happy experience to see beautiful things  emerging from the pages and seeing how everybody interprets the techniques that I'm showing them into their own personal artwork.

This time we are going to be working with Acrylic mediums. Crackle paints, moulding paste,
iridescent mediums and paints, and resin.

We are also going to play with openings and put little doors with hinges into our books.

Each person can choose to work to a theme or just to play with the techniques.

Have a look through this blog for photos of Altered Books and there are lots on my website too. www.paulawatkins.co.uk if you'd like to see examples of this lovely art for.

Here are a few more  to show some of the techniques we will be playing with.

This first one shows some of the different mediums used with iridescent paint effects, It also shows a window cut between the pages to showcase a vintage optometrist lens which has been treated with resin and wired between the pages. 

This little heat treated copper door has brass hinges and a fastening. It  opens to reveal the vintage dresses hanging in the wardrobe by a chain and little wire hangers. The fairies on the other page a peeking in.

This is a stitched panel on a book page using some of my collection of buttons and lace.

As you can see, an Altered Book can be anything you want it to be.

Let me know if you'd like to join us on this workshop or one in the future. We have such fun!

Songs of Innocence

I've come over all monochrome in  my newest Altered Book.

I'm usually so mesmerised by colour but sometimes the peacefulness of pale is just what I need on a crazy day.

Songs of Innocence is all about the beauty of simplicity and the cherishing of  memory, the moments of silence when we know the most important truths and taking time to breathe in the busyness of our hectic day.

I'm hoping that the painting of the pages and the gentle stitching of the linen will be a kind of meditation about the important things in my life. 

Try a little stitching and give yourself a moment of time to be still.  Have a happy peaceful day xx

Behind the wardrobe door!

I have finished another Altered Book. It is called A Stitch in Time and is all about the joy of stitching and is full of buttons and little sewn things. I need to start a new one now really because I have so many ideas for this subject.

But as you may know I'm working on a very exciting project. (So no time for faffing about!)
It's not an altered book, not a fabric book but a real printed  BOOK! More about that soon. Promise.

For now I thought you might like to see a page out of the Stitch in Time book. this is a copper wardrobe door. It is made using heated copper and a fabulous die from amazing Spellbinders.

It has little hinges to attach it to the book pages and to allow it to open and close. And inside...

Four little dresses on hangers and chain. They are all made with vintage fabrics and lace with tiny hand sewn details. They were such fun to do. I actually made 6 dresses but as you all know we girls can never fit all our clothes in the wardrobe. Ha ha. the little fairies peeking around the door are from a fair.I wish I knew who made them.