Image: sxc.hu

Since I’ve begun to get back to my poetry writing and have thoughts of compiling poems I’ve written over the years into a book, I’ve also given thought to incorporating these into crafts.

• I think first of doing illustrations and collages that will reflect the theme of particular poems.  Then these might be something I could display (and sell as postcards, posters and originals) along with my children’s anthology, Tales of Adventure & Discovery, and the upcoming poetry book.
• Also in mind are the altered books I’ve seen that take lines from poems and use them on some of the pages.  They may reflect a theme of the book.  Or the page might evolve around the poem segments.
• For a book of my autumn photos, I spread my “Jack Frost” poem throughout  the pages and between the art.  I used this book when teaching a workshop on scrapbooking one’s writing or poetry and making an interesting book from it.
• You also could incorporate your poetry into a quilt or fabric art theme.  Print the poem on fabric and design a pattern around it. This could take many forms.

Do you have any ideas for crafting with poetry and incorporating it into your art?

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Crafting with Poetry

You can find amazing carved sculptures from books, books that have been completely covered with mixed media artworks and even books used to make fiber art or art quilts.

I’ve got to admit, this is the first purse I’ve seen that’s been made out of a book!

For a project like that, I’d personally recommend "The Ultimate" glue.  It’s a really good quality white glue, and it’s what I used when I’m making covered notebooks.  As long as you handle it properly, I’ve never had it fail.  Just don’t let it freeze… ask me why I know that’s a bad idea

So what’s your take on altered books?  Should we find alternatives to published books and be leave the "real" books intact?  Or do you think it’s okay to create artwork out of something that’s going to end up in the landfill?

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Old Books into Cool Handbags

For my page in the Altered Book group anniversary book, I decided to do a found poem.  I’ve got an old novel called My Lady of the Fog (Ralph H Barbour, 1908) and another Russian text called Selected Stories (Daniil Kharms, 1919).  Very different from each other in feel, I decided to use one of the illustrations from Kharms’s book and do a found poem using a page from Barbour’s.

Really, I couldn’t do it the other way around: I can’t read Russian!

Here’s the instructions that I wrote two years ago for using tissue paper as a guide when creating found poems.  The step by step instructions for this new project are also available.

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Found poem page for anniversary book

Well now my friend Corinne Stubson, who teaches book arts classes and has exhibited her books in art galleries, has decided to make a very special present for everyone in the group who wants to play.  We will each be creating a book page and sending it to Corinne.  She is going to color copy all of the pages, bind them, and send them to each of us.

Piano hinge book, by Corinne Stubson

Some of the folks in the group think that Corinne should keep our originals for herself since she is doing all this work and financing the entire thing as a gift to the group.  I hope we can prevail upon her to do just that.

Some of you may remember Corinne Stubson from an artist profile that she did for me awhile ago.

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Altered Books 10 year anniversary

Yeah, ok, just drive through the alley behind a bookstore sometime, and you’ll see the “sacrilege” of hundreds of books wasted in the dumpster.  Even though schools, libraries, and bookstores are getting better and better at recycling, why not have spare books be used for art instead?

I’ve always particularly liked Brian Dettmer’s work, which is included, and you’ll find Thomas Allen there too, one we’ve talked about here recently.

Image: Brian Dettmer

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The next stage in book arts

There is a large “gallery” of many of Thomas Allen’s pieces here.  I’m not sure that this is a sanctioned site since the post doesn’t even attribute them or link to him.

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Thomas Allen’s book art photography

Image: sxc.hu

You’ll find many ways to save your family memories in scrapbooks:

• Simply a collection of pictures with names or captions
• Adding journal notes and explanations to the pictures
• Writing stories and using the photos and pictures to illustrate
• Write a fiction story, or biography, illustrated with scrapbooking techniques, as I’ve been doing with the story of my Uncle William “Buffalo Bill” Mathewson of New York State and Kansas.
• Creating altered books with family stories and memorabilia
• Designing shadow boxes with family collectibles

I enjoy incorporating scrapbooking techniques with family history and being creative with my stories and illustrating.  I even teach classes on this to help others find the pleasure I do.

Where have you found some great resources for scrapbooking?

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Scrapbooking Your Family Memories

Art and creativity have always been a presence in Jennifer Star’s life. The very foundation of her creativity and artistic expression is based on a spiritual relationship with the earth and universe, and a desire to share this with others.   She has found that healing of the body/mind/ spirit occurs every time she fills herself up with ‘creative food for the soul.’

Bookmaking has been creative food for Star’s soul for as long as she can remember. However, it wasn’t until the early 2000’s that she was introduced to the technical side of bookmaking. From there her structural ability blossomed and she began dabbling in many forms of bindings, altered books, and artist books. Her deep love is in making blank journals – some with highly decorated covers, others left plain so that the owner can decorate it themselves. The following phrase, found on one of Star’s personal collage journals, expresses her sentiment about handmade books: “Something so precious is worth
protecting.”

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Book artist: Jennifer Star

Book Arts Links

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Book arts links from our archives!

Artist: Lea Cioci
Published Designer, Consultant, Product Developer

Websites:
Projects in 1000 HANDMADE Greetings
Creative Art Concepts for Papercrafting

I find that my expression comes from music lyrics, feelings, and sometimes even themes. Color and textures bring my spirit alive. Sometimes my work has a message or other times it is just a random expression where I just start and follow the journey of creating. Everyone is an artist in their own way. I honor those to let the journey take them to different places of expression.

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Book artist: Lea Cioci