Guest Author - Meschill Billington

There are many situations that require rules and boundaries. A society has both enforced rules, or laws, and social boundaries known as mores or etiquettes. Rules are necessary in sports as well as board and card games and children must have boundaries when growing up. However, some things are better when there are no rules. In some instances rules and boundaries limit a good outcome. Such is the case with Altered Books. The only rule when creating an Altered Book is…………there are no rules!

The simple definition of an altered book is a book that has been altered; taking an old or new book and transforming it through artistic methods to create a work of art. The process could include painting, stamping, inking, tearing, cutting, carving, folding, gluing, embossing, distressing, and chalking, to name a few. The altering of the book could also include collage, ephemera, current photos as well as vintage photos, memorabilia, found objects, cutouts from magazines, images printed from the internet…..well, you are only limited by your imagination.

The book can be completely changed or some of the elements of the original book can be incorporated into the new design. Usually the altered book artist will tear pages from the book and glue pages together to create fewer pages which transform into canvases. The next step can be to cover all the words or some of the words with gesso to prepare the page for decoration. Small niches can be carved in the pages making room for tiny treasures or objects. Pages can be folded to make pockets and additional paper can be added to create fold out pages. Once again, anything goes! At first it may be hard to rip into a book but creating something beautiful from a book that would otherwise be thrown in a landfill can be very rewarding.

An altered book project can be made simply as art; in fact there are many artists who create beautiful altered books and many grateful admirers who will purchase those that the artist will let go of or those that don’t find their way into art museums and galleries. But for a paper crafter like myself there are many reasons and themes for completing an altered book.

A theme for your altered book can come from anywhere, a color, a mood, a favorite object, nature, your home, etc. A book can be created as an outlet for self discovery, expression or in tribute to someone or something. A book can be a gift for a grandparent or other family member with photos, or the process of altering the book can be very personal and therapeutic after losing a loved one or going through any difficult experience. Another idea is to use an altered book for trying new techniques, maybe a different technique on each page or a place to display a child’s artwork or writing.

The important thing to remember once again is that there are no rules. You are only limited by your creativity, time and supplies. There are many websites with pictures and examples of altered books, many of which are listed under Altered Books in the BellaOnline Paper Crafts website. Get rid of any fear you may have and dive into altering a book!