Wednesday 9 May 2012

Kid's stuff

The challenge this month at Tando Creative is to "Alter it". Now I'm in the camp that says to be really altered, something must be changed beyond its original use rather than just decorated in a certain style. Others are in the other camp and that's fine!

I started with a child's board book picked up for 30p in a charity shop. I'm not sure I would have given it to a child (a bit too much evidence of its previous owner's snacking habits!) but it was ripe for a bit of cutting and sticking.

The pages are covered with scrunched tissue paper and then painted with acrylic paint for a textured, leathery sort of effect.

On the front, I've added a bookplate with a stamped sentiment (Time to Stamp was one of my very first purchases from Cornish Heritage Farms way back when so I'm delighted that it's formed part of the first release now that CHF has new owners).

I painted the bookplate with gold acyrlic, beat it up with an embossing stylus and added a tiny bit of brown paint for the textured look.

The little stud on the right of the plate is actually the book closure - a Sam Browne stud (that's a hitch fastener if you're in the world of Tim Holtz but a whole lot cheaper if you're in the land of leather supplies).

 I cut a niche by removing the centre of most of the pages and sticking them together. Versamark dabbed through a mask and brushed with copper and bronze Perfect Pearls adds some pattern over the scrunched tissue paper texture.

I added sketchy circles with gesso on the inner page to suggest a clock face and added the ornate chipboard hands, painted with gold acrylic. They're positioned so that the thick bit where they are stacked on top of each other goes inside the niche when the book is closed.

Inside the niche I've sponged over a clock mask, added a stamped sentiment and a "rusty" chipboard key (coloured with a copper Krylon leafing pen and then given a coat of Vintage Photo Distress embossing powder).

A bit different for me but I had fun doing it and it's certainly not going to be used by a child to learn about colours and shapes so it fits my altered requirements!

Supplies:
Board book
Keys grab bag, Clock hands, Bookplate, Bamboo mask  (all Tando Creative)
Time to Stamp and Key Expressions stamp sets (Cornish Heritage Farms)
Tim Holtz Distress ink by Ranger (Vintage Photo)
Versafine by Tsukineko (Onyx Black) 
Versamark by Tsukineko
Acrylic paint (Dark Umber and Gold)
Gesso
Perfect Pearls (Copper and Bronze)
Distress Embossing Powder (Vintage Photo)
Krylon leafing pen (Copper)
Timeworks mask
Tissue paper
Lace
Paper roses (Wild Orchid Crafts)
Sam Browne stud
Crop-a-Dile

Thanks for stopping by! As ever, we'd love to have you play along with the challenge and be in with a chance of picking out some lovely Tando goodies as a prize package if your name comes out of the hat at the end of the month! Details here: Alter it


24 comments:

Di said...

Oh wow Joanne, this is amazing. I have quite a few childrens board books....you have totally inspired me now LOL....thank you.

Karen said...

This is a perfect piece of altering Joanne...its truly stunning! Love the tissue paper, love the sentiments, love it all! xxx

Gez Butterworth said...

Outstanding! Joanne this is so beautiful and what a surprise inside. Brilliant!

Scrapmate said...

This is great, I have a library rejected board book waiting to be decorated and this has given me some ideas. I'm on the same side as you when it comes to altering/decorating. I feel a lot of the 'altered' stuff around is merely decorated but in fairness to the other camp when I visited an exhibition on post modern design at the V&A some months ago they had actually used the word 'altered' in a decorated context. So I guess if it's good enough for the V&A...

tracy said...

that's beautiful joanne :)

Effie said...

Well that's 30p well spent... Fab stuff.

Deborah said...

A real Cinderella transformation, Joanne. Love that 'leather' cover.

Kath said...

Brilliant. I love it all.

Kaz said...

This is just stunning Joanne, you always manage to impress me with your style and neatless x

salamanda said...

Truly inspiring piece of altered art. Love it.

Traceyr said...

Joanne nobody could accuse you of not altering that book - haha. It is fantastic and unrecognisable as a children's book. :)

Brilliant.

Jackie Elwin said...

Beautiful piece of altering. I love the golds and browns, coppers and bronze - so much texture and rich brown colour.

Hazel said...

Breathtakingly stunning creativity - love all the texture x

Something Special said...

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Christine said...

I love your altered book, especially the scrunchy texture. I must have a go at that! Thank you for leaving a comment on my blog, it is much appreciated!

Anonymous said...

Just yesterday I was wondering why tissue paper in various colors was for sale on ellenhutson.com. Now I know! Not that I think I can convert it to a piece so gorgeous as what you have done, of course, but would be fun to play with it.
Always your sentiments are so unique and so utterly appropriate for the piece, it's just over-the-top stunning how you make everything fit together, starting from scratch.

Awesome work for sure!

Thanks for sharing it,
Bahb

JulieD said...

Love this project - board books are great for altering aren't they? I've got a box full as my youngest daughter is just growing out of them! I love the texture on the cover and the lovely recess inside. Stunning. JulieD (RockMum!)

Crafting Queen said...

Really wnderful cretaion. Love the tissue paper on the cover.

Lucy Edmondson said...

I love this, one of the nicest board books I have seen,

Lucy x

Unknown said...

Absolutely brilliant - amazing textures - just gorgeous.

I am just starting to leave comments again - but I have been visiting - just been limited on the time I have on the computer
xx

Sam said...

I am excited to try a truly altered book and I will start one in my room from http://roomstogrowusa.web12.hubspot.com/hobbyrooom/. Very inspirational thanks!

Winnie said...

I love your altering of this book. The cover is great and I love the mask in the inside and the sentiment too. It looks like it would be fun to do. Thanks for inspiring me to try it.

Kathy said...

Utter;y stunning and I wish it was mine!

celiacgirl said...

I'm blown away by your talent. You do inspire creativity!