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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Tuesday, June 01, 2004 - 4:03 pm
In 2002, I rolled my love of beads, paint, clay, paper, and more into Altered Books. Since then, I have moved onto altering journals, matchboxes, and more. This, for example, is a journal I made for my former foster daughter for her graduation:

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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Tuesday, June 01, 2004 - 4:11 pm
Some altered book spreads:
This is an AB spread about Children being Angels...My favorite angel is the little guy in the high chair on the right.
What started as a "clear out the junk drawer" ended up being a memorial for my dad.
This was for a friend's book of poetry. The tree covers the poem, "Trees" and there are 2 other poems hidden in the spread.
This was for an Asian round robin; I opted for minimalism. The Buddha was a page in the book.
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Tuesday, June 01, 2004 - 4:13 pm
Edgar Allan Poe question: Right now, I am pondering Poe. I had initially planned to use my copy of Danielle Steel's Mirror Image for the altered book round robin I have joined. The theme possibilities abounded: What you see in a mirror, Rorschach images, positive/negative images, Through the Looking Glass, reflections, etc. I was excited, and then realized the book wasn't thick enough. It is only 1" thick and it needed to be a minimum of 1.50". BUT, I scoured my stack of books, and then DH's. My eyes lit on the 1992 Easter present I bought him: Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. Not including covers, it is 1.75" thick. Now to think up a theme. DH suggested horror. But I already have a book themed "Things That Make You Shudder," so it seems redundant. So, I turn to you, my fellow TVCHers. I'm going to do some Poe research, but any suggestions would be appreciated. Given the body of work Poe encompasses, can anyone thing of themes for my art project?
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Tuesday, June 01, 2004 - 6:26 pm
Oops. I had forgotten to put in the definition of Altered Books in my first post. An altered book is an existing book that has been changed or altered .... "glued, painted, collaged, rubber stamped, cut, torn, or added to. It is an expression of one's self, a piece of art, an experiment or a conversation piece." Altered Books Yahoo Group
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Twiggyish
Member
08-14-2000
| Tuesday, June 01, 2004 - 6:34 pm
Great ideas! Did you see my Raven theme for Poe?
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Tuesday, June 01, 2004 - 6:43 pm
Yes, Twiggyish, I did, thank you so much. We're waiting to hear if we can use thinner books. One woman has a 180-page book--and Mirror Image is twice that size!
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Tuesday, June 01, 2004 - 7:10 pm
Yahoo! Just got the email allowing for books of 1", as long as notes are placed to make niches shallow. SO, I am back to Mirror Image. Thank you everyone for your EAP suggestions. They were most helpful. I ended up with 30 different ideas, and I wouldn't be surprised if, at some point, I converted EAP to an AB.
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 1:51 am
These are the pages I referred to in my Tess' Tales post last night. The theme is emBODYment; the misspelling and capitalization is on purpose. Each contributor is to do 2 2-page spreads.
The first page has a RS of a tired, older, woman. That image is then stamped over with an Affirmations stamp. The message is to look within the older woman and see the beauty. (Or, as DH insists: See the beauty emanating from the woman.) Then I RS phrases that I felt fit. The enjoined page has as its centerpiece a poem stamped on wooden ruler w/metal strip-torn origami paper. The moon stamp is symbolic of not only three phases of the moon (waning, full, and waxing) but also of womanhood (virgin, mother, crone); i.e., what I (and the woman whose journal it is) have or will embody during our lives.
I have loved the image of the butterfly woman since I saw it on the Go Goddess! box. So, I scanned it, made a template, and then pondered the womanly figure, trying to figure out how to make her stand-out. It then occurred to me: quick drying spackling. In the first image, I folded down the arms--a pose I hadn't tried before. The letters are punches I bought at Joann's. They're really nice punches; however, if you decide to get them, wait for the 50% off coupon. They're about $35-$40 and have three sets: A-L, M-Z, and numbers. (I don't have the numbers, yet.) The butterflies, dragonfly, and bee fly through all four pages to unify them.
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Pamy
Member
01-02-2002
| Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 4:18 am
WOW! LK, those are beautiful! You are very talented!!
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Ladytex
Member
09-27-2001
| Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 5:28 am
Too cool!
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Urgrace
Member
08-19-2000
| Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 8:33 am
Always love seeing art in another form. Nice!
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Hippyt
Member
06-15-2001
| Thursday, June 03, 2004 - 9:47 am
Those are really lovely!
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Thursday, June 24, 2004 - 12:24 pm
While the site was done, I managed to get some artwork done. My new Round Robin is on AB Techniques. Everyone has a different theme, but each month (starting in July) we'll have one technique to incorporate into their theme. My theme is Mirror Image. (I'm appropriately using Danielle Steele's book of the same name.)
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Autumn
Member
10-29-2003
| Thursday, June 24, 2004 - 12:50 pm
LK, I can't see the pics posted directly above (just says: "your image here") but I wanted to comment on the ones you posted further up ~ "emBODYment" ~ they are beautiful!!! I love them - each and every one! Great job, hun! 
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Thursday, June 24, 2004 - 5:20 pm
okay, let's try this again (I omitted the rules page; it has the group addresses and will be glued together when the book returns to me in April.): Frontspiece; another way to set the mood of the theme:
Sign-in Cover. I wanted the sign-in to reflect the theme. A little aluminum foil, some felt sticky letters, and I was all set. The bow is there simply because I liked it. BTW, aluminum foil is a very interesting medium with which to wrap:
Sign-In Page, Left Side. A little museum putty secures the mirrors, but makes them removable. Artists can decorate their mirrors as they wish.
Sign-In Page, Right Side. See Left Side for description.

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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Monday, July 05, 2004 - 12:19 pm
The last spread in my Mirror images book, before it is sent out:
The text reads as follows: When I look in the mirror and I see my reflection I wonder: Is that really me? Is that what the world sees when they look at me? Do they see the me within? Do they see the frustrated artist? Do they see the wannabe author? Do they see someone with a disability? Do they see someone who is lazy and fat? Do they see gray strands and see "old"? Do they see my heart? Do they see my concern? My love? What do people see when they see me? Do they see the outer me, only? Or do some see within? The one who cares, and loves, and bleeds red blood When hurt--just like everyone else.

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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Monday, July 05, 2004 - 5:49 pm
Lk, your post in another thread led me on a happy trail here. (I don't even know where I am, and no cute comments.) Thanks for posting, I probably never would have stumbled by on my own. This is fascinating to me. I constantly buy old books just for their titles, and then I stack them up as conversation pieces. Your work is giving me more ideas! My latest stack of books have these titles: A Word in Your Ear, Just Another Word, I Hear Adventure Calling, Today is Yours, and Glimpses of Grace. Oh the possibilities! Loved seeing your work. You are one creative lady!
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Monday, July 05, 2004 - 6:40 pm
I answered Vee in her folder, and left her links to come back here...sort of like bread crumbs. 
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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Tuesday, July 06, 2004 - 9:40 am
You may be interested to know that I have spent my morning reading about the fine art of altered books. Surprisingly, I discovered that I have altered books before...the usual crayon drawing stuff, but I also used to buy poetry books in which I wrote personal messages along the borders. I thought I had outgrown that, but perhaps I haven't after all.
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Tuesday, July 06, 2004 - 1:31 pm
Vee: It doesn't surprise me at all. Have fun--and if you want/need help, give a yell. 
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Tuesday, July 06, 2004 - 1:36 pm
A different emBODYment book... This person's book had a theme of dance. I thought I was sent to go--and then discovered late one night on my deadline, that we really needed a new color ink cartridge to print out the painting images I wanted. Ah well...
The butterfly is from a string of lights that burned out. The letters are from the same punch set I mentioned above.
I wanted to keep the space on the page to portray the space to dance... I liked the simplicity, and the 3-D items. I tend to do my best work with a straightforward layout. 
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Luvmyjrt
Member
09-18-2003
| Tuesday, July 06, 2004 - 3:50 pm
Lovely, LK, really lovely!
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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Wednesday, July 07, 2004 - 9:05 am
Oh, I get to see it after all...went to do something and came back to find it all there...must just have taken some time. Question: With all the 3D items, do you worry about the thickness of the book or if anything will get crushed when the book is closed?
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Wednesday, July 07, 2004 - 6:11 pm
Vee: I used pretty sturdy items. The joy of Altered books/journals is that most people don't want their books/journals to close. This particular person asked that we please make her book bulge, so I decided to oblige.
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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Wednesday, July 07, 2004 - 8:14 pm
Ohhhh! So it is meant as an open display...Neat! I'm just a bit slow, don't mind me.
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