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When participating in mail-art projects, artists have the opportunity to be exposed to methods they would have otherwise never tried. Let's look at some!
Adding movable elements, niches and nooks to art journal pages and altered book pages add both interest and additional opportunities for "arting" things up! Here are some ideas:
- TIE IT ON! This idea requires the use of eyelets, an eyelet setter and either ribbons or a sturdy cord. Open your art journal or altered book to a clean page spread. Using a paper of choice (old book page, decorative paper, cardstock, and so on), cut it down to the size of half the page spread. Place the paper over one page of your art journal or altered book, then punch holes (three or four evenly spaced, about ¼ inch from the edge) down the edge of both the paper and the book page. Remove the paper and pound in eyelets to both the book page and the paper. Using the ribbon or cord, lace through the eyelets and tie the pages together so they're loose enough to turn. Repeat this process once again for a multi-page pull-out.
- STICK IT IN! Only adhesive and paper is required for this process. Open your art journal or altered book to a clean page spread. Take out a piece of paper of choice and fold it in half. Place the paper so it fits right into the crease of the book. Create a deckled edge around all the non-folded areas of your paper, tearing off enough so a ½-inch border shows in the book when the paper is placed in the crease again. Center folded paper on the page and flip it around so the folded edge is facing the opposite of the crease of the book. Using a strong adhesive, attach the folded page to the book's page. This creates a fold-out.
- TAG IT UP! This process requires use of blank tags (any size will do), eyelets and adhesive. Open your art journal or altered book to a clean page spread (unless using this method as an additional embellishment). Position the tags where they work best on the page. Punch a hole in the page where the tag's hole is. Pound an eyelet through the tag's hole. Score a line on the tag below the hole and eyelet and create a fold. Using a strong adhesive, attach the tag to the page so the small portion that isn't folded is stuck the page. This allows for a folded niche that flips up and can be altered on both sides of the tag. Option: tie a piece of cord or ribbon through the hole created on the page through the eyelet.
- CARVE IT OUT! This process required use of a strong adhesive and a craft knife. Glue several pages of your art journal or altered book together and allow them to dry completely. In order to ensure pages are drying flat, place the book to dry closed under a heavy stack of books. When the pages are dry, use a craft knife to carve out windows, flaps and shapes. Use a template or stencil to create precise cutouts.
This is just the beginning! Stay tuned for more ideas!
The copyright of the article Add Niches & Nooks to Art Projects in Altered Books is owned by Jennifer Hollowell. Permission to republish Add Niches & Nooks to Art Projects in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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