Preparing My Latest Vintage Altered Book

[@BookandPaperArts]

To see my online courses, including How to Alter a Board Book, they are here: kelly-s-school-b1d1.thinkific.com/collections

[@emilywatts993]

Thanks for the refresher, Kelly. I can't wait to see you work on the pages. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your altered books. Your work is very inspiring.

[@BookandPaperArts]

Thank you, dear Emily. This makes me happy as I love my altered books more than anything else that I make and it brings me joy to know that you like them, too. Thanks! Kelly

[@verachyz9079]

I'm so glad you chose a teabag for mending the gutter. That's what I was saying over and over and you heard me all the way over here in Canada, LOL.

[@BookandPaperArts]

Vera, this made me smile because I don't doubt it one little bit. Keep whispering ideas at me, please! 😺😺Kelly

[@Quill._]

I have a book waiting to be repaired and altered. Thank you for the info especially the teabag tip.

[@BookandPaperArts]

Now this is what I like to hear. I hope it does the trick. Just one more reason to love tea bags. 🫖🫖

[@heleneebenstein9120]

Great tutorial and reminder of the the importance of patience. I have plowed ahead without waiting for a section to dry and the result was a mess. Thanks.

[@BookandPaperArts]

This made me laugh out loud, Helene. It took me a couple of disasters before I really believed that I couldn't change this and do and then dry three segments at a time, and I'm a gal who does not give up on a book easily. When I am on a roll I like to work one two books at the same time so I can glue segments in one while the other is drying. Thanks for comparing notes!

[@NormaBennettSYD]

Thanks Kelly for such clear instructions, pointing out pitfalls but without scaring us half to death 😊

[@BookandPaperArts]

Hi Norma. I decided a while back to save others from having to reinvent the somewhat touchy wheel that is preparing a book to be altered. Let me know how it goes! Kelly

[@faelanm]

Beautiful book from around 1903.

[@BookandPaperArts]

Thanks Fae. That would be my guess as well.

[@sandybe11]

Love seeing your process, even though you have shown before, it’s a different book, so sometimes different issues. Thanks!

[@BookandPaperArts]

Hi Sandy. I have found that repeating some basic lessons is always a sound idea especially, as you say, in this case each book is different. Thanks for stopping by!

[@vadal4043]

Hi Kelly! Gee, sure wish my Altered Book instructor had give us all this detail when we were making books in the early '00s. We glued pages together willy-nilly with no calculation of how the pages laid, and we did the whole book at one go, making it a crumpled, wrinkled mess! Reinforcing? Wasn't mentioned. Now I see why we struggled so much to get a nice outcome! I'm glad I watched this, very enlightening about where some fundamental mistakes are made!!

[@BookandPaperArts]

Hello Laveta. Now this message makes me smile. I love book altering but it is so tricky and even after all these years things can go wrong no matter how much you plan and scheme. At some point I realised that it was goofy for anyone to reinvent the wheel I had been learning by doing things wrong until I got them right so I thought I would be put all of the boring but essential foundation steps together for anyone who wanted to try it. Maybe you can give it a go again? Kelly

[@vadal4043]

@@BookandPaperArts Maybe I will! But also I'll wait for the small book with the raised birds! I'd love it if you made that an art journal for me to work in, but I am happy to consider whatever you do for that one!

[@BookandPaperArts]

@@vadal4043 I'll send an email in the morning! 🌷🌼🌻

[@lynnboyd33]

Kelly, what a lovely book (adore the covers graphics) and lovely instruction. I'm pretty excited to see what you come up with when playing and designing inside this little baby. Thanks for the fun class, always so instructive!

[@BookandPaperArts]

Hi Lynn. I'm treating myself to starting this one today. If I didn't have to be practical and support myself (albeit it in a creative way which makes me one of the lucky ones but yeah, practical) I would only make these. Have a creative Sunday!

[@lucy7b]

I have altered newer books, still properly bound with signatures. I remove folios from the signatures from the outside of each signature leaving the outermost one that is glued to the next signature. I find I’m not stretching the threads that way. I do a lot of counting to leave the book even and not too fat and so far have stuck the pages together in pairs. It is so much fun. Thank you for your insight into altering books.

[@BookandPaperArts]

Hi Lucy. You are quite right, about pulling the papers and gluing them this way, it's just that I am set in the way I make mine. Also, more often than not I end up covering the middle with another paper to make a background so it is reinforced that way. Thanks for comparing notes. It is such a great way for me to learn from you. Kelly

[@lucy7b]

@@BookandPaperArts thank you. I’m sure I’m learning more from you than you from me. I love botanical and wildlife books, birds and butterflies. I used to be a Biology teacher before I retired.

[@JournalBreezeYT]

I never would have thought a teabag was strong enough for that hinge. TFS! I look forward to the bowl video, such a unique idea Kelly!!

[@BookandPaperArts]

Kimberly, is there anything a tea bag can't do? Just one more reason to love those things. 🫖🫖

[@megmiranda9480]

Thanks for the advice regarding having the pages lie flat. I sometimes use medical paper tape for strengthening pages and spines. But next time I'll be sure to use tea bags - love that idea. Meg

[@BookandPaperArts]

Hi Meg. Tea bags are the best but the surgical tape sound good, too. Very strong. Thanks for comparing notes! Kelly

[@freshspiritworks4535]

Okay, I know this is not the video I saw, but did I just see the best video ever with brown paper and the most amazing techniques I ever saw and it was covered in the monoprint leaf pattern? Your videos are awesome but you seriously blew me away with that one! Woweeee!

[@BookandPaperArts]

Hi there. I am pretty sure you mean a recent video by guest poster Centi Bastelt. She is my favourite book artist out there and blows me away, too. Thanks for stopping by! Kelly

[@freshspiritworks4535]

@@BookandPaperArts I love everything you do and show. I was never thinking of making my own art books but you are changing my mind (not sure if it was someone else or not, but pretty sure it was your voice - your journal was kraft (brown) paper and you made one signature) no matter, you are a huge inspiration to me! Thank you

[@StephanieKennedy-w6p]

I am excited to follow along with you! I love your style!!!

[@BookandPaperArts]

Thanks Stephanie. This is truly nice to hear! Kelly

[@kashmira46]

🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 especially the tea bag !!

[@BookandPaperArts]

Thanks you so much! 🌷🌼🌻

[@kimberlycook5860]

Thanks for sharing your tried and proved techniques. Great book!

[@virginiamartin-authorspeaker]

Wow! You are amazing 😊❤ I have not tried something like this, but i love the idea. Thank you for sharing your process. 😊❤

[@BookandPaperArts]

Thanks for this lovely message. It is so nice to be amazing! I have a playlist for book altering so if you want to get started here's some ideas. Kelly kzbin.info/aero/PLWir7hWgZLNALYvk1FpeLMcK-S0UE2QCc

[@kristinev7671]

Great video. I have a book in similar condition, and this is the video is a huge help. Thank you, Kelly❣️

[@BookandPaperArts]

Kristine, this is what I like to hear. It is so, so tricky to figure out which books will let themselves be altered. If you give it a shot with yours let me know if I can help with any troubleshooting. Kelly

[@rosem3577]

Looking forward to the teabag bowls as well!!

[@BookandPaperArts]

Off to premake them now, Rose.

[@sandrawheeler2295]

It’s always a pleasure to see a new book altering video from you…I learn so much! I look forward to seeing this book progress. Out of interest, have you ever used surgical tape to strengthen the spines? That’s what I use when I alter a little board book and I wonder if that would work on a bigger book like this 🤔 As always, thanks for another informative video 😊

[@sandrawheeler2295]

Whoops, I mean I use surgical tape to strengthen the gutter, not the spine…

[@BookandPaperArts]

Hi Sandra. I would definitely try the surgical tape, especially for a board book where the mending needs to be more robust. While I do like the tea bag mending, my everyday mending material would be the mulberry paper as its strong but light so you can move it around a little. Thanks for comparing notes!

[@lisag.8389]

lover the cover if the book. it is goung to look cool

[@BookandPaperArts]

Hi Lisa. It jumped right out at me in the second hand shop. It was if it was waiting for me to find it. 😺

[@gonerustic]

Thank you for explaining this so clearly! A question - could I use homemade paste instead of gel medium?

[@BookandPaperArts]

Rita, I've been wondering about this and am going to try it this weekend. I will keep you posted on the result. Kelly

[@gonerustic]

@@BookandPaperArts - great, thank you!

[@alexandraalmeida3661]

I’ve never tried to alter a book. I love to see altered books, but maybe I’m scared to ruin it 😬! But I have a tiny one that would look great. I’m looking forward to watching your next videos on this 💚🧡❤️💙💛🩷🩵💜🩶🤎♥️

[@BookandPaperArts]

Alexandra, it is scary and they do get messed up sometimes. By far the best thing is to practice on cheaper books that you get at a charity shop or second hand somewhere. That way you can work out the problems and then use your ideas in your special books. Let me know if I can help! Kelly

[@robertakeirn1870]

What a cute little book. I wish you could have saved some of the illustrations, maybe you did? Should be a fun project, I can’t wait to see what you create! 🖤Gilly

[@BookandPaperArts]

Gilly, I did save the illustrations. They weren't bound in, only glued and so would not have stood up to altering but I can add them back in or to another project.

[@pdmullgirl]

Hi Kelly! I’ve never altered a book before. I’m new to all this junk journaling, ephemera and so. I absolutely love making journals. I’m still rusty at it though. But the more I learn and do the easier it gets. Ice really enjoyed your channel and have learned so much from you. I have a question. Could you use that homemade paste (the corn flour/starch paste) to glue your pages in the altered book? Seems like you could but I’m not sure. Thanks so much Kelly! ❤️💜💚

[@BookandPaperArts]

Paige, this is the thing I do that I love the best. I dream about just working on altered books. I'll take some paste to the studio today and see how it works on book pages and come back at you and let you know. Kelly

[@cjcalogero69]

Hi! Why not use tape to reinforce the book? Maybe washi or masking tape..?