Fast, Fun, and Easy Ways to All Full Page Base Layers to Altered Books and Collage
Hello and welcome to my video on fast and easy ways to add background coverage for a base layout in your altered books, collage, arts journals, and other paper based mixed-media.
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Once you have prepared your book to be altered, one of the most daunting challenges is starting that blank page. I find that a great way to make it less scary is by putting down some full or nearly-full page coverage all at once. In this you commit to the mess and if there is no turning back, you might as well play. Here are six techniques guaranteed to get your layouts up and running in no time.
Happy making!
Kelly
Thank you! yes to the future video on gesso and distressing!
Thank you, Marie. Maybe this coming Friday? It is so fun and soooo easy if you know how. 😁😸🎨🌞
Only found this today after watching you for a year. Great tips. Clearly demonstrated. Happy Christmas from across the Irish Sea
Thank you, Dorothea. This year maybe I will redo some of these golden oldies. I'm so glad it went over big! Happy Christmas from windy Wales. Kelly
I see this video is a year old and I just enjoyed watching!! Thanks for all the good information. Blessings from Betty in Ohio.
Kelly - I learn so much every time I watch one of your videos. Thank you!
Thank you, Mary. It makes me happy to hear that!🌷
I just love watching your videos. And my style of doing altered books is similar to yours which is great to see. You are also so just so easy to listen to. Thank you for your videos.
Hello there. Thank you so much for this. I will run over and check out more of your books on your channel. (But first, an art journal video for this afternoon.) I hope you are having a creative weekend! Kelly
@@BookandPaperArts Sorry to disappoint, but I haven't got any of my altered books on my channel - still practicing and not ready to show them yet 😕I only have my junk journals and some other things on there. Hopefully I'll be posting them soon.
Beautiful work ❤
Thank you very much, Christine. This truly makes me happy to hear. Kelly
Phenomenal content as always!
Thank you, Lori. This is truly nice to hear.
Beautiful!! Thanks for the great ideas💙💙I appreciated the examples at the end.q🌹🌹
Thank you so, Debra. 🌷🌼🌻
Kelly, I know I sound like a broken record every time I write you, but I simply adore and drool over every single one of your delicious journal pages!! Thank you for the background ideas and suggestions. I LOVE how you can see thru all the thin pieces, to writing underneath. I think my all time fave has been the yummy used T bags!! Sooo vintage without the work. And, I am going to borrow your idea of putting all my under pages in a big shoe box. I have valuable real estate drawer's where I store that now, and really need those drawers for different, more interesting items! No matter how often I feel I reorganize my little studio, it's never quite right. But, we're always changing our own styles, so I guess that's where all that over flow comes from!! Thanks Kelly, so much for all your thoughts n ideas!
Hi Lynn, keep that broken record coming. It helps me understand and come up with new ideas for videos. And boy do I know about the perpetual reorganising but every time I go another round it gets easier to find stuff and I don't know about you but I ALWAYS find long-lost art supplies under things so that'll work. 😁🎨
Great stuff! And yes on videos using gesso and distress inks, please!
Thank you for the feedback, Robyn. It helps a lot so keep ideas coming, please. And here is a link to an older video about gesso (I may redo it soon). Kelly kzhead.info/sun/orOjfMqOqpiQgHk/bejne.html
I watch people slap acrylic paint on their pages and they look great. I do it and it is a big fat mess. Glad to know it's not just me! I do like to use watercolors , though. Love all your videos. TY for the pep talks : )
Loved this video Kelly. Happy NewYear my friend 🤍🤍🤍
Thanks bunches, Cheryl, and a Happy and Creative New Year to you, too. 💕😊😺🎨
New subber here as well…loving your style. Thoroughly enjoying your videos.
Thanks bunches, Stacey. You have made my day!
Wonderful vid❤thank you
Thanks Kelly. 😊
As always it is my pleasure, Debbie. 😁🌼🌻🌸
Love your videos.
Why thank you, Lynhy! 😁🌞
Great video! I am a new subscriber.
Hello and welcome, Lorrie. And thanks for touching base! 🌷🌻🌼Kelly
@@BookandPaperArts thank you very much! You are very welcome! 😊🌸
Great tips for quick backgrounds! I also enjoyed seeing your journal spreads! They are beautiful!
Thanks bunches, Susan. When I get a few more pages done I will do a flipthrough. I am addicted to my art journal.
Thank you Kelly for your lovely and inspiring work. Hello from the other side of the Irish Sea. I especially enjoy your taste in ephemera as you use very classical aesthetic elements which really add character. As a fellow loose tea drinker I will try teabags for that lovely parchment effect. And yes I would enjoy a video on how you use gesso etc to start your rich and interesting spreads.
Absolutely gorgeous thank you for all the ideas provides🌸
Thank you for your kind words, Lily. I do appreciate it. Kelly
Kelly, I've been subscribed, but haven't received anything!! I love your work! TYFS!
love your work! New subber here, can't wait to watch your other videos!
Hello and welcome, Patti. I am also looking forward to enjoying more of your videos. Your decoupage is lovely. 🌷🌻🌼
Love these vids - always informative 💕
Thank you so much, Regina.
I just subscribed, am looking forward to seeing more videos. I really like your eco prints.
Why thank you, Jenny! I have a written tutorial for those on my website. And if you would like to subscribe to my online newsletter, there are free tutorials and downloads and journal arts stuff galore. Or just stay tuned to KZhead. New video every Friday. 🌞🌞🌞
Juste je les aime à la folie, 1001merci
Merci ! Vos paroles me faire heureuse. Vous habitez en angleterre ?
@@BookandPaperArts salut, oui, à Londres. Vous faites un magnifique job, bravo
@@cheminnonpris Merci encore ! J'habite a Swansea.
@@BookandPaperArts Parfait, et genereuse comme la mer, et la mère. Be blessed. Ravie de vous connaitre.
@@cheminnonpris Merci encore ! 🌻🌻🌼🌼🌷🌷
I made a list and came away from the art store with only water soluble graphite pencils. 😂 Looking for old books tomorrow. Small steps.
Colette, believe me, those small steps are exactly how you get things done. Trust a woman who gets a lot done - sometimes I only work on a page for five minutes and that gives me the momentum to work on it the next day. I love water soluble graphite. It is so dramatic. And forgiving. Keep me posted!😺
@@BookandPaperArts I found a small 1941 bird book in a thrift store! Can’t wait to dive in. Thank you for your encouragement and enthusiasm!
Love Maps - Love Tissue and Napkins ... need to know where you got the Map Tissue paper 🤔😉😊
Hi Nava. I live in the UK and got it at a stationery/book store called Smiths in their gift wrap section. Otherwise, try looking on Ebay or even Etsy for map tissue paper and be sure and keep your eyes open whenever you pass a section of tissue paper in the picnic or party section of whatever shop you are in. I found some good stuff that way that is inexpensive and pretty but you have to keep your eyes peeled. It's fun! Kelly
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Do you put Gesso down on the pages first before starting to layer? I love your work!
Hi Virginia. Hmmm. Yes, usually I put the gesso down as a primer, as you would with a canvas. Does that make sense? Kelly
@@BookandPaperArts Yes! Thank you 😊
I only recently found you and I am loving watching your collection of altered book videos. All of your ideas and tips are very helpful. I asked a few questions about one of of them (which you very kindly answered, thank you) but now realize you have probably answered all of the questions in other videos. So this time I have a request which you may have already done, and if so, please just refer me to that video. Here’s the request: I’d love to watch you finish one of those double page spreads after the gesso, napkins, etc. In fact, I think it would be wonderful to watch you make all of your pages! Not a realistic request, I know, but even one or two would be fantastic! Heck, I’ll take whatever I can get!
Hi Kelly I find that a coat of pva over acrylic paint on book pages helps stop pages feeling sticky or sticking together... Hope that will help xxx
Hello there! Thanks for that. I will give it a try. I had an unfortunate experience with beautiful but sticky gel glazes. Would love to try this with it again. 🌸🌼🌻🌷🌞
@@BookandPaperArts I hope it works for you, love your channel and makes Kelly xx
I do 2 different techniques for 'sticky ' pages: clear gesso OR beeswax rubbed lightly. With the gesso, you can still work on it some more. But with the beeswax you can't do any more work on it....
do you have a video on prepping a book for altering?
Hi Michele, I do now. Please look at my recent videos, it is two or three back. 🌷🌻🌼
Can you tell me if Reader Digest condensed books are glued or sewn bindings?
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Is white gesso different than clear? Other than color. My gessoed pages seem sticky.
Hi Gyelle. White gesso has chalk and white pigment. If your pages seem sticky try adding more water and corn starch to the glue base. Make small batches and play around (I made seven different batches to get to the one in this video, yikes!). Hope this helps. Kelly 🎨🎨🎨😺
Hi, I’m new to your page. Where do you get your figures? I enjoyed your video. Thank you!
Thank you, Sandra. The short answer is flea markets, thrift stores, second hand bookstores, auctions, etc. I also sell paper box bundles in my online shop at my website. I also have some free downloads under the Tutorials tab that might get you jumpstarted. Finally, this video shows how I find some things and might inspire you: kzhead.info/sun/jbyPZsaFkJ2Ad68/bejne.html
@@BookandPaperArts thank you! I downloaded some free images from the website.
@@sandrasharby8405 Sandra, I am so glad you found them. I do these regularly through my online newsletter so if you are interested, please subscribe! More coming in February. Hope you make something great! Kelly
@@BookandPaperArts thanks again! I believe I’m subscribed.
Hi, I live in Ogmore Valley.I sent a reply via your reply but the address was unknown. Thank you for your encouragement. Marion
That isn't very far from Swansea! Maybe we can meet after All This is Over. 😉
Adhesive type, please?
Hi Peg, I use an acrylic gel medium, usually Golden or Liquitex, if one or the other is on sale. Gel medium has more slip than white glue, although you can use a white craft glue or Modge Podge if that is what you have. I would add a small amount of water to it to improve the slip and paint it on lightly. Let me know what you think!
Wash your hands thank you !