Altered Books and Blogging (swap around?)

I am feeling somewhat better, this “stuff” seems to want to hang on, but hopefully soon, very soon I will be able to breath again without feeling like I’m breathing through spider webs, and cough again without my head exploding, and . . . Well you get the idea.

So, I need to ask you guys a question, or two. How many of you are crafty? Have you heard of altered books? Would you be interested in getting a group together to do a round robin kinda thing with an altered book?

So here are my thoughts. First, if you aren’t sure what an altered book is, here’s a short explanation I snagged from the International Society of Altered Books Artists website.

It is any book, old or new that has been recycled by creative means into a work of art. They can be ... rebound, painted, cut, burned, folded, added to, collaged in, gold-leafed, rubber stamped, drilled or otherwise adorned ... and yes! It is legal!

So, it’s kinda like scrap booking, and kinda not and to be real honest I have only started one so far so I’m by no means an expert. But, to continue my thoughts, I thought it would be really cool to get some crafty bloggers to each start a book, and pass it around, working on the blogging theme.

For instance, I would mail my book to someone and they would do a page spread on the theme of Lisa’s Chaos, or how they see me, maybe they would use birds, or Wisconsin, or whatever and when they were done they would mail the book on to the next person who would create their idea of me or my chaos and eventually the book would get back to me.

So, expenses would be:

• the cost of your book (Check used book stores)


• sturdy shipping box (probably free)


• Postage to ship each book (I plan on keeping the group to 10 people or less and I'm cool with media mail if you all are)


• Supplies you want to use on the books (could vary greatly)

So what do you think? Would you like a book created by your readers all about you? I was thinking we would start sending our books around in January, after the holidays are over. But I’m throwing it out there now, so we can organize, get our books and make up our covers the way we want to in our spare time now.

This could be a lengthy commitment. I know it would take months, even with only 10 people involved.  I figure that a week should be a long enough time limit once we received a book to work on.  Plus time in transit. . . So it’ll take a while to complete, but you probably won’t be working on a book continually.

Let me know your thoughts in comments or via email lisa (at) lisachaos (dot) com

LATE ADDITIONS:

Here are a few more links with info and photos:

• Karen's Whimsy (Thanx Alisha)


• altered-book


• Ingrid (gallery of 12 different books)

There are even a few flickr groups dedicated to altered books:

• Altered Books


• Altered Books RR


• Attractive, Alluring, Altered Books


• The Altered Dive Collage Pool


• Book Art


• Creative Minds

I have to thank you (Margaret, Tracey, Alisha, and Karmyn ) for your puzzlement and asking questions, because of that I think I've found some helpful sites to explore.

And as for Anglophile, I'm sure you could do it girl!  Dallas, of course you're in, I can mail to you so no one else incurs the overseas postage, as long as you're cool with mailing back to the states.

Did you all see what Susan said?

And honestly everyone, if you are just worried about it being too difficult, I was an art docent for 6th graders and they all created beautiful altered books. (Once they got over the idea of "ruining" a book)

Thanx for the encouragement Susan!