Under The Boardwalk, Altered Book

We are excited to share with you a fun altered art book created by CCB’s Lisa Kettell. Its a great recycled book project using found objects from nature and her travels.  The tree branch binding adds a cool unconventional approach to book binding and a great way to add a natural element to a piece. Lisa’s theme was an eclectic mix of vintage circus, boardwalk, and snippets of the Jersey Shore. Our Canvas Corp Mix and Match Pads, 7 Gypsies Ephemera and Tattered Angels Mists were the perfect accessory for this project. Lets take a journey to a land of cotton candy, salty air and calliope music……

Anyone who knows me, knows I love vintage circus and boardwalk stuff. Old toys, cupie dolls, found objects, apothecary and the more unusual the better. You can see my love for this in my art/craft book; “Altered Art Circus”, Quarry Books. Each page in the book tells a circus story with fun crafts for the kids and adults.

Today I wanted to share with you a handmade, altered book I madeusing a variety of Canvas Corp papers, 7 Gypsies, old ephemera, twigs, found objects and Tattered Angels Inks called Under the Boardwalk which was inspired by the history of boardwalk communities. It was inspired by my adventures to the Jersey Shore particularly Ocean Grove, Asbury Park, Seaside, and LBI. Vintage beauty pageants, and Victorian Seaside Splendor. By 1950’s amusements and confections, candy apples, calliope music and summer nights.

If you love to recycle and use recycled items in your works, this is a great way to do that.

Materials:

Mix and Match Pad: Sails and Shells, Canvas Corp

Mix and Match Pad: Day at the Park, Canvas Corp

Mix and Match Pad: Sand and Sea, Canvas Corp

Maritime Ephemera, 7Gypsies

Small Apothecary Glass Bottles-7 Gypsies

Mini Chocolate Clothespins-Canvas Corp

Mini Light Blue Clothespins-Canvas Corp

Tattered Leather Glimmer Mist-Tattered Angels

Bulk Kraft Sturdy Cardstock Cards-Canvas Corp

Floral Wire

Vintage Images of Choice, Lisa Kettell Designs

Other; Tree Branches, Paper Straws, Wood Stars & Moons, Grosgrain Ribbon, Mini Pompom Fringe, Bingo Board, Boardwalk Tickets, Found Objects-River Glass/Bottle/Shells, German Glitter

Glues/Tools: Glitter, Hot Glue, Hot Glue Gun, Zip Dry, Gem Tac, Scissors, Hole Punch

Step 1 – To create you book, open and layer 8 to 10 5″x7″ kraft cardstock cards on top of each other. Mark 2 holes with a pencil inside the binding of each one. This is where you will punch a hole for your binding. (Make sure the two holes are 3 inches apart from each other).

Step 2 – Starting with the top hole of each card, lace a piece of floral wire through it, and through the 2nd hole. Next wrap each end around 2 or 3 branches. Repeat with another strand of floral wire.

Step 3 – Spray ribbon with leather mist, let dry a few seconds. Cut the ribbon in 2 strips measuring 12 inches. Thread one ribbon through the top hole, the next through the bottom hole. Tie around the tree branches, knot and create a bow (think of tying your shoe laces)

Step 4 – Now the fun begins decorating your book. Layer the pages with a variety of the scrapbook papers from the mix and match pads. Cut paper strips, fold in half and cut fringe into them. Open and glue to the page edges of the book. Layer the papers with Zip Dry by Beacon.

Step 5 – Add vintage ephemera throughout the pages of your book. Add paper rosettes, paper straws, honey comb party shapes, and 7 gypsies ephemera through out. Age pages with leather mist. Finally add wood shapes and found objects. Use hot glue to secure in place.

Step 6 – The cover of the book. Layer a bingo board to the front cover using hot glue. Add a variety of ephemera, boardwalk tickets, clothespins, wood shapes, paper straws and German glitter throughout the cover. I also added more rosettes, cake balloon toppers and starfish to complete by book.

Love the paper fringe of the edge of each of the book pages.  It is a fun way to add color and texture to you handmade books.

I hope you enjoyed my project! I look forward to seeing what you make using this style of book making. Nature provides so much resource when creating art! Lisa!

We love Lisa’s vintage and quirky style that makes us smile with each turn of the page.  What a fun way to capture fun photos you collect during flea market visits, random family photos that make your smile or a fun old postcard or greeting card with terrific old art.  Lisa has a way of mixing a wonderful palette of colors that allow just about anything work and together look so fun and cheerful.  So don’t worry so much about the book, it is a simple as stringing together some cards, envelopes or papers, the fun is all in the collecting, cutting, glueing and placing the fun items onto the pages.  To see more of Lisa’s work visit her blog – Lisa Kettell Designs.  You can also follow her on Pinterest – Lisa Kettell and instagram – Lisa Kettel 

Visit the CCB Blog to see more of Lisa’s works and the rest of our CCB Crew 2016.

Happy Creating!

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