Thursday, January 2, 2014

Making an Art Journal from cardboard packing materials

I'm not going to say this spoke to me, because it goes without saying.  Opening a box can be very inspirational, like when I found this gem.   A book cover, already folded for me.

I wasn't sure where to start, so I started gessoing both sides, one at a time.  I knew I wanted to have a hook and closure of some sort.   As I've become a fan of  Steampunk art,  I've been making my own stamps.   I drew a template and cut out a design for the cover.   I found a metal button on Ebay and poked a hole through the front to secure it.  I used a cord for the back cover, braiding it and using a glue gun on the back.

I used Fabriano Artistico hot pressed watercolor paper .

I found some old map pictures and sketched a Compass Rose.  The clock face is from Ebay.  I had the skull sketch laying around and I went over it with some acrylic.  The binding is duck tape painted with Lumiere Metallic bronze.   I sealed it all with Dorland's Wax medium, I only let it sit for about 4 days before buffing it.  


The inside cover wasn't smooth so I built up a light layer with a collage of tissue papers using gel mat medium.  In hindsight I could have used a black and white theme, or even brown tinted newspapers for the inside cover.     The tissue paper was a quick fix.


The book closed.   I like it better open.   A clip and chain from Tim Holtz and a key and clock face from Ebay.

Inside the front cover,  showing where I sewed the button.
The back cover where I used the glue gun to secure the loop,  it could have had a better fit.

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