New Pop Up Books

                                                       


It is Summer again and I have been working on some new styles for my Altered Book collection.
                                                             recycled Book restoration begins!!!

Raggedy Ann(1919)

350.00

       Alice in Wonderland

The Hunting of the Snark

Lovely old books with a new Purpose

Back to Alice in Wonderland

I was asked recently to create another Alice book
and was fortunate enough to run across a book suitable
Very early 1900's and a delight to work with.
you can see many of my Books at Etsy,
Or contact me, perhaps I can find just the right
book for you!

                                               Alice In Wonderland(1900) Sold

for the project.

The Garden Uprooted

 Features Artwork by Susan Hoerth!

Poetry Review, Front Porch, and BOXCAR. She lives in Deep South Texas with her love, Bruno, and their many cats. The Garden Uprooted is her first full length poetry collection. Find her on blogspot: http://www.katiehoerth.blogspot.com 

And for your reading pleasure, here’s a sample poem:

Chocolate Sundae

I didn’t mind the way our fingers
Interlocked to create a sundae, vanilla
with a little hot mocha drizzled on top.

Or the way your mom ran her dark
fingers through my blonde hair, dreaming
of fluffy white haired babies. I didn’t mind biting

into the corn husks that held tight
the homemade tamales, and you didn’t laugh,
except maybe silently to yourself.

But when you took me to Denny’s
one sparkly night, we sat cozy together
like teenagers do. I ordered like a fool –
“a veggie burger please with those curly fries
And a sundae – with tasty hot chocolate sauce”.

You just stared at your lap and said nothing
for you, just maybe a coke.

You watched me eat my fill, swirling
the ice cream together as it melted
into a single colored slop, leaving much
on my plate. You took the bill
into your trembling hands, emptied
your wallet onto the table, and we left
Arm in arm, you – hungry yet satisfied,
me – full and yearning for something more.

First published in The Monitor: Festiva 2010

                                                Katie We Celebrate Your Success!!!!

 Author: Katherine Hoerth is the author of two poetry chapbooks titled The Garden of Dresses (2012) and Among the Mariposas (2010), both of which were published by Mouthfeel Press (http://www.mouthfeelpress.com) . She teaches writing at the University of Texas Pan American and serves as Assistant Poetry Editor at Fifth Wednesday Journal. Her poems and book reviews have been featured in journals including Borderlands: Texas 

Poetry Review, Front Porch, and BOXCAR. She lives in Deep South Texas with her love, Bruno, and their many cats. The Garden Uprooted is her first full length poetry collection. Find her on blogspot: http://www.katiehoerth.blogspot.com

Creating an Altered Book Popup style

                   
 

Altering books can be a fun way to create something beautiful and personally meaningful out of something that has seen it's better days. Creating something that expresses a rebirth of perhaps a lost idea is for me a deep personal communication of understanding a new value to aging.

There are many ways to alter a book; I'll show you what I have done. I first found an appropriate book, I personally picked The Land of Oz .for its title, it's illustrations, and it is also in the public domain. I always scan through the illustrations to plan where put things in the book that I think represent the story visually.

 

here are endless supplies that you can use to alter books. Here just the basics of what you need. Be creative and use your problem solving skills.

Tools needed:

X-acto knife or Knives

Book glue, or elmers glue is fine

Cutting Board- I use a large and small one

measuring tool( small metal ruler)

Old book with illustrations

Clear Scotch heavy duty packing tape

Tooth picks

And small sharp scissors

First you need a book to alter. It is best to get a hard backed book old with illustrations in fair condition. Find a book that you love and will compliment the illustrations. I work around the pictures, incorporating them into your work. Be aware that you can not sell the books after they are altered as they will contain the work of others, unless they are in the public domain (1923).Version:1.0 

The next step is to cut out with a X acto knife each page inside the book leaving a border. I use the small cutting board to measure and I like to leave about an inch on each side, a little less on the binding. The size is up to you, and the shape as well, I prefer a square to work in. Cut out the shape on each page of the entire book. It will look like one of those secret compartment books not glued down.

  After your book is cut, go through the cut pages and choose the illustrations you want to pop in the book set them a side for later.

 

 

Find the middle of the book and divide it use some sort of bookmark, I use a folded paper from the book. Use the glue to glue down the pages one by one just a touch in from the other as to create a nook inside the book and a place to put the cut illustrations.  When you have finished one side of the book, do the other the same way. Let dry for a day.

Cut the illustrations out with a slight border around the them.  Place the illustrations on heavy duty tape to reinforce, sometimes I use card stock as well.    Cut out the illustrations with the X-acto knife on a cutting board.

 
Gluing them in the book is tricky, I use the borders a lot for support, and some need toothpicks hot glued or taped to the backs, this holds them up very well.   As extras sometimes I tear up the pages and use them along the boarders for a real bookish feeling.

                                                                       
Your book is ready for display!!!!                                                                                        if you have any personal questions I would be delighted to help, just leave a comment.
feel free to send a picture of your work when you are done,     I would love to post them;)


Join My blog to get more tips on Assemblage Altered Art Books

This summer has begun!!!
and so has the book making, and altered art.
recycled books, what ever the condition are just right for an altered project.
I have begun to add a few other recycled items to the books.
Lace, ribbon and vintage jewelry are just a few.
Here are my new creations.

                                                              Angels (sold)

                                                      Hamlet( antique book)  pre-1923(sold)

                                              A Midsummer Night's Dream ( antique book) pre-1923

 Altered Books


A few more additions to the book collection.

I have begun to try new styles, some in nooks,

and some sculptures with the book to accent 

the illustrations.

Check out more books at Etsy.com

                                                 Tales from Edgar Allen Poe 

                                          Land of OZ (sold)

                                                     The little Chief 1879 children's book

Abandon books are becoming my love of labor.  
If it is missing pages, old, has a loose binding, colored in, written in and not the quality
of a collector, it might end up in my hands.    I like to think I am the last stop before
the trash bin for old books.

Here are a few of my most recent works, and oh did I mention, they can be purchased at my
Etsy shop, and if you have a special book in mind, drop me an email and I can begin the hunt.

                                                     Wuthering Heights  (special order Gift)

                                                        Grimm's Fairy Tales

                                                 Sunday afternoon Carousel Ride