So you want to get started making an altered book (otherwise known as Lesson 1)!

Since you are here today, I believe you must want to learn more about creating an altered book. We will start at the beginning and work our way through until we complete our journey and many of our pages are altered. Hopefully this will jump start your altered book journey and you will continue to make these books or finish yours after the class is over.


I am sharing this post on CED, in hopes that I get a good audience for this class. It's not much fun if you are talking to yourself.

I'd like to begin by saying I'm having trouble with blogger repositioning my photos, as well as indiscriminately changing my font and font size. So, apologies for that, but it is definitely out of my control.

For those of you who have never seen my tutorials before, I am very precise with my photos. I have a lousy camera, and it doesn't take video, but I try to be as thorough as possible. However, I'm sure I will forget something that someone is curious about, so please ask in the comment section (below). After all, if you have the question, others probably will, too. And of course, I will add the information to the post. Please remember, these instructions are for anyone who has never picked a book to alter, or those who need a refresher.

Have you picked your theme? If not, you need to decide your subject matter. You might want to make something specific, or you might want to alter a book based on the techniques that we cover. It's totally up to you. You are the master of that choice.


Now that you have a theme in mind, let's begin by picking a book. Although there are NO RULES in ABs, this is one rule that can't be broken. You must use a book with a sewn spine.

Pick an old book that no one wants. Since it’s not garage sale season (at least not in the northern hemisphere where I live), your best bet is to check at your local library or college (university) for old, out of date books that can no longer be used or checked out. You can also get good books at second hand stores for around fifty cents and in bargain bins at your local book stores for around a dollar. However, the best place to find a good candidate is from your own bookshelf. If you’ve got a sewn book that you will never read again, by all means, pull it down, dust off the top (you know it’s true), and use it.

Remember, this book is unloved and unwanted, so you are actually recycling it, giving it new life, keeping it out of the landfill, and turning it into a masterpiece you will cherish forever. When I was in college, all my books were pristine. They looked like they had never been touched, or even opened. It took me awhile to overcome the fear of even adding a pencil mark in one, but altering a book is actually a GOOD thing.

Don’t pick a book that is so old the pages are brittle. It will be hard to work in and you will get discouraged quickly. Don’t pick a musty or moldy book because you will get a headache, sore throat, and various other ailments.

The size of the book is up to you. If you like working with small canvases, a book with smaller sized pages might be best. If you prefer larger canvases, pick a book with larger sized pages. The average sized book will be around 5 X 8 inches (12.7 cm X 20.72 cm) or 6 X 9 inches (15.24 cm X 22.86 cm) or so when closed. As for thickness, that is also up to you. But, we will be making a niche, so you will probably want one that has at least 300 pages.

Consider your theme when picking a book. You might be able to incorporate the book title as part of your theme.

I personally don’t like to work with a book that has lots of photos or pictures in it. I have a tendency to remove pages with pictures. I find pictures and photos distracting and feel like I have to incorporate them in my layout. However, you may feel you want a book with photos. Remember the rule about ABs? Yep, there are no rules (except the one about a sewn spine, of course).

Check to make sure you don’t have a first edition or a rare out of print copy. Here’s a great article on how to identify if a book is a first edition or first printing that will give you lots of advice. Chances are, you won’t have a first edition, but be sure to check if you are new to ABs and the book is from your personal library.

I cannot say this enough! Be sure the pages are sewn, not glued. This is one piece of advice that must NOT be broken. Glued books, including Readers Digest Condensed Books, will fall apart on you about half way through altering them. Don’t make that mistake because you will be very disappointed if you do.

So how, you ask, do you find these sewn books?

Check the spine. If it pulls away from the signatures and has threads showing, it is sewn. See the gap? If you don't see a gap, you may use pages from the book, but not the book itself. If there is a gap, but you can't see the threads (red in the above photo), use pages from the book, but not the book itself.


Hopefully you can see bits of the thread that separates one signature from another. At the top, you see the first page of one signature. At the bottom is the last page of another signature. As an aside, I really CAN spell. I just didn't notice the spelling mistake until I clicked on a large image. Was I surprised when I saw "fuirst." I've always said I'm a good speller, just not a good typist! Oh well, I'm sure Photoshop has spell check, but I don't know where it is.



Hopefully, you can see the thread in the center of a single signature. See how the thread runs through the entire length of the page. As an aside, you should find and mark the center of those signatures for when we remove pages from our books (click to see the entire message).


This is a single signature in this book. And in case I failed to make it clear, a signature is a set of pages bound into the book. Signatures usually have an equal number of pages.


I prefer text books, because they are well used, and withstand even the most obvious abuse. However, if you don’t have a textbook available, here are a few things you need to do. First, open the book in the middle


and bend the book backward until the covers touch each other. Did you hear a crack or pop?


Note the spine and signatures are both intact.


Do the same at about 1/4 way through the book


and then 3/4 way through the book. Don’t be gentle with it. If the book is going to withstand altering, it needs to be sturdy and well made. I can't say this enough: you don’t want your book to fall apart.


Now check your spine and signatures. If the book holds up well, it is ready to prep.

Alternately, you can make your own book. However, that is a lot of trouble (actually time and effort) for a first AB. So, if you are an experienced ABer and want to make your book, feel free to do so. If this is your first AB, I strongly suggest a pre-made book.

Here are a few things to remember. Your altered book will never lay flat or close completely after you start altering it. Don’t even ask why it won’t. If it does, you are doing something wrong.

If you come out of the scrapbook community, you MUST rethink ABs. Acid free is NOT a concept in ABs, nor a concern. Don’t even ask. That bird claw or seed pod you’ve been saving since you discovered it, isn’t acid free, so why should your book be? You don’t need acid free glue, embellishments, paper, or printer ink. Having said that, most books printed after around 1980 have a low acid content. That means they will last longer than that brittle-pages book from the 1930s. Of course, if that is the only glue, paper, or printer ink you have, please don't go out and buy anything else!

REVIEW:
1. Pick a book that will hold up under altering and abuse.
2. Pick a book that fits your size preference.
3. Pick a theme, then find a book that compliments the theme.
4. Pick a book that appeals to you in some way and allow it to dictate your art.

5. Acid free is not a concern in ABs.
6. Remember there are no rules, except the spine of your AB must be sewn.

In two weeks, we will discuss supplies, as well as prep our books. Each lesson after that will have a list of all the supplies you will need for the next upcoming lesson. That gives you two weeks to get your supplies ready, so you can play along.

Supplies you will need for Lesson 2:
A book that you have made sure will hold up
Glue stick
Self healing mat
Cutting tool, such as the Fiskars or an X-acto knife
Pen or pencil
Ruler

I hope you don't think we are getting off to a slow start since lessons will only be every other week. Some of you may have already picked your book, so this may seem like a wasted week to you. But be aware that the pace will pick up soon, and a good foundation is important. And since I want everyone to be on the same page, next Monday I will provide the syllabus. So be sure to tell everyone you know who might want to join this class. It's not too late to start.

Totally optional: Feel free to leave a comment and tell us what country you live in. Please be aware, this is totally optional, since I ask for nothing in return for your participation and/or visit.