A Tale of Two Crafters: Altered Books, Tutorial, and Blog Contest!

Hello Crafters,

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Welcome to our happy blog! It's Monday which means we've got a great new blog contest to announce. We also have the most stupendous crafts from our design team and an amazing tutorial! Today we're featuring two very beautiful and unique altered books by Nicole Eccles and Melanie Forbes. Altered books are very fun to create and look absolutely enchanting! Melanie has prepared a terrific tutorial today so that you can learn how to create an altered book of your very own. Both of today's amazing crafts also feature brilliant uses of our Metal Staples! We are so excited by these awe-inspiring projects and we hope you love them as much as we do.

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Since today is all about altered books, we thought we'd incorporate that theme in this week's blog contest. We want you to tell us what your favorite fairy tale is! Just post your comment on our blog anytime this week and you'll be entered to win this fantastic prize: a Le Cirque 12x12 Paper Pad, Metal Hinge Staples, Le Cirque cling stamp set, and three beautiful chipboards from Imaginarium Designs! Share your favorite fairy tale and you could win this enchanting prize! We can't wait to read your comments this week!

This first beautiful altered book was made by Nicole Eccles. Her inventive and whimsical style works perfectly with altered books, as you can see here. She featured our amazing Halowe'en in Wonderland collection to create this astonishing work of art. Here is what she had to say about this clever and mesmerizing creation.

"There is just something magical about creating altered art from old books.  Just they way the pages are stained and bent from overuse.  The binding that just isn’t what it used to be. And the cover that is worn from years of being loved. But the best part is, with just a little mod podge and and a craft knife you can turn any book into a shadowbox for displaying treasured objects, or just a piece of original handmade art. Mix that with some fantastic storybook inspired G45 Hallowe'en in Wonderland papers and  Ornate Door Plate and Knob Staples and you get something uniquely special." -Nicole Eccles

 

 

 Supplies:  

Papers:  G45 Halloween In Wonderland Collection
Jaberwocky
Through The Looking Glass
Wonderland Classifieds
Alice’s Tea Party
 
G45 A Proper Gentleman Collection
Timely Point of View
Man About Town
A Proper Gentlemen
G45 Steampunk Debutante Collection
Time Flies
G45 Once Upon A Springtime Collection
Butterfly Kisses
G45 Le Cirque Collection
Magnifique
Bohemian Floral
Wizards of Wonder
7 Gypsies Avignon collection
Ecriture
Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Inks
Tumbled Glass
Frayed Burlap
Shabby Shutters
Black Soot
Stamps:  Cherry Pie Art Alice Collection
Hero Arts Bold Flourish
Embellishments:  G45 Ornate Door Plate and Knob Staples, G45 Metal Flowers, Making Memories Metal Frame, Prima Flowers
Extras:  Twine, Mod Podge, Black Acrylic Paint, Vintage Book, Vintage Clock Face, Vintage Key
Adhesives:  Scrapbook Adhesives 3d foam squares, E6000, Tombow Mono Color Glue stick

Next we have another brilliant altered book creation. This one is by the wonderful Melanie Forbes and even comes with a great tutorial! This awesome book features A Proper Gentleman and Steampunk Debutant, two amazing collections that look great together! Just look at all the gorgeous details in this book! It's so inspiring!

Supplies:

Graphic 45:
A Proper Gentleman            
The Sophisticate #4500181
Tags from 12x12 pad
Dressed to the Nines #4500180
A Proper Gentleman #4500176
Timely Point of View #4500185
Steampunk Debutante: Fantasy Floral #4500263
Graphic 45 Staples: Geometric metal door plate & knob #4500298, Metal hinge Staples #4500299
Twiddleybitz                        
Roman Clock small CF002
Chicken Wire WIR002
Small Shadowbox SBS001
Name plate curved NP002
Itty bitty Alpha raw ALPHA005R
Old hard cover book
Tim Holtz Distress Stain Wild Honey & Broken China
Tim Holtz Distress ink Vintage photo & Broken China & Wild Honey
Tim Holtz Paint Dauber Sandal
Tim Holtz light bulb, glass bottle, clock face & hands
Maya Rd Calendar numbers black

Tutorial:

1. Assemble shadowbox according to instructions and then trace around the box on the inside of the book ensuring there is enough depth to cut into the book deep enough.

2. Using a craft knife cut a hole deep enough for the shadowbox to sit inside snugly as per photo below

3.  Cover inside of shadowbox with paper as per photo.

4. Paint metal door plate and knob and 2 metal hinges with Paint dauber (I used Sandal). Once dry gently sandpaper back to rough up finish.

5. Cut paper to fit book and decorate with tags. Stamp over the top of tags once in position. Attach metal doorknob, plate and hinges and place stained chipboard clock on top. Using stain Broken China – stain nameplate and place title and glue to spine of book.

6. To decorate inside book – cut paper to page size and adhere to book pages – here I have simply scrunched up the paper and inked creases prior to attaching to book pages. Cut out clocks from A Timely Point of View and using 3D foam tape adhere to inside of shadowbox. Glue trinkets into place and then glue shadowbox into place inside of box.

 7. Stain edges of book with Tim Holtz Wild Honey stain.

Voila!

Huge thanks so the amazingly talented Nicole Eccles and Melaine Forbes for these gorgeous creations today. And many thanks to all of you for joining us today. We can't wait to read your blog comments this week! We also love seeing what you're creating with our papers. Don't forget to post your Graphic 45 creations on our Facebook page, Ning site, or website gallery!

Have a beautiful day, crafters!

Your Pals in Paper,

Team Graphic 45

Comments

[AJ]

I love the collection for Alice and Wizard of OZ but i gotta say my favorite fairy tale is the frog prince.. its a wonderful piece from The Brothers Grimm Stories… i remember my mom reading it to me when i was a kid…

[Lisa]

Beautiful papers....those Wizard of Oz!!!! Can't wait to use them. Favorite fairy tale?? Has to be Beauty and the Beast. Most romantic! Loved the story, the movie and the tv show! How corny is that!!!

[Renske]

I always wanted to try an altered book. Think I'll have to get my hands on some G45 soon and just start with it. Thanks for the beautiful inspiration

[Lesley]

Wow these books are amazing! Love all the special details that I keep finding...favorite tale has to be Snow White.

[kissinia]

Amazing post today! These altered books look fantastic! I particularly love the first one, since Alice in wonderland is my favourite book of all times. I usually re-read it once a year! Thanks for sharing very interesting tutorial as well.

[katy young]

Love these books! so Amazing! My favorite fairy tale has to be Sleeping Beauty.

[Sharon]

the altered books are soooo inspiring .... I need to go find one at the thrift store and alter ... my favourite Fairy Tale is .... the princess and the Pea ...

[Sleigh]

Both books are wonderful... luv the second one with it's detail and cutting out the inside into a frame! There are many great fairy tales, but one of my fav's is Charlotte's Web :)

[Valery]

Amazing work girls! My favorite would have to be Alice in Wonderland.

[Tammy Hall]

Oh my these two altered books are wonderful. I just love this type of work. I have so many fairy tales that I love. I think my favorite was Cinderella. There was so much magic and in the end...happiness. My life reflects so much of that fairy tale. TO be able to depict this somehow in a layout or even better in an album would be...well, almost theraputic to me. But if one girl can go from rags and abuse to riches and a king, can't we all?????

[Tini]

Wow - wonderful works by the DT's ... love these altered books! Thanks for the inspiration.
My fav of fairy tale is: WIZARD OF OZ! Looooveeee it!!!!

[Beth Arp]

I love Alice in Wonderland, I have seen many productions of the story. And when you paper came out I freaked out!

[cat lacigale]

fabulous projects !

[Barbara]

Those altered books are breath taking!! My favorite fairy tale would be Tolkien's "The Hobbit":)

[giogio]

love these book!! Two great masterpieces!

My fave fairy tale is...Cinderella!

[Romy]

Such amazing projects! Love all the dimension in that beautiful book cover. My favourite fairytale is Snow White:)

[Becky Dunham]

Oh my goodness - these are amazing! Thanks for the tutorial. My favorite fairy tale - that is tough! i like so many of them. I always love Felicia and the Pot of Pinks - probably a lesser known fairy tale but love it.

[Nicole (nicutopia)]

WOW! How very exquisite!!! So very talented and creative! My favourite fairytale is Cinderella! :)

[Agnieszka]

Beautiful altered books!!!

I love a Tolkien's tale: "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings"!

And I lovee all fairies!

Hugs
Agnieszka

[Jackie Hedlund]

My favorite fairy tale is Jack and the Beanstalk! Both books are wonderful, I do like the clocks in the cut out book.

[Marianne H]

So nice, really beautiful. Lot of nice details, love it.

[Doris Widder]

Awesome books!

My fave fairy tale is Snow White.

[Sara Hanlon]

First I want to say that Nicole and Melaine's altered books rock!

I think Cinderella is my fave fairy tale even after all these years!

[Joyce Carlson]

Wow I have so many favorites its hard to pick! I would have to its Rumpelstiltskin and then all the Princess fairy tales. I love Princesses!

[Maxine Hodges]

These are pieces of art! Wonderful job! My fav fairy tale is Snow White!

[sarah]

Fantastic project's x x

[mary puskar]

I love the well known tales like Cinderella and Alice and Snow White but I was always entranced by Rapunzel. That someone's hair could be long enough for a man to climb on fascinated me. Maybe it's because I have short hair and don't have the patience to grow it out! Nice prizes this week.

Mary
www.primitiveseasons.blogspot.com

[Estralita walters]

Both altered books are awesome.
My favorite fairy tell I read my boys growing up was The True Storie of the Three Little Pigs. My boys would laugh so hard no matter how many times in a row we read it.

[Stacey Wilson]

These books are gorgeous! I love all the papers G45 has come out with! I really want to get the entire Wizard of Oz collection, it's beautiful!

As for my favorite fairy tale, I would have to say Sleeping Beauty!

[bethann d]

wonderful works of art. i love fairy tales, my fav is an old one, i'm not sure of the name. it is from Russia, involving a witch who lives in a house with chicken legs so the house could travel and how two children outwit the witch and live happily ever after. i liked the fact that the kids could take care of themselves.

[jacira]

Meu conto de fadas preferido era Cinderela, com a fada madrinha e a carruagem de abóbora!!!

[Chris Dring]

Beautiful projects today!! My favorite fairy tale would have to be the Little Mermaid! I just love the 'Love conquers all' theme to it! Thanks for the chance to win!

[Jennifer]

I love Alice in Wonderland! But I also really like Little Red Riding Hood!

[Loren]

My favorite fairy tales has to be Beauty and the Beast. I just love the story of tough exterior or the Beast and how a kind person could break the through and change them for the best.
I am so inspired to make my own alter book now about Beauty and the Beast.

[Natasha G.P.]

I think that my favorite fairy tale would be The Little Mermaid. I loved the movie as a kid, and still like the story.

[b. poteraj]

The 3 Little Pigs was my favorite, but the 2 lazy pigs always bugged me. Why didn't they make a strong house like their brother? Come on people, I mean pigs.....

[Sharon Gullikson]

Ok, this is going to seem strange, buy my brother and I always LOVED Hansel and Gretel. We would listen to the record over and over and over.....

[jengd]

FABULOUS projects! I'm not sure it counts as a fairy tale but I LOVE Alice in Wonderland. It's a great surreal story!

[kim sirak]

Love the altered books this week. when ever i need inspiration I browse through your gallery. Such fantastic projects. My favorite Fairytale is Cinderella but not the Disney version. I like the original where the step-sisters cut off their toes and heels to try to fool the prince. Grimms fairytales had the perfect name. I guess I enjoy the Macabe. LOL

[{vicki}]

Peter Pan is my fave