Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Altered Book Lesson 11 and 12 - Pockets and Folded Pages


My spread covers two lessons this time.  Pockets are used in our books to provide a place for tags, memorabilia, insets etc to rest.   Pockets can be made by attaching any item that has two pieces joined together, such as envelopes or tea bag holders etc.  They can be of any shape or size that fits the book or the item to be stored in it.  Another way of creating a pocket is by folding the pages of your book in any direction so that it creates a pocket.  A hidden pocket is exactly as it sounds, created either by slitting into the page or by sticking two pages together leaving a small area unstuck at the edge so that an item can be slid inside.


Our homework for lesson 11 was to create visible pockets, a hidden pocket and to use folded pages for lesson 12.  I painted 6 sides of my book with red water colour paint, splattered with purple and salt added while still wet.  When dry I sprayed the pages with silver iridescent paint in places.  For the first page I cut out a Christmas stocking from melted plastic paper and decorated it with lace, buttons, presents and a mouse. I then folded the middle two pages to form a large pocket.  I did this by bringing the two corners of the page to meet in the middle of the page which formed a point at the edge.  I then took the point and folded it in towards the middle of the page.  I repeated this with the other middle page.  I glued a line along the top and bottom edges and the diagonals and stuck the two folded pages together.  The pockets created hold cookies, milk and a child's letter to Santa.  Two tiny Christmas stockings and the first part of the poem "A Visit from St Nicholas" finish the spread.  Do you see the hidden pocket?





My hidden pocket is created by the Christmas stocking, maybe not a slit in the page but the tag is hidden by the lace at the top and slides out when you pull on the toys.



2 comments:

BJ said...

Brilliant pages incorporating loads of techniques; backgrounds, pockets and folded pages. Super Job. BJ

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I love everything about this spread, Paula. From the hidden tag in the stocking to the way you incorporated the folds in the pages, these are stupendous. That Christmas stocking is amazing with the buttons and lace, as well as the tag that peeks out after you know it is there. I love how you added the child's letter to Santa, cookies, and milk, as well as how nicely you folded the pages you created. This was PERFECT.