DIY Network

Mixed Media Art Journal Visit DIY's Craft Lab to learn how to create an altered art journal. From "Craft Lab" episode DCLB-139

Guest Kelly Kilmer joins host Jennifer Perkins and demonstrates how to gut a hardcover book, layer it in acrylic paint and apply rubber stamps and ephemera. She and Jennifer make signatures for the journal and sew them into the binding of the book cover. The book is painted with objects other than a paintbrush for the finishing touches.

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Guest Kelly Kilmer demonstrates how to take an ordinary hardback book and turn it into a fun art journal.

Project designed by Kelly Kilmer.

Materials:

inexpensive bristle brushes for painting (1 to 2" brushes)
acrylic Gesso
acrylic paints
acrylic gel medium
140 lb. Wausau exact index cardstock
hardcover book
awl
needles (wide-eyed tapestry needles are good)
waxed linen thread
cork backed metal ruler
scissors
dry rag or paper towels
collage "ephemera" (papers, photos)
alcohol baby wipe
old toothbrush, waxed paper, old credit card, sponge, newsprint
masking fluid
gaffer's tape
handmade paper
PVA bookbinding adhesive
rubber stamps — postmodern design
KLI 101G Klimt one cube
AR2 101D Enchanted Butterfly

	Figure A
	Figure B

Mixed Media Art Journal

1. Gut a hardcover book by removing the pages from the spine of the book. Do NOT use a craft knife, it might help (if you are having trouble) to use a pair of scissors but be careful not to tear the spine.

2. Prep the cover by painting it with a thin layer of acrylic gesso (figure A).

3. Using an inexpensive brush (bristle brushes), apply a "thin" layer of gesso to the entire cover (inside, outside, edges, etc.). If the gesso is too thick, swipe it down with a paper towel or old rag. Let the gesso dry before you start to layer acrylics onto the cover.

4. Paint and embellish the cover by layering acrylic paint. Let the paint dry between applications unless you want to "mix" colors. Start with the lightest color first. Keep the brush strokes "open" allowing some of the gessoed areas to remain. Let the first layer dry, go in then with a second color and start to cover over parts of the gessoed area and the first painted area. Complete with the third layer.

5. Color "dry brushing" a little paint here and a little paint there, as desired.

6. Apply layers of acrylic paint to your surface (page or cover of journal). Let dry between layers. Use a sharp knife or scissors and "scratch" select areas to reveal the layers of color underneath.

7. Apply layers of color as desired to your page. Let dry. Use an alcohol baby wipe and "wipe" off the paint as desired. Repeat as often as desired.

8. Use a gel medium and apply a thin amount on the back of your photo. Attach photo to the book as desired, use an old rag to wipe off any excess medium. Apply a thin amount of acrylic to the rubber stamp and stamp as desired.

   Tip: Make sure that you clean the stamp off immediately with a baby wipe.

9. Using your bone folder, fold 20 sheets of cardstock in half. Then, nest five sheets together to create a "signature" (a series of pages grouped together in some way, shape or form).

10. On the spine of each signature, mark five evenly spaced dots. Start by making a dot in the middle with a marker, pen or pencil. Then about an inch away on either side, make two more dots. Then about an inch away from those two dots, make two more dots.

11. You can "eyeball" the holes of the book (keep them evenly spaced). Mark the holes with a pen, pencil or marker (figure B), and then fold the cardstock "inside out" so that the holes are now on the inside and poke holes that way. When done, refold the cardstock the way it originally was. Mark your holes in the spine of the book (you have four signatures so you will need four rows of holes); each row should be about a 1/8" to 1/4" away from the previous row. Do NOT make any holes in the "gutter" area of the spine — the area between the spine and the covers, the book is too flimsy there and it will fall apart. Start by making the first row of holes about 1/8" to 1/4" away from the "gutter" area.

12. Thread your needle. You do not need to "double the thread", leave the thread so that it is about two times the length of the spine. You will need a separate piece of thread for each signature. Knot the end of the thread (where there isn't a needle) about a 1" from the tail.

13. For this stitch, you will need five holes in each signature and four rows with five holes in each for the spine area. Each time you sew, you will be going through the signature and the cover. Start from the inside of the signature, going out the middle (third) hole. Go up and into the second hole. Then go up and out the first hole. Go back down and into the second hole. Make sure as you go back through where there is already thread, that you go around the thread and not through it. It is very important not to split the thread. Now, you are on the second hole, SKIP the third (middle) hole and go down and out the fourth hole, then down and into the fifth hole. Complete by going up and out the fourth hole and back INTO the third hole. End with a knot. Repeat this for every signature; just sew the same way in the "row" next "door" to where you started. Start from an outer row of holes.

14. To knot off, you want to use a beading trick for knotting pearls. Make sure your thread is pulled tight when you are sewing and then when you are done. It is very important to pull the thread taut as you sew (it is easier now than later). Pull the thread tight. Make a loop like you are tying a knot (so go through the loop), but leave the loop somewhat open and against the hole where you want your knot to be. Insert the awl into the center of the loop and into the hole where you want your knot to be against. Pull the tail of your thread and the knot should go flush against the hole. Repeat

15. Paint and embellish cardstock by painting your pages not using a brush but using a razor blade, toothbrush, credit card, fingers, waxed paper, newspaper, or sponge. Using a toothbrush, "scratch" paint onto the page. Using a credit card, "swipe" paint onto the page. Using crumpled up waxed paper, newspaper, etc. "pounce and pat" paint onto page. Using a sponge, swipe paint onto the page.

16. Embellish cardstock by applying layers of paint to surface and let the layers dry. Use masking fluid and a dry brush to "paint" page (write with it, draw with it, you can stamp with masking fluid as long as you clean your stamp immediately with a baby wipe). Let the masking fluid dry. Paint over your whole page (with the DRY masking fluid) with acrylics. Let the masking fluid dry. Removing masking fluid with dry paper towel or fingers. Whatever you painted will show through with the original "painted layers" underneath.

17. To fix tears or rips in binding and covers, use fabric or heavy handmade paper and "glue" (use PVA, a bookbinding glue) so that it will cover both the spine and about a 1/4" of the cover (as desired). You can also use heavy gaffer's tape on the cover as well.

Tips, Tricks and Ideas

• There are a variety of ways to keep an artist journal. There isn't any one '"right way". It's the way that suits you best.

• Use your journal to explore inner yearnings, favorite ideas, concepts, colors and more.

• Use your journal as a travel book, sketchbook, photo album, history book, etc.

• The biggest tip is to PLAY. Use your journal as your private book to work out a variety of ideas and have fun with it.

RESOURCES :

Rubber Stamps: Postmodern Design
E-mail: postmoderndesign@aol.com

GUESTS :

Kelly Kilmer
Website: www.kellykilmer.com