artsandcrafts

For this project, you’ll need to refer to the instructions for building a frame, written in my first entry here.

After your frame is built, tear pages out of an old book.  These will form the background for the piece.  Then, use matte medium to glue them down, and put some on top to help give it a nice coating.  I think it turns out really nice if you line the edges of the frame, and then fill in the middle with papers, going mostly straight up and down, with only a couple of pages turned.

I made this project yesterday at an art workshop, and I had access to an old book.  In it, I stumbled across a funny little poem.  I decided it was really cool, and I wanted to highlight it, but have the entire background filled in with words.  The problem is, how do you highlight words when you’re covering the page with words that are exactly the same type face and size?  The answer is to turn it slightly to the side, and then build a sort of frame around it by leaving the other words going strictly up and down.  The eye is naturally drawn to the place that is turned a different way, and it highlights that section.  Make sure you put this on one side or another, but not directly in the middle.

On the other side, you can use a very old family photograph.  So that you’re not using the original, take it to a photo copying place such as Walgreens, and have them make a copy of it.  Then, using the same matte medium, glue it down, and again, put some on top to hold it in place.  You’re left with a beautiful old family photograph on a book background, with a little poem highlighted.