Prepping a New Altered Book Journal

A new year means  (for me) starting a new altered book journal. It's the perfect excuse to look through your bookshelf and find a hardback book that's been sitting unread with no expectation it will actually be read. So, a reason to repurpose & recycle. I chose two books for 2015 as I like to alternate between two; while art is drying in one I can press on and do art on the other. 

Start in the front and work your way to the back carefully tearing out 3/4 of the pages one page at a time. I leave pages where the art, photos, or captions are intriguing and might inspire future art journaling. I choose books which have some interest as the words and images will be incorporated into future artsy reflection. So, for me, a geometry or physics book just won't do! (Not a point of interest or inspiration for me!) I also like thick pages so they can stand up to the wear and tear of the art. 

Torn out pages can be further recycled (stored in a box) for headlines and art. If you like it; keep it. I "name" the book by its actual name so I can find it in my (picture) data. 

This one is "Pocket Gardens" a book I ordered on line that was disappointing but not worth returning. It will be put to great use now as a mixed media altered book journal.