Thursday 1 August 2013

Oh Jane, what are your Wordsworth?

Hello dear friends, especially if you have joined me from Our Creative Corner.  I must say a big THANK YOU for all the lovely comments left on my Memory Book last time - I really appreciated every one of them.  This time the challenge was WORDS and I immediately thought about altered books and the lovely new Oxford Impressions stamp set called Jane's Garden I just bought.  I've wanted to do a folded pages project for ages - there are some great examples out there but they all looked so complex.  Anyway, here's how I turned this charity shop buy:


into this eye-catching piece of artwork:

Are you sitting comfortably?  Then I'll begin.  (Oh, that takes me back.....)

First of all you find the middle of your book and open it flat.  There are only two folds to this pattern and you make them alternately as shown here:

The first fold is just turning the page in towards the spine and creasing it flat.  The second fold turns the top corner and the bottom corner in together until they meet and then pressing them down firmly as shown.  I found it easier to cup the corners in my hands and roll them together until they met before pressing them down to avoid any tears in the page.  Continue in this way, until you get near to the cover and then do the same on the other side and you should end up with the book looking like this:

Be prepared for it taking some time - do a few pages at a time and then do something else to avoid getting bored - it does require a lot of patience to get this far!  I left a few pages at the back and front of the book but I've seen it done right to the covers and then some scrapbooking paper used to add to the background.  Both ways look good.

I then wanted to add some Jane Austen figures to look as though they were emerging from the pages so I stamped them in black on some pale cream card which went well with the book pages.  A little tip here - decide which way your figures are going to face and then make a little tab to fold and glue into the pages so that the images face the right way.  One of my butterflies is done that way and one just sticks out at an angle - learn by my mistakes LOL


I then stamped the sentiment "If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need" and stuck that in at the bottom.

The structure is quite firm and stands up really well - no fear of it falling over.  I'm now starting on a more complicated fold so watch out for version 2 of this project appearing on my blog soon.  I do hope you'll give it a go and give some new life to an unloved book.  Don't forget to see what my teamies have been up to for this Words challenge and I hope you get inspired to join us this month at Our Creative Corner.  Thanks so much for popping in and I'd love to hear any comments you have - they make my day.  Margie xx


Sharing this at Any Way You Fold It over at Frilly and Funkie

38 comments:

  1. A brilliant make, Margie!

    That altered book is absolutely stunning and adorable! I love, love, love it!!!!

    Hugs,
    Claudia x

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  2. Wow, wow, wow, this is an unbelievable piece Margie and how suitable to the theme, - utterly stunning!!!

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  3. Margie, me again, wanted to say thanks so much for joining my ICAD swap. Could you email me at astrid.maclean@yahoo.co.uk so I can send you more details in the next few days? Thank you!!

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  4. Wow! This is terrific!!! I'm visiting from 'Our Creative Corner', which I just discovered recently when I started following 'Butterfly' and I'm so going to give this a try! I love books and altered books are a new passion. Off to the Charity Shop tomorrow! Julie Ann x

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  5. Hi Margie, I am totally speechless over this fabulous creation! Your folding is perfection but the addition of the Jane's Garden stamps just takes it to a whole new level - this is the most stunning folded book I have seen - just love it! I am definitely going to give this a try...... Big hugs, Anne x

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  6. Stunning! Margie this is just so beautiful! What an amazing creation, So inspiring - I will have to have a go at making one! Lots of love Laura xxxxxxxx

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  7. Annie wanted to add her comment too!
    "Hi Margie,
    As soon as I saw this art I said "WOW!"
    I love, love, LOVE it. It must have taken you ages, now I want to make a book like your one, I'm jealous!
    Speaking of my blog, I have put a new post on it, I would really like it if you took a little peek at it. :)

    Lots of Love from

    Annie xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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  8. Simply astounding, Margie - a brilliant, brilliant piece of inspiration for this challenge. And, yes, I can imagine it requires immense patience, but so, so worth it!
    Alison x

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  9. Absolutely Fab - must try it

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  10. just love this inspirational book, thanks for sharing!!!!

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  11. Such an inventive and effective 3D project Margie! Love it to bits. Hugs, Jenny x

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  12. You never cease to amaze me! Every single time you come up with something new and original. xx

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  13. I have seen books altered like this, but rarely to such beautiful effect.... it is completely stunning!

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  14. Fabulous idea, really is amazing.

    Regards Diane

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  15. Inspirational!
    I've also wanted to try such a project but it always was on the back-burner.
    Jane's Garden was a perfect choice for this and so lovely to see the stamps being inked up (slightly fallen in love with them myself!)
    You have completely blown me away with this piece - stunning to say the very least.
    Wishes
    Lynne

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  16. Oh my, how awesome is this and such a unique folded project. Thanks for sharing it with us at Frilly and Funkie.
    Hugs!
    Cec

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  17. Absolutely MARVELOUS :-D

    IKE xx

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  18. So pleased to see you've entered your amazing book project into our challenge at Frilly and Funkie!!! A tour de force of folding here. Hugs, Jenny x

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  19. Oh! My Word this is truly AMAZING. I love it, absolutely fantastic.

    Patricia x

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  20. This is absolutely amazing Margie and the folded element is just stunning.
    Great to have you joining on my art journey and am now following yours.
    Fliss xx

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  21. Wow Margie! This is stunning. You even got a Wow from Hubby!!!
    Stunning.
    Hugs
    xx
    PS. Love your doggies too!

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  22. Fabulous project, thanks for the inspiration,
    have to try;-))m

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  23. Stunning indeed! What an absolutely amazing project! I really am going to try this! Chris

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  24. Margie you creation is STUNNING and so beautiful to look at. Such a pleasing shape and the stamped images are perfect.
    Amazing piece of art. Love Brenda

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  25. What a wonderful creation! Perfect stamps for this project! thanks for sharing 'how to'!

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  26. This is just stunning! I am definitely giving this a try!

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  27. wow this is a really stunning project, such clever folding and I love the way it looks as though the characters are popping out of the book - genius!
    Claire xx

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  28. Absolutely incredible. Blown away. What more can I say,

    Lucy x

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  29. Wow! A fabulous piece of art, love it. Have seen similar folds with magazines to make Christmas trees but this version is new to me and much better.
    Thanks for sharing
    Ann B

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  30. Margie your make is incredible and yet so simply done! I am sure you are going to see more of this art form in Blogland. Absolutely wonderful - wonderful!
    Sandy

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  31. OMG, absolutely a delcious to watch,,, thanks for sharing,,,,and explain it.....wow,woww.

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  32. Had to pop by Margie - I saw this a few days ago and meant to comment - It is absolutely knockout fabulous. You are wayyyy talented! Nicola x

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  33. Wow, that is incredible, I have never seen it done before! I have some books, had other plans for them but you never know....

    Cazzy x

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  34. WOW... This is absolutely amazing, Margie! Thank you for stopping by my blog and for your kind comments!

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  35. Beautiful! Great idea! Inspirational!

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