WHAT'S UP with Altered & Paper Bag Books?!?

[Inky Paws]

I have been seeing a lot of adorable Altered and paper bag books lately. But I don't get it! What is their purpose? What do you do with them and what do you put in them? I was at a meeting last night and several of us really think that they are really cute, but just don't get it. Could someone please enlighten me or let me know that they feel the same way?

I'll love to try new things and I try anything once. If I make these as a stamp camp project, will my customers get it and use it or just think, Oh that's pretty, now what?

Thanks for your enlightenment!

colleen

[Happy Heart]

I think you can tuck small gifts such as sachets, packets of bubble bath, gift cards, etc., into the paper bag books, but I've never understood the purpose of a regular altered book other than as pure artistic expression. :? I don't think they serve any real purpose.

[ajm]

We had a surprise 40th birthday party for a friend once. Afterwards she sent me (and I'm sure everyone else) a wonderfull thank you card that was a little booklet all stamped with several pages of sayings about friendship. I felt like it was my birthday, she's a really talented stamper.

Those things are IMO just a really special card.

Ann

[JJBrooks]

I am hooked on making the paper bag books! I tuck little surprises in the pages. They are really fun to make and everyone has loved getting them!
I think it would be a wonderful stamp camp project, but I would have everything pre cut and ready to go. These can take a while!

[ValerieJ]

I live making these and the receivers have loved getting them. The first two I made were friendship books, and like previously stated are basically just a really special card and gift all in one really. The last two I did I made memory books for my boys. I usually do one each year that highlights the activities and important events in their lives, so this year I did the lunch bag books. I use stamps that go with each topic ie sports, hunting, vacation,family etc and then add pictures to go along with each. I used lots of fibers and shaped brads and a few buttons in theirs. In the friendship one I used more feminine embellishments. I t hink the ideas are just endless and I must say my boys are 14 years old now and not everything Mom does is realy cool, but they both loved their books and they show them to everyone, including their friends! The books do take a lot of time though, so you would have to plan accordingly for a camp.

[StampinPixie]

Paper bag books are also a way to "show off" your creativity and demonstrate all sorts of techniques. Of course, these are best given to fellow artists who will appreciate the work that went into it. After convention last year, some friends and I stopped at a stamp store in Florida. The lady who worked there had the most amazing paper bag book, and she happily told us how to make one. She used very artsy stuff in it, lots of embossing powders, opalite inks, fibers, textures. She even let one of my friends take pictures, but threatened our lives if her work turned up in a magazine somewhere! And before you ask, I honestly do not have the pictures. Sorry.

[msdetloff]

anyone out there have a picture or a template...just not getting it...Thanks

Mindy

[Inky Paws]

Okay ladies, keep the ideas coming! I't starting to get a little clearer. So Altered books really have no purpose than being pretty and an artistic expression, got that. I get it now that mostly the bag books are like the mini according books that everyone was making. Including me, I did those last month at S/C and everyone loved them.

I love the idea of sticking bubble bath, teas, etc inside the bags/pages. Anymore great idea?

Owe, I just came up with one that I wouldn't ever need or many people that I know right now. make one for your kid as they go off to collage and put on 1 page, when you need to talk and a pre-paid phone card, when you are hungry, put a restaurant gift cert, when you are homesick, put a pre-paid gas card.

Colleen

[debbiedee]

I made 2 of these and they are in the DD gallery. One was a hot chocolate one and I put a cocoa pkt and marshmallow pkt inside. The other was one for a friend and I put goodies in it for her.
I have also made the paperbag cards. To me these are a wonderful gift to give to someone special. You can use them as mini scrapbooks also and do your journalling on large tags to fit inside or more pictures.
Nothing says "love" to me than to receive something like this from someone who took the time to make such a wonderful work of art.
Debbiedee

[11Valerie11]

They are just too cool to make, enough of a reason for me!!

Valerie

[justheather]

I just made one for my 4 yo daughter. I wanted her to have a "book" that she could handle and play with, but if/when it fell apart, it wouldn't be the end of the world.

[allpaperart]

Help-To get it started -you prep/cut the bag?I would like to see a sample of just the bag-How do you cut it-to get pockets?

[StampinMamaTo4]

Here are photos from my gallery of a paper bag book I made DH for Valentine's...he was nearly moved to tears with this. To me, THAT is definitely the *point*.
For some reason when these images uploaded, they got out of order; there are two more pages of the book on the first page of my gallery.

hockeymom's Gallery at Splitcoaststampers

Hope this helps you visualize!

[debbiedee]

I don't know how any one else does theirs and I didn't have any instructions to follow, but this is what I did.
Just fold your lund bags in half, you create one pocket per bag. On the folded edge is where you staple, sew, or put eyelets, then decorate each "page".
debbiedee

[StampinHappyInCT]

Are there instructions for making these somewhere? I have done a search, but too many topics came back to look through them all! Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[Grandmasue]

There are the instrustions that I used to make mine, it's from a different site.
Check out the authors gallery, she makes awesome paper bag books.


http://mb.lifetimemoments.com/viewtopic.php?t=83171

[Ang517]

I've always wondered the same thing! :oops: I'm definitely gaining an appreciation of the art lately and hope to take a class this summer. Seems like a really nice way to spend time.

[StampinHappyInCT]

Thanks, GrandmaSue for the link to the instructions! This is just what I needed!!! :lol:

[Inky Paws]

Stampinmammato4

Your bag is so awesome!!! Your pictures are great to illustrate what you were doing! I totally get it now! You have truely inspired me to try one tommorrow. I have never seen one of these in person so all of the input here has been truly inspirational!!

Thanks agian to everyone who shares,

Colleen

[allpaperart]

Dear Lisa. S Wow- What a wonderful V-Gift for your DH! Great looking! You made it from a bag! -Thanks for sharing & taking the time to answer my question!

[sonyav]

I think they are great for kids to do. My kids have made some great ones for teachers and their grandparents. We tuck little drawings that they have done into the little pouches. They are adorable and I think the whole "lunch bag" aspect of it makes it especially cute for a teacher gift.

[Dorinda]

Here is how I made mine, which I was caseing Debbie from the DD Gallery and her instructions.



Gallery at Splitcoaststampers



www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/Dorinda

[AndreaSophie]

[etsdas]

This may not help much - but I saw directions on HGTV's Carol Duvall show (on their website, too). The one I made used the full size lunch bag - after evening off the top and cutting a couple of inches from the bottomk so it opened on both ends. Cut a piece of card stock as wide as the lunch bag and long enough to accordion pleat (about 3/4 in. pleats.) Secure (use glue or double sided tape) the bottom (now open) end of each sack to one of the pleats - this makes the binding. I decorated each sack, and especially the cover. Used a horse theme, and labelled each sack - so my granddaughter could use the "book" to keep mementos, ribbons, photos, programs, etc. from horse shows she is in.

Sory I do not have photos or a link for this.

[rebecca wheeler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grandmasue

There are the instrustions that I used to make mine, it's from a different site.
Check out the authors gallery, she makes awesome paper bag books.


http://mb.lifetimemoments.com/viewtopic.php?t=83171

Now I get it...thanks for the great link....for visual learners...this will be just what you need...thanks...

[mbstampmagic]

StampinMamato4 Nice stuff :lol: the little mini bags are cute to use for a special birthday

[JMCDA]

Hi All,

I am just working on the pieces for an altered book warm-up class that I am teaching this spring at my local SB store. I call it a warm up class because a lot of people ask about altered books - what is it, what do you do with it? etc. but they haven;t really got their head around the idea yet. I am starting with 4 projects this quarter and then next quarter (summer) I will teach a 4 week altered book class.

This is basically how I describe it: altered art is really the art of collage on "something" or "some type of surface" so that when you are finished your collage art you will have altered the original purpose of your surface!

In the warm up class I am teaching a funky card+tag first, that will hopefully get them to loosen up to collage style, next we will alter a CD that they can use as a fridge magnet or coaster, next will be a paint can suitable for filling with goodies...and not paint , and last we will make a paper lunch bag book.

The trick to it all is coming up with your theme for each piece and then just letting your ideas flow when you are collaging....and having lots of "stuff" to stick on here and there doesn't hurt either! altho you can collage just with your stamps.

I am looking forward to it, we haven't started sign ups yet...I hope that enough brave souls want to come and play around with me.

Wish me luck!
Joann
Independent SU Demonstrator

[StampinMamaTo4]

Hello Everyone,
Here is a link to directions for one type of paper bag book, like the one in my gallery. I think these are the easiest ones to follow I've found. I've figured out there are types where you cut off the bottom, and a type where you do not. I haven't tried the type where the bottom gets cut off.
Hope this is helpful!

http://www.scrapbookingkids.com/paperbagdirections

[Donna Cook]

the altered book is for fun, artistic expression! It can be made as a gift or for a personal journal.....I'm not sure they really have a purpose, say like a door stop...although my family would like to use some of my art for that.I made one recently for a friend who was going on a trip and it had a gift certificate for Starbucks, to use at the airport. .. as stated above, altered art is collage- ing on something....or making something...into something else...great way to recycle "stuff" . One is limited only by one's imagination and the availablity of interesting "stuff". Fer sure it's not for everyone.....very left brain, linear people may find it disturbing....or maybe not....but try it with a book you're sending off to the rummage sale or picked up at the rummage sale....think of a theme, as stated above or just do some daily doodling.....but as with most things, you should do it to have fun.....there is an altered art round robin going on right now and some of us have posted our pages in our gallery...and I don't have a clue how to add the link to this page, :shock: I did figure out how to do the little picture

But if you do one with your stamp camp or club you might want to narrow the focus, and do one for Christmas or Valentines or vacation or something like that.....concrete idea taken into the world of abstract collage.....