create altered art

I love alternate art and everything steampunk. I’ve never been one for jewelry but I am keen on learning how to make altered art jewelry. I have started gathering supplies and can’t wait to start.

I never did alter a jewellery box for my aunt because I couldn’t find a box to alter with!! but now bought a big cheap jewellery box from Ikea that I can alter for myself and can’t wait to do it! :p

Gonna alter a jewellery box for my aunt to give this weekend which I saw the project in a craft’s magazine I just hope I get it done and it looks good!!

I worked on my art journal: I tried photocopier transfers, and discovered that it is best to have fresh photocopies. All the same, I think it worked nicely. I’ll scan and post some of the results later in the week.

• books, including my journal
• ATCs (Artist Trading Cards)
• inchies
• tin boxes

Today I found the ultimate makers paradise. Its the last stop prior to the dumpster for things donated to Goodwill that have been deemed to junky to try to sell. It was amazing. There are all these little sorting bins in a big room. They are full of stuff that is minimally sorted. Big bins of fabric stuff, bins of brickbrack, bins of shoes. People were sorting through them. It had the feel of sorting through the bottom of the toybox when you haven’t done it in a really long time, except the room was full of them. I asked a lady that was returning knives to a bin of knives if she knew where the electronics area was, she said, “do I look like I work here”. I said, “well, yes, you were putting things away”. She didn’t.
All of the sudden, some of the people that did work there came out and started rolling the bins over next to a wall. All the people that were shopping went to one area and lined up behind a really dirty plastic chain “barrier”. Then the people that worked there started dumping boxes of new brickbrack into empty bins. I asked a teenager if he thought I’d be able to find a PS2 controller and he shook his head and said, “only if you’re real lucky”. He and 2 of his friends were buying battery operated squirt guns. He waited. I watched the boxes that may have come directly from a car trunk or possibly from some other sorting facility being emptied and tried to figure out the system. When everything was ready a calm came over the room and they opened the chain fence. People walked quickly to the tables and just started grabbing stuff. I saw an elderly man just watching, like it was his weekend entertainment to come down here and watch the whole thing. I started grabbing things too- broken computer speakers, books, cups. I got caught up.
I will go back. I may sit next to the elderly man and just watch.

and putting aside interesting bits and pieces…I just have to do it! Maybe combine with my “art every day” goal for 2006….

I am very slowly making a book about my life using altered art as my creativity. I am trying to use as few words as possible so people will have to look over the page very closely to see what I am trying to relate..It’s very theraputic and relaxing. When I’m ready to do a page which can take me all day, my living room gets trashed since, not even knowing it, I have collected small trinkets and junk for years just KNOWING I was going to use it some time..This really comes in handy..Not to mention the old magazines I collected here and there.