La Casa de Papel

2006-10-30T19:17:00.000Z

Extrem Distress landscap. A serie of extrem distress spread between all questions.Actually I work on the question 3. So soon on this blog
Pascale

2006-10-30T19:05:00.000Z

Spread for the 5 & 6 question.I was create one spread like a luggage with my selfportrait

Insead the suitcase I do a spread with topic trip, a collage with ephemera from some country
second trip about trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-10-30T18:58:00.000Z

spread with my scupture-book.There are one book and a branch of tree with plaster.

Spread with books' tree after one month.

La isla de la casa de papel

2006-09-17T09:00:00.000Z

....this project seams to have come to a kind of stand still. We did not have any new questions or answers anymore for quite some time, nor have we seen what happend to the started books up to now...I have posted a couple of links to you, but did not hear anything. Have they been helpfull, did you follow the links, can I please have some feed back...? I feel as if I have stranded on the island of la casa de papel....!!!! Is any other person on this island , too???

Leaving the project

2006-09-01T21:24:00.000Z

Sorry everyone, but I have sent an email to Anke, and have asked her to withdraw my name from the project as I need to reduce my commitments. I have thoroughly enjoyed the work that I've done on this, and reading the book, but feel that it is not for me at this moment in time.

I will of course keep a close eye on what you are all doing, and wish you well for the future.

hugs to all,
Linda.

Sandra's answers to Jill's questions

2006-09-01T20:46:00.000Z

It was Jill's turn to ask two questions:
(1) How, in the context of this project/extreme distress, do you view yourself as traveller, and
(2) How do you imagine the landscape that you are attempting to create?

Well, I am expanding my borders for sure. I had never thought I would ever demolish a book and have it end up into pulp. But I have thought, in fact I do that to every book I alter, I do it to every book only by reading it, by opening the pages, cracking the spine a bit - especially pocket books - so it lies open well. I am travelling not only beyond the regular borders of how to deal with books, but as a traveller, I also make the balance of how I have dealt with books in the past in the regular sense of just reading them. I think that is one of the essences of travelling: moving beyond the horizon and taking the time and the rest to look back at where you have been, to redefine the goal of the journey and to search new directions.

I think my asnwer to Jill's second question is good for taking this rest for now. I have done some experiments with the pulp, turned some into ATC's, have built a mini 'casa de papel' of it and have still some left for a second 'casa de papel'. If Jill speaks in terms of a landscape, I would like to call it creating paperscapes. I am pretty sure I'll continue working with paper as a medium, where the way I used to create pulp could be one of the gimmicks. The pulp as I have handled it has a quite rough and whimsical structure, a feature I like about it. At first sight it looks quite workeable, so perhaps my idea of creating sculptures with paperpulp is a good one, only that will need some more experiments. What I especially like about it is that (well, maybe not so much on this picture) the remains of a book are visible, though I want to continue my experiments with putting a book without the covers into the machine. Hopefully it will lead to some nice paperscapes :-)

La Casa de Papel

2006-09-01T19:18:00.000Z

My question is: is possession necessary to love? Can I love a book and not own it?

...just a quick link for you....;-)

2006-08-20T14:25:00.000Z

look here: I found this very inspiring!
Hugs

Anke

Update - Jill

2006-08-04T16:05:00.000Z

Well the tea bath was not exactly successful. The pages did not get stained as I was hoping. The cover/binding has loosened rather a lot but that is all. Other than that, nothing, except a very distinct smell - which is more akin to cat than tea..ho hum - on to try something else!

2006-08-04T11:49:00.000Z

this is my spread for #4 question, but this question are too interested for me and i want to do more spreads, i got a new photo: one book are folling down and i will start soon a new spread.

2006-08-04T10:05:00.000Z

I continue the story of extrem distress with a sculpture "book tree "

First distressing

2006-07-16T10:54:00.000Z

I noticed rather a lot of used teabags in my compost pile, so decided to make a tea bath for my book last night. I left it to *steep* over night and put my book in it this morning to soak. Um, so far all that is happening is that the binding is in danger of coming away from the pages lol. A good dose of sun later on might help I think :o).

And this is the book in the tea bath.

My Book

2006-07-16T10:51:00.000Z

Sorry folks am catching up here. This is the book I am going to use. It is an old gardening manual, the pages are quite thick paper of various kinds, some is photographic and, as you can see, it is a fairly thick tome! I had started prepping it ages ago for one use or another, so some of the pages have gesso on them already. I have a sneaking suspicion it won't last long though!

Questions 5 and 6

2006-07-15T19:24:00.000Z

Delgado says:

".....a reader is a traveller through a ready-made landscape"

Now this set me to thinking about the journey we are taking together, using our own imaginations and darings to create a new *landscape* from a *ready-made* one.

So my questions are:

(1) How, in the context of this project/extreme distress, do you view yourself as traveller, and
(2) How do you imagine the landscape that you are attempting to create?

This intrigues me because in this project we are all both traveller and creator, which brings up for me thoughts of duality, illusion etc. (But now I am straying into territory for my future questions).

I am off to think about this more and to catch up with answering questions 1 -4!

Happy journeying fellow travellers :o)

Extreme distress

2006-07-11T21:15:00.001Z

Tonight I decided to do my little experiment for the Casa de Papel-altered books project. Extreme distress to a book, that is what it's about. I had thought of putting the book into the washing machine, but I thought it would be wiser to put the book in a solid cotton bag first, tightly closed with a rope and a big knot.

Well, buddy, there you go. Regular washing program at forty degrees, along with some sheets and towels (don't mind my cat's tail, she is always so curious about the household and esepcially the closet where my washing machine is):

And here is the result. Is this an altered book or what?

Q3 Book lover...

2006-07-09T15:11:00.000Z

After considering how I feel about my books, I decided to go around the house and photograph them. I have hundreds, probably over 1000. But I can't be bothered to count them all, having given up at 253 in my living room alone!
The spread is a photo montage of just some of the pictures that I took (the best ones ;>). Looking at all of my books, I realised how some are covered in dust; that they are disorderly (to say the least); a few almost forgotten and others piled haphazardly on the top of cupboards and the floor. They are, however, all loved and kept because I know that I may well re-read the fiction ones, and the reference books are useful.

I think the spread conveys how I feel about books quite well. You may notice a slight discolouring on the edge of the left page - this happened when I was trying to distress the overall book and spilt water on the pages! My attempts to distress the book are ongoing, but have so far included gouging with a craft knife, cutting holes in the front cover and layering with ink, ash, gel medium and bits of foam. The idea is that the book has been on a long journey, was caught in a fire, washed overboard and is now soaking up the sun on a rocky beach... if I work out how to get those effects, I'll let you know ;)

Extreme Distress - Cover

2006-07-08T16:16:00.000Z

I decided my cover needed to feel like the book that came back to Bluma from Carlos. I wanted a toughened cover with a cement like feel. I now need to develop a filthy crust for my book, so I'm waiting for David (my husband) to go out and then going to half bury it in the garden. David really doesn't understand altering books at all, this will be beyond him. With any luck my labrador will find it and help the process a bit! Cloth Paper Scisssors this month has an interview with Cas Holmes who talks about burying fabric to weather it, so before I bury it I'm going to wrap a piece of muslin around it for use in the book later on.

I had a book last week from Pascale, which arrived in a wonderful recycled envelope, I am saving this until my book is finished as an outer cover I can tie up with string. I may even post it back to myself again!

extreme distress - how to skin a book

2006-07-08T14:45:00.000Z

After the heavy rain yesterday ( look here! ) my book is still kind of wet....but wanted to do some more with/to it. It still had that protecting plastic wrapper, that was put around it in the library, were I got it from. I decided to skin my book and since it is about the old wild west and the trappers, I tought that was only fair enough!!! But the book was still wet and so some the front pictur came off, too...but also the structur of the book tore and now I have a freshly skined book and the book skin!!!

extreme distress - distressing with a thunderstorm ....

2006-07-07T16:49:00.000Z

....it is really hot here in Berlin at the moment, but then we often have thunderstorms, too. Today it hit me like a flash of lightning ( pun intended!) who I would like to distress my book: in the thunderstorm!!! my kids were really happy about helping me and we had lots of fun exposing my book to the water!!! It is standing outside now, but on our balcony and I will leve it there until it will get try. Hopefully the heat will get to the pages and take its toll, too!!! We will see....!!!

#4 extreme distress

2006-07-05T12:06:00.000Z

for extreme distress i start a little story of several books. Books in the tree,i was put since 4 july this photography is the number 1.
I will used it for a second spread!!

#3 spread how i love book

2006-07-05T11:59:00.000Z

I like engraving in old books and in this spread i choosed to use one engraving paper and a cover from 2 old books. i was finished with acrylic painting and glue !

Question #3: What kind of book lover (or hater) are you?

2006-07-03T19:40:00.000Z

well, I think I am both...;-) I do love books and I have done so many things with books: reading, of course, altering ( obviously) ,
I used them as source of information, and I have write a book ( hopefully there are more to come!). But I also bind them, tear them and I used them as furniture. I try to get rid of them, I loose them and I trade them. I make books and take them apart.I collect them....!!!
At first ( before I could read and write!) I was very interested in them and I told my Grandma stories, which she wrote done for me and I was dreaming of being an author. Then school started and I had a real hard time to read and write ... I am dyslexic!!!
I was hoping a type write could solve my problem, but unfortunately it did not. So I started hating books and reading and writing, too. I was forced to write and read a lot, but with the years something changed and now I can not live without books anymore. I can go without a lot of things, but take all my books away from me and I will be like a flower without water!!!
I definitely have to many books, but I work with them, in them and around them. And as a Persian proverb says: A book is like a garden carried in the pocket.
Sometimes I need that garden to hide in and forget about what is outside of...;-)

#1 the book in frensh!

2006-07-03T09:06:00.000Z

the book "la maison en papier" is arrived and i can start to read all!!

Question #3: Booklover or bookhater

2006-07-01T20:25:00.000Z

Well, I am a booklover for sure! I don't have an indexing system, but despite the bit of a chaotic look my bookshelves are pretty organised. I have a lot of books I bought for my study (theatre). A few months ago my shelves contained more books, but I have sold about a box full because I wanted to make space. The books I sold were of the kind that you read only once.

I thought I'd answer this question with a picture, so you can have a look yourself. If you click it you can browse a bit :-)

Question #4: What is "extreme distress"?

2006-06-27T06:49:00.000Z

The second title of this project is "extreme distress", and I would like to get a bit more into this line of the project, too. Of what do you think when you think "extreme distress"??? (Of course we are thinking about extrem distress for a book!) But what could that be??? Shakti wrote on her blog, that she did through her book around her room to distress it.... but how about making that a bit more extreme...like going to a really high house and through your book down from there...or how about other bad things that could happen to a book, like lying around in a moldy cellar for years and then getting really wet and the little mushrooms start growing on the pages. Or being buried in the woods for years!!! Maybe some books fall into the sea and get hurt by salt water and then washed to the shores.... And think about all those poor books that do survive houses being burned down....smoke coming out of their pages and their backs get burned......!!! What comes to your mind when you think about extreme distress...and how would you like to work that into your book??? Please post some thoughts and ideas, maybe you like to do a spread in your book about that,too....but you could also save that for later and put some extrem distress on your book when it has some more work in it...I will leave that up to you!

Question #3: What kind of book lover ( or hater) are you??

2006-06-27T06:43:00.000Z

In la casa de papel we have read about some basic types of book lovers: there is the person that just likes to read books, others need to have the books they read, or the ones who only enjoy a certain type of book, or only old ones......there are many more types, one can think about!!!
But what kind of book lover are you???? Do you love books??? Do you buy all your books, do you make a list of your books..... ????
Think about it, and make a spread in your alterable book about your way of loving (or hating ) books! Please share some of your thoughts and your work in the book on this blog....;-)

List of questiongivers

2006-06-27T06:32:00.000Z

Hi everyone.....as far as I know most of us do have the book by now, most have read it, some started reading it a second time ( I might do that , too BTW..;-)And I think it would be best to keep the paperhouse until we are finished with the project and give it away after( if you intend to do that!) So I think its time to get into it seriously...;-)
As I said in the intro of this project, I will kind of lead you through the process,. but I will not be the only one to make up things and themes for the altering. I will start with two more questions today and them I will pass it on to the next person.
So here we have the sending list (and I thought it would be a good idea to have the list according to the order of participants on the blog, this way we will not get lost....;-))
This is the list of question givers:
Anke
Jill
Elizabeth
Claire
Kari
Pascale
Maria
Sandra
Linda

and if we like we start again from the top of the list....;-)
I think we should post the new questions ( leading to some work on our book to alter!) every second week or so, maybe leave some more time during the summer time ( thinking of the ones beeing away for some holidays). Is that okay with all of you???

OK, I'm ready :)

2006-06-26T15:56:00.000Z

#1 How did I get interested in the project?

Well, first I was intrigued by Anke's apparent enthusiasm, and when I heard it was a book about a book (my favourite kind) I was hooked! I ordered the book in English from http://www.jabberwockbooks.co.uk/ (through Amazon.co.uk), they promised to ship the book on June 20th, but it arrived June 19th... Do I need to say I was pleased with the shipping time, minus one day? ;-) The book itself, The Paper House, was a very interesting read, and I'll have to re-read it soon... (my style of reading is rather like a devouring of the book *blush*)

#2 Which book have I chosen to alter?

The title is "Leva Fri" ("Living Free") and it's about the lioness Elsa. I had planned to use this book for a round robin, but realized it was too big and too heavy... I'm glad I could use it for this project instead.

/Maria

Ready to Go!

2006-06-21T14:02:00.000Z

I too read my copy in a couple of hours, it was a great read and I shall send it off on a bookcrossing journey in a day or two (www.bookcrossing.com).

I only heard of this book because of Anke's reference to it, but when I followed up her links and saw what it was about, I knew it sounded interesting.

It ties in so perfectly with my recent university theme, that I couldn't resist.

The book I have chosen is also a rather large one (well, this is such a good opportunity), it is called Uncensored Celebrities by E.T. Raymond and has beautiful deckled edges (no guilloutine to tidy up the edges, here!) and, of course, excellent pathways. The paper is a lovely texture, rather thick and almost like watercolour paper. I know it will absorb paint well.

Right, I am ready to get started...

Kari x

Questions 1 & 2

2006-06-20T18:52:00.000Z

1. I was intrigued by what Anke was saying about this book and her excitement persuaded me to join. My own copy arrived today, from Amazon. It was unpacked from the box by 8.40am. I'd finished reading it at 10am! Brilliant little book and now I understand fully why Anke wanted to do an AB project based on the Paper House. I'm really excited now and looking forward to starting! It will be interesting to try new things for this, distressing a book ;>

2. Having bought a few used books from our local library, I was unsure which one to use. However, once I read the Paper House this morning, one drew me. There was only one choice from what I had. "Castaway" tells the story of 2 people who, in real life, chose to be castaways on a small island off the northern tip of Australia. The experience wasn't exactly a success, from what I could gather after skipping through the book. With a few small illustrations, including maps of the island inside the cover, and good quality paper, I think "Castaway" is an ideal book for this project.

Questions 1 & 2

2006-06-18T19:10:00.000Z

1. How did I get interested in this project?
Well, curiosity first, after Anke enthousiastically told about the book. Normally I would leave this book aside when I'd see it in a shop, but what I have read about it intrigued me enough to purchase it. I think the best books I have read are books like these, of authors I've never read before :-)
I also like the idea of combining two books by theme, reading the one and altering the other.

2. The book I'll be altering for this project was just waiting for it - too heavy to mail. It is a book I got from the give-away-store in my town, like a second handshop where you don't have to pay. I ocassionally bring some of my old stuff there. People are allowed to take five things. For creative people the perfect place to nose around for some nice things. This is where I get most of my books to alter.
It's an old book about the nature of my country, which is described in a very broad way and with a very rich and beautiful use of language of the 1940's. I have already cut out lots of pages, which I have sent to the participants in a swap I am hosting in the Dutch ATC-group at yahoo. The challenge of this swap is to play with the pages, but to play with the book as a whole in this project is a great challenge :-)

#1

2006-06-18T18:25:00.000Z

#1- I was order the book on Priceminister and I imagine the book to altered while i wait the book in french, "La maison en papier"
#2
today, i was start to altered one book, i choose one old school book gave by a freind and i start to cut it form like a house, but it's not finish....

Questions 1 and 2

2006-06-18T17:17:00.000Z

Question 1
How did I get interested in the project?

In a word... curiosity
Anke introducing a book: The House of Paper, without saying too much about it, giving just enough of a synopsis to intrigue... so first step, Amazon to buy it, even paying the postage to get it as quickly as possible!

The idea of an altered book based upon links between the story and the idea of extreme distress, sounds challenging, not something I've done before.

Question 2
The book I'm going to alter?

My book is called "The Golden Calm, An English Lady's Life in Moghul Dehli". It links the writings of Emily, Lady Clive Bayley and her father Sir Thomas Metcalfe. Corny as it sounds the title is just begging me to use it for this project, as what could be more perfect that to subject it to extreme distress!

I bought this book in a charity shop almost a year ago intending to alter it in a round robin, but its way too big to be posted. Imagine my surprise when I took off the dustcover and saw the front. This is such serendipity, like Anke's book, my cover features a horse and rider!

And the biggest challenge to be faced... using Blogger in German!!

Question #1 and #2

2006-06-17T16:31:00.000Z

okay, this will be the start of the project and I will start with the first question for all the members:
#1:How did you get interested in this project and how did you get "The paper house" ...;-)

and to give you some more to chew on:

#2: Tell us something about the book you will use for altering for this project...;-)

When ever you are ready to answer the question is a good time to do it...;-)

Hugs
Anke

My two books...;-)

2006-06-17T16:30:00.000Z

...this is my answer for #1 and #2:
I found the paper house by chance: in the neares bookshop just around the corner! I was actually looking for a birthday present for a friend and stumbled over this book...I have not hearded about it before but it sounded good, so I got it ... and was glued to the pages after I started reading it!!!
As for the book I will use for altering: I got that from our local library. They have book sales now and then and I get most of my books for altering there, they are cheap, thea have a history...what else do you want...;-)
This one is a book about the wild west....but more on the natural history side. It is quite big and has alot of intressting picture in it. I always wanted to use it for a special project...but it is not a good one to sent round....too heavy!!! it also has a wonderful cover!!! I think this is a perfect choise for this project...!

new Altered Book project: extreme distress - La casa de papel

2006-06-16T17:49:00.000Z

Hi everyone,

...I am happy to hear that you are all busy with your art projects and are not glued to the TV.....;-) I am doing the same really tons of projects would like to finish before the kids start their summer break and our holidays start!!!!

I have been thinking about this new project for quite some time now after reading all your posts and I think this will get even more experimental that I did think at first...so this will truly be something to get everyone ( how will take part) out of the comfort zone!!!

I have been reading in Shaktis blog about her experience with throwing her book around and at first I started to laugh, but it also made me think...then I also just finished reading a book called : "la casa de papel" ( I read it in German in case anyone was thinking...;-) and I really love this book! And it gave me even more ideas. I do not want to give too much away from the book in case you have not read it, but it is basically about three persons, how are very fond of books, but how are also quite crazy....and one of them finally gets completely over the top and his complete library gets under extreme distress......I will not say anymore...;-)

So whats the project???
Everyone will have to get the book in any language:

Carlos Maria Dominguez
"La Casa de Papel" ISBN: (sorry could not find out the number)
"The House of Paper" ISBN: 0151011478
"Das Papierhaus" ISBN: 3-452-35116-9
and read it. It will be completely up to you how fast or slow you are going to read it. The book is not very long so that should not be a problem at all...;-)

Everyone will get a book to alter. The size and how thick it is,this time is completely up to you, because this book will NOT be sent anywhere unless you want to!!!! So this is the chance to use a really heavy book for once!!! I have been thinking about the postage costs and as Susan already pointed it out, they ARE a problem here in Germany, but I am sure some of you will be happy about having not to pay for more postage money ,too!! But since we are not sending a the books anywhere, how will it work??? This is one of the getting out of the comfort zone steps: I am still debating if it will be better to have a new yahoo group just for this project and just for the duration of this project, or if it would be nicer to have a blog for the project......I am still open so say which way you would prefer...;-)

Anyway it will be essential to regularly post pictures of your book, because this is the only way we can have something like a group project. Every other week one of the persons taking part is giving out a question for two weeks to work on and everyone is posting pictures of the process of the book...of course in connection with "la casa de papel" and the idea of extreme distress!!! i will make a start and then we will have a list so everyone knows when its time to think about a question.....

What do you all think??? Anyone interested in taking part???
Any more questions???
Looking forward to your reaction...;-)

Greetings and Hugs

Anke