by Lynne Perrella

Creative souls want and need a special place for recording and decoding their interior world -- a place to download all their creative ideas, a place to remember the events of the day, or a place to doodle, to draw, and to dream. This book is for all these people -- itÆs an engaging and intimate glimpse into the personal pages of a wide variety of select artists and journal keepers whose works not only provide visual delight and inspiration but evidence the intensity and devotion that such personal journals invite.

Read more >>

by Lynne Perrella

Mixed media techniques have come to forefront again, with artists in every field combining materials and effects to create journals, altered art, collage pieces, memory art and more. With all the creative experiementation developing at such a fast pace, it is pertinent to know how various techniques and combinations work and whether they are right for your latest project. Alphabetica illuminates new techniques through detailed visuals and rich, explanatory text. From cover to cover, readers absorb the specialties of each contributing artist, such as Judi Riesch's use of vintage photographs, and Lesley Riley's sophisticated fabric transfers, and are able to get an "over the shoulder" glance at how these artists work.

Read more >>

by Lynne Perrella

A glimpse into the personal collections and work of 35 major artists. This large format, full-color, inspirational book is about how artists use their collections to make artwork. The gallery-style format allows readers to see what artists collect, and the resulting spectacular artwork they make from it. The book will feature the collections and the artwork of thirty-five major mixed-media artists. The artwork will include journals, assemblages, altered books, as well as jewelry pieces, and detailed descriptions of the materials and techniques used, plus tips and insights into using unusual materials and collections. Mixed-media artists are naturally collectors. They are fascinated by the stuff of life, and they are always looking for the right elements to add to their collages and journals. This book offers a juicy combination -- sort of a walk through an artist-filled flea market, and a gallery of the pieces created using these collections with tips and insights on collecting and creating, and how they go hand in hand.Features a lineup of 35 contributing artists including: Lynn WhippleGraceann WarnGail RiekeBeryl TaylorKeith LoBueMichael DeMengNina BagleySusan Lenart-Kazmerand moreArt Making, Collections, and Obsessions features a beautiful collection of inspirational artwork. You'll enjoy artist's tips, creative ideas, and advice on working with unusual materials for collage.

Read more >>

by Lynne Perrella

A glimpse into the personal collections and work of 35 major artists. This large format, full-color, inspirational book is about how artists use their collections to make artwork. The gallery-style format allows readers to see what artists collect, and the resulting spectacular artwork they make from it. The book will feature the collections and the artwork of thirty-five major mixed-media artists. The artwork will include journals, assemblages, altered books, as well as jewelry pieces, and detailed descriptions of the materials and techniques used, plus tips and insights into using unusual materials and collections. Mixed-media artists are naturally collectors. They are fascinated by the stuff of life, and they are always looking for the right elements to add to their collages and journals. This book offers a juicy combination -- sort of a walk through an artist-filled flea market, and a gallery of the pieces created using these collections with tips and insights on collecting and creating, and how they go hand in hand.Features a lineup of 35 contributing artists including: Lynn WhippleGraceann WarnGail RiekeBeryl TaylorKeith LoBueMichael DeMengNina BagleySusan Lenart-Kazmerand moreArt Making, Collections, and Obsessions features a beautiful collection of inspirational artwork. You'll enjoy artist's tips, creative ideas, and advice on working with unusual materials for collage.

Details >>

by Lynne Perrella

Creative souls want and need a special place for recording and decoding their interior world -- a place to download all their creative ideas, a place to remember the events of the day, or a place to doodle, to draw, and to dream. This book is for all these people -- itÆs an engaging and intimate glimpse into the personal pages of a wide variety of select artists and journal keepers whose works not only provide visual delight and inspiration but evidence the intensity and devotion that such personal journals invite.

Details >>

by Lynne Perrella

Mixed media techniques have come to forefront again, with artists in every field combining materials and effects to create journals, altered art, collage pieces, memory art and more. With all the creative experiementation developing at such a fast pace, it is pertinent to know how various techniques and combinations work and whether they are right for your latest project. Alphabetica illuminates new techniques through detailed visuals and rich, explanatory text. From cover to cover, readers absorb the specialties of each contributing artist, such as Judi Riesch's use of vintage photographs, and Lesley Riley's sophisticated fabric transfers, and are able to get an "over the shoulder" glance at how these artists work.

Details >>

by Lynne Perrella

The publisher of Somerset Studio and Art Doll Quarterly is proud to present Beyond Paper Dolls, a new publication dedicated to expressive paper personas crafted with innovative techniques and art mediums. Artist, author and designer Lynne Perrella, has invited over 50 mixed media artists to contribute to this book of over-the-top imaginative interpretations of the human form. Far more than paper dolls, this selection of thought-provoking and innovative "paper personas" will awaken your urge to make artwork that is meaningful, expressive, and full of story-telling. With creative chapter headings such as "Inner Visions", "Curtain Up!", "Celebrations", "Fetish Figures" and more - get ready to immerse yourself in colors, textures, found objects, paint, fabric, fibers, metal and that eternal favorite paper. In addition, each chapter will also include a "Details Dossier" revealing the artists' techniques for creating the work, and giving you countless clues for using mixed media supplies, as well as spy-glass close-up views of the art to satisfy your inquiring mind. Pull up your favorite chair, keep a sketchbook close at hand, enjoy the creative banquet served up by over 50 well known artists, and then start plotting how YOU plan to go "beyond paper dolls".

Details >>

by Dawn DeVries Sokol

Over 1,000 journal pages presented in one beautiful full-color bookJournals offer their makers a safe place to dream, doodle, rant, and reinvent themselves. They offer viewers rich, visual inspiration. There is a fascination with these revealing and often beautiful pages of self-exploration and personal expression. Journals offer a tantalizing, voyeuristic view of an interior life.This would be the first book to offer examples of over 1000 journal pages in one eye-catching, visual format, and would attract a wide swathe of artists who fully embrace or experiment with this medium.Journaling has seeped into popular culture in a big way and this collection provides a wide array of ideas, techniques and themes to inspire and inform mixed media and journaling enthusiasts.

Details >>

by Rice Freeman-Zachery

How DO they do it? If you could ask your favorite artist or crafter only one question, chances are you'd ask about creativity: Where do your ideas come from? How did you get started? What are your tricks for overcoming blocks? In Living the Creative Life, author Rice Freeman-Zachery has compiled answers to these questions and more from 15 successful artists in a variety of mediums--from assemblage to fiber arts, beading to mixed-media collage. Creativity is different for everyone, and these artists share their insights on the muse (if you believe in her), keeping a sketchbook (or not), and prioritizing your art, whether you aspire to create solely for your own pleasure or to become a full-time artist. * Try your hand at creative jumpstarts straight from the pros. * Glimpse the artists' innermost thoughts and works in progress as you peruse pages from their journals and notebooks. * Share textile artist Sas Colby's triumph over creative block during an exotic art retreat. * Learn how internationally acclaimed artist James Michael Starr uses experience from his former "day job" to fuel his creation today. * Explore the work of Michael deMeng, Claudine Hellmuth, Melissa Zink and the other artists right alongside their insights. No crafter or artist should live the creative life without Living the Creative Life! The inspiration is contagious.

Details >>

by Karen Michel

Altered art is hot. It's a current term that encapsulates all the layered, complex imagery used by artists who make altered books, keep artist journals, and do collage. The concept is even crossing into the scrapbooking world. This is the most comprehensive technique book published to date for creating altered imagery and covers a range from traditional art techniques to digital art techniques, showing how to blend and merge the two successfully. The technique section is followed by a project gallery that shows how to use your finished imagery in collage, journal, and altered book projects. There is significant crossover among artists who work in the areas of collage, artist journals and altered books and although there are books on each of these distinct areas of art, there is not a good comprehensive book that thoroughly covers all of the methods of visual imagery and manipulation that can be applied when creating collage, altered books, journals or even for framed art, until now. Techniques include: I. Altered Imagery using Photography Altering 35mm prints (3 techniques, Altering digital photography Altering Polaroid photography II. Altered Imagery using your Computer Working with printers Working with scanner

Details >>

by Terry Taylor

Once upon a time… storybooks held a special place in our lives, filling our hearts with wonder. Thanks to this extraordinary crafting anthology we can experience that magic again in a marvelous new way by recreating and reinterpreting the picture book. An overview outlines a variety of structures and techniques, from simple collage to gluing. But above all, these highly visual pages offer ideas and inspiration, with talented artists presenting lovingly designed story spreads and covers. Take a fantasy vacation via a travel booklet fashioned from vintage, nostalgic postcards. Follow The Queen of Tarts in a story that unfolds in a miniature puppet theater motif. And two different artists offer their revised versions of a classic: The Princess and the Pea.

Details >>

by L.K. Ludwig

Featuring the artwork of over 25 leading artists with name recognitionAs art journaling grows in popularity (even attracting a new breed of scrapbookers who call themselves "life artists"), there is a movement afoot toward creating more authentic, personal, what some people call "raw" journals. These journals are filled with not just attractive, well-composed pages, but pages that are filled with personal, meaningful content.True Visions is focused on ways to bring authenticity and meaning into one's art journaling. The book will examine themes and topics common to all while offering activities and exercises to create rich meaningful content. Each chapter will highlight familiar subject areas such as life events, spirituality, childhood, and even an artist's favorite writings. Within each topic, readers are given guided activities and exercises for developing content, provided one or two artistic techniques, and are shown inspiring examples of work by a variety of talented art journal artists.

Details >>

by Diane Maurer-Mathison

Collage is more than a pile of snapshots and a glue stick. So much more. Let Collage, Assemblage, and Altered Art lead the way to a whole new way of creating collage! Artist and author Diane Maurer-Mathison begins the book with an overview of collage, including history, tools, and techniques, plus materials and principles of color and design. Then it’s on to the collage projects, from traditional layered-paper-and-glue creations to photomontage to mixed media to digital collage. Next comes assemblage, with three-dimensional objects added to the collage mix to produce memory and shadow boxes, shrines, art dolls, jewelry, and sculpture. The last section, on altered art, reveals how collage and assemblage techniques can be used to transform ordinary objects into extraordinary art. Detailed step-by-steps and clear instructions, plus beautiful full-color photographs of collage, assemblage, and altered art by noted artists, make this the complete reference guide to collage in every dimension.

Details >>