Here’s a 7-inch square canvas book someone gave me. And my first video to show it off. How should I use the book? What should I turn it into? Please remember, I can’t sew.
Leave your suggestions in the comments!
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QuinnCreative 
Quinn, I once took a piece of canvas and created a booklet similar to yours, and decided to splatter some drops of various colors of paint across those inner pages then pressed them together. I got an effect similar to Rorschach images. Then I folded each page into little pleats and sewed one seam down the center of each pleat (please don’t ask where I’d get such a time-consuming idea). I felt a little unsatisfied about the final effect, so I re-splattered (very lightly) some more paint. It came out rather well and I ended up giving it to my mother-in-law.
Just remember to say “Voila!” when you’re done!
You and Lynn had a similar idea. I love doing this, but decided to try something totally out of the ordinary for me. We have a park close by, and I took photos, printed them out in various ways (transparencies, Lutradur, quilt cloth) and sewed them into the book, then used Sakura pens to write on it. I think we have the same time-consuming muse! I’ll bet your book was great!
just want to say…cool use of your video camera, Quinn! Looking forward to the outcome!
The book is finished, so the video will have to wait till tomorrow!
Love it!!!
Hi Quinn,
I took two canvas books like yours, split the pages apart, worked on opposite pages and hand sewed them together again. I used old photos of my parents that I transferred onto fabric through my printer and fused onto the pages. I embellished with embroidery, beads, buttons and trim. You can see pictures of my book at karenworksart.com/2010/06/27/end-of-the-book/
I loved making it. I hope the pictures will give you ideas of your own!
Hi Karen, I saw your book on your site and loved it. That image of your mom and the turkey made me laugh–it was a perfect shot from a 1950s Betty Crocker cook book. Another friend suggested cutting the pages apart. I was leaning toward sewing the bottom shut and making pockets, but I’m liking the idea of more pages better. Thanks for your ideas!
Of course you can sew, silly! But, I wouldn’t. (only because that seems to be the new trend)
I’m not sure if you need to gesso first, but I would drizzle some paint on the inside pages and then smoosh the pages together and twist them up to mix up the paint. Then let it dry and outline a few of the paint smooshed shapes with black fine line of some sort and maybe write something with a calligraphy pen in gold or perhaps another complimentary color. I’d probably try all of that with gesso on one page spread and without gesso on the next spread just to see if there is that much difference in the result. Then, I’m thinking I’d grab a needle and some embroidery floss and hand sew on some beads randomly around the edge of the pages that were painted.
But, that’s just off the top of my head. I’ll probably come up with something more fun if I give it some thought for a while!
You have more ideas than my cats have hair! Your ideas of color give me some ideas. . . .
saying you can’t sew is no different than saying you can’t draw! Of course you can depress a foot pedal and push fabric under a needle. Combining sewing and painting and drawing and writing is the only way to go.
Of course you are right, let’s say that while I can push a piece of fabric through a machine, I have no talent for clothes construction. Or pretty much any construction.
I read about transferring ink jet photos to canvas just a few days ago. I haven’t tried it, but sounds easy to do. (No sewing involved!) Here’s the link:
http://nonphotography.com/blog/photo-craft-projects/image-transfer/inkjet-photo-transfer-to-canvas-using-mod-podge/
I’ve done glue transfers before, but never on canvas. i love the faded, tattered look I get–I’ve not mastered crisp, clean transfers but don’t regret it.
It’s not a book, it’s a carrier for 3 wine bottles! (Well, they might be fairly large wine bottles, but I find size to be a virtue in containers of wine…)
🙂
Cooking Man LOVES your suggestion! You made wine come out of my nose.
Coat the canvas with Gesso; spill and splash paint all through the insides and then use a flat brush to write quotes!
Canvas is just another surface like paper.
That nice clean space did intimidate me, but I think I may have to cut the pages open.