Altering Basics

I came across this great info on altering by a fellow consultant and I wanted to pass it along. If you have any questions, you let me know. Thanks Mary V.!!

Usually, when you are altering an item, you don't have to be concerned about acid free/lignin free materials. In fact, a lot of alterable items are made of wood (the main source of lignin.) Altered art is usually just that- art. It is not meant to be a substitute for perserving your photos in an acid free/lignin free scrapbook.



TOOLS FOR ALTERING:



Adhesives

Whatever adhesive you choose, it's important to adhere the paper at the very edge. This helps prevent the paper curling up at the edges and makes fora more secure final project.



Liquid Adhesives:



Mod Podge- According to one definition it is a milky white liquid that dries transparent in less than 10 minutes. It seals and glues in one application. Most applications require two or three coats. It is available in both a gloss and a matte finish.



White Glue- this is typically a school glue. For a substitue for Mod Podge, mix white glue with a little water.



Scotch Quick- Dry Tacky Adhesive- Really a great all around adhesive. It's perfect for edges and corners you may have missed. The Scotch website has this to say about it: Ideal for paper, photos, metal and plastic. Acid-free adhesives to keep your memorabilia safe. Precision application, non-stringing. Adhesive technology insures your precious mementos stay where you put them.



Dry Adhesives:



Scotch ATG- With Scotch ATG Adhesive Applicators, a touch of the finger triggers quick, controlled application of a strip of Sctoch ATG pressure sensitive adhesive transfers tape. There is no mess or cleanup. Bond lines are thin and adhesive flows into surface irregularities. With 3M's advanced acrylic adhesive technology, you can bond, join, mount or laminate materials such as paper, plastics, metals, and wood and foam. I highly recommend this as an altered adhesive as well as scrapbook and papercraft adhesive.

Tombow Mono Adhesive Roller- Convenient, ergonomic dispenser precisely applies film of glue smoothly, quickly, cleanly. This is what CTMH sells and it will work as an altered art adhesive. I would recommend sealing with something as it may not have a long lasting hold, especially on wood.

A brayer or some smoothing tool:Old or fake credit cards work great too. You just need something to smooth out any air bubbles.

A variety of sanding tools:
This doesn't need to be anything fancy. I get a lot of my sanding tools from the local dollar store. You can use sandpaper, or even a paper bag will work as a very fine grit sandpaper. There are tools in the scrapbook market for this, they are nice, but definatley not a must have.

Our NEW Distressing tool kit, will solve all your distressing problems.

Items you can alter:
Anything that isn't moving! Some ideas are.....
*puzzles
*board books
*wood blocks- these make wonderful gifts for new parents. You can make these very simply by cutting a 4x4 piece of wood into 4 inch squares
*letters
*anything paper- boxes, books, notebooks, etc.
*metal containers- planters, recipe tins, band-aid tins, trays, muffin tins
*tiles- thses are easy to stamp in Staz-on and colour. They make wonderful and impressive gifts!
*office supplies- clips, clipboards, chalkboards, storage containers
*anything wood- tables, shleves, trays
*albums- it's fun to alter the covers and personlize them
*clocks

Basic altering.........
Begin by making sure your surface to be altered is smooth and ready to be altered. (This includes sanding any rough spots or priming with paint or gesso.)
Apply adhesive of your choice to both the paper and the item to be altered. THis is really a personal choice. Sometimes I use a dry adhesive. But sometimes I need that liquid adhesive to really *hold* the paper. I also use Mod Podge when I need to protect the surface.

When cutting your paper for the projects, I've found it's best to cut it larger than you need. Adhere it and allow it to dry. Then I sand off the extra paper from the edges. This makes for a perfect fit and also distresses at the same time.

Sand edges of your project to get rid of any imperfections- an emery board works well for corners and tight spots.

If you want to seal your project with Mod Podge or another sealer, this is the time to do so- before you embellish. It's much easier to apply the msealer before you place embellishments or pictures.

Embellish as desired.