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Featured Project: Dedra Long’s Altered Book
When it comes to two-dimensional pages in a book, Dedra Long breaks boundaries. She expands her art past the barriers of the page and the book.
Don’t you love that doorknob?
Altered books tend to be more about the art and the story, and less about the long-term preservation of photos. This means lots of room to play.
Dedra definitely plays. She expands her books, filling them with so many three dimensional wonders that what you are looking at in the picture below is the book when it is shut! She has opened up the possibilities and they are bursting out of her books.
I interviewed Dedra a while back about her minibooks and as our conversation steered toward her altered books, she promised to provide Paperclipping with photos of her “Me” book.
Putting her classy, yet artsy, style aside, Dedra adds things to her books that I would have never considered!
Here’s another view of the gigantic wooden letters Dedra attached to this page. I also love the 3-D effect of the word, “defined.”
I love that Dedra goes beyond the page by adding inserts to journal on, like you see on the tag below:
For each “page” of her altered book, Dedra gathers a chunk of the original pages and binds them together. While some people glue their pages together, you can see in the two photos below that Dedra uses decorative binding like clips, posts, and gaffer tape.
These barely-altered in-between pages are a nice touch of style and also give a breathing cushion between each of the dazzling art pieces on the other side.
Dedra ended this book with an accordion extension:
If you couldn’t get enough of Dedra Long’s gorgeous altered book, there is more! I created a set on my flickr account of every page of Dedra’s book. Enjoy!
That is so impressive! I love altered books and just don’t have the time to do it, so I enjoyed yours very much!
Comment by Young Tami — August 24, 2007 @ 11:26 pm
Congratulations Dedra on a wonderful creation & thanks to Noell for posting it for us on Paperclipping.
Altered journals are a great way of unleashing thoughts & feelings in a playful but meaningful way.
Comment by mandy (pearl maple australia) — August 25, 2007 @ 3:21 pm
Beautiful books!!!
Comment by Adrienne — August 26, 2007 @ 4:18 am
OMG! This is amazing! What a work of art!
Comment by Tina — August 26, 2007 @ 6:19 am
Simply stunning- Love the knob !!!!!
Norma (localocairis)
Comment by Norma Kennedy — August 26, 2007 @ 8:08 am
This book is over the top!! Wow! I love the door knob! So cool!
Comment by Theresa — August 27, 2007 @ 6:12 am
Wow nice scrapbook! I love the front cover, the door handle idea is so creative!!
Comment by Julie — November 22, 2007 @ 1:39 am
that is so cool
Comment by angelica — November 27, 2007 @ 6:09 am
this book is absolutely amazing!!!! i’m working on one right now for my art class and was looking for ideas and yours is amazzzing. i dont kno if i can do anything like it but it did inspire me. thank you and wonderful job on this book!!!!
Comment by casey — January 20, 2008 @ 6:18 pm
this book is absolutely amazing!!!! i’m working on one right now for my art class and was looking for ideas and yours is great. thanks for the inspriration.
Comment by casey — January 20, 2008 @ 6:19 pm
[...] Dedra Long via Paperclipping [...]
Pingback by Elizabeth’s Dream Bridesmaids Gift — Elizabeth Anne Designs — January 31, 2008 @ 1:26 pm
I love this book i am a 8th grader in maryland and we are doing this in art class it is so much fun and i love your ideas
Comment by Student in middle school — February 9, 2008 @ 11:07 am
[...] stunning. You can also see more of Dedra at paperclipping: an interview, one of Dedra’s amazing mini books, and a tour of her beautiful [...]
Pingback by Catalyst Four « creativeTherapy — April 6, 2008 @ 4:58 pm
Wow!!!
Love your work! Keep it up, you are inspiring all of us boring people.
Comment by RoverHaus — June 12, 2008 @ 9:18 am
Beautiful and very impressive!!! I saw altered books for the first time in March 2008 at the Minneapolis Central Public Library. From then I have became fasinated by them.
Comment by Marsha Major — July 22, 2008 @ 11:57 am