Unlock Your Creativity: Crafting a Whimsical Altered Board Book Diptych

Hello, fellow creatives! This week, we’re thrilled to present an enchanting project from one of our exceptionally talented Mixed Media Design Team Members, Kelly Boler of Book and Paper Arts. Kelly has crafted a captivating **Altered Board Book Diptych** that promises to ignite your artistic spirit and offer a fresh perspective on upcycled art. Here at The Graphics Fairy, we believe in constant inspiration, which is why we feature a new **Mixed Media project** every week, brought to life by our incredible team of artists.

Prepare to be utterly inspired by this innovative series! We encourage you to delve into Kelly’s charming techniques and discover how a simple children’s board book can be transformed into a miniature work of art. To fully appreciate the intricate details and the magic of this project, make sure to scroll down to the very bottom of the page for an exclusive **video tour**. Are you ready to embark on a journey of inspiration? Let’s hand it over to Kelly as she shares the secrets behind her magnificent creation!

The Art of Transformation: Crafting a Mixed Media Diptych

This month’s featured mixed media project is a stunning example of an **Altered Board Book Diptych**. For those new to the term, a diptych is an artistic object comprising two panels, typically hinged together in the middle. This format boasts a rich history, dating back to the 6th century, where it was frequently employed in altarpieces and other significant art pieces, offering a beautiful narrative structure or thematic duality.

In my personal artistic practice, I often find myself drawn to using discarded children’s board books as a foundation, reimagining them into mini-shrines, especially when paired with traditional religious imagery. However, for this particular project, I ventured into a more whimsical and romantic realm, drawing inspiration from the vast collection of vintage images available at The Graphics Fairy. My chosen figures, though given delicate wings, evoke more the essence of a fairy than a traditional angel, adding a touch of ethereal charm to the piece.

Board books are incredibly versatile and serve as an ideal canvas for mixed media artists. Their sturdy nature makes them perfect for various alteration techniques, and their affordability—often found at thrift stores or flea markets for a mere pittance—makes them an accessible starting point for any creative endeavor. Once acquired, these books can be meticulously cleaned, carved, and reshaped to create intricate niches, practical pockets, or, as demonstrated in this project, elegant arched openings. This process of upcycling allows for endless possibilities, transforming a forgotten object into a unique assemblage art piece.

The transformation begins by carefully stripping the original glossy paper from the board book pages. This step is crucial for creating a receptive surface. Following this, the pages are primed with gesso, a vital step that prepares the surface for subsequent layers of paint and embellishments, ensuring better adhesion and a more vibrant finish. Once primed, I meticulously cut rounded arches into the board pages. These arches are then thoughtfully glued together to create depth and structure before being painted. With the foundational structure in place, the stage was set for the delicate creation of my ethereal angel fairies, which would become the focal points of each panel.

Curating Vintage Ephemera: The Soul of the Altered Board Book Diptych

The Graphics Fairy boasts an unparalleled collection of vintage figures, many of which would be perfectly suited for a project of this nature. I initially explored several captivating options from bundles like the Antique Portraits and Antique Portraits 2 kits. However, after careful consideration, I decided to select a wide-eyed lady from the exquisite Ocean Blues Ephemera Bundle and a graceful belle adorned with a ruff from the European Renaissance Bundle. The image above provides a glimpse into my creative process, showcasing these chosen figures laid out thoughtfully before the final gluing process. This pre-assembly phase is vital for visualizing the composition and ensuring a harmonious arrangement.

The image above illustrates just one of the many exciting possibilities when assembling visually striking layouts for your altered book project. It was a “runner-up” option that highlights the importance of experimentation and playing with different combinations of ephemera. Don’t be afraid to try various arrangements; sometimes the most unexpected pairings yield the most captivating results. This iterative process of layering and rearranging allows you to truly personalize your creation and tell your unique story.

With the focal figures selected, my next step was to find contrasting backgrounds that would not only make the central images pop but also add inherent interest and texture to each panel. As those who follow my work know, I frequently turn to the extensive selection of script, parchment, or ephemera bundles from The Graphics Fairy for this very purpose. These bundles offer an incredible array of letterpress pages, subtly foxed and watermarked frontispieces, and exquisite vintage handwriting. Such backgrounds are invaluable for creating depth, adding a sense of history, and perfectly framing the featured figures, elevating them from simple images to evocative focal points within the altered book.

For this diptych, I chose a beautifully hand-copied sheet music design from the Antique Ephemera Bundle for one side, creating a lyrical and classical foundation. On the opposing panel, a delicate calligraphy sample on a subtle blue paper from the Script Ephemera 2 Bundle provided a gentle, elegant contrast. With the backgrounds set, all that remained was the addition of the exquisite wings to complete my fairy figures. For these, I explored the charming selections in the Interesting Insects and Delicate Butterflies Bundles. The Graphics Fairy also offers a plethora of other fabulous wing options in bundles such as Gorgeous Butterflies, Wings and Things, and Butterflies and Moths, ensuring you’ll find the perfect set for your winged creations.

While The Graphics Fairy provides numerous Photoshop tools for digitally adapting and manipulating images, I personally prefer the tactile experience of assembling my pieces by hand. I meticulously cut out each image and arrange the components, trying different placements and layers much like old-school paper dolls. This hands-on approach allows for a more organic and textured result. The carefully carved arches within the board book then serve as elegant frames for the finished focal images, creating an illusion of depth and drawing the viewer’s eye into the miniature scenes. To complete the diptych, a delicate lace ribbon was added, allowing the book to be gracefully closed and tied with an oversized, charming bow, adding both functionality and a touch of vintage elegance.

Altered Board Book Diptych: A Visual Showcase

To truly appreciate the intricate details and the transformative journey of this project, we invite you to watch a short video tour of my Altered Board Book Diptych on The Graphics Fairy’s YouTube channel. Witness the textures, layers, and overall charm of this unique creation in motion:

For those eager to recreate this beautiful project or delve deeper into the techniques, we offer an even more comprehensive, step-by-step video tutorial exclusively on The Graphics Fairy’s Premium Member Site. This extended guide will walk you through every stage, empowering you to craft an altered board book diptych of your very own!

Connect with the Mixed Media Community

I hope this project has sparked your imagination! Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about the techniques or materials used. I always love hearing from fellow artists. You can explore more of my book art and creative endeavors by visiting my website: Book and Paper Arts. For daily doses of inspiration and behind-the-scenes glimpses into my studio, feel free to follow me on Instagram @bookandpaperarts, or subscribe to my YouTube channel for more tutorials and creative insights.

Kelly Boler