Altered Photo Book
Stephanie Loomis, Editor/Artistic Guide

Everyone likes a photo album, and there are a million of them out there. However, you can make an inexpensive book into a personalized work of art that just happens to hold favorite photos. The best thing is that it can be done in an evening!

Supplies:
Stamps:
Musical Staff (Great Impressions)
Scribble Set (The Stamping Studio)
"Friendship" (The Angel Company)
Ink:
Brilliance: Graphite Black (Tsukineko)
Paper:
Rock Star paper pack (Die Cuts with a View)
Other:
Inexpensive hardcover photo book (I pick them up at big box store sales.)
Digital photo taken by you
Photo editing software (I use Photoshop Elements 7.0)
Printer
Gesso (Liquitex)
Acrylic paint: color of choice (Delta Cremecoat)
Foam brush
Pencil
Ball point pen
Black Permapaque pen (Sakura)
Heat Gun (Marvy)
Alcohol-based markers (I use a combination of Shin-han, Copic, and Pantone)
Paper corner flourish (I cut mine with my Silhouette by Quickutz)
Xyron sticker maker (5" model)
Spray Fixative (Krylon)

Directions:

1. Paint the photo book covers with gesso and then dry brush acrylic paint over the top. Both are quick drying, so set the book aside while you prepare the picture.
2. Open your photo editing software and choose one of your photographs. Change it to black and white and print. (Any printer will work, and draft/fast mode is just fine; you won't actually use the printout in the project.) Print on text weight paper.
3. Cover the back side of the printed photo with pencil. I use the side of the pencil to get a smooth coverage.
4. Hold the photo pencil side down on the dry photo book cover. Use a ball point pen to trace over the outline of your photo. The pressure of the pen will transfer the pencil to your book cover. Voila--original art without having to sketch anything freehand!
5. Use the black Permapaque marker to outline the image. Heat set.
6. Color the image with the alcohol markers. Even though you have heat set the black, avoid the outlines as much as possible. Layer colors for realism.
7. Stamp the music images with Brilliance ink on the covers. Repeat with sentiment and Scribble flowers. Mask off (cover) your central image so it doesn't get stamped over.
8. Attach the paper corner after running it through the Xyron.
9. Spray with a fixative and let dry completely.
10. Sign your art!

This technique also works on canvas! Try the little 3" squares for adorable little gifts.