I will be using my edition of Wreck this Journal by Keri Smith,
for collage, using the prompts provided on each page.
I am aiming to be lateral, rather than literal, in my interpretation of the prompts.
But to begin, inspired by the Start Here sign on the front cover
&
Crack the Spine
&
Make a Sudden Destructive Unpredictable Movement with the Journal
I ripped the cover off, then pulled the book apart.
The book had arrived in the morning, in perfect condition, without a mark, crease or imperfection on the cover.
I had smiled as my hands glided over the smooth surface of the cover
& as I flicked through the fresh clean pages.
Then I opened the front cover & pulled it off, then turned to the back & did the same.
In some weird & wonderful way, it felt good.
So now, what to do?
Cut Through several Layers
I cut the cover in two, right down the spine & pulled each page away from it's glued spine.
Now to start rebuilding, that which I had destroyed.
I backed the two pieces of the cover with cardboard.
Sanded around the edges, to add a distressed look.
Hole punched the new covers, along with the loose pages,
to create a new book, with the pages in the order I want them to be
& secured them with metal book rings.
I cut through the front cover to add a metal frame
(charity shop find from a few years ago).
Then continued to be destructive with more of the pages, including
Leave this page Blank
(I thought a page with a hole in the middle couldn't be blanker)
Lose this page
(With it's middle cut out, the page was lost)
Scratch, using a Sharp Object
(My craft knife was sharp enough)
Scrub this page
(All the dark pages were sanded around the edges & cuts)
The pages I had cut through were place in the front of the book,
so that I could inset the metal frame
& see through to the Title Page.
The paper used to create this paperback is quite thin,
so I created hole reinforcements to strengthen the cut pages.
Phew, that was an interesting experience & as I had to use a hacksaw to cut off part of the metal frame & use a metal file to smooth the rough part down, it was really quite exhausting too!
The next stages will hopefully be more creative, rather than destructive.
for collage, using the prompts provided on each page.
I am aiming to be lateral, rather than literal, in my interpretation of the prompts.
 |
| All new & unspoilt |
But to begin, inspired by the Start Here sign on the front cover
&
Crack the Spine
&
Make a Sudden Destructive Unpredictable Movement with the Journal
 |
| Starting at the beginning |
I ripped the cover off, then pulled the book apart.
The book had arrived in the morning, in perfect condition, without a mark, crease or imperfection on the cover.
I had smiled as my hands glided over the smooth surface of the cover
& as I flicked through the fresh clean pages.
Then I opened the front cover & pulled it off, then turned to the back & did the same.
In some weird & wonderful way, it felt good.
So now, what to do?
Cut Through several Layers
I cut the cover in two, right down the spine & pulled each page away from it's glued spine.
Now to start rebuilding, that which I had destroyed.
I backed the two pieces of the cover with cardboard.
Sanded around the edges, to add a distressed look.
Hole punched the new covers, along with the loose pages,
to create a new book, with the pages in the order I want them to be
& secured them with metal book rings.
 |
| The rough torn pages |
I cut through the front cover to add a metal frame
(charity shop find from a few years ago).
 |
| The new front cover |
Then continued to be destructive with more of the pages, including
Leave this page Blank
(I thought a page with a hole in the middle couldn't be blanker)
Lose this page
(With it's middle cut out, the page was lost)
Scratch, using a Sharp Object
(My craft knife was sharp enough)
Scrub this page
(All the dark pages were sanded around the edges & cuts)
 |
| The first few pages |
 |
| Destruction on Purpose or with No purpose? |
The pages I had cut through were place in the front of the book,
so that I could inset the metal frame
& see through to the Title Page.
The paper used to create this paperback is quite thin,
so I created hole reinforcements to strengthen the cut pages.
Phew, that was an interesting experience & as I had to use a hacksaw to cut off part of the metal frame & use a metal file to smooth the rough part down, it was really quite exhausting too!
 |
| Ready for the next phase |
The next stages will hopefully be more creative, rather than destructive.
