Crazy about Cracked Up Creatures

Remember those mixed up animal flip books from childhood? I had so much fun making an artistic version of that style of book that I just had to share with you.

Each animal page is actually a mixed media art page unto itself.

I

The completed book allows the reader to mix and match different animals and people to create fantastical creatures.

I made the book by first sizing several Vintage Creatures and other vintage images to a matching size, printing them onto white cardstock and then trimming each page to 6″ x 4.5″.

I then painted each animal with two to three coats of matte medium to act as a mask and protect the vintage image from the next step.

Next I added layer after layer of acrylic paint using a gelli plate, assorted texture pieces and stencils. Before each layer dried, I would use a baby wipe to clean the paint away from the vintage image.

I must not have covered the eyes of this page with enough matte medium since they rubbed off. I just went back in later and added new eyes–even giving them extra “pop” to with Glossy Accents.

To complete each page and strengthen the binding, I added strips of washi tape to the left side.

I backed each page with decorative paper and then coated both sides with matte medium.

To make the front and back covers, I cut mat board with the the Eileen Hull Journal die. I then trimmed the covers down to 6.5″ x 4.75″, making sure to slice off the pre-punched holes so that I could later make holes to fit my flip pages.

Using the same process as the inside pages, I added layer after layer of acrylic paint to both the inside and the outside of the front and back covers using a gelli plate, texture pieces and stencils.

I made additional marks by applying purple and black ink through stencils. Then I created the front creature by combining pictures of a deer, monkey and giraffe.

Next I applied embossing ink to the outside of the front and back covers , added Molten Dimension Embossing Powder and activated with a heat gun. To protect the surface, I applied a coat of matte medium to the covers.

To finish the book, I carefully cut each page at two inch intervals and then punched holes in the center of each left edge. I then lined up the pages to determine where I wanted to punch the holes in the cover. To help with this process I made a template of the cover and the flap pages and used that to guide my hole punches.

Great Stuff

• Eileen Hull Journal Die
• Mat Board
• White cardstock
• Vintage Creatures 1
• Vintage Creatures 2
• Vintage Creatures 3
• Vintage Creatures 5
• Collage images
• Molten Dimensions – Aqua Splash and Black Magic
• Versamark Embossing ink
• Acrylic paint
• Golden Matte Medium
• Stencils
• Textured materials
• Black and purple ink
• Glossy Accents
• Binder rings