Turning a discarded vintage hardcover book into a piece of art by using the pages as canvasses for collage, rubberstamping, and scrapbooking, creating altered books has become a favorite activity among many collage artists around the world. Artist Lesley Riley of Bethesda, Maryland, takes altered books a step further by covering the pages with scraps of novelty fabrics and embellishments.

Mixed-media artist Beryl Taylor of Monroe Township, New Jersey, loves to incorporate various media into one piece of art. Her mixed-media artwork will be one of the special exhibits in the Make It U! with Cloth Paper Scissors section.

Beryl displays her love of hearts in this quilt made from 20 hearts made of hand-dyed silk, stitched to a felt backing and filled with batting, then glued to mat board and embellished with heart-shaped punch-outs, beads attached to wire strips, sequins, random beads, and French knots.

With vintage buttons, torn bits of decorative papers, rubber stamps, and paints, artist Misty Mawn of Erie, Pennsylvania, loves to create whimsical collages rich in texture and color.

Many one-hour workshops will be offered at the Make It U! with Cloth Paper Scissors section of the quilt show. Join the fun Thursday night as Tracy Stilwell of Artgirlz combines Artgirlz papers and charms to create a small (but regal) creature to wear proudly on your lapel.

Seventy-four of the Quilting Arts Magazine Creative Self-portraits will be on display in the special exhibit area of Make it U! with Cloth Paper Scissors. These creative self-portraits are by Connie Akers of Argyle, Texas, (left) and Karen Fricke of Rockville, Maryland, (right).

It's a cardinal sin to take one's self too seriously. Both self-mocking and self-congratulating, brag books are visual (and humor-loving) art journals that celebrate our mundane and magnificent achievements. With photographs, fabric scraps, bits of decorative papers, threads, and embellishments, you can create a delightful, handmade brag book that is sure to make you swell with pride.

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