Friday, June 01, 2007


~:G O O D • B O O K S:~
I just finished taking my second bookmaking class by Michael Goodman at PC. He is such a great teacher and an inspiration. Books are soothing objects to make. I like the little ones I can carry in my purse and write down thoughts, lists and tiny pictures. There's always a book, movie or site I want to know more about and these little hand held pages are the perfect place to put them. I started making expandable pockets in the back of these books to put receipts and business cards, along with an elastic band to slip a pen through. Then I made flaps and snaps, velcro closures and elastic bands to keep the books tightly closed and safe within the cluttered depths of my Harvey's bag.

The first time I took the class, I spent a fortune on handmade papers. Then I got smart and started buying vintage children's books at thrift stores, buying old sheet music, cutting out the pages and using them as decorative paper. Wallpaper samples also make great cover papers. Very unique and sentimental. And CHEAP! Pretty dern sweet.

7 comments:

minus five said...

i love repurposing. i need to learn how to properly make books. like they do it that class. you should try using dress patterns as covers, that could be cool as well. i also like buying old books that have cool outsides that i can use as the covers. i have a whole reader's digest series just waiting to be made back into books.

i've always found that the less money you spend, the better your work becomes. it forces you to imagine other possibilities with what you already have around the house or could easily buy for not much money.

do you know those pianos that play themselves? the ones with the scrolls inside? if i send you a scroll, will you make me a book? you can keep the rest of the scroll for yourself. or you can just have the scroll and do whatever you want with it and not make me a book.

and a cool paper i've found to write on is that manilla construction paper. the same stuff you used as a kid. it's so freakin' cheap.

Anne Elser said...

yes yes! I'll make you a book. I love that piano scroll paper.

I agree about the money spent thing. There's always a cheaper and more unique alternative to buying the expensive stuff. Of course, it takes more energy NOT to spend the money. but in the long run, it's more character buiding.

XO Sarah

~Anne

angie said...

children's books as paper is perfect. they all look beautiful. can't wait until i have free time again to make more!

Tania Rochelle said...

Those are incredible.

Mary Campbell said...

beeeautiful! I want to go bind books RIGHT NOW!

Kevin M. Scarbrough said...

Hells yeah. I love going to the library and liberating them of the much unneeded "free books" piles, exchanging my free space for their lack thereof.

That was an incredible class. My book making skill isn't to the level I need it to be, but the class gave me the foundation I need to get it there.

Jason said...

I made a book for an architect friend of mine in NYC, and he's been hounding me for more ever since. This was 2 years ago. I think it's time to get back to bookbinding...Thank you, Anne.