Marci Senders

Books, Books and More Books

So...finally...I was on vacation last week to take a class. Here are the five books I made in five days when I took the Book Binding Class at the Center for Books Arts last week. It was a lot of work in a little amount of time. All the books are band sewn, about 5 1/2 X 8 (the photo-album is larger). We made a non-adhesive bindingflat spine book, photo-album, a rounded spine book and a single folio book. My favorite part, of course, was picking out the paper and coming up with the color combos.
Today was my last day of vacation and I go back to work tomorrow. I really needed today to run all my errands and do some personal stuff so I can get back into my job. I even baked cupcakes for friends, I should have taken a picture, and we ate them at Bryant Park...So glad it is finally summer!

Beer Book

So this past weekend became a weekend of many projects, almost to the point that I am still dizzy. Here is a mini notebook I made at a workshop my friend Mary taught. The cover was one side of a six pack carton and I sewed in two signatures of white paper. I ripped the paper to make rough fronts. Now I need to come up with something to do with it. Maybe it will be for my "morning pages".
I have been recieving some great collage supplies lately that I am feeling a little overwhelmed. I guess it is different when someone gives you things that you wouldn't pick out yourself. I don't exactly know where and how to get started. I am kind of on sensory overload. I may just hide my new books and supplies from myself until this weekend so I can sit down and really come up with great projects. Maybe I will feel a little less crazed! I just want to make everything...now!

Need a Minties...

Here is my mini Minties book...FINALLY!!! I feel like I have been talking about working on the book forever, or atleast since December. It all started when I got a bunch of goodies in the mail from friends in Australia. I recieved a lot of great suggestions and this is what I did with the wrappers. I am trying not to take so long to work on projects but this took some thought.
Leave it to a designer to save the wrappers and turn them into a book. Well, that's exactly what I did. The wrappers of from Minties, a mint flavored taffy. I thought the wrappers were great. Each one has a funny little illustration...much like Bazooka gum. I put the wrappers back to back and sewed around the edges. Then I put them all together and sewed them together on the top. I then created faces, inspired by the ones in the cartoon taking a Martin Haake approach. I intended to add even more collage and other mini little imagery to transfer the cartoons even more. I like the simplicity of this. Maybe this is a start to a series. It is great that I have this little keepsake. I even found a clear paper env. to keep it in.

Something Old...

Here is an ABC carousel I made a couple of years ago in a workshop at the New York Center for Book Arts. The subject of making ABC themed books came up today and it made me think of this book and how sometimes the best results come from a simple concept and thinking on your toes. I haven't made a carousel book since but seeing it again really inspires me.

On that note, this weekend I am going to start "The Artist Way" program. Apparently the book has helped many artist's de-block so I thought it was worth a try.