Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Old Mail

I really do save everything. Including old envelopes and packaging materials from everything that comes in the mail (this pile of stuff can get unwieldy since I tend to buy online quite regularly with packages coming in the mail all the time!). So I made myself a new address book and two other blank books, all with materials from the mail. The address book has the inside security patterns from envelopes used as the patterend paper on the cover. This is a casebound hardcover book, the sections are sewn onto tapes cut from a tyvek envelope. The pages are various types of used envelopes that I dismantled and cut to size. This book is for me, but it may show up again elsewhere... The other two books tha I made are both exposed spine chain stitch bindings. The covers are mat board scraps with some used stamps mounted on them. Similar to the address book, the pages are all cut from envelopes and packing papers. These two books are in my Etsy shop.

7 comments:

DangAndBlast! said...

So entertaining -- where are the stamps on the lowest book from? I just made my mother an address book, but hadn't thought to make it thematic. So intrigued!

Anonymous said...

Brilliant! Love the use of the recycled items.

Ali said...

Rhonda, as you could probably guess, based on the book I sent for the most recent BEST swap - I LOVE these new books of yours!! love, love, love them!! I too have a delightful collection of envelopes - I love the patterning on the insides :D

MyHandboundBooks said...

thanks dangandblast, sue, and ali!

dangandblast, the stamps on the black book are Japanese. Very pretty aren't they?

ali, yes I am not surprised that you like these books! and since i started wokring on these, i've been carefully watching the mail to make sure no interesting envelopes get shredded or recycled here! there are some really wonderful security patterns being used.

Iris said...

I've been wanting to make a book like this for quite a while, but you beat me to it, and I love them! Great job. Hooray for recycling!
I, too, keep the packaging from everything. For a while there I had this giant box monster trying to claw its way out of my closet. I finally got around to flattening all those boxes and it's a little more manageable now. :D

Ginger Mayerson www.hackenblog.com said...

Dang, you make cool stuff. And both of those mail art books got snapped up right away. Not that I was going to buy one...okay I WAS I WAS I WAS!

I collage, so know about the paper piling up. http://www.collage.gingermayerson.com in case anyone wants to check. I made collage books out of two of your small recycled books. They were the perfect size for the smaller cases.

MyHandboundBooks said...

thanks iris and ginger! haha, the green one hasn't actually sold yet :)