Material Girl 2: Many Parts Create The Whole

Preparing for bookmaking programs at the West Hollywood Library, the Diamond Bar Library, the Fairview Library, and the Montana Avenue Library isn’t just a labor of love…it can be pure joy.

The spread of papers of just the right thickness, ready to be folded into the versatile accordion/concertina spine.
Pages are attached to each fold of the spine. More folds = more page possibilities!
A rainbow of front and back covers cut to the same height as the spines.
“Mottled” book pages.
High contrast, and “grey on grey” spine-cover color designs. The effect can be elegant!

The glory of your basic colored construction paper…not just for kids.
Assorted papers…Japanese patterns, parchment, and ‘plain brown wrapper” card stock. Variety is the spice of life…and bookmaking!
Let’s take a closer look at those papers! Now…what can we do with them?
Front cover design…
Use of paper heart found at “Trash for Teaching” in Los Angeles, on inside front cover.
“Fan” page designs! The pages will be attached to each fold of the spine, and will “fan” out when the book is opened by pulling the back and front covers away from each other. The “fan” book can also be opened ‘traditionally”,by turning the cover, and moving through the pages by turning them consecutively.
Putting it all together….a family theme.
“Doors” and Windows” can be cut in pages and covers, to reveal the unexpected beneath and behind!
“Fan” pages are attached to the accordion /concertina spine, seen here in a variety of colors.


“Heart” openings on the “fan” pages (“Windows/Doors”) reveal surprises behind and beneath…which can deepen and expand the theme of the book.

Cardboard shapes, another treasure found at Trash for Teaching, create a slight three-dimensional (“relief“) effect, and can be used to create visual frames for photos or other treasures added to the book.

Don’t we all?!!