Breathtaking Bookmaking

May 4-6 from 9:00am-4:00pm

Do you have a collection of fun and unusual found objects or just some "cool" old junk that you think would be fun to put into something functional? Have you always wanted to make your own hand-bound leather journal, book, or album? Join Gena Ollendieck and learn the technical skills of leather book-binding along with the creative exploration of incorporating manipulated and reclaimed found objects into a books' cover. The techniques of sewing a multiple signature book, attaching a hard cover, using leather to cover the book block, and various leather techniques (i.e. inlaying, raising, embellishment, etc.) will be covered. You will come away having created a hand-bound leather book personalized with your own found objects.

Gena Ollendieck is a graduate of Central College in Pella, Iowa with a BFA in Art and Education. She is a full-time practicing mixed media artist and has been selling and exhibiting her work for the past 12 years. Her books and mixed media collages/assemblages are created using a variety of found, reclaimed, and discarded objects. The book-making technique used is a fine leather binding technique creating surface embellishments that are able to incorporate a variety of objects. Ollendieck has taught numerous book-making classes at the high school and college levels, as well as at various private venues.

Class fee is $340 (This includes ALL material to make your book: e.i. binding board, 80 # acid free Stonehenge paper, headband, adhesive, and leather!) You are only responsible for the found objects you want to incorperate into you book and end page papers.