JBP was started in 1998 for two reasons, the first being when I began searching for a disinguished leather bound photo album. It seemed that there were not a great many out there, and those that were available still weren't exactly what I was looking for. Me being the creative artist that I am got this hair-brained idea that if I couldn't find what I was looking for I'd just have to make it. So I started reading about bookmaking and stumbled upon the series of books by Keith Smith (see recommended readings list below). Using those books as a guide I made my first, and it served as a guest book for our wedding. It was o.k. but seemed plain to me so I put bookmaking on the shelf for a few months. Then I took a photography class at Indiana University and with that class came the other reason behind starting JBP. One of our assignments was to make a book...I made three...and loved every minute of it! I even came up with a silly name for the "publisher" of my books to put in the collophon (at the end of an artist's book there should be a page or two devoted to a detail material list, where things were printed if a printer was used, where materails came from, etc)...JuneBug Publications! The name originated from my nickname, Junebug, and the fact that I was driving a 1962 red VW Bug at the time. The name stuck and since then I've gone on to make mostly raised embossed leather bound books. That particular book style has grown in popularity as a result of giving my first attempt to a friend, who showed her friends, who then showed their friends...you get the idea. The orders started to trickle in and since I've made many of that same type of book. They are all similar in their construction, but as you can see from the pictures no two have ever been the same. Bookmaking combines many different interest and lends itself to a variety of medias. I hope you find the time to enjoy its wonders at some point in your life!
Thanks for looking!
Marci N. Wease
Any Book on book making is highly recommeded. Even the "outdated" ones can give you ideas, but here are a few of the ones I've stumbled onto.
Smith, Keith A. "Book-Binding For Book Artists". keith smith BOOKS, Rochester NY.1998.
ISBN:0-9637682-5-5
Smith, Keith A. "Non-Adhesive Binding". keith smith BOOKS, Rochester NY.1991.
ISBN:0-9637682-0-4
Smith, Keith A. "1-2-&3-Section Sewings". keith smith BOOKS, Rochester NY. 1995.
ISBN:0-9637682-2-0
Maguire, Mary. "BOOKWORKS". Lorenz Books.2000
ISBN:0-7548-0446-1
Jackson, Paul. "The POP-UP Book". Henry Holt and Company. New York, NY. 1996 (reprinted)
ISBN:0-8050-2884-6
