Are handmade books meant to be used or are they art forms?

Have you ever purchased a handmade book with blank pages? Did you use it? Or did it end up on a bookshelf somewhere, or even as part of a display on a shelf? I've had a few people tell me that they hesitate to use a handmade book, unless its for a very meaningful purpose.

I've purchased several handmade books over the years from various artists, and I'm pleased to say that I've actually used most of the books, albeit a bit reluctantly at first.

Now that I've started creating handmade books, I am decidedly sitting on the fence. I've made some that I'm using, mostly because I had a specific purpose in mind for each when I created them. But there are others that I likely won't use because I consider them to be works of art, and so they are now on display or for sale.

So I guess the answer is, if you see a handmade book that you like, then buy it. I hope mine will all be used, whether its purpose is as art or as a notebook, journal, sketchbook, recipe book, or other.

And I would be most interested to know, if you have a handmade book or receive one in future, is what you hope to use to it for. Drop me a line annewarburton@hotmail.com

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