The projects (if you could really call them that) seemed rather abstract. More like making the books into sculpture like things than using them to make crafts. If you're really arty, this might work for you. For me, not so much. ( )

As a lover of collage art, I've become fascinated with the idea of painting, editing, tearing up, and in general altering books. It's taken me a while to get used to the idea, as I have treated books as sacred. I still feel that they are sacred, but have come to see that that sancitity has can take a different shape.

New Directions in Altered Books was really inspiring, so much so that I bought some cheep used books from the library book sale for the purpose of making art. There are some fabulous examples shown, along with some sample projects and ideas for collaborative projects. It's a really great book for anyone interested in launching into this kind of art form. ( )