Encyclopedia of Scrapbooking Techniques

Oct 06

If you have precious photographs moldering away in old acidic albums then this book is for you! Learn how to join the revival of a Victorian hobby and make beautiful albums that people will actually want to look at - no more bored faces at family gatherings or yellowed, cracking pictures...

Archival is not a word normally associated with having fun, but this is one addictive hobby. This book shows you how to go about revolutionizing your photo collection, what you need, how to use it and even where to get it. Of course, this is a huge subject and much of what is used to make a page is the same as you use to make a card, but with some fundamental differences. Find out how to organise your photos, choose a theme (if you want to), feast your eyes on a stash of materials (no, you don't need them all) and discover what makes the items photo-friendly. Have a look at what makes a good picture, learn in some detail about layouts (this is gone into very deeply) and how to arrange it all pleasingly. This section really made me think about my pages and had me playing around with a pile of photos for ages, so this is definitely more than just another book about different papercrafting techniques. Those are covered. of course, but more briefly as so many books already cover them in depth for cardmaking - stickers, rub-ons, shrink plastic, metal sheets etc. And it is still great to see how they look when used on album pages. Lettering, journaling, using the computer (very briefly covered; there is room for a whole book on this), paper piecing etc are also here and ultimately I was pleased that such a well-rounded picture had been given of this wonderful hobby. Everything isn't in here but there is enough to get you started, and even the more advanced scrapbookers ought to find something of use in here - all those layouts, perhaps. A very useful book for your keeper shelf and refer to again and again.

Issue 21

What better way to preserve the precious memories of your special day than in a beautiful, handmade scrapbook. This comprehensive guide takes you through many creative techniques you can learn and apply to your own unique project, so you'll always remember the extra special moments of your wedding. There are hundreds of layout ideas, so you can organise and display your pictures and mementoes in new and original ways.

Oct 06

If you are a fan of scrap-making this is a must have book. It gives lots of step-by-step instructions for creating some great scrapbook pages. It really does cover everything; prrinciples, basic materials/tools needed, photos, design, text advice and loads of techniques which help make your project look really professional. Some of the ideas for backgrounds are stunning ahd help lead you on to your own ideas. Lods of great ideas and a really useful book.

Sue (aged 14)

Mar 07

This is an excellent introduction to scrapbooking and is very informative about materials, tools and design principles. It provides much detailed information about types of paper and suitable adhesives. Colour theory and practice are also covered extensively. One particularly good example is in Chapter 4 where a layout is chosen and annotated, showing how and why it looks so good. Inclusion of handwriting can so easily spoil a page and this aspect is explored in depth. Less positively, the book seems to jump from one topic to another without warning. However, that aside, this is an excellent book for anyone who wants to get into, or progress with, scrapbooking.

Lauren Spencer