Scrapbooking has long been a popular pastime for many. I remember putting scrapbooks together when I was a kid – and that’s some time ago!
Today with the variety of scrapbook material available from stores and via the internet, plus the ability to use your pc to create pages, scrapbooking has been taken to a whole new level. There are quite a few people now doing scrapbooking on a professional level and I recently read a report that claimed that the scrapbooking market as a whole was worth up to $4 billion per year in the US alone!
It’s not surprising that there are a growing number of books on the subject in the increasingly popular ebook format and Isabelle’s bravely titled “The Ultimate Scrapbooking Guide” is one of these.
A brave title then, but does she pull it off? Well up to a point yes. There are 146 pages which are packed with information – and not just from Isabelle. Interestingly from page 76 onwards she has enlisted the help of a number of other recognised scrapbooking writers. This section, “Think About Your Theme”, has 21 articles from Audrey Okaneko, Lisa Fleming, Elaine Clay, Susie Cortright, Rachel Paxton, Dee Marle, Jessica Gerald, Susan Whitehead, Dawn Stegall and Fion Lim. The collection is quite unusual and it’s nice to see other people’s ideas in the book, even if, from time to time, those ideas do overlap a little.
Before we get to this section we have a useful and informative introduction to scrapbooking and its history and then we get into the nitty-gritty with a chapter on photos followed by others on supplies and tools, getting started, getting ideas and then scrapbooking techniques before the above-mentioned themes section which rounds off the book. Throughout, Isabelle’s writing style is chatty yet informative. It’s clear from early in the book that Isabelle is passionate and extremely knowledgeable about her subject.
If I have a criticism it’s that despite the clear and concise advice there are no photographs or pictures and I would have liked to have seen some examples of her work. Having said that, she does offer a number of internet sites which we can look at for further inspiration.
At the time of writing she also has a very special offer available that I haven’t seen elsewhere. In addition to this information-packed book you get a bonus publication “Creating Stunning Scrapbooks – 101 Handy Tips” and also an hour long recording of scrapbooking tips in MP3 format. Definitely on my “recommended reading” list.
Xandra Veal is a well-known ceramic artist, an avid crafter and popular craft-writer. Her comprehensive and informative site at http://craftbooksnow.com reviews over 70 e-books on a huge variety of craft subjects, all of which are available for immediate download.
Source: www.articlesbase.com
