Scrapbooking: 100 Techniques with 25 Projects Plus a Swipefile of Motifs and Mottoes - Softcover

Beaman, Sarah

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1552979598 ISBN 13: 9781552979594

Publisher: Firefly Books, 2005

Synopsis

An inspiring and practical guide to preserving cherished memories.

Scrapbooking is a wide-ranging and comprehensive guide to this popular new craft. The 100 creative techniques described in this book make each scrapbook a joy to create.

The book offers ideas, tips and techniques for:

Baby memories

Childhood memories

Engagement and wedding memories

Vacation memories

Family heritage, and more.

Useful tools and equipment are fully illustrated and carefully explained. Readers can get excellent results with such simple tools as scissors and glue. More advanced equipment like sewing machines are used to achieve more sophisticated results.

Each chapter provides clear, step-by-step instructions with color photographs. Options and materials are discussed, and the twenty-five projects are illustrated from start to finish.

Specific topics include:

• Making a cover and the interior pages
• Using decorative backgrounds
• Preparing photographs, sticking and fixing
• Adding threads, yarns, ribbons and fabrics
• Creating accents and embellishments
• Incorporating loose memorabilia items.

Whether making one large album to celebrate a special person or occasion, or creating many, Scrapbooking is an essential reference and guide for success.

About this title

About the Author:

Sarah Beaman trained as a fashion designer and is the author of several craft-related books.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

Introduction

Scrapbooking is the art and craft of preserving and presenting memories by combining photographs, memorabilia and journaling. Though this is a relatively new craft to be recognized, I realize that I have been making my own embellished photograph albums and scrapbooks for longer than I can remember, and it appears that I am not alone in this endeavor. Many of us are already familiar with the process of making memory albums -- which incorporate photographs along with memorabilia and notes -- to serve as lasting reminders of people, events, places and objects. At last there is a name for this absorbing and satisfying pursuit.

The wonderful thing about scrapbooking is that, by definition, your album will be a unique and personal document -- your own place to express thoughts and ideas, and record images and events. These will have meaning to others in years to come; even though a scrapbook is personal while you are working on it, in the future it will be an important and informative account of your family history. Facing this responsibility can be daunting. You probably have a large collection of family photographs already and today's technology makes it even simpler to capture and reproduce more images; it's easy to be overwhelmed by the amount of work involved in collating these into a memory book. But, don't worry, you don't need to scrapbook every photograph ever taken. Be selective: pick highlights of your family life and start with these. Be sure to record the details of your images as soon as possible after each event; it's amazing how quickly such information is lost or forgotten. Try to work on the principle that every page layout should tell a story through a combination of words and images. As with everything, your scrapbooking skills will improve with practice. Start by creating layouts for some of your less valuable items, then move on to tackle bigger events, using cherished memorabilia, as you become more confident. Remember that creating your albums should be enjoyable.

Whether you are making one large album or a smaller one that relates to a specific theme or will be given as a gift, the presentation of your scrapbook is very important. Plan your layouts carefully, making sure you cut squarely and use adhesive with care so that it doesn't spoil the look of your pages. Keep potentially damaging products and items away from precious photographs. Learn to use your camera properly, develop an eve for framing a shot and shoot the best image by using light and composition to enhance the quality of your snapshots. Get into the habit of collecting things (such as tickets and maps) that may be useful when you create your pages. Allow yourself to express your thoughts and emotions in the pages you produce.

The joy of this craft is that there are no rules, no absolute rights and wrongs; a few basic skills and a good eye are all you need to get started. I hope the techniques and projects in this book will inspire you to explore and develop your own ideas in the creation of your scrapbook.

Sarah Beaman

About this edition

• Publisher: Firefly Books
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 1552979598
• ISBN 13: 9781552979594
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 144