The Encyclopedia of Scrapbook Tools & Techniques

This guide to everything scrapbooking (for the uninitiated: decorating a photo album) will acquaint both novice and experienced creators with the astounding array of products and methods available to them, but those looking for step-by-step instruction will be disappointed, as no instructions for individual projects are provided. While the bulk of the book is an alphabetical guide, from ABC Scrapbooks to woven paper, perhaps the most intriguing section is on the history of scrapbooking, which describes the history of scrapbooking from Ancient Greece to today, with stops along the way for Queen Victoria's personal album and Mark Twain's contribution to the art. Profiles of women calligraphers, book binders, card makers and paper designers add depth, even if they're surprisingly similar. The book's focus on traditional family-oriented pages keeps it from being as all-encompassing as it could be, and the style of the pages may not be sophisticated enough for urban scrapbookers. Photos.
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And they keep coming--that is, books on the craft of preserving memories, rediscovered in the late 1980s after centuries of dormancy, which seems to continue its appeal. Twhis new book underscore why this billion-dollar-plus industry increases its revenues, year after year.The mass-with-class encyclopedia from Rothamel jumbles together not only knowledge and tips and tools necessary to preserve memories with paper but also some unusual and intriguing content, such as the history of scrapbooking, traced to philosopher John Locke's 1705 publication of New Method of Making Commonplace Books; or more than 12 new careers to investigate, including biographies of altered scrapbook artist, layout artist, and vellum paper designer. How-tos and 17 techniques are scattered throughout this alphabetical reference, enough to spend days in the accumulation of know-how. However, the layout itself begs for redesign, since color and complexity tend to overwhelm visually. Barbara Jacobs
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