Altered Board Book Basics & Beyond: For Creative Scrapbooks, Altered Books & Artful Journals [Paperback]

Jan Bode Smiley (Author)

Book Description

Series: Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications | Publication Date: March 1, 2005

EVERYTHING you need for personalizing a blank board book and creating your own unique masterpiece! Jan's step-by-step instructions show you how!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jan Bode Smiley, originally a quiltmaker, now uses her skills in book arts. She started by carving her own stamps, and now makes altered books, visual journals, and scrapbooks.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: C&T Publishing (March 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571203095
• ISBN-13: 978-1571203090
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #276,136 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Shop till you drop, October 14, 2005

By 

Buddhaclown "blueskynm" (New Mexico USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Altered Board Book Basics & Beyond: For Creative Scrapbooks, Altered Books & Artful Journals (Paperback)

This is one of the worst books on bookbinding it has been my misfortune to purchase. It lacks detailed information on techniques and substitutes what is generally a "go out and buy" attitude. It encourages the purchase of materials such as premade scrapbooking items rather than giving ideas for an individual to make and incorporate in the creative act.

Altering books is one of the crafts that affords the integration of everyday materials in a way that is fun and INEXPENSIVE. This book should have a shopping list in the back and get it over with.

Showing examples of other artist's work is fine but if that is all there is the author could just put together a book of "other people's ideas".

There are numerous other books on altered books and journals and I would encourage anyone interested in engaging in this craft look to those instead.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice pictures but lacks detail, November 4, 2005

By 

Linda Ritter "beadworker" (San Jose) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Altered Board Book Basics & Beyond: For Creative Scrapbooks, Altered Books & Artful Journals (Paperback)

Lots of inspirational pictures by the author and other artists, but there is little description of how some of the more interesting techniques were done, like accordian board books and other binding techniques. Found it overall a little disappointing, but at least it wasn't too expensive. Also I wish there was less use of scrapbooking supplies and more use of original background techniques or art papers.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A little confusing for a beginner, September 12, 2005

By 

rose thyme (Nashville, IN) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Altered Board Book Basics & Beyond: For Creative Scrapbooks, Altered Books & Artful Journals (Paperback)

Overall, I think that this book has a lot of information, great photos of lots of examples. The only reason I gave it four stars was that I think it could be better organized. It jumps around a bit and does not explain how some of the books are constructed. That may be simplistic for non-beginners, but this seems to be a beginning book! I found myself enjoying the pictures of the books, but wondering how some of them were made with rings, etc. This book is actually a very good value, but I wish there had been some photos of a book in progress, instead of jumping right in to finished pages! Overall, I am glad that I bought it, even though the instuctions are pretty general.