The Decorated Page: Journals, Scrapbooks & Albums Made Simply Beautiful (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Ah, the famous blank book. With the popularity of journaling and self-expression through writing, North Carolina teacher and author (Simple Printmaking, 2000) Diehn opens up a new dimension--the artist's vision of visual memories. Materials and techniques, of course, begin the narrative; the author not only delves into the merits of paints and pens and stamps but also advocates different kinds of everyday supply kits as take-alongs. Most of the book is devoted to the how-tos, from customizing a blank book to avoiding the straight and narrow via mandalas, diagonals, cutouts, or grids. Illustrations come from the artist's perspective: a textured 3-D diary and a rolling-wheels travel journey, among many others. Two- to three-page sidebars highlight specific genres, such as pillow books, nature journals, and illuminated manuscripts. Ten sample pages feature such methods as mapping, storytelling, and information gathering. Consider this a superscript above all other entries. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

“Diehn opens up a new dimension—the artist’s vision of visual memories. Consider this a superscript above all other entries.”—Booklist. “Encourages those who hesitate to start in on the pristine pages of a nicely bound blank book.... Lively and interesting illustrations make this a good selection for public library collections.”—Library Journal.

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Product Details Paperback: 128 pages Publisher: Lark Books; 1 edition (August 28, 2003) Language: English ISBN-10: 1579905129 ISBN-13: 978-1579905125 Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #63,531 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in this category: (What's this?) #20 in  Books > Home & Garden > Crafts & Hobbies > Scrapbooking

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	76% buy the item featured on this page: The Decorated Page: Journals, Scrapbooks & Albums Made Simply Beautiful 4.6 out of 5 stars (28) $17.95
	14% buy The Decorated Journal: Creating Beautifully Expressive Journal Pages 4.7 out of 5 stars (18) $10.17
	3% buy 1,000 Artist Journal Pages: Personal Pages and Inspirations (1000 Series) 4.4 out of 5 stars (35) $16.50
	3% buy How to Make a Journal of Your Life 4.5 out of 5 stars (28) $9.99

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Customer Reviews

28 Reviews 5 star:  (21) 4 star:  (3) 3 star:  (3) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.6 out of 5 stars (28 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 81 of 81 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Sets a journaler on course and creates a process, December 8, 2002 By  Zoe (SW, New Mexico) - See all my reviews This review is from: The Decorated Page: Journals, Scrapbooks & Albums Made Simply Beautiful (Hardcover) I am a big fan of books, and love art, but not as much a fan of "do-it-yourself" books. This book, however, changed my course in journaling. It describes clearly a process for making an "every day" journal into a piece of art. Gwen Diehn writes and then provides examples of how to create either a simple or an eloquent journal page. She sets a slow and steady pace giving the reader an opportunity to "absorb" the content. Each page builds on the preceeding page and its examples are helpmates for either the novice or the experienced artist/journaler to build his/her own skills. She elected to show some very experienced journalers, many of whom I recognize from other art communities, and all of whom are able artists. The book is not intimating, and it is perhaps its lack of pretense that both delights me, and confuses others into assuming this is a beginner's book. While I may have known some or many of the techniques Gwen Diehn shares in "Decorated Page" I found her re-igniting my desire to do it rather than just think it. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in journaling, collage and altered books. While the book is not necessarily directed to altered books or collage artists, many of the schema are apt for these venues, and certainly they can be easily adapted. This is one of the few books I read "cover-to-cover" and keep next to my ready read room. I am certain I will be referring back to its text and admiring its content for a good long time. 52 of 52 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Eye candy with substance!, September 16, 2003 By  Elizabeth Metz "Muse" (Crescent, Iowa, United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)       I'd been holding off on buying Diehn's book until I'd picked up a few that I thought were "more important". So when a friend sent it to me, I was AMAZED at how wrong I was about needing others on this subject. Diehn goes through almost every aspect of creating a journal that's unique, personal, and most importantly (to me) VISUAL. There are background and layout techniques for those days when you just don't want to do too much drawing, lots of examples that are more inspiring than a personal visit from the Muse, and a TON of SUBSTANCE -- real ideas for turning your daily logs into works of art that you can flip back through with pride. It answered quite a few questions that I'd still had for a while now (and I wrote a book on visual journalling, so these were big questions), and got me moving in a forward direction again. If you're just starting out, or if you've been keeping journals for what seems like FOREVER -- this book WILL HELP, WILL INSPIRE, and will be WORTH EVERY PENNY. Go get it now! 20 of 20 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful book that makes this art form more approachable, October 2, 2005 By  Valerie Franek - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    I recently discovered this book at my local library, and have to say that I was amazed by how wonderful it is! Many other books on this topic have been overwhelming to me, showcasing very beautiful books that seemed well beyond my skills. However, this book actually made me feel like I can actually do this myself, rather than just look at others' works. It does a great job covering the basics, including what supplies you can use, how to do basic book modifications, and examples of layouts and the purposes of creating such a journal. The instructions on preparing a book and sample pages are really well done, described in very clear terms with plenty of photos to illustrate each step. I also really enjoyed the various historical pieces throughout the book, to give some idea of how these books have developed over time. I would highly recommend this book, and have to disagree with the review who claimed this book is boring. It isn't! Some of the pieces shown are more simplistic (less cluttered!) than those in other books, but it is a valuable resource for anyone wanting to create an art journal or altered book.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 4.0 out of 5 stars JOURNALS FROM THE PHOTO I EXPECTED TO GET A DIFFERENT KIND OF BOOK. MAYBE ONE THAT LOOKED LIKE THE PHOTO. BUT BESIDES THAT THE BOOK HAS LOTS OF INFORMATION IN IT AND WILL BE VERY USEFUL TO... Read more Published 4 months ago by Norma A. Pond 5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely Inspiration Gwen's artwork is above my skill level but I am inspired by her work to improve my own. Her natural palette lends itself well to travel journaling. Read more Published 7 months ago by ldivagirl 5.0 out of 5 stars Art Journal How-To This is a fabulous book on how to get more creative with your journaling. I bought this to get ideas on art journaling and was very pleasantly surprised at the content. Read more Published 14 months ago by Reading my way thru life 5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning book Great ideas and beautiful examples of journal pages. One of the best books on the subject of art journaling. Published 20 months ago by sltpe 5.0 out of 5 stars The best I have read or browsed through nearly ALL of the hundred or so "art journaling" and "collage" books out there. After a while they start to look the same. Read more Published 20 months ago by me 5.0 out of 5 stars Not Recommended For Bedtime Reading...It Will Keep You Awake! The sub-title of this inspiring book has an interesting play on words. The full-colour illustrations are indeed beautiful and the author/artist illustrates, in simple steps, how... Read more Published 22 months ago by Story Circle Book Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful book This book is intended for the "sketchbook wanna-be" and it succeeds wonderfully. Beautiful on its own, it is filled with ideas and examples of sketchbooks. Read more Published 23 months ago by Pete Daniels 5.0 out of 5 stars Let Your Creativity Show I've kept a plain-jane journal for 30 years, but after seeing this book, I want to change my ways. Diehn really opened my eyes to ways of customizing a blank book and altering... Read more Published 23 months ago by Virginia Allain 5.0 out of 5 stars Evocative prod to the creative muse - The English Patient There are multiple creative intelligences: poetic, literary, musical, sculptural, visual, kinesthetic, aromatic. Read more Published on June 5, 2007 by Sakuteiki 5.0 out of 5 stars The Aesthetic Page I came to THE DECORATED PAGE as a text-centric journal-keeper who rarely added anything else, and that would be nothing much more than gluing in a comic strip, artifact or article... Read more Published on May 24, 2007 by C. Ebeling Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Lark Books; 1 edition (August 28, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579905129
• ISBN-13: 978-1579905125
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #63,531 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #20 in

  Books > Home & Garden > Crafts & Hobbies > Scrapbooking

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

81 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sets a journaler on course and creates a process, December 8, 2002

By	Zoe (SW, New Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Decorated Page: Journals, Scrapbooks & Albums Made Simply Beautiful (Hardcover)

I am a big fan of books, and love art, but not as much a fan of "do-it-yourself" books. This book, however, changed my course in journaling. It describes clearly a process for making an "every day" journal into a piece of art. Gwen Diehn writes and then provides examples of how to create either a simple or an eloquent journal page. She sets a slow and steady pace giving the reader an opportunity to "absorb" the content. Each page builds on the preceeding page and its examples are helpmates for either the novice or the experienced artist/journaler to build his/her own skills. She elected to show some very experienced journalers, many of whom I recognize from other art communities, and all of whom are able artists. The book is not intimating, and it is perhaps its lack of pretense that both delights me, and confuses others into assuming this is a beginner's book. While I may have known some or many of the techniques Gwen Diehn shares in "Decorated Page" I found her re-igniting my desire to do it rather than just think it. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in journaling, collage and altered books. While the book is not necessarily directed to altered books or collage artists, many of the schema are apt for these venues, and certainly they can be easily adapted. This is one of the few books I read "cover-to-cover" and keep next to my ready read room. I am certain I will be referring back to its text and admiring its content for a good long time.

52 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eye candy with substance!, September 16, 2003

By	Elizabeth Metz "Muse" (Crescent, Iowa, United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'd been holding off on buying Diehn's book until I'd picked up a few that I thought were "more important". So when a friend sent it to me, I was AMAZED at how wrong I was about needing others on this subject.

Diehn goes through almost every aspect of creating a journal that's unique, personal, and most importantly (to me) VISUAL. There are background and layout techniques for those days when you just don't want to do too much drawing, lots of examples that are more inspiring than a personal visit from the Muse, and a TON of SUBSTANCE -- real ideas for turning your daily logs into works of art that you can flip back through with pride. It answered quite a few questions that I'd still had for a while now (and I wrote a book on visual journalling, so these were big questions), and got me moving in a forward direction again.

If you're just starting out, or if you've been keeping journals for what seems like FOREVER -- this book WILL HELP, WILL INSPIRE, and will be WORTH EVERY PENNY. Go get it now!

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful book that makes this art form more approachable, October 2, 2005

By	Valerie Franek - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I recently discovered this book at my local library, and have to say that I was amazed by how wonderful it is! Many other books on this topic have been overwhelming to me, showcasing very beautiful books that seemed well beyond my skills. However, this book actually made me feel like I can actually do this myself, rather than just look at others' works. It does a great job covering the basics, including what supplies you can use, how to do basic book modifications, and examples of layouts and the purposes of creating such a journal. The instructions on preparing a book and sample pages are really well done, described in very clear terms with plenty of photos to illustrate each step. I also really enjoyed the various historical pieces throughout the book, to give some idea of how these books have developed over time. I would highly recommend this book, and have to disagree with the review who claimed this book is boring. It isn't! Some of the pieces shown are more simplistic (less cluttered!) than those in other books, but it is a valuable resource for anyone wanting to create an art journal or altered book.