Customer Reviews

Outstanding Scrapbook Pages

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I wish I'd paid more attention to the publication date on this book. I also think the book should be subtitled: "A HISTORY of Scrapbooking and Memory Makers." There were few entries included that were from 2003, and many were from the late 1990's. Scrapbooking has changed so much in the last 8-10 years, and while this book serves as a great reminder of "look how far we've come!" it wasn't what I was looking for. Too many of the layouts featured are very dated. There were a few that I enjoyed, but those I probably already have seen from my years of getting the magazine!

Memory Makers magazine has been on newsstands since 1996 - the early days of the scrapbooking explosion into mainstream American culture. From that time the founder and editorial staff have witnessed not only the growth of this popular craft, but the births of all the trends and styles that followed. This book, Outstanding Scrapbook Pages, is a summary of their most distinctive and significant reader-submitted pages that have been featured in the magazine until early 2003.

According to the Introduction, the 250 page selections were difficult to choose. The staff had to review "every page of every issue" since the beginning before voting on favorites. The criteria for being included were: How influential was that page on later scrapbooking trends? Were the techniques extraordinary, the photos exceptional, or perhaps the journaling memorable? Was there something unique in the design/idea that made it stand out? Based on what I have seen here, every page in this book answers yes to at least one of those questions.

I happen to have collected several of the other books published by Memory Makers, all of which showcase page examples of the techniques being discussed. I wasn't terribly surprised to recognize many of the same pages here that were used previously in their other books; makes sense to me, because after all, the most outstanding examples of techniques for their teaching books would probably be influential, memorable, and/or extraordinary in general. Still, this book was a wee bit redundant for me. On the other hand, readers who are new to scrapbooking will appreciate the quick retrospective on the craft, which helps them catch up to modern trends in one read. Longtime readers of the magazine may cherish this nice collection of favorites, especially if it means that they can finally donate a few shelf-fulls of back issues to the local library in exchange for one slim volume that chronicles the cream of the crop. And based on the general excellence of this gallery of scrapbooking art, I can heartily recommend it to anybody looking for page ideas.
-Andrea, aka Merribelle

There are plenty of wonderful ideas in this book. But you must know that there are not step by step instructions. If you need some inspiration, then flip through this book and I'm sure you'll be inspired. Although some might say that it is dated (see review below), I think that there are still plenty of fabulous ideas and creativity in here. I would say that because of the lack of instruction and the fact that there isn't alot of information on scrapbooking supplies that it would be geared more towards the "pro" scrapper or a very adventurous and confident beginner.

I bought this book because I was getting started in scrapbooking. I have referred to it many times.

THIS BOOK IS VERY COMPLETE. FULL OF WONDERFUL IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS. GREAT JOB EXPLAINING PROCEDURES AND DIRECTIONS AND VERY COLORFUL. I HAVE ENJOYED THE BOOK ENOUGH THAT I ORDERED ANOTHER ONE FOR MY MOTHER.

This book truly is outstanding. Michele never ceases to amaze me with what she comes up with in her scrapbooking. This is a unique and unusual collection of ideas that is well represented with beautiful photos and a full explanation of the technique used. However, I would say this book is for someone with basic scrapbooking knowledge since it is not written with detailed step by step instructions. The inserts next to each design are more about the inspiration for the pages and the technique used rather than a detailed instruction of that technique. Still, it was not hard to follow in creating these wonders. A great book to have.

I buy these scrapbooking books for find attractive pages I can emulate, I don't need detailed instructions. This book really has quality stuff, i.e. good-looking, unique pages. Many of the books on the subject are just plain UGLY. These photos will inspire you to make PRETTY scrapbooks!

This 2003 publication is BEST of MEMORY MAKERS, which was..or still is..a scrapbook magazine. And if this is the best, I would hate to see what they turned down! The majority of the pages are filled with crafty paraphenalia that bog down the page and take away from the picture.

The ideas range from The Growing Up Years, baby years to teens; The Best of Times includes occasions and events and the third is The Wide World Becons which focuses on seasons or outdoorsy life.

Sometimes people just get carried away with cheesy craft that comes across looking like a grade school art project. And, I believe the Christmas pages are some of the less attractive.

There's always a debate whether to use handwriting or typed fonts from computer. If you can keep the "nice" handwriting to a minimum, do it, but excessive handwriting takes away from the simplicity of simple pages.

Also, there are pages with picture cutouts, and if not done correctly, they can look bad.

The concept of "best pages" is a great idea, however. And, the pages are brightly colored with one to two per page. Reference is made to the scrapbooker, a date, and use of colors or crafts. Include is a glossary of terms and techniques, which can always be helpful.

Get this book for a "How Not To Scrapbook". ....Rizzo

I got this book for around $8 from Hamilton Books [great source for terrific prices]. While there are plenty of pages that don't suit my taste, there were just as many that were pure inspiration.