Paper + Pixels: Scrapbook Layouts (Paperback)

by May Flaum (Author), Audrey Neal (Author)
Key Phrases: custom shape, intermediate program, new fill layer, Adobe Photoshop Elements New, Heidi Swapp, Two Peas (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The majority of today's scrapbookers already use their computers to type journaling blocks and print digital photos. This book teaches readers how to use software programs they probably already own to create exciting digital elements for their traditional pages.

Includes a Bonus CD featuring digital kits and fonts exclusive to this product.

Book-specific blog: Readers will be able to visit a blog, established by the authors, to get answers to their digital questions, post artwork, participate in challenges, link to various digital sites, and share free digital kits

Although most scrapbookers are drawn to the tactile nature of the craft, scrapbookers do use their computers to journal, write titles and print photos. This book instructs readers how to use their computer programs to their fullest potential to produce digital elements, and then combine these digital elements with the actual papers, fibers and embellishments they love. Step-by-step instructions and screen captures provide the how-to for creating simple digital elements with Microsoft Word and Office Publisher and Photoshop Elements in a way that is as fun and creative as using scissors and glue. Over 100 finished pieces of artwork provide the inspiration for incorporating digital elements into traditional scrapbook layouts, greeting cards and more; callouts on these pieces of art will indicate which elements are digital and which are traditional. The CD of digital kits allows readers to create layouts using many of the same elements featured in the book's artwork.

About the Author
May Flaum has been published in several magazines and idea books including Memory Makers, Scrapbook Answers and Paper Works. Currently she is working with Fiskars as a lead brand ambassador, traveling the country teaching. Audrey Neal has had work featured in many publications including Scrapbook Answers, Scrapbook Trends, Paper Trends, Papercrafts, Scrapbooks Etc, and Creative Techniques. She currently designs for several manufacturers. She serves as the Senior Editor for Digital Artist Magazine, a new publication soon to be released for the digital community; in addition, her articles will soon be appearing in Memory Makers and Scrapbook and Cards Today.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Memory Makers (January 31, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892127938
• ISBN-13: 978-1892127938
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #305,055 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Creative techniques for hybrid scrapbooking, September 21, 2008

By	Diane Cipollo (Editor at BellaOnline.com) - See all my reviews

Hybrid scrapbooking is the best thing that could happen to scrapbooking. It gives the traditional paper scrapbooker "permission" to explore the digital world, under the pretense that they are just adding a few digital embellishments to their paper layouts. This book by May Flaum and Audrey Neal shows the paper scrapbooker how to use digital elements. But, it also can inspire the digital scrapbooker to considered using paper elements in their digital layouts.

The book comes with a CD filled with 12 digital kits and the book's 40 lessons show the reader how to create layouts with these kits. The authors begin by discussing what hybrid scrapbooking is to them and what the reader needs in terms of supplies to get started. The book is separated into four major categories with several lessons in each, ranging from beginner to advanced. Although the book strives to cover both Microsoft Word and Adobe Photoshop Elements software, the lessons for Word cover only beginner-level techniques. This is understandable due to the limited features of Word. I would suggest that the reader have a copy of Photoshop Elements to get the most out of the lessons. Each major group of lessons begins with a few "helpful hints" and the book's Gallery of Ideas helps to bring everything together.

It seems that any book about scrapbooking covers editing of photos. This information has been covered in so many books and online resources, that I question the assumption that anyone who can use a digital camera and download their photos onto their computer still needs instructions on basic editing. That being said, the authors do make covering this topic as painless as possible by covering photo editing basics and quickly moving on to the purpose of the book, which is creative techniques for hybrid scrapbooking with your photos including collages, filters, tents, brushes, frames and masks.

The next sections are about text, backgrounds and embellishments. The authors begin with Microsoft Word's built-in word art and move up to creating your own text effects and elements with filters, layers and brushes. Background papers are important to any layout and the authors cover this topic very nicely, from simple altering of digital papers with overlays and filters to creating our own patterned papers with shapes and text. Lastly, the authors cover the topic of digital embellishments. They show the reader how to alter digital elements, how to make their own elements and incorporate these into their hybrid layouts. The authors end the book by discussing layouts created by nine designers that demonstrate how to bring all these techniques together.

May Flaum and Audrey Neal are both life-long paper crafters who, in their individual ways, have made the move up to hybrid scrapbooking.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't miss this one !!!, February 13, 2008

By	A. Gift For You "Fiskateer 1943" (Albany, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Awesome book !! Easy to follow...directions are right on...If you have ever wanted to combine traditional scrapbooking with the new digital craze, THIS is the book to get !! May and Audrey have made it easy for the beginner AND included challenges for the intermediate and advanced scrapper! The color step by step tutorials are clear and easy to follow ! This one...is a MUST HAVE !!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fresh Ideas, June 4, 2008

By	W. Naranjo (Texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This was a birthday present and I really enjoyed the fresh ideas. It is about hyprid scrapbooking. Using the computer to create part of a scrapbook layout and then finishing it with a paper layout. A lot of fresh ideas. In each section there is Begginer, Indermediate and Advanced lessons. So this book is for everyone who is scrapbooking. The lessons are short and fairly easy to follow.