Rating: 
Summary: "Once upon a time...." Now you can tell YOUR tale.
Review: "Make yourself comfortable in that sofa and take a look at this book." That's an invitation I want to extend to visitors who find their way to my studio. I want them to sit at their ease in that sofa and turn the pages of a book that attractively tells how I came to transform a dilapidated 1920s garage building (the "carbarn") into a fully renovated and well equipped hand bookbinding studio. At last I have a book that will guide me for making MY memory book. MAKING MEMORY BOOKS BY HAND is the only book making book I have seen that presents the concept of turning your memories into a book whose very structure contributes to the story you are telling. This well illustrated and well conceived book introduces you to presentation techniques that will surely awaken stories that you should tell and will give you ideas for how to select a book form to make the telling worthy of the tale.
Rating: 
Summary: Not for the beginning book artist...
Review: I agree that the projects and samples in this book are gorgeous and inspiring, but I wouldn't recommend buying this book unless you already have some bookmaking experience. I'm a beginner, and this book doesn't explain how to assemble signatures, etc. They just assume you already know bookbinding techniques. I recommend Cover to Cover for a good description of how to do basic techniques, and this book for the intermediate book maker who wants to make some beautiful art.
Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful to look at, terrible to use as a guide
Review: I bought this book on the premise that the projects would be inspiring, well planned, and beautiful. One out of three is bad.The projects were indeed beautiful, but I found them to be complicated, not well documented and entirely difficult for the average crafter to recreate. I found the projects in Creating Handmade Books by Alisa Golden and Bookworks by Sue Dogget much more approachable and desirable. I'd borrow this book from the library rather than buy it--nice to look at, but completely unusable.
Rating:
Summary: If you want INSPIRATION
Review: I have never bound a book by hand and I really don't have any desire to do so. In buying this guide, you need not have any intent to create an entire book from scratch because the pictures are so beautiful that you will be more focused on creating pages to put into your existing journal or scrapbook. I agree that the projects here are more for the advanced bookbinder, but I have found it fairly easy to adapt the ideas to my own skill level and have had satisfactory results. I am continually amazed by the level of creativity in both this book and "Creating Journals By Hand." They both have had more influence on what goes into my pages than on the entire journal...and to me, it's the memories that really count, not what they're packaged in.
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Summary: Gorgeous photos, inspirational ideas.
Review: I have never bound a book by hand and I really don't have any desire to do so. In buying this guide, you need not have any intent to create an entire book from scratch because the pictures are so beautiful that you will be more focused on creating pages to put into your existing journal or scrapbook. I agree that the projects here are more for the advanced bookbinder, but I have found it fairly easy to adapt the ideas to my own skill level and have had satisfactory results. I am continually amazed by the level of creativity in both this book and "Creating Journals By Hand." They both have had more influence on what goes into my pages than on the entire journal...and to me, it's the memories that really count, not what they're packaged in.
Rating:
Summary: If you want INSPIRATION
Review: Love this book. One of the best craft type books I ever brought. Does not show you the basics. In fact it does not give you much instruction at all (You could buy "Creating Handmade Books" by Alisa Golden, which complements this book well by teaching the stiches, bindings, etc.) "Making Memory Books" makes for a great inspiration book. One to pick up and flick though when you want new ideas. I have sticky notes all through my book with notes to my self about what I can do when I get around to the project. Its going to take me several years to get through it all.
Rating:
Summary: If you want INSPIRATION
Review: Love this book. One of the best craft type books I ever brought. Does not show you the basics. In fact it does not give you much instruction at all (You could buy "Creating Handmade Books" by Alisa Golden, which complements this book well by teaching the stiches, bindings, etc.) "Making Memory Books" makes for a great inspiration book. One to pick up and flick though when you want new ideas. I have sticky notes all through my book with notes to my self about what I can do when I get around to the project. Its going to take me several years to get through it all.
Rating:
Summary: Making Memory Books by Hand
Review: Making Memory Books By Hand by Kristina Feliciano - 125 pages, over-size paperback Published by Rockport Publishers This beautiful book will get you thinking outside the construction paper norm of homemade memory books.Using step-by-step instructions and pictures, and lining out most of the accouterments needed to begin, the author makes a capable book creator out of any reader. (If you use the ideal materials, you will need to visit hobby shops or even binder shops, but you can easily experiment with materials on hand before deciding if you need the ideal.) The "Show and Tell" sections are entitled: Travel Memory Books, Personal Memory Books, Family and Friends Memory Books, and Special Memory Books, and show how to make pop-up books, accordion-fold books, card books, books-in-a-box, hinged books with wooden covers and spines, books in clever boxes . . . I would have to describe almost every book (there are 22) to include all the wonderful ideas and mediums used. You get to read a little about what prompted each contributing artist to create the books displayed and detailed - even these "blurbs" motivated me to think of things I'd like to capture in a book that are usually just wistful mental memories. I foresee homeschool episodes of book making for this family! Hope you get in on the fun.
Rating:
Summary: Making Memory Books by Hand
Review: Making Memory Books By Hand by Kristina Feliciano - 125 pages, over-size paperback Published by Rockport Publishers This beautiful book will get you thinking outside the construction paper norm of homemade memory books.Using step-by-step instructions and pictures, and lining out most of the accouterments needed to begin, the author makes a capable book creator out of any reader. (If you use the ideal materials, you will need to visit hobby shops or even binder shops, but you can easily experiment with materials on hand before deciding if you need the ideal.) The "Show and Tell" sections are entitled: Travel Memory Books, Personal Memory Books, Family and Friends Memory Books, and Special Memory Books, and show how to make pop-up books, accordion-fold books, card books, books-in-a-box, hinged books with wooden covers and spines, books in clever boxes . . . I would have to describe almost every book (there are 22) to include all the wonderful ideas and mediums used. You get to read a little about what prompted each contributing artist to create the books displayed and detailed - even these "blurbs" motivated me to think of things I'd like to capture in a book that are usually just wistful mental memories. I foresee homeschool episodes of book making for this family! Hope you get in on the fun.
Rating:
Summary: love this book
Review: Not for the beginner, unless seeking inspiration, this book is an awesome find for those of us who already have learned basic bookbinding skills. Not every book needs to be at the basic level to be any good! This book is a gem. I've opened it often!
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