Handcrafted Journals,Albums, Scrapbooks & More

Rating:
Summary: the best book I have ever read!
Review: I had bought another book in Amazon about scrapbooks and journals and even if it had good pictures of the final projects it lacked photos of the different passages. I have Browning's book now and really you can't go wrong. DIfferent techniques, plenty of explanations, great ideas from the simple "messages" note pad to the more complicated seeds book! I can't wait to try her ideas that I consider as a starting point for my own creativity!

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully done
Review: I have not yet started my project, but am confident that this book provides good instruction. The pictures are great, and helpful for sparking new ideas. The instruction is detailed, and there a variety of different techniques displayed. I would have liked a list of sources, instead of just "available fine art stores", but overall this was a good purchase.

Rating:
Summary: the best book I have ever read!
Review: I think this book is an excellent start for beginners. I have never made anything before (book, album, etc.) and once I read through the book one time I was able to make an open spine book in one day. Instructions and photos are great.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book for Beginners
Review: I think this book is an excellent start for beginners. I have never made anything before (book, album, etc.) and once I read through the book one time I was able to make an open spine book in one day. Instructions and photos are great.

Rating:
Summary: Great for beginners and stampers
Review: I'm new to book making and this is exactly what I needed! The writing is clear and detailed and the illustrations are wonderful. You can easily see how she created each book and understand how to do it before you get started. Some books leave you with questions - or saying "huh, what the heck do they mean by that?" but not this book! And she has a wonderful section on decorating your own paper to use as covers. I compare this book to "Cover to Cover: Creative Techniques for Making Beautiful Books, Journals & Albums" and find this one much easier to understand and more inspiring. Perhaps that book is better for those more familar with the craft. The ideas in this book are so good you not only want to try each one but it gives you the confidence to do it!

Rating:
Summary: Marie Browning Strikes Gold Again!
Review: Marie Browning has the Midas Touch when it comes to crafting. On my most cerebrbally challenged "daze" (I have a huge family, toddlers under three!) I can go to any of her books and choose a project that is both challenging and creative, add my own panache and have soemthing that is uniquely "Alouette." Look at her basic pocket accordion book! She has two different examples (business card and stamps) that give way to more inspiration. She is elegant, she is whimsical. Some of her ideas are very masculine, others are delicate and lady-like. (Crafters often get stumped when coming up with ideas for guys-- she has no shortage of masculine ideas!)

Rating:
Summary: The best book of its kind!
Review: Of all the manuals that I have seen on handcrafted books, Marie Browning's is the absolute best! Her instructions are precise and easy to follow. She sets out a basic formula for making a book and goes individually through each material necessary. She illustrates the spectrum of materials that can be used for different parts of the process. A must-have for book artists!