Making Lumpy Scrapbook Pages

Written by Sara Naumann
Edited and Published by Hot Off the Press

Adding “things” to your scrapbook pages is now all the rage, from wire to lace to wood veneer. Yet, scrapbookers don’t always know the best way to go about making these pages or how to use these varied objects to best effect. This book demonstrates not only that such pages are attractive, but they are also easy to make and not as hard to blend into your usually flat scrapbook as you might fear. Not only does it cover some of the items that are currently popular to use in scrapbooks--like brads and lace--but also it gives ideas for using things you might not even consider.

The book is arranged by lumpy item...such as beads, eyelets, wire mesh, and shrink plastic. You’ll also see some embellishment elements not often sold in the scrapbook section of your local craft superstore, such as pom poms, wiggly eyes, flowers, and coins. There are also a couple of pages with patterns on them for use recreating the layouts in the book, such as a bunch of cherries, a dragonfly with antennae, and a grandmother.

The layouts are all quite interesting and display a wide variety of aesthetic styles and in both usual sizes, 12”x12” and 8-1/2”x11”. It’s also interesting how the authors can make the same embellishment style look completely different on different pages, such as how hemp when used on a kite page looks very different than hemp used on an outdoors page. It’s good to see how the same item, such as brads, can make pages that are elegant, cutesy, or artistic, depending upon your needs and likes.

All in all, Making Lumpy Scrapbook Pages does an excellent job of showing readers how to add interest and real dimension to their scrapbooks. Scrapbooking looks intimidating and time-consuming, but it can be painless. Whether you want to dress your child’s equestrian pictures or some heritage photos you want to make special, this will help you do something special with your beloved photos. In a field already flooded with the same old ideas, it’s cool to see genuinely new and useful ideas, as well as inspiration for approaching scrapbooks differently and making use of unusual supplies that you might even already have around the house. You’ll never look at buttons, string, or even your office supplies the same way again.

Grade: B

Review submitted by Dindrane