:REVIEW: PageMaps by Becky Fleck

I don't always use sketches when scrapbooking, but sometimes they can be just the boost of inspiration needed when in a rut or simply to help a busy scrapper who's short on time.

When it comes to sketches, Becky Fleck has been a long-time favorite. I was lucky enough to have one of my layouts featured in her PageMaps newsletter last June and have featured several more of my layouts created from her sketches on this blog in the past.

So, I have to say that I was pretty excited when I found out that she was coming out with a book - Scrapbook Page Maps: Sketches For Creative Layouts.

The book is divided into four chapters:

1 - Using Sketches & Making Them Your Own
2 - The Versatility of Sketches
3 - One Sketch, Three Ways
4 - From Simple to Savvy

In this book there are 60 sketches featured in 5 common scrapbook layout sizes:

8 1/2 x 11 vertical
8 1/2 x 11 horizontal
8 1/2 x 11 double
12 x 12
12 x 12 double

Every sketch has at least 2-3 very unique examples - with totals up to a whopping 144 inspiring layouts in a wide variety of sizes and styles!

The book includes many layouts by Becky herself, but also features the talented work of 14 other contributors as well: Marla Kress, Mindy Bush, Tiffany Tillman, Judi Vanvalkinburgh, Denine Zielinski, Shawna Martinez, Amy Goldstein, Dawn Inskip, Kim Kesti, Patti Milazzo, Becky Heisler, Sheredian Vickers, Vicki Harvey, and Connie Petertonjes.

You can tell that Becky really does admire her designers. Each layout is accompanied by a commentary from her about how it is unique and highlights any special elements or techniques that deserve a little more attention.

There are also a few other fun little features in this book. Eye spy's call attention to creative little details on layout that really help it to stand out in the crowd. Tips come from the artists to help you create more successful layouts. Give it a try's are step-by-step instructions of how to achieve some of the techniques featured in the book. There are over four dozen of these three features throughout the book.

Last, but certainly not least, the book comes with a deck of sketch cards! The laminated cards featuring each of the sketches in the book are ready to be popped out and put into the box (also included and super easy to assemble). The sketch box is PERFECT for taking to crops or anytime you need a little on-the-go inspiration!!

MY RATING:
5 STARS!!

YOUR RATING:
??? I am always curious and open to hearing the opinions of others. If you own or have read this book, please feel free to share your opinion of it in the comments below.

WANT TO READ MORE OR PURCHASE?
Visit the Scrapbook Page Maps: Sketches For Creative Layouts page at Amazon.com. You can also read more of my reviews for other recommendations.

Upcoming Review:
Computer Tricks for Scrapbooking 2 by Jessica Sprague

:GIVEAWAY: Final chance to enter for a free copy of A Page Out of Life

FINAL TWO COPIES:
Here's your last chance! I have two more copies of the wonderful novel by Kathleen Reid called A Page Out of Life and they're both going to be given away through a random drawing from the comments to this post.

The women in A Page Out of Life scrapbook for many unique reasons and it was interesting to me how I could relate to several of them as I read this novel.

So, to put your name in the hat for this final drawing, I'd like to here your answer the following question in a comment to this post:

"Why do you scrapbook?"

Now, if you're anything like me, there are probably several reasons and you could almost write a novel answering this question, so focus on your MAIN reason and try to answer it in 50 words or less.

I will accept new comments through Sunday, June 22nd at 11:59 p.m. CST and the 2 random winners (chosen by Random Integer Generator) will be announced on or before Tuesday, so please be sure to check back in.

(Note to entrants: Please, US residents only...sorry, but my budget just can't handle international shipping costs right now.)

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: A Page Out of Life by Kathleen Reid

REVIEW:
For almost all my life I've loved reading novels and for quite a few years now I've loved scrapbooking, but a novel about scrapbooking? I wasn't so sure...

Then I read A Page Out of Life by Kathleen Reid. It is a great book! The main premise of the book isn't about scrapbooking itself, but more so about the way that this wonderful hobby can truly bring people together and how these friendships and the creative release that scrapbooking can bring can help a person through some of the toughest times.

The novel focuses on several women which are part of a weekly scrapbooking group and the joys and sorrows of their everyday lives. I really found the characters the Reid developed to be very unique and complex in their own right, but yet could totally see the hobby of scrapbooking bonding these very different women together.

I also found myself really relating to some of the women depicted in this well-written novel. This book would be a great gift for any of the scrappers in your life...but don't forget to pick one up for yourself as well!

GIVEAWAY:
Before you rush out and buy a copy, you might just want to read a bit further.

I have four brand new copies of A Page Out of Life to give away!! Yes, FOUR! So, over the next few weeks, I am going to be holding drawings using the Random Integer Generator and sending out one copy to four lucky recipients.

To enter for your first chance to win, simply leave a comment below answering the following question:

How has scrapbooking enhanced the relationships in your life, either existing or new?

Only one answer per person please. But if you'd like a way to double your chances to win, make a post to your blog about this giveaway (be sure to give them the link to this post and leave a separate comment here with a link to that post. Don't have a blog? You could also post a new thread in your favorite scrapbooking message board and do the same.

I will except new comments through Wednesday, June 4th at 11:59 p.m. CST and the first random winner will be announced on Thursday. Be sure to check back for the announcement!

Good reads and great mail...

GOOD READS:
I'm not reading as much as I used to these days (other than scrapbooking mags and idea books, that is), but when I read Mary Lawson's Crow Lake last year I knew I had found a writer I loved. If you'd like, you can see what I had to say about that book here. It was her first book, so had to wait for a second.

The Other Side of the Bridge was published late last August, but I just purchased it recently and finished it just the other night. It is similar to her first book in a couple ways. It is again set in Canada and also weaves together two time periods through its main characters.

This book follows brothers Arthur and Jake in the 1930's and Ian in the late-50's, early 60's and it is amazing how she entwines the plots of these character together without becoming confusing or giving away too much/too little of the final outcome in the process. I am a sucker for good historical fiction and Mary Lawson can write it!

I hope another book comes sooner...there was a five year gap between her first book and this one. I'll be waiting for another, Mary!

GREAT MAIL:
I received another party order in the mail for MemoryWorks yesterday. There just nothing like getting a HUGE box of scrapbooking supplies...too bad 95% of it wasn't mine. I was drooling the whole time I was going through everything and getting the orders all divided up to deliver to the party hostess.

I did get a couple fun items though like this the new Kiss & Tell kit from My Mind's Eye:

So glad I snatched that one up before they went out of stock...not sure if they will be getting more or not.

Also got the Be Good Chipboard Alpa set from Cosmo Cricket:

The picture doesn't quite do them justice...basically a red capital alpha set with these white swirls running through them...really neat.

And...these Daisy D's rub-on tapes that I've been eying for awhile - the Fancy Border and the Straight Stitch:

Can't wait to try them all out!!

I've been keeping up with my layout a week resolution...will be sharing another layout soon.

REVIEW: The Organized & Inspired Scrapbooker by Wendy Smedley & Aby Garvey

The Organized & Inspired Scrapbooker by Wendy Smedley and Aby Garvey is certainly a different kind of idea book with an entirely different type of eye candy.

Usually the books I read and review here in relation to scrapbooking involve a plethora of product, design, theme, color and/or journaling ideas in relation to the creation of scrapbook layouts. This book has none of those...at least not in the same context.

It certainly does have product, theme, color and more, but it the context of the 'space' in which one scraps. The eye candy in this book are scrapbooking spaces and storage solutions themselves!

Wendy and Aby divided the book into three sections. The first section deals with discovering your 'process' which, in turn, helps you discover the organization of space and supplies that will help you to be as efficient as possible in your crafting endeavours. It includes the following chapters:

1 - Getting Organized
2 - Getting Inspired
3 - Approach
4 - Photos
5 - Memorabilia
6 - Stories
7 - Products
8 - Tools
9 - References

I was aware of all the various creative processes and storage solutions, but honestly had never given them much thought before in terms of how it could help (or hinder) my creative process. After reading this section, I did do a significant purge and reorganization in my scrapbooking area and can already tell a difference in my creative output.

The second section focuses on determining what type of space will work or is available to you for crafting, how to use what you've learned in section 1 to put it all together and spotlights the creative spaces of some 'professional' scrappers. This section includes the following chapters:

10 - Planning Your Space
11 - Creating Your Space
12 - Beth Proudfoot
13 - Kelly Jeppson
14 - Kelli Crowe
15 - Renee Pearson
16 - Stacey Julian

My only gripe about this section is that it does highlight spaces that I will most likely never be able to have - in other words a dedicated scrap/craft room. Right now, my scrap area in a L-shaped desk area in the middle of our basement family/exercise/computer/husband's junk room...in other words, I'm working with what this book would refer to as a 'shared' space and I've got to make that work. Only one of the artists above works with something other than a dedicated room and that is Kelly Jeppson who works with a temporary space - her kitchen table.

The third section includes two parts: Projects (which are basically mini-assignments to jump start your organizational process) and References.

Also included with this book is a separate workbook with questionnaires on Chapters 1 - 11 that further help you to determine your needs and style.

Overall, I did find this book very helpful in determining what personal scrapping process and what storage solutions would best fit the bill. I spent a lot of time drooling over the set up that some very lucky woman have...and they certainly inspired me to continue to improve my space over time.

MY RATING:
4 1/2 STARS

YOUR RATING:
??? I am always curious and open to hearing the opinions of others. If you own or have read this book, please feel free to share your opinion of it in the comments below.

WANT TO READ MORE AND/OR PURCHASE?
Visit the The Organized & Inspired Scrapbooker page on Amazon.com to read other reviewers opinions and find out more about the book. You can also read more of my reviews or visit my aStore for other recommendations.

Upcoming Review:

601 Great Scrapbook Ideas by Memory Maker Books

Sunday Spur for Scrapbookers #10 - Photo Idea Index

Photography is the basis of all scrapbooking. Have you thought about trying to improve you photography or are you looking for some new ideas of what to photograph to bring your pages to life? If so, then here's a great book for you!

A review of Photo Idea Index by Jim Krause.

Amazon Description:
From Jim Krause comes the fifth book in the popular Index series: Photo Idea Index.

This innovative guide:
-Provides designers with the information they need to take creative photographs, explore different digital manipulations, and use them in real-world design applications
-Shares the basics of technical information, then provides a wealth of inspiration, making this both a "what if" book and a "how to" book
-Explores low-cost and do-it-yourself ways to create unusual effects
-Speaks to designers' desires to use their own photos rather than costly stock photography

Full of out-of-the-ordinary ideas, this guide offers the trademark mix of inspiration and instruction that have made the previous books in the series a creative success.

MY REVIEW:
This is such a FUN book! While it is not specifically geared to the scrapbooker (more to designers), I still found it highly inspirational. I have been scrapping for about five years now with my main subject having always been my daughter. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with that (she will always be my 'main' focus, I'm sure), I have found myself wanting to scrap more of the 'everyday' as a way to record our lives for future generations to (hoepfully) enjoy. With that comes photographing our environment and the items/objects within it. This book offers some great ideas and inspiration and I LOVE the fact that the author is careful to include that most of the pictures in the book can be (and were) taken with a non-SLR camera...this is important to me because I don't have one and probably won't be able to afford one anytime soon. It's nice to see examples of great pictures taken by a point-and-shoot.

MY RATING:
4 1/2 STARS

Book Review: Crow Lake by Mary Lawson

Crow Lake by Mary Lawson

Amazon Description:
Canadian writer Mary Lawson's debut novel is a beautifully crafted and shimmering tale of love, death, and redemption. The story, narrated by 26-year-old Kate Morrison, is set in the eponymous Crow Lake, an isolated rural community where time has stood still. The reader dives in and out of a year's worth of Kate's childhood memories--when she was 7 and her parents were killed in an automobile accident that left Kate, her younger sister Bo, and two older brothers, Matt and Luke, orphaned. When Kate, the successful zoologist and professor who is accustomed to dissecting everything through a microscope, receives an invitation to Matt's son's 18th birthday party, she must suddenly analyze her own relationship and come to terms with her past before she forsakes a future with the man she loves. Kate is still in turmoil over the events of that fateful summer and winter 20 years ago when the tragedy of another local family, the Pyes, spilled over into their lives with earth-shattering consequences. But does the tragedy really lie in the past or the present? Lawson's narrative flows effortlessly in ever-increasing circles, swirling impressions in the reader's mind until form takes shape and the reader is left to reflect on the whole. Crow Lake is a wonderful achievement that will ripple in and out of the reader's consciousness long after the last page is turned. --Nicola Perry, Amazon.co.uk

MY REVIEW:
I borrowed this book from a friend because it 'looked' good. I am totally a 'judge a book by its cover' kind of person. Sometimes this totally backfires on me, but not this time. This is definitely the best book I have read in a while. The writing is beautiful, the characters and plot line complex, yet believable. I have read several books that weave back and forth between past and present and don't remember any author doing such a good job of it as Lawson. It was effortless and enjoyable reading. I will definitely be looking to read more from her.

MY RATING:
5 STARS!!

NEXT UP: Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

The River King by Alice Hoffman

I finished reading The River King last night. Here is the description from Amazon.com:

There are two things any reader can count on when coming to Alice
Hoffman: her prose and a remarkable empathy for those who live on the fringes of society. In her 13th novel, the author turns both to good account. Set in a tony private school located in a small New England town, The River King traces an intricate weave of intersecting lives over the course of a year. The Haddan School, founded in 1858, has long been the scene of tragedy and wonder: during its first year a tremendous storm flooded the grounds, and more than a century later "frogs can be found in the plumbing; linens and clothes stored in closets have a distinctly weedy odor, as if each article had been washed in river water and never thoroughly dried." Then there are the glorious roses planted by Annie Howe, a villager who married the headmaster and later hanged herself; these flowers have an unusual effect on sensitive girls. "When such girls walked past the brittle
canes in the gardens behind St. Anne's, they felt something cold at the base of their spines, a bad case of pins and needles, as though someone were issuing a warning: be careful who you choose to love and who loves you in return."

A cogent warning indeed, for as in all of Hoffman's novels, the question of whom one chooses to love and who loves in return is the crux of the matter. The River King revolves around triangles. First there is Betsy Chase, a young photography teacher at the Haddan School who has gotten herself engaged--almost accidentally--to a fellow faculty member, even as she is inexorably drawn to Abel Grey, a town policeman. Then there are Carlin Leander, a scholarship student, and her best friend, Gus Pierce. While Carlin is able to fit in, even attracting the interest of the most popular boy on campus, Gus is a defiant outcast, a tall skinny kid in a long black overcoat "who viewed his own life as a prison sentence and experienced his existence much as a condemned man might." Carlin's romance with the charismatic, cruel Harry McKenna creates a rupture between her and Gus, and fuels a mean-spirited practical joke with horrific consequences. In the aftermath of tragedy, each character's heart, conscience, and courage is tested in unexpected ways.

Hoffman spins her web of love and heartbreak and transcendence with a sure hand, and in the process creates characters so palpably human in all their petty flaws and small instances of heroism that one almost expects them to step out of the book and into the room. Indeed, if there is a flaw in The River King, it is that Alice Hoffman doesn't always trust the magic inherent in her characters, relying a little too heavily at times on somewhat precious invocations of the otherworldly. But this is a minor defect in an otherwise satisfying novel, one that will keep the reader spellbound by its emotional complexity and compelling story. --Alix Wilber

I do have to agree that Hoffman has a very lyrical and flowing style of writing, which I like; however, I kept getting caught up by her sometimes wierd analogies. It was like she was sometimes focusing more on how the words 'sounded' rather than if they made sense together. Then, she would sometimes contradict herself...like the night sky was as black as coal and then two sentences later the sky was illuminated by starlight (not the exact wording, but you get what I mean). Overall, I didn't hate it, but I'm not sure I will read Hoffman again...it's just OK.

MY RATING: 3 STARS

Caffeine for the Creative Mind by Stefan Mumaw and Wendy Lee Oldfield

I just got a book from Amazon the other day called Caffeine for the Creative Mind by Stefan Mumaw and Wendy Lee Oldfield and it is awesome!! I got it because it looked cool. Yes, I tend to judge books by their cover...sometimes I end up disappointed, but not this time.

Here is the description from Amazon:
*Chock-full of useful exercises designed to help readers tap into a daily creative buzz
*Features an edgy sketchbook design (by the authors) for visual allure
*Appeals to anyone looking for easy ways to jump start their creativity
For any designer or creative type who wants to quickly limber up their imagination on a daily basis, Wired helps readers get into the creative zone, from which all their best work springs. Packed with 15-minute simple and conceptual exercises, this guide will have readers reaching for markers, pencils, digital cameras, and more in order to develop a working and productive creative mindset.

It is certainly what it says! I started tabbing all the exercises that I especially wanted to try right away. Well, let's just say the book looks like it's growing some very colorful hair with all tabs sticking out of it! A lot of them that struck me initially seemed to be photography challenges, but I guess that makes sense since that is one of the things I'm really hoping to improve on this year.

It addition to the exercises, they also have numerous short interviews with some leading designers across a spectrum of website, logo, promotions, illustration, animation, etc. In these, I found numerous ideas and concepts to ponder, some of which I will be sharing with you here in the coming weeks.

Although this book is certainly not specifically geared towards scrapbookers, I think any serious 'creative' would find great value in this book.

MY RATING: 5 STARS