I am once again out of commission...I can't believe it but I had a fall coming out of our garage the other day and have re-injured my ribs AND banged up my knee pretty good. Baby is OK thankfully, but once again I am in a fair amount of pain and can't do much of anything. So I have once again been indulging in reading scrapbooking books and mags while propped up on my couch! Here's a few tidbits I thought would share...
I had purchased Stacy Julian's (founding editor of Simple Scrapbooks) book The Big Picture and finally was able to read it! I love the way Stacy organizes her albums...something I really needed help with! I am a very chronological scrapbooker, and sometimes when I make a layout I wonder where it should go! Stacy has a really flexible system that I think I am going to adopt...adding more albums but having more flexibility as to what goes in them. She also encourages us to be creative, to not get bogged down by guilt (as in not being "Caught up") and to stay motivated and enjoying our fabulous hobby! Great read altogether and I can see me going back to it time and time again.
I also purchased Cathy Zielske's book Clean and Simple Scrapbooking which was also a bit of a revelation. While her style is much simpler than even mine is, I really like the way she approaches scrapbooking. With her background as a photographer and graphic designer, her pages are all about the photos and the story. Love it! Although I enjoy looking at highly decorated and embellished pages, the things that I really want to see on a page are clear, crisp photos and words that describe the moments behind them - the stories, the feelings, the memories. And Cathy does this beautifully! In the book she covers basic elements and principles of design (a subject close to my own heart!), gives photo tips that will improve anyones photography, and gives really clear examples of working with typography (text) on a computer so you can journal and scrap your layouts quickly and easily. I highly recommend it!
Next on my wish list:
Photo Freedom by Stacy Julian
Clean and Simple Scrapbooking: The Sequel by Cathy Zielske
Best of Becky Higgins' Sketches by Becky Higgins
And I can't forget Creative Memories own magazine Lasting Moments. It's a great publication that comes out 6 times and year and focuses exclusively on CM products. You can get all the news on the latest products (like the new 12x12 and 8x8 TRUE size products...YAY!!!) and see lots more ideas on how to use your favorites in fresh new ways...including digital tips. You can subscribe to Lasting Moments for only $29.97/year CAD on my website - click here to find out more...you'll be glad you did, because as a thank you for subscribing, CM will send you a bonus freebie with your first issue and I will be offering you 15% off your next CM order! You can't go wrong!
So, lots of ideas and inspiration all around! Watch my blog over the next few days for some new layouts and project ideas! And If you have read any great scrapbooking books and want to share your opinion or tips or tricks, I'd love to hear from you!
Happy scrapping!
Noreen
