Scrapbook Storytelling, Step by Step [Paperback]

Scrapbook Storytelling is a great example of the author's early scrapbook offerings. Here, the reader is gently encouraged to take stock of their photos, plan pages and journal with an eye toward one's ultimate purpose - brag book, heritage, wedding, travel, etc? All aspects of the art of using photos and journaling, design and color, accents and gimmicks are explored as a means to tell whatever story you are trying to tell through your album. The author never assumes that you already know about a technique, page style or trick: there's even a major section dedicated to a glossary of common scrapbooking terms. An entire section is devoted to taking better pictures. If I were an absolute beginner to scrapbooking, this book would be a lifesaver in many ways.

I had to subtract one star because four years after the first printing, Scrapbook Storytelling is starting to look a bit dated. For instance, Joanna Campbell Slan lists stickers, die cuts and odd bits of memorabilia as the main accents and page decorations to consider in a layout. Since 1999 there have been an explosion of products and new techniques that came too late to make it into this book (for example, quilling, chalking, tags, eyelets...I could go on and on). Then, too, new styles and looks for the patterned papers and colors are currently replacing the ones used by the author. For those scrappaholics who purchase scrapping books to get ideas for their layouts, these will already seem very passé.

The other reason I subtracted a star is the glaring lack of information on computer-related techniques, equipment and software. Digital cameras are not even mentioned. Although many scrapbookers get by just fine without ever going near a computer, photo editing programs, computer fonts, home photo printing and even whole page layout software are increasingly important to the scrapbooker and should have more focus in a book like this. I hope there's an updated version in the works, because a good low-pressure, basic scrapbooking guide like this is invaluable to newbies.
-Andrea, aka Merribelle

The layouts are wonderful, and not as impossible-looking as so many layouts are in other books! But what's important is that she shows how scrapbooking can be used for SO many situations. It's not just a hobby for moms with young children.

I really enjoyed reading this book, and looking at her layouts. She shares a lot of her own scrapbook pages and by the end of the book, we get to know her son Michael and we feel better equipped to scrapbook the stories of OUR lives.

There was a poignant section about scrapbooking the not-so-good memories. Joanna uses her photos and journaling to create a memorial page for her nephew Josh who was killed just before his 5th birthday.

Probably the most helpful part of the book is all the journaling/storytelling tips! The author even includes questionnaires to fill out as you interview your family members. I enjoyed the fact that the layouts are graded by how easy/difficult they are. You can look that up in the index and also see what materials are necessary.

By the end of the book, I really feel that I had gotten to know Joanna quite well - and isn't that the goal of our scrapbooks, to share ourselves with future generations?

Also, Joanna has a website ... where you can download templates, access helpful hints, and link to other scrapbooking websites.

Happy Scrappin'!

I have decided to take an understated approach to my scrapbooking. The only fault I find with many of the scrapbook pages that I see in magazines and such is that they are so overdone that you can barely see the photographs. This book offered many alternatives. I particularly enjoyed the spread on the house near Joanna's friend's office (page 22). So simple, so elegant.

The journaling is what is important to me and I tend to write full accounts of events, so I am always looking for ways to incorporate pockets, envelopes and hidden layers. Scrapbook Storytelling offers some fresh ideas in this area.

Thanks for producing a wonderful resource that I am sure will satisfy all kinds of scrapbookers.