View source for Inspirational Scrapbooking by Joy Aitman

{{infobox1
|title=Inspirational Scrapbooking
|author=Joy Aitman
|reviewer=Sarah Cooper
|genre=Crafts
|summary=Several designers input their layouts in this very special book to provide you with lots of inspiration to scrapbook your own photos. Bit basic in parts but sure to provide you with lots of creative ideas.
|rating=3
|buy=Maybe
|borrow=Yes
|pages=48
|publisher=Search Press Ltd
|date=April 2007
|isbn=978-1844481804
|cover=1844481808
|aznuk=1844481808
|aznus=1844481808
}}
I picked up this book with great interest, as I am a huge addict of scrapbooking. You can store so much of your life in the pages of a scrapbook. This books aim is to try and find a fitting way to present your heritage - ie family trees and old photos. It is true what they say, you can have a pile of photos but after you are gone they can just become meaningless. Scrapbooking prevents this, and allows you to infuse the wonderful memories in to the photograph.

This book is a 48 page book which is composed mainly of photographs, accompanying the photos are small captions which aim to advise the reader on how to achieve the pages. There are 9 contributors to the book and all have different styles to their scrapbooking layouts. I loved most of these layouts but as an advanced scrapbooker I found some of the layouts a little dull. 

The first contributor is Joy Aitman who is also the editor of the book. Joy Aitman contributes two layouts to this book and I am afraid that in my opinion her first layout is a tad too simplistic, although I suppose it is all down to personal opinion. Though I did admire her layout that was made almost entirely of fabric. However, reading the profile part of Joy Aitman I did relate to her philosophy ''I try to do at least one creative thing a day to keep me sane.'' I think everyone should try this because it's so rewarding. So I'll give some credit for that positive thought.

The next contributor to the book is a lady called Jane Cotter. I liked these layouts - they were simplistic but had a touch of class about them. Her journaling was all hidden in her layouts, which is an interesting aspect to consider, however I enjoy having handwritten memories on show in my layouts.

Katy-Shanahan Jones is another contributor and I really liked her layouts, if this had been a whole book of her layouts, this book would have had a lot more appeal for me. They comprised of various techniques, were eye-catching and contained relevant and interesting pieces of journaling and documentation. She described her style as "eclectic" and I tend to agree with her. She covers a particularly effective military layout, which would be useful inspiration for any old photos you may have. Techniques used are collage, ephemera, tearing, inking, chalking and alcohol inks - which are very eye-catching in the way she has used them.

I think Kirsty Wiseman is my favourite contributor to the book. I really adore her style of scrapbooking. I found myself studying her pages to see how she achieved each page and I did pick up some hints and tips just from looking at her pages. She covers some really interesting layouts such as the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1952 and used a really unusual date embellishment idea - a soapstone domino. The creativity flows off her pages.

Mandy Anderson's contribution to the book is three different layouts. Each one startlingly eye-catching and really professional looking. Other people's photos are not usually interesting to me, but because each page tells a story in Mandy Anderson's scrapbook layouts I found myself very drawn to them, absorbing all the interesting written information about them. She also used some very interesting techniques such as ribbon weaving, which really gave the pages an antique look.

Sarah McKenna's layouts are based on excellent photography and appropriate embellishments such as the rather unusual nuts and bolts for a page layout on 'Boys and their toys.'

When I first opened this book I thought the layouts looked quite basic at first glance but after reading the book more thoroughly I found fantastically novel ideas such as a mini-book included on a scrapbook page and a scrapbook page canvas which you can actually hang on your wall - what a lovely way to present your treasured photos.

The layouts I found most emotive were by Becks Fagg and after reading her pages I found myself in tears - and I think any page which can evoke such strong emotions in you, is a well-designed and well-written page. Her use of poems and appropriate themed papers and embellishments made it fit together very well.

Overall, this is a book bursting with inspiration. Some parts you will love, others may not be your cup of tea but that's what personal opinion is all about. But be sure that this book will set your creative juices flowing.

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