Scrapbook Journaling Made Simple

The book was in detail about ways to journal. Had good ideals. Easy book to understand.

The book was as I expected. I spend lots of time getting ideas from this book.

Imagine looking 50 years into the future as your great grandchildren look through your scrapbook. There are plenty of great photos; there may even be notes on the dates and subjects. But beyond that, nothing. Eventually they close the album, having learned little about their ancestors in the early 21st Century.It was precisely this imaginary scenario that finally prompted me to seek out help for my scrapbook journaling blocks in the form of Scrapbook Journaling Made Simple. This book addresses the importance of journaling the stories and vital information that should be a part of every page in your cherished albums. Even more to the point, SJMS tells you how to overcome these psychological impediments that we all face at one time or another. Among these issue are:1. Fear of making a big mistake that will ruin the whole layout2. You hate your handwriting3. Lack of information about a photograph4. Not knowing how to write "well"5. Lack of time (my personal un-favorite)SJMS guides you through all the excuses, countering them neatly in simple sections that break down the task of writing your personal stories into manageable steps. Much of the process is common sense, but you will also learn getting started, tricks to jog your memory, improving the look of your text, and more. In the process you will discover just what a wealth of lore you have within you to express on paper.If I had one criticism about this book, it is that SJMS could feature more in-depth examples of outstanding journaling from the real-life examples. The samples they gave tended to be all too abbreviated, IMHO. It also would have been nice to explore the dimension that quotes and various font styles can give to a page. This book is especially good for those of us who may be starting out new to the scrapbooking craft. SJMS has a very simple, encouraging style that puts the emphasis on the real reason we scrapbook - our heritage to the future - without overwhelming the reader with trends and product recommendations. Basically, it will inspire you to write again.-Andrea, aka Merribelle

If you find it difficult to "let go" when you are journaling in your scrapbooks - and by that, I mean using your senses while writing in order to feel the moment, rather than just telling the facts - then you will want to invest in a copy of SCRAPBOOK JOURNALING MADE SIMPLE. In addition to simple methods of writing down your information (including: bullet, dictionary, timeline, recipe, poetic, and acrostic journaling, among others) you'll get a list of descriptive words that can really punch up your writing, questions to reflect on while deciding what to say about your pictures, interviewing techniques, and ways to overcome writer's block. Also included are ways to use journaling creatively in your pages, journaling without photos, and methods for adding journaling to crowded or finished pages.Anyone can journal just as well as the artists who produce such amazing and touching pages in scrapbooking magazines. All it takes is the right tools and some practice!