Rating: 
Summary: This is like Altered Books for Dummies...
Review: ...and I like it! This book allows someone new to altering books to view techniques up close in beautiful photographs and get a clear understanding of where to start.I've really enjoyed looking at some of the advanced completed projects that are shown in magazines, but I've been a little intimidated because I didn't know where to start. Reading this book alleviated those fears and gave me a good solid foundation from which to grow as an altered book artist.
Rating:
Summary: Okay, so it's another altered books book...
Review: ...and most of us have already consumed the Design Originals books and True Colors and Claudine Hellmuth's book and Holly Harrison's book and every article on art journals or ABs we can get our hot little crafty hands on. Is this book groundbreaking, then? No. Are the techniques *that* brand-new? No. Can you, as an alterer of books, possibly live without this one? Probably. Why four stars, then, and why would anyone recommend this offering? Because this is still quite a decent overview of making ABs and it is important and compelling to see a narrow focus on *one* artist's AB work consistently throughout the book. All the destined-to-be-classic techniques are there, from niche-cutting to matchbox drawers and windows and glazing and texturing, but we follow *one* artist doing it and have the chance to absorb her execution, or her AB "mind" as it were, and that's mainly what I find worthwhile about this book. I'll admit that I waffled a little before buying this book because some of the examples were a little too typical of things I'd seen before, but then there were other spreads in there that kept catching my skeptic's eye. About half of the work shown does draw my eye in and make me flip back and want to watch it being put together. Without succumbing to cynicism, we might as well face that there aren't that many "new" things this movement is going to be able to cook up from this point on, but rather more continued variations on personal interpretation of the standard techniques. But we're going to keep altering books and keeping art journals, and I, for one, still want to see how individual artists are doing it. Every new AB book just isn't going to be earth-shattering and totally original because that ground has already been broken. More books like this one will keep that ground fertile.
Rating: 
Summary: Loaded with ideas and techniques
Review: As a newcomer to the craft, I liked this author's approach. She explains what an altered book is, gets into choosing a book and developing a theme, then goes step-by-step through the techniques. The basics include collaging, stitching, cutting doors, adding tags, folding pages, and adding inserts. She moves on to intermediate skills: cutting shadowboxes, glazing, adding texture, and various cover treatments. Other ideas include using drawers, adding words and hanging embellishments, working with fiber and beads, transferring images and adding pop-ups.
Pluses: Packed with colorful examples. Helpful hints are set off in small boxes. It is indexed and ends with a page for joining groups and swapping materials.
Rating:
Summary: Practical Creative Freedom
Review: As a novice to altered book making I was pleased that I had waited before I bought a book about the craft. This book was elementary in it's step-by-step instruction, yet inspiring as you follow the authors creation. The process was easy to follow, and I loved seeing my paper scraps and word musings turn into a visual creation of me. This book was well worth my $$.
Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: Beautiful and inspiring. I was especially fond of the step by step photographs for each technique. Most books show you what a finished product looks like without showing you the process. This book walks you through each step. I also found the tips in each section quite helpful.
Rating:
Summary: Inspirational and Well Written
Review: Beautiful projects with clear instructions for each technique. Also, each technique is presented with variations and additional inspirational photos, so you can begin to imagine how you might incorporate these techniques into your own original book art.
I was very pleased with this purchase!
Rating:
Summary: This is like Altered Books for Dummies...
Review: Bev Brazelton's book walks the reader through some essential altered book techniques and she does it well. If you are interested in altering, this is a must have for your bookshelf. It is clear, well organized and shows excellent examples.
Rating:
Summary: Worth owning
Review: Bev Brazelton's book walks the reader through some essential altered book techniques and she does it well. If you are interested in altering, this is a must have for your bookshelf. It is clear, well organized and shows excellent examples.
Rating:
Summary: Altered Books as Art Form
Review: I am the lucky receiver of a wonderful Christmas gift and that is Ms. Brazelton's beautifully photographed workshop book. The author clearly knows her altered book art. She quite aptly demonstrates her innovative techniques through clearly written instructions as well as attractive photographs of her artwork. The author assumes nothing and is able to lead the novice to this art form as well as those with more experience in altered book making. Anyone who is interested in learning more about this art form would do well to obtain a copy of this book.
Rating:
Summary: Not a craft book, an art book.
Review: I have a freind that tried to get me into scrapbooking and stamping and it just wasnt my thing....I know I know, Im about the only woman in the world that is antiscrapbooking. BUT I came across this book in the bookstore, stood for an hour looking through it and finally bought it. I love it, the techniques are great, she offers so many great ideas and tips. After deciding that this was MY alternative to scrapbooking I decided to buy more books and this is what I've found. The other books are ok - but they are more for people who are looking for another craft project. THIS book is for those of us that are more interested in creating a work of art. So basically it comes down to this if your looking for something to do thats cheap and easy, then look for other altered book books, but if you want something that you can work on and be proud of then this is it.
| 
