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Rating: 
Summary: Not enough color pics, too much info
Review: A new scrapper doesn't need to be overwhelmed all at once which is what this book does. She also doesn't need to see black and white images that are somewhat grainy and confusing. Skip this
Rating: 
Summary: great help for beginners
Review: Hi to everyone out there, when I first saw this book I thought it would be something to help me, but actually it turned out to be what sounds like a bored housewife babbling on.
Im an artist and one of my favourate things to do is to make scrapbooks of my work and my life, or a holiday etc.
The best advice that I can give you all, is to just use your imagenation and go mad, stick in anything you find you like or that is interesting etc, you dont need a book to state the obvious!
Sorry about the bad review but I think that common sence is the best vertue anyone can have... so use it!
Rating: 
Summary: Very Informative but Lacking Important Details
Review: I am a total scrapbooking novice and purchased this book because I hoped it would bring together the questions I have about scrapbooking, namely, what I should be thinking of when I scrapbook, what materials are out there, what's right for me and what I should skip, what are good techniques to use in scrapbooking, and some good layout ideas.
The book is user-friendly, and has a lot of basic information, what terms refer to, what to look for in supplies, good website addresses, but two major questions of mine remained unanswered.
First, I'm trying to decide whether to invest in a digital camera and the author had almost nothing to say about this subject! Digital cameras would enable users to crop photos, lighten or darken images, fit images into oval borders etc. I wanted to hear the verdict on this stuff from a master scrapbooker, not a camera salesperson, but there was nothing about it in the book. It may be that the book is not up to date, which signals it's time for a new edition. This ommission sank the book for me right there.
My second unresolved question was also technical. I wanted to
learn more about how to incorporate computer-written text into my scrapbook. I wanted to hear about how to print on thicker paper, etc. How well these papers are expected to hold up over time. Most of what the author discussed on the issue of adding text involved how to do calligraphy, what pens to buy, or other manual methods of adding text. That's certainly not the only option, and I suspect many others prefer typing to writing by hand, (computers are easier than calligraphy these days) but again, there were only cursory mentions of printing text: one of the suggestions was, "it's great buying font software, here are some cool websites." That's simply not enough guidance, especially with all the products on the market these days.
Lastly, for the price of the book and considering this is a book on generating images I would have expected A LOT more color images of scrapbook pages. Most of the images were small and black and white. The captions next to them are almost mocking. They read things like "Notice the use of different textures on this page.." Really? How? The picture is tiny and it's in black and white!
I only now realize that the term "complete" in the title doesn't refer to the content, but to the idiot instead! And I was expecting a complete guide for idiots....!! I guess I was expecting too much.
A good basic buy, but don't expect your questions to be answered by a long shot.
Rating:
Summary: dissapointed
Review: I bought this book prior to being admitted to the hospital for a surgery and 3 day stay. I am an avid scrapbooker but I love reading about ways to improve my pages. I was so bored with this book, and I am a true scrap-addict, I will read or buy practically anything scrapping related. I couldn't give this away in swaps and show my face again.
This book said nothing I didn't already know,(and I don't know all that much) and when they say the "idiot's guide" they really mean it. It was your basic "how to scrapbook" manual,but unless this is the only book you have and you know NOTHING AT ALL about the hobby the book is a waste of money-money that could be spent buying legitimate scrapping idea books.
Rating: 
Summary: I recommend looking elsewhere for a book on scrapbooking.
Review: I have been a scrapbooker now for a few years and everything I learned so far was pretty self taught. I have bought a lot of papers, scissors and other assorted items, but I have always looked for a book that could give me some tips I didn't know or couldn't figure out. This is the first Idiot's guide that I have read and in my opinion it is the best guide for beginners and some more advanced scrapbookers alike. I thought that one of the best parts of the book were the little blurbs in the margins like "Anecdotes from the archives", "Shortcuts", "Sticky Points", and "Words for Posterity". They made it easy to skim through some sections of the book. Smedley also includes some anecdotes from her personal experience which enhance the book. But as a more experienced scrapbooker who has discovered many of these techniques through trial and error, I found the chapter on Color and using the color wheel to your advantage to be of great use. Other chapters discuss and explain the language that is used, what supplies to purchase, getting started with journaling and saving souvenirs, creating scrapbooks with kids, capturing special moments in a special scrapbook, and shows a few examples of layouts. One of the things I have discovered is that whatever layout or size scrapbook you choose to use, is that you find a way to personalize your pages. I sometimes feel like some of the scrapbook pages in the magazines and books are copies of each other and look somewhat mass manufactured. I like to take pride in doing my own lettering and making every page different. All in all, this was the most helpful guide I have found for the person who wants to get into scrapbooking, but is not sure how to go about it. Most of the other books I have browsed through gave either sample layouts to copy or focused on heirloom preservation, but not what I wanted to learn. If you are just starting out or just want to pick up some quick tips, please consider picking up this book.
Rating: 
Summary: great starter book
Review: If you are truly a beginner at scrapbooking then this is a really great book. I would've given it 5 stars but there are no color pages, and that was a little disappointing to me.
This book is packed with tons of info. Everything you need to know to get started and then some. When you first start scrapbooking it can be so intimidating with all the lingo and products. After you read this book you'll know exactly what you need and exactly what everyone else is talking about!
Rating:
Summary: Complete Idiot's Guide to Scrapbooking
Review: Mainly balck and white, but some color. This book gives all the basics and is great for the beginner scrapbooker. Gives great advice for start up, saving money, lay outs, and more.
Rating:
Summary: A great scrapping resource.
Review: There are many, many magazines and books that feature full-color, product-laden picures of layouts. This book, on the other hand is a detailed scrapbooking encyclopedia! If you are a beginner looking for basic instruction in layout, journaling, product selection, and even picture taking, then look no further!If you are a seasoned scrapper, then you will probably already know most of the information presented in this book...but it's for you, too! It is a treasure trove of organization, scrapping with kids, overcoming scrapper's block, and other uses for scrapbooking supplies ideas. It even contains a chapter dedicated to the color wheel and how to combine colors with your pictures in ways that please the eye. This book is for everyone, whether a novice or "pro", and will provide just about any answer you need to your scrapbooking questions.
Rating:
Summary: Great Information on a Fun New Hobby
Review: This book helped me get started Scrapbooking. It is well organized, and fun to read! It gives shopping information, product reviews, and even ways to organize your gear without spending too much money. I'm very excited about scrapbooking after reading this book!
Rating:
Summary: getting started you need this book
Review: You really don't have to be an idiot to use this book. Its format takes you gently and thoughtfully through the whole process of making visual memories meaningful, appealing to the eye, and fun. This is a book that provides information on materials needed (at minimum cost), steps to proceed, and creative ways to display activities and events. It triggers the creative part of you to use whatever you want to capture memories worth revisiting.
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