The Creative Memories Way

Rating:
Summary: Convicting!
Review: A must read for any one who has loved some one. This book will validate your reason to tell them and how to put in a treasured book. I read this book just before bed, after all we all go through during the day this book is great to end the day with. Do a treasure book for some close to you and see what happens!!!

Rating:
Summary: Very inspiring!
Review: I enjoyed reading this book, but it wasn't anything revolutionary. I don't need convincing about the importance of scrapbooking (or making photo albums as CM prefers to call it), but it was interesting reading about how Creative Memories got started.

If you're looking for inspiration to begin scrapbooking, this is an excellent book. If you're a beginner looking for practical advice about what supplies you need to buy and how to put your first pages together, look elsewhere. Also, most people have come to expect color photos in books about scrapbooking, and this book doesn't have those. I would love to see what some of the authors' very first pages looked like, wouldn't you?

I highly recommend the book "Michele Berbrandt's Scrapbook Basics" if you're a beginning scrapbooker (or even if you've been at it awhile!) looking for information on tools to buy, organization of supplies, cropping photos, journaling, putting together albums, and much more.

Happy scrapping!

Rating:
Summary: A good read, but more History than How-To
Review: I enjoyed reading this book, but it wasn't anything revolutionary. I don't need convincing about the importance of scrapbooking (or making photo albums as CM prefers to call it), but it was interesting reading about how Creative Memories got started.

If you're looking for inspiration to begin scrapbooking, this is an excellent book. If you're a beginner looking for practical advice about what supplies you need to buy and how to put your first pages together, look elsewhere. Also, most people have come to expect color photos in books about scrapbooking, and this book doesn't have those. I would love to see what some of the authors' very first pages looked like, wouldn't you?

I highly recommend the book "Michele Berbrandt's Scrapbook Basics" if you're a beginning scrapbooker (or even if you've been at it awhile!) looking for information on tools to buy, organization of supplies, cropping photos, journaling, putting together albums, and much more.

Happy scrapping!

Rating:
Summary: Validating my addiction
Review: I had been scrapping for a little less than 5 years when I bought this book. I never could put into words why it was so important to me. This book says it all. It helped me to see that my efforts weren't futile. My mother, who doesn't scrap, read this book and said that it is an inspiration for everyone. A must read for all scrapbookers and family historians.

Rating:
Summary: AWESOME INSPIRATION
Review: I just finished reading this book and must say that it is wonderful. There are numerous ideas for getting organized, finding the time and finding the inspiration. So many of us keep saying we need to do this and that but we never get around to it. You can take some of the ideas from this book and apply it to other aspects of your life as well. We all need some motivation now and then and this book provides it. I know that using the tips I found in this book I've been able to not only get motivated to work on my pictures (and journaling) again, but since I am accomplishing something with my pictures I get more energy to do other activities.
From my standpoint this book is not some great big advertisement for Creative Memories - yes it probably will help spread their message of preserving photos, but they don't push on you to only use their products.

Rating:
Summary: Already Know CM? Then, Don't Bother
Review: I'm an enthusiastic scrapbooker and an eager reader, so a book about scrapbooking is impossible for me to resist. So, when I found this book on Amazon and saw the great reviews, I ordered it with high expectations.

Well, friends, those high expectations were disappointed. This book reads like an extended infomercial for Creative Memories. If you've been to a CM home class, you've heard the basic spiel -- this is just a (much, much) longer version.

It's not that I don't agree with the CM message. I think that making albums is extremely satisfying and worthwhile. AND, I agree that it's important not to get overly caught up in the "craft" to the detriment of preserving your memories.

It's just that this book didn't really give me anything new.

If you aren't already a scrapbooker and need some encouragement to start your albums, this might just be the book for you.

Rating:
Summary: You can't help but be inspired...
Review: If you are not inspired to work on your photo albums (any kind of album) after reading this than I don't know what to tell you! This is a great book!

I was previously a Creative Memories Consultant but quit over a year ago to pursue my online interests in running my own free scrapbook school and newsletter (...) I believe in the "Creative Memories Way" but I also love lots of other products and at times have felt that CM consultants can be a little bit overzealous about making you feel that you are "bad" if you use anything that is not made by Creative Memories. I was curious to see if this attitude was reflected in the book. I am happy to report that it was not! This book could have easily turned in to one big commercial for Creative Memories but they resisted that "easy" route and wrote a book full of meaningful information, ideas, and inspiration for any type of scrapbooker. Believe me if you are a "binder person" or not even into "crafty" scrapbooking you will be pleased with what this book has to offer! And if you are a Creative Memories disciple (after all they are the best!) then you will not be disappointed either.

My favorite parts of this book were the stories told by Rhonda Anderson. She shares the emotions and passion that makes you want to preserve your own memories. She is like a personal cheerleader saying "You can really do this!" and she inspires you with her own examples.

The book is well worth the cost even just for the quotes and idea lists alone, but you will find much more than that. This is not a layout idea book, it is a book to explain and instruct the important role of memory keeper. Thanks for a great read!

...

Rating:
Summary: A Book That Makes A Difference!
Review: My regret? That I let this book sit on my shelf after purchasing it. The Creative Memories Way is a book everyone with a story to tell should read. I found it inspirational as well as a book that evoked laughter, tears and reflection. My original expectation was that it would be more of a 'How to Scrapbook' read, but instead I found it a challenge to change a 'scrapbooking' mindset to one of 'album making.'
One of many useful selections in this book is about writing a 'bio-poem' that is an innovative way to journal to a family member or loved one.
I enjoyed reading The CM Way from cover to cover.
It's a book that can make a positive impact in lives and one I hope many will choose to read.

Rating:
Summary: Beyond the perfect page
Review: So many scrapbookers are so focused on making their pages as pretty as possible that they lose sight of why even create albums in the first place. This book is a short but entertaining and absorbing read that brings us back to the importance of preserving our legacies.