Art of the Scrapbook: A Guide to Handbinding and Decorating Memory Books, Albums, and Art Journals
Volumes abound on creating scrapbooks, but few possess the elegance and  depth of Diane Maurer-Mathison'sArt of the Scrapbook. Other books show  how to arrange photos and decorative accents on a page; this one goes a step  further by exploring ways to create the actual scrapbook itself.The author, an accomplished paper artist, expertly teaches the basics of  bookbinding, from simple tied, stitched, and accordion-fold techniques to the  more advanced hinge-and-post and edge-sewn bindings. She explains various  methods for decorating papers (including marbling, sponging, and stamping), and  outlines the essential steps of making your own paper. A brief chapter on  working with photos discusses the practicalities of mounting and working with  decorative accents like borders and mats.This stylish volume is not for people looking for simple, fast ways to gussy up  photo album pages; it's a guide for creatively adventurous souls seeking more  aesthetic control over the whole scrapbook process, to render the vessel itself  as artful as its contents--perhaps even more so.--Amy Handy