Three Things : Creative Books (+ a giveaway)

right now i am into mixed media on my scrapbook pages.....i.e....a little bit of acrylic paint, some office-style doodads, sometimes a bit of fabric, using stencils with that "texture magic" paint (love that stuff!!)...maybe flowers, brads, snippets of labels or tags from clothing, etc.....and i think it all looks great...it makes me happy! i just saw one of these books at the local barnes and noble....it would be wonderful to receive a copy...and thank you for your generosity to all.

Ohhh, please let me be stil on time for this give away! These books look so totally inspiring. I just recently bought two design related books. One about psychology of colour and the other about designing basics. However they are in Spanish (I'm currently living in Spain and Spanish people aren't really into English...). These books give me lots of ideas to try in my scrapbook pages.
Besides these books I really feel like I should just go for it. Grab a piece of fabric (or even better cut some old pair of pants) and make something out of it, a flower an embellishment on an apron.
BTW making an apron is quite a fun job as well. Just start with a cute solid color as your base. Then add some fun fabric at the bottom. Enlarge one of your favorite stamp/scrap image (I used the Sassafras deer) and use it as a pattern to embellish your apron. Add some felt, ribbon and/or bottoms and there you have it: a very inspiring apron to wear whenever you feel like it. I'll share an image on my blog soon!
Kindest regards,

Ali....I love to draw with ink and use watercolors to fill in....
Jamie

Thanks Ali for keeping up with new creative ideas and sharing them. The books look great! I am afraid the only creative activity I am involved in at the moment is gardening, but I love it. Perhaps in the fall I will have time to scrapbook again.

I've been really big into mixing digital scrapbooking with traditional scrapbooking. I just made a first-year baby book for my expecting sister-in-law using the computer, patterned papers and my sewing machine. I loved the result.

Making collages. Taking a store bought strech canvas, painting it, adding pits of paper and then gessoing.

Favorite creative technique...hmmm, not easy to come up with one. I've been trying your scrapbooking technique of grouping photos together and journaling around them. Looks cool, simple, put together.
Thanks for your great blog!

Stamping is definatley growing on me lately. I have been using them in my layouts, cards, mini albums, and other projects. So much fun and addicting!
Congratulations to both you and your sister!

Paint, paint and more paint. One of these days I'm going to master it.

I LOVE Kelly Rae! My creativity is generally limited to writing but I do love scrapbooking. To take photos and use all of the different items available to make my own unique photo albums is quite fulfilling.

I love adding stitching onto my scrapbook layouts & have been into making different canvases to hang up throughout the house.

My favorite technique is distressing!
Tara

Oh how nice! That book sounds wonderful and as inspiring as your books, Ali. You are my hero in so many ways! I have followed your blog for a long time and u are who I turn to for inspiration and hope when I need it. I have autistic 2-yr old twins and Simon's story has been part of what has kept me strong. Thanks for everything!

Hello Ali - I hope all is well. I have to say my current favorite technique is distressing my pages.

PICK ME! Please!
I need all the influence and help I can find!
I've been stamping and using my Cricut
....exploring all the fun!
Liz In PA

this book looks great! my creative self tends to be mental and not very physical... so many unfinished projects. the things i tend to accomplish are a scrapbook page here and there as well as some sewing. photography is becoming a new love.

Hi Ali....my favorite creative techniques these days involve photography. After years of using a P&S, I finally upgraded to a DSLR. I have been going through my manual to learn all the functions, and am planning on purchasing the book "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson. I hope to express my creative side through my photography. All the books sound wonderful, and I hope to try to pick them up at some point.

My sister and I are (re)discovering glitter and embossing powder. Found my mom's old embossing stuff and went to town playing with it. Lately we've gotten into glitter, putting it on chipboard, using it to embellish the pre-printed designs on paper and we even found paper from K & Co. that is completely coated in glitter! No idea for using it yet, but we are loving it :)

I am behind on blogging. Congratulations to your family. A new little one in the home is a special time.
My creative technique currently: keep it simple, focus on telling the story with words and photos.

A giveaway...yea! And it looks like such a fun and inspiring book. I love to paint and use mixed media, but right now I've got the knitting bug...bad! Eat breath and sleep yarn. Perhaps a new book would jump start some dormant creative outlets!!!
Thanks!