Free Printable Book Reviews

  Happy April Fool's Day!  Enjoy my Book Review forms to use for your own layouts or journaling! Click to save as:

Four Book Review Forms (letter size)

  If you do a Book Review, link it to me in comments or send an email pelabau@yahoo.com link to your blog, so I can check it out.  
  And please these are for personal use only!


  Thanks.

Hybrid Hobbies

 

Reading plays a significant role in my everyday life. When I am in the midst of a book I find myself to be much more in tune with my thoughts, feelings, words, expression, & creativity. I also think I am more effective to those around me, because when I have a few moments to get lost in a different story I think I am better at dealing with real life.
 For me, reading is an escape and a form of entertainment, as well as a way to learn, broaden my horizons, put myself in others’ shoes, and a way to improve vocabulary!
As a kid I enjoyed the Amelia Bedelia series (& can relate!), as well as Beverly Cleary & Shel Silverstein. As I got older I loved the Goosebumps series and Where the Red Fern Grows. I started reading more romance novels in my teens, which led me to Nicholas Sparks & Jodi Picoult. In the past few years I’ve found a love for fantasy and mystery with Charlaine Harris and JD Robb. I’ve also become a Twi-hard and now a fan of the Hunger Games series. I find I just want to know what all the fuss is about when people acclaim books.
 
With this love, I keep coming back to the idea of wanting to track and record my reading. Sometimes I comment on it in my personal journal, but I’ve wanted to incorporate it into my scrapbooking hobby as well. I decided I would write almost little *book reviews*, but not really literary reviews, as much as how I felt about the book and for what reasons. I thought about doing a separate smash book, but I decided I would like to slip these pages right into my chronological scrapbooks, so I chose a 6x12 format.

I’ve come up with a printable form (2 on 1 letter size page) to keep it easy and quick to record my book reviews and keep it current with my scrapping.
I drafted up four different “forms” that I can print in various colors, fonts & on different paper.  I refer to the forms in different categories: Basic Book review, Character Strong review, Book Series review and Movie Comparison review.  
 
For this layout, I chose the Twilight series and did a Book Series review. I didn't have all the books handy, so I used a photo from the net, but instax and instagram work great for this.

A while back I had purchased the DCWV stack entitled "Immortal love" that looks a lot like the covers of the Twilight book series. So I used some of those elements. This project is a fun way to use supplies you would not normally have use for and just over-embellish because you want to!

  I also incorporated some hidden journaling with a piece of cardstock attached with a brad that can slide out from the side of the layout.  Sometimes the feelings I have towards a book or the feelings it drums up for me are too personal to have available for any eyes to read.

  Finally, I stuck it into an American Crafts 6x12 page protector & can slide it into the appropriate time period in my chronological scrapbooks.  

  Thanks for checking it out, hope you can make up some Book Review layouts too!

Happy Spring

     

   

 Love seeing the dewy tulip buds in the morning, then the flowering petals reaching up to the sun in the afternoon.

Some old, some new...my go-to products...

Here are a few of my favorite products that I am currently using...

My favorite tool I own is still my DYMO Label Buddy label maker.  I often use these labels on my layouts for titles or even to add journaling.  I love the embossed, block lettering {love the process of winding the little wheel around}. I’ve had mine for so long, it got me thinking maybe I should pick up a spare in case it ever breaks, not sure if they plan on making these forever, but I hope they do!  I mainly use black tape but sometimes blue works too.
 

7gypsies has been around for some time, and I still love the nostalgic look of their products.  These 97% Complete stickers I’ve probably had in my stash for about 8 years or so?!  And there’s still so many themes and pieces remaining to pick from.  I like them because they are flat enough to be flat when you need it, yet they have a little cardstock-like sturdiness to them if you want to pop them up or add them to enhance another embellishment.  They include versatile phrases, song lyrics, famous quotes & tabs.

I love these black & kraft photo corners from Recollections (you can get at Michaels). Photo corners may be a little outdated as actual adhesive, but I use them now for aesthetic reasons.  I was primarily using black for the longest time, but recently found the kraft which I wanna try in my kraft artist book (fancy pants).  Sometime I use them on all four corners, sometimes just one or two or combined with rounding corners.  I like the finished look & it gives a vintage feel too, almost inspired by the filters of Instagram.

Using a pencil eraser to stamp dots was a technique I learned in a Quick Quotes class at CKC years ago, and I still love the look of these polka dots.  With a sturdy pencil eraser you get a nice sized dot, as well as a faded look because the ink kind of pools wherever.  It works especially well for a lot of my “boy” pages when I just need a little embellishing.  

I’ve tried dozens of types of ink and ink companies over the years, but for scrapbooking and edging purposes, I still like chalk inks.  I tend to grab for the Quick Quotes Powder Puffs or ColorBox Cat Eyes most.  Quick Quotes colors are a little more muted to me and sort of rustic, giving that vintage feel.  Cat Eyes seem to do better for bolder accenting.  

I’ve always loved staples on layouts, and discovering Tim Holtz's Tiny Attacher has been an absolute delight.  The mini staples, which measure a quarter of an inch (0.25"), are much more appealing on pages and embellishments.  Again with my “boy” pages, I tend to reach for metals and rougher things to embellish with, even though I love adding ribbon and flowers.  When you use a staple to attach those  “girlier” embellishments it seems to work!  One of my go-to enhancements are these ribbon “V’s” as I like to call them, and they are perfect for corners or page edges.

On this layout a Label Buddy title was added, along with 1 photo corner combined with rounded corners.  And the Tiny Attacher was used to add ribbon V's.

Keeping the Creative Flow

   I recently rejuvenated my passion of traditional scrapbooking, and I have found I turn to my old sources of inspiration, including Ali Edwards, who I have admired for years.  I was excited by the newsletter she started regarding "Creative Lifts" which is a weekly subscription and chock full of ideas and resources.  If you aren't doing so all ready, you should def check it out.  Check out her blog post

   This week she dealt with the topic of how to keep creativty flowing and deal with creative blocks.  Being that I've done a number of creative activities for many years I am all too familiar with this struggle. And of course, its just when I actually have the free time or a "deadline" project, in which my creative blocks like to pop up.
  
   I used to really struggle with this and almost get down on myself when I couldn't come up with my normal, creative solutions.  Creativity generally comes extremely easy to me, and I'm held on somewhat of a pedestal in my social circle as the "creative one".  However, I found that esteem almost worked against me as pressure for some time.  There was a time a few years back where I had many creative "demands" and was pushing my limits as far as the number of projects I took on at once and the time I took to complete them.  Some were self-imposed, others were requests from family & friends.  Luckily, I went through a major life change, which ultimately led to postive growth within and affected all aspects of my life, including the creative one.

   In turn, I've come up with some of the ways I now deal with creative blocks and how I keep it flowing...

One....I don't force anything.  I've learned it just comes and goes like the wind, and I need to allow it to happen, but not get upset or feel "less than" when its not as easy or as brilliant, shall we say.  I probably have gone a week or two at a time without doing any creative project with my own hands.  In those times I ususallly turn to seeking inspiration through magazines, photography and surfing the net (Pinterest).  And sometimes I just need to sort of "veg out", watch some of my fav dvd episodes of Ally McBeal, eat some CheezIts, curl up in my favorite furry blanket and relax.  After doing that for a little, I find that I'm just dying to get up and do something more hands-on.  So basically, I "wait it out".

Two....I agree with Ali, in that I maintain multiple projects.  Because I have several interests, if scrapbooking is boring me, I go back to a sewing project or embroidery.  I keep a small binder which is tabbed with all of my interests, and I use to it jot down ideas, sketches, store magazine clippings or websites where I saw a neat idea.  I generally just have to glance through that to be reminded "Oh yea, I wanted to try this product or that technique", and I'm off again!

Three...I make something just for the heck of it!  A lot of my projects are structured in some way...With scrapbooking, its a way to maintain memories chronologically, other projects are made for gifts or decor items.  I find when I'm down on my creativity flow, I need to just let loose, get out a bunch of mediums and play around.  Make something unusual, or some type of craft I would've made as a kid.  A lot of times maybe it turns into something I can use a scrapbooking embellishment, a decor item, or I just set it on my desk to look at.  The challenge is a mental one, in not looking back & feeling as if I "wasted" valuable creative time for something that really had no purpose or destination.  If it keeps me going, then its all OK!

Robert Frost "Desert Places" quote 

Four....Probably not the best solution, but shopping helps me too.  Whether its for supplies or color inspiration, getting something new usually gets the creative juices flowing.  Especially if I place an order online, the anticipation of getting my new product helps build up my imagination of all the possibilities once I have it in hand!  If your on a budget, it works too, because my favorite place to find inspiration or get unusual supplies is the flea market and yard sales.  I get up early on a weekend, grab some coffee and go in search of treasure.

A serving tray I bought for $1 and turned into a chalkboard with some 

chalkboard paint. I call it "My Wall" (like that social networking site I don't use)

Five...the final thing that does help me (& Ali too) is getting organized.  Cleaning up.  Re-sorting. Literally just clearing the counterspace so I have a nice stark white surface...(I even use 409 to get it bright & shiny)  Just like she says, it helps clear the mind, clear the clutter and gives me a place to start fresh. 

Work Space Organization

  Throughout my many years of scrapbooking I've had various desks, spaces & rooms.  My current space has been in progress for almost a year now... (yikes! time flies) 
  I will share more details about it here & there, as I'm always finding new ways that work for me to store supplies.  
  Being that my space is also located in my bedroom it had to be functional and aesthetic, & I try to keep it neat, altho that's not always the case.  
  After consideration, I decided to go with a counter height desktop as I usually end up standing and moving around to get supplies.  I generally think of supplies I can use as I go, my creativity is very spontaneous.  
  I've had the jetmax storage cubes for about 5 years and they have worked well for me.  I've moved the configuration around from time to time.  

  I love my Making Memories tool carousel which I have stocked with all of my important pieces.  
  My Papertrey Ink stamp collection is right in front of me in CD cases since these are generally my 'go to' stamps for card making.  And my ribbon roll holder is simply just to brighten everything up!  I like being able to get a dual-use out of my supplies by also using it as display/decor items.  

12 on 12

One motivation for getting my blog finally up and running was a photo challenge posted by Elizabeth Kartchner (dear Lizzy).  Improving and learning more about photography is another thing I want to commit (OLW for 2012) to this year.  I have ambition to do photography as a living or maybe a part-time one eventually.  I feel like I have a good "eye", and composition, but the tech side gets me sometimes.  I'm really working hard to understand my Canon 60d, learn more about lighting and aperture.  

For my dozen photos they are a mix of iPhone/Instagram shots and shots with the 60d.  

From top left, clockwise:

~*new* DD turtle flavor iced coffee...yum-o

~dad putting up a new fence around yard

~cleaning up my scrap supplies from weekend crop

~my fav handmade embellie on an xmas LO (still need to add a middle...either a big brad or covered button...decisions)

~*new* wedges from ShoeDazzle (so ready for summer)

~Finishing Stieg Larsson's "The Girl Who Played with Fire"

Finally hung my homemade chalkboard...going for natural lighting, except I didn't have too much!  And a glimpse of my messy desk, with my snack stash...cannot operate without box of cheez-its within reach. 

First signs of spring...tulips.  Having unseasonably warm temps.

budding tree

Cars puzzle started w/nephew                        

my crazy old dog afraid of the tile floor

fabric: reminding me of projects-in-waiting

I prefer naturally lit photographs, even over-exposed better.  Sometimes inside it is hard to get the right lighting with window glare.  Like the contrast of the black dog against the white kitchen, but maybe ISO could have been less sensitive and need to work on getting her details to show better.

anyways...fun challenge with lotsa reminders ~ thanks dear Lizzy
check out dear Lizzy blog for 12 on 12