When I borrowed a copy of Clean and Simple Scrapbooking by Cathy Zielske I thought that it was going to be just a book with layouts from Cathy. I didn’t realize that it would be so full of interesting information that can be applied to the design of scrapbook pages.
The book is divided in to six different chapters. Each chapter is full of Cathy’s layouts and text explaining that chapter’s topic.
In chapter one, the author shares her insights on simple scrapbooking. Not only does she create simple, clean pages, she also keeps things simple by only photographing photos that inspire her.
Chapter two covers basic design principles such as balance, repetition, visual triangles, emphasis, unity, space and color. Cathy addresses each of these topics with a very easy to follow conversational voice. She shares beautiful layouts that support each topic with well-written examples.
Journaling is the topic of the third chapter. Cathy definitely has a talent for journal. Throughout the entire book, it was fun to read the text on each of her pages because it was so well written. She really has a captivating writing style that is easy to read. She gives some wonderful ideas that we can apply to our journaling that can make it more interesting and readable.
The fourth chapter is on photography where she gives advice on improving composition, lighting shooting portraits, and more. In addition to being a talented writer, she is also a talent photographer. Looking at her examples is inspiring.
Chapter five is about type. She discusses different type styles and when to use them. She also shares how to create different effects using a word processing system.
The final chapter is about things that inspire her, her process and approach. She shares photos of her scrap spaces and her favorite scrapbooking tools.
Overall, I think that this book is a great read for any scrapbooker looking for ways to tighten up their design approach to scrapbooking.
Cathy Zielske has just come out with her second book, Clean and Simple Scrapbooking – The Sequel. I’m looking forward to reading this one too!