So now she thinks she can review anything...

Oh get me, I've been asked to do a series of book reviews. Ok, two reviews, but I shall spin it out into a jolly important series if I can, of course! Ya may or may not know that because of the traffic through this blog, I am now and then asked to promote/review a product. Usually I don't because there's nothing in it for the 'traffic'. That's you. This time though, the publisher of the books offered a discount and free P&P which I thought quite attractive.

So I had to choose from the huge New Holland Publishers site - and I thought that the books should reflect what I blog about. So this is the first one - a book of 50 card making ideas by Vivienne Bolton. It's a semi hardback and yields beautifully - you don't have to break the spine to make it lie open while you faithfully copy from it..gotta be a good start! The projects and instructions are really nicely photographed, step-by-step and not overloaded with superfluous text, a real skill in terms of instruction and description.

It's a great book for anyone who wants to know how craft, stamp, stick, to create cards, but is a bit scared to have a go without instruction or change up their modus operandi a little. It's also a gift for those people who feel the need to save anything to use again - Vivienne employs wrapping paper for central and background images and a has nice easy way to line envelopes; she like so many others, says 'never throw anything away'. Definitely in her blood then, crafting!

Now the thing about any craft book is that it can show you what to do, but it can't update the products or the terminology. This book was published before the word 'sketches' was applied to card making; the gallery of ideas that shows variations on a basic design or use of colour are just that really, and there's a nice selection of templates for scaredy cats like me too. I particularly liked Vivienne's house template, and her tips for tracing them - there's always a tip you don't have yet, huh.

There's a nice attempt at using largely generic equipment too, which I think is most important to the beginner or the hesitant! The over-stashed like me will recognise the Fiskars branded tools (even a Shape Boss!) ; they are acknowledged for supplying some equipment. However, the use of these obvious pieces is limited and wouldn't I don't think, put the reader in a panic because they didn't own them - after all, a punch is a punch, n'est pas?

In every respect it's a classic 'how-to' book and once you know how to, it's a useful 'springboard from which to create your own designs' as Vivienne says. This is one of a handful of books by Vivienne Bolton - remarkably, I couldn't find out much about her online; I don't know why, but I was fully expecting a blog; I guess three Google pages about your books is actually far more fulfilling!

Handmade Cards and Gift-Wrap is published by New Holland Publishers, price £12.99.

Enter the discount code Stamping at the checkout to receive 20% discount and free P&P.

(Free P&P to UK residents only!)
Offer valid until 1^st September 2011

You'll be amused to know that the second book review is about Crochet. Watch this space!