Two Reviews

I thought I’d share the two most recent reviews that I wrote for Craft Critique.

FISKARS ROTARY TRIMMER

About a year ago, I wrote an article about my love/hate relationship with paper trimmers. You can read it here. A lovely woman named, Cheryl, read it and sent me a Fiskars Rotary Trimmer. She is one of the Fiskateers – a group of four women who host a website dedicated to Fiskars love. It’s a lovely community (I’m mostly a lurker there) and you should check it out if you get a chance. But, I digress….

I was thrilled when the trimmer arrived. I unwrapped it and immediately started to use it.

Ugh.

Yuck.

Ick.

Photos kept slipping. The trimmer was bigger than I was used to. The measurement arm extender thing folded out from the top rather than the bottom. I just wasn’t happy.

But, a funny thing happened as I kept using it. That trimmer and I started to get along! And here’s why:

1. This is the first trimmer I’ve ever owned where you can actually see where you’re cutting! Seriously! It’s amazing. You drop a clear guard and the rotary blade cuts right at the guard’s edge. I love that.

2. I have never replaced the blade. One year and counting. It still cuts photos and paper cleanly.
3. The face of the trimmer has a grid – which makes lining paper and photos up straight super easy. The grid is on both sides of the blade, so cutting small pieces is very easy!

4. The trimmer has rubber feet that grip the table.

5. For those of you who are safety minded (little kids around, etc.), the trimmer has a lock which keeps the rotary blade and arm locked down.

My only gripes are:

1. I’m annoyed at where they put the break in the ruler (where the arm thing comes out). It is in a really inconvenient place (at 4.25"), but I’m not sure where else they could have put it

2. The trimmer cuts straight about 90% of the time. Part of it is user error. I often find that the photo or paper is stuck to the face of the trimmer and needs to be adjusted carefully. I’d like it to cut straight 100% of the time.

This is the same trimmer that Heidi reviewed on Tuesday and I think her side-by-side comparison to the old Fiskars trimmer is spot on. Like her, I would definitely recommend this trimmer to someone looking for a portable trimmer. It’s my go-to choice these days! My advice is to stick with it past your initial impression. I think it’s worth the wait.

LIFE ARTIST BY ALI EDWARDS

Ali Edwards is one of the best known and most widely celebrated scrapbookers in the world. Life Artist is her third book, and in my opinion points to all the many reasons she is so popular.

The book is divided into eight chapters:

1. It is Okay

In this chapter, through project examples and text, Ali (as she is known through the world of scrapbooking), gives you permission to “repeat what works for you” and “to use what you have on hand,” along with six other prompts. Each two-page spread features an “okay statement” and projects that illustrate that principle. Ali writes in a very chatty and personal style and all the projects are examples from her own work.

2. Go With the Flow

This chapter is set up in a similar fashion as the first one. The topic this time is finding inspiration. Ali provides eight ways in which she finds inspiration and details them for you. Several of the prompts also include “Life Art Challenges” in which Ali challenges you to experiment with a certain form of inspiration.

3. Simplify

As the title suggests, this chapter is all about ways to keep scrapbooking simple. Building off of the previous two chapters, Ali continues to extol the idea that there is no “right” or “wrong” in scrapbooking. She shares some of the ways in which she has kept things simple, including the very famous Christmas card page that took the internet by storm at the beginning of last year (2007).

4. Celebrate the Everyday

In the introduction to this chapter, Ali shares that documenting everyday life has led her to a deeper understanding of herself. She shows you eight ways to capture everyday moments for yourself. Ali provides tips on taking photos, some page ideas, and plenty of beautiful examples from her own scrapbooks. In my opinion, this chapter is the basis of the idea of a “Life Artist.”

5. Take a Risk…and Play

Ali provides seven prompts in this chapter. The first is to play with digital and the last is to do something that’s the opposite of what you usually do. Each of the prompts is followed by one or two examples of ways in which Ali has experimented. And some of the projects, do feel a bit different from the rest of her work.

6. Embrace Imperfection

Ali opens the chapter by stating, “The bottom line: Imperfection is reality.” And as you might expect, the chapter is about embracing those imperfections. Ali provides a number of prompts, projects, and some new “Life Artist Challenges” to help you get over your fear, accept the layouts you hate, and embrace the blurry photographs.

7. Find Your Own Voice and Tell Your Story

This chapter could also be titled, “Why It’s Important to Journal.” Ali gives you permission to be yourself, encourages you to scrapbook the bad times, and reminds you that you are special and unique and need to tell your story. Basically, to put yourself and your perspective into your journaling, so that’s it’s really from you.

8. Life Art Workshop

In this final chapter, Ali provides five of her favorite projects (detailed with photos and some general how-tos) and a collection of several “Life Artist Challenges” to encourage you to try your hand at becoming a “Life Artist.”

There is nothing mind blowing in Life Artist. There are no projects that make your jaw drop and have you wondering how she did that. There’s nothing over the top. Rather, it’s a book full of nurturing and gentle encouragement. It’s a book that reminds you why scrapbooking is so cool and what the point is.

If scrapbooking can be likened to real life, I feel a bit like a world traveler. I love the adventure of new sights and new sounds. I love tasting foreign cuisines and often fantastize about living somewhere exotic. But, no matter how grand the adventure, after months away, it’s so lovely to come home and sit down with some comfort food.

Life Artist feels like coming home.

Even if Ali’s style isn’t yours, even if you’ve been scrapbooking forever, and especially if you’ve ever thought scrapbooking wasn’t for you anymore, check out Life Artist. Through her simple, straightforward journaling and beautiful graphic style, Ali will renew your spirit and have you itching to create!