Mixed Mania

December 15, 2008
Crane and Prater dream up every which way to do collage and scrapbookingplus howto use cloth, paper, scissors, and a variety of coloring implements. The layout resembles a no-white-space-allowed design; every inch is covered with a she-she dialogue introduction, a true cooking recipe, and acres of instructions and illustrations and examples.Aftera brief overview of the fundamentals, called The Well-Stocked Pantry, such as tools, materials, and the elements and principles of art, theres an ingenious page on substitutes, such as egg cartons used instead of paint palettes. Next are discussions of appetizers, main courses, and sweet treats: a collection of more than 20projects to keep crafters busy. Try the nouveau form of paper dolls, self-portraits combining photo imagery and collage, board games disguised, and an all-out color-saturated clutch purse. An apron gallery at the end showcases what incredible results mixed media can produce.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)