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Glue books vs. Junk Journals vs. Scrapbooks vs. Craft books vs. Art Journal

     


     There are many of craft projects out there that are very similar when it comes to scapbooking. I have heard many different explanations for what is considered a scrapbook verses a junk journal versus an art journal, etc.. 

     What I have come to the conclusion is the following... 

     A scrapbook is a photo album that tells a story. it can have writing describing the photos and what they are about and even little mementos like cards, receipts, ticket stubs, etc.. The thing that I think makes a scrapbook a scrapbook is the structure. Scrapbooks usually have a layout of some sort and are well planned out in order to show the story that it is trying to express through colors, patterns, photos, and other embellishments. Scrapbooks are meant to protect memories and they are assembled with archive quality materials to allow the memories within to last as long as possible.They are often secured inside a sturdy 12”x12” and 8.5”x11″ album. Scrapbooks are not a new idea and have been around for quite a long time. 

     An art book is a place where one can add their own art into a book. These are very creative books and are very unique. The artist can create their art directly into the book like a sketchbook or cut and glue their artwork onto it.Other embellishments, written descriptions, or "scraps" may also be added. The thing that makes an art book an art book is the planned and/or structured  presentation of artwork. The book may have a theme, inspiration, technique, or specific medium or each page may be different. If the artist includes a written record of some kind then I would consider this more of an art journal than an art book.

     A glue book is a book that has no structure. The Pages are usually very random and don't follow a layout. The glue book although random often has a theme either throughout the book or for specific pages. Its very much just finding things you like photos, magazine clippings, etc.. and just gluing them into a book. The idea behind these books is to have fun with the process and not worry so much about the final outcome. This is why so many people use whatever they can find to create these books and often don't use fancy materials or high quality supplies. What makes the glue book a glue book is the LACK of structure when putting it all together.

     A glue book and a junk journal are very similar. The main difference is that the junk journal is a handmade book compiled of  different papers. There are so many possibilities. some people like to use literal junk or trash when making a these books. other people put a little bit more though into what they put into their book. Often, junk journals can be a lot of fun because they offer so much customization since they typically do not use a layout and There is more random assembly to the pages of this book than to a traditional scrapbook. 

     The last book I would like to mention is not as popular as the ones above but the Craft book is a very cool project. Its sort of an instruction manual that you make yourself. You can choose one project or simply a crafting theme to the book. Things like sewing, crocheting, cooking, etc.. They are made using instructions, craft supplies, product info, photos, and things like that. the idea is to have a customized instruction manual that has crafting instructions  and pictures along with  personal projects that you have worked on. For example a lasagna craft book could have photos of what the meal should look like along with a recipe and also include some labels or box tops from suggested brand and photos of a dinner where the lasagna was served or maybe a record of all the people with whom the recipe has been shared. These small details make the project a little more personal than just a recipe book.

     Remember, you really don't need to follow any rules when it comes to your scrapbooking hobby. Call your project whatever you feel comfortable calling it. These descriptions are just a guideline of my own personal opinions (and I really shouldn't be taken seriously.) Just have fun and enjoy the hobby!

 

Photo by pure julia on Unsplash

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