Oh, Photo Books

I've been working the last few months on a number of digital photo books. I've used a different software for each project. I've had so much fun with each one. This has been so much better than physical scrapbooking. Now that they have been completed and gifted, I'll share them here.

First up was a book to record in physical format my blog postings on my 27 Things. For this project I used Blurb. I've used Blurb in the past for photobooks of vacations, other memories and stories. This time I did an 8x8 hardcover book. It's pretty easy to use and offers a lot of flexibility in arranging photos, choosing layouts, and increasing page length. It does not however offer the ability to place picture at an angle, essential for me in my collage style of designing. They also provide a way to import your blog directly into their software so you don't have to copy and paste. I did have to reload some pictures since I don't always load the best quality photos to the blog. Overall, Blurb has quality products printed on good paper with good printing. The book can be viewed here.

Second was a Christmas present for all my in-laws. Each family got a copy of the 6x8 hardback, linen covered book. I left a space in the front for a family picture we took on Christmas day and then the following pages were devoted to each family. For this project I used Picaboo. I was pleased with all the page designs that they had to offer - lots of scrapbook style pages. There are lots of layouts, but not as much flexibility in changing them, which was discouraging. The final product turned out great, but I think I would pick Blurb over Picaboo. The book can be seen here.

Last is a photobook for our wedding. For this project, I used AdoramaPix. They're a photo retailer based in NYC. The software is on their site. It is AMAZING. So flexible - turning pictures any way you want them, backgrounds, "decorations" and more. I started by designing books for my parents and my in-laws in the 10x10 size. When my parent's book arrived in the mail, I was in love with the book the moment I saw it in the box. The cover has a pearlized finish. The pages are printed on real photo paper so they look fantastic. They only have specific sized books up to 76 pages, but I think that would be my only complaint, and even then it isn't really a complaint because the price is so reasonable. It just takes a little more planning than the other two. I've been so pleased. Here is the link to one of the books.

Blurb has software you can download or you can build your book on their site, Picaboo only has software for download, and Adorama only has online software. Blurb and Adorama offer book selling features. There are so many things to love about each one. I found the reviews on Photo Book Girl to be really helpful. She reviews a ton of vendors.

In the Land of Libraries and Other Magical Places

The following is a true story.

Once upon a time in far away land called Scotland, the people of the lovely town of Edinburg began recieving gifts. It all started when a librarian at the Scottish Poetry Library found a tree growing from a book. A note was left that said "This is for you in support of libraries, books, words, ideas..." and was signed with the Twitter handle @ByLeavesWeLive. Next the National Library of Scotland received a coffin with a gramaphone. The librarians and the townspeople were quite curious about these new treasures and wondered at their benefactor. With no further explination the gifts continued.


A movie theater received a group of soldiers; The Scotish Storytelling Center (doesn't that sound magical in itself) received a hatching dragon; two showed up at the International Book Festival - a cup of tea with a cupcake and a small man sitting in the edge of the trees; and The Central Lending Library found a magnifying glass. These gifts were carfully displayed in the places found so that all could enjoy them. The people of Edinberg took a vote to decided if the name of the giftgiver should be revealed, if it were ever found out. The townspeople decided that the identity of the giftgiver didn't matter, in fact, they were happy not to know.

Then there was a short pause in the gifts until a librarian at the Poetry Library found a wren sitting next to a pair of gloves and a tiny hat and a note. The note explained that this would be the end of the presents, that the presentgiver had very much enjoyed being able to give these special gifts, and that there were 2 that hadn't yet been found. The Museum of Scotland found a T-Rex and the Writer's Museum found a row of homes.

The End

So this may sound like a bit of fiction, but this really did happen. An anonymous woman, left intricate pieces of art made from books in places all over the city this past year. This story warms my heart as people, places, books, and artifacts were connected. It's amazing what familiar things presented in new ways by unknown persons can do to create a little bit of magic.

To see the collection, see here, here and here (there are pictures in each story). My favorites are the tree, the wren, the T-Rex, and the man in the woods.