Paper Art: The Complete Guide to Papercraft Techniques (Watson-Guptill Crafts) (Paperback) by Diane Maurer-Mathison is split into three main chapters:- Papermaking, Decorating paper and Papercraft techniques.

I bought the book for the decorating paper chapter, but the other chapters were really inspiring in terms of ideas they gave me for my own projects. In fact, the whole book is one of those kinds of book that if you find your creativity has stalled, just pick this book up, flip through it and it’s guaranteed to get your creative juices flowing again.

Although, initially, I wasn’t much interested in the papermaking chapter, the section on pulp painting really fired my imagination and I couldn’t wait to get out my blender and start making pulp pictures. What a wonderful material to use!

The decorating paper chapter is chockfull of brilliant ideas to use – either as described in the book, or as modifications or extensions of your own ideas. I was also very grateful to be reminded of potato stamping and leaf printing, neither of which techniques I had indulged in since childhood. You can produce some great and surprisingly sophisticated effects with both of these methods and of course, they are economic!

One of the best in terms of economy and ease is still the paste paper technique with which you can create all kinds of ‘natural’ looking patterns in your paper to use in collages, greeting cards, book covers etc.

There’s a lot of information about marbling and some fantastic techniques to try out, which was the reason I originally bought the book. Some of these techniques are well above your average ‘how to marble’ articles and produce some stunning results.

Some of the paper crafting techniques require a great deal more patience than I possess, but as usual the bit about papier mache filled me with the enthusiasm again to get out my old newspapers and buckets of glue. Maybe when I’m more mature I’ll have the patience to tackle some of the other techniques… In the meantime, what a treat to see Mary Beth Ruby’s ‘Iguana in the Bathtub’ on page 128 made with papier mache pulp.

There are lots of terrific photographs in this book, both of the equipment required, stages through which the projects need to go, and of course the final result.

For inspiration – and for information – this is a great book. I always feel that if I’ve gained just one new nugget of useful information, or just a load of inspiration, from any how-to book I pick up, then it was worth buying. This book was well worth buying!

Yours creatively

Susan