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The Encyclopedia of Scrapbooking, at over 300 pages, is set up in a style that is understandable with easy to follow step-by-step directions--of course, you can adapt them to your own style. This book is a comprehensive wealth of knowledge filled with full-color photos. The book starts out by explaining different types of tools and supplies that you will encounter at your local scrapbook store (either in your area or in cyberspace) in a section called Scrapbooking Fundamentals. It will arm you with the knowledge to know the differences between dye ink, pigment ink, chalk ink, and solvent ink (not to mention the myriad of adhesive choices).
Encyclopedia of Scrapbooking goes on in the next sections to give detailed how-to's followed by examples of layouts using the different techniques. Page Creation Basics is a section that covers the anatomy of layouts, cropping photos, cutting with a craft knife and more. This is the nitty-gritty starting point for creating any layout.
The next three sections, Beginning Embellishing, Intermediate Embellishing--Add Further Interest, and Advanced Embellishing--Explore Artistic Effects, cover the fun stuff, adding decorative elements to your pages. In Beginning Embellishing, many of the scrapbooking mainstays are demonstrated--rub-ons, eyelets, brads, tags, etc. If you are the type of person who wants to read up and get comfortable with a process before you try it out, this is your resource.
Intermediate Embellishing--Add Further Interest will take you to the next step. This section covers techniques such as, applying chalk, using metallic rub-ons (which are different than text and flourish rub-ons), making photo mosaics, and more. This section will help add more interest to your layouts.
Advanced Embellishing--Explore Artistic Effects kicks it up a notch by tackling the topics of mica, polymer clay, texture paste, and pigment powders, among others. This section will help you feel confident in your artistic abilities to take the next steps and design the layouts you've been dreaming up in those scrapbooking daydreams (scrapbooking is addictive--you will have daydreams-if you don't already, spurred by simple acts such as grabbing that cereal box with an interesting font).
The Encyclopedia of Scrapbooking ends with a few back sections, a glossary of terms, tips for space organization, and archival basics. This book has a permanent place in my scrapbooking library.