This is an invaluable book filled with loads of ideas and tips that I’ve loved having the pleasure of reading through. An absolute asset for a classroom and crafters alike.

If you've never done collage before, start with this book! As opposed to most craft books that give the basic techniques a quick refresher that leave you wanting, Collage Your Life goes through the techniques very thoroughly and in great detail. (If you've done any art before, it may be too thorough.) However, the descriptions are enhanced by a coffee table book's worth of collage art to inspire you and an entire section full of prompts to get you started collaging. Beginners, come for the instruction; more practiced, stay for the art.

This is such a fun book! I definitely feel inspired to create a collage after reading it. The photos and collages throughout the book are so cool and unique. The author shared great tips and tricks and well as prompts to create your own collages. There is even a tutorial for creating your own book which I thought was neat. Overall a great book and I'm very impressed!

Enjoyable book. Good for beginners, discusses what art materials to use and basics of art techniques.

I didn't really need that part but it was a good review. The prompts were a nice touch, but only a few spoke to me. Others might find them more inspirational.

The real highlight was all the collages featured in the book. Plenty of ideas for a jumping off point.

I’m new to the world of junk journaling so I found this book packed with inspiration and techniques to try!

Interesting and educational. I believe I have found a new way to express myself. Very clear ideas. I can't wait to get started!

There are so many good examples in this book! I liked the packing tape method and the good discussion on adhesives. Stencils always seem like a good idea but I can never get them work as well, so the tips in here are very appreciated, too. There is a whole chapter with prompts in it to help you with ideas and to get started. Book binding is also part of the instructions and works well when you don't use a bound book to start.

This book is a great source of reference to anyone doing paper crafts and journaling - great ideas easy to follow

I found this book fascinating. It has all the information you need to get started in making collages. Full of techniques and tips, it’s a one stop shop. I definitely recommend for anyone who is looking for a new hobby. Thank you #netgalley

This was a really lovely book. As child I loved to make collages, so this was right up my alley, but I also enjoyed how the author really delved into the materials you could use, as well as artistic techniques to elevate your collages.

If you love mixed media, collages, or want to improve your artistry, definitely check out this book!

Thank you #netgalley for the ARC!

This book is packed with information on how to make collages, the different skills and know-how needed, examples, color theory, and prompts. It's a great intro to the art of collage making, with lots of examples and information on different collage artists.

I made collages as a kid but not as an adult. This book was so inspiring, and really makes you want to jump right in and make something. Which is always the hard part—the starting.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the author. This book made me want to start gathering materials and dive right in.!

Collage your life gives an in-depth look at the methods and materials involved in collage and the variety of outcomes it can produce.
From using found or commercial papers to making your own it is all covered. Examples from various collage artists and step by step projects make collage accessible to beginners and give lots of inspiration to more experienced artists.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in making collage part of their art practice.
Thanks to Storey publishing and Netgalley for an advance copy of the ebook to review

Collage Your Life is a fun how-to book instructing readers on using minimal tools to create a representation of life. Melanie Mowinski teaches readers to use paper, glue, stamping, journaling, etc to make a representation of themselves, their lives and the world around them. Directions and guides are clear and well-written and the photographs are gorgeous. Anyone who wants to try a new craft, or hone a favorite one will enjoy collage. Check it out and learn new techniques even if your a seasoned crafter.

Admittedly, I only picked this up because I was attending a class about teaching art to children, and I thought this might give a little insight on our lesson about collage. This has made me a complete convert and I am now obsessed with paper craft! I had NO idea there was so many different ways to express yourself with recycled paper. This is amazing! The illustrations are beautiful, it breaks it down into easy steps and you are left with things like handmade notecards that you would normally spend an arm and a leg on at a stationary store, or at least stared wistfully at because you couldn’t justify spending that kind of money on a card to send someone else. The creativity on some of these projects is ridiculous and I am thinking “why didn’t I ever think to do this myself?!?!” The results are stunning.

I received an arc, but my opinions are all mine.

Collage Your Life is a good begginner's guide to scrapbooking.
It starts off addressing materials and tools and goes nicely in-depth, while keeping the information accessible. And it lets you choose the types of materials you're interested in, instead of saying "you need *everything*", and that's great! Especially if this is your fisrt dab into collages, scrapbooks, and other crafts, you can't just buy all the materials - it's costly and wasteful.
After this great intro, the book explores composition rules and examples. They are quite good, althought I'm not a fan of the demonstrated styles. They aren't for everyone but you can definitely learn from them either way.

Overall, good book if you're looking to get into scrapbooks.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Storey Publishing, LLC for providing me with an free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.*

this was a fun, quick look-through. While making a collage is not hard, it can be overwhelming, This book helps to make a starting place. it is not groundbreaking but it was cute

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Sturdy and classy combo of simple instruction and prompts for collage. A great library purchase to update the DIY section and to please your junk journalers.

The prompts and artist profiles/samples seemed most useful to me -- the first 80 or so pages, anybody can learn on Instagram and Youtube. But then Mowinski gets into instructing the instructable, which is way more interesting. She references Writing Down the Bones in her bibliography, and this definitely gave me that "I can't tell you how to do it, just do it" feel as well.

Would go well with Lynda Barry's art instruction books for folks who want something a tiny bit more practical.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4675050353?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

"What you make doesn't matter. All that matters is that you make something" - Melanie Mowinski

This is THE perfect book for anyone wanting to get started or continue their exploration in collage. There's a full explanation on supplies, a mountain of techniques (including painting with paper, packaging tape transfers, stencils), 55 prompts, idea-generating cards, artist profiles, and a bunch of bookbinding techniques.

This is a gorgeous book with so many great examples. Even just the first chapter would give you enough things to try for a lifetime. A wide variety of collage is included in so many styles. I've found a few new favourite artists.

(Thank you for the free copy, NetGalley. All opinions are my own. I've pre-ordered my own paid copy too, because it was just that great.)

Thank you NetGalley for the early access to this book.

Are you looking for inspiration for you next adventure in art. This is what you have been waiting for. Sit down and get ready to enjoy. The descriptions and ideas will spark new life in your craft world.

This couple months I revisiting my childhood hobby, collage paper and mix media. Although I saw many online tutorial, this book still offer me so much information and guidance. The author generous enough to offer basic supplies, and information. The arts example pages kinda missmatch with my personal style.

Thank Netgalley for providing me this book. I am learning something new today.