The Art of the Family Tree: Creative Family History Projects Using Paper Art, Fabric and Collage

By Jenn Mason

Book Overview

Combines the popular interests of genealogy and bookmaking Researching family history is the second most popular topic on the Internet (after sex). With more than 4 billion records online today and more becoming available everyday, the Internet is fueling the growth of this popular hobby by simplifying the process of finding information and connecting with individuals who share a common branch in their family tree. This unique book combines the general surge of interest in genealogy with the popularity of memory crafts and book and journal making. The projects featured encompass many mixed-media techniques and provide beautiful ideas for creating family trees that will become family heirlooms and keepsakes. Inspiring seasoned journal and memory crafters as well as genealogy buffs, the book divides projects into three styles: family trees designed to be hung as a piece of artwork on a wall, family tree books and journals, and dimensional family trees that take a more sculptural approach. Each project includes clear and concise directions as well as tips about story-telling, information gathering, and sidebars. Full-color templates and clip art for various types of family trees are also included.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1592533396
• ISBN13: 9781592533398
• Release Date: June 2007
• Publisher: Quarry Books
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 1.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.5" x 11.0"

Customer Reviews

Loved it!

Simply loved it! In addition to the many different interpretations of the "tree", there is also an understanding of how much it means to all us to be connected to this vast network of people that we call family. And for those of us who have scant knowledge of our "real" ancestors, the author shares a possiblity of making your own and fashioning the way you would want it to be. Using artisic license in a great way in my opinion. This is a keeper!

Fascinating

While the book is a bit different than I expected, it is no less interesting. The ways in which to display family trees (including how to remove or add as divorce, marriage, death occurs) is quite interesting. Definitely more geared toward scrapping, paper work, other types of crafts than quilting but many of the ideas are easily adaptable. If you are looking specifically for something targeted to quilting and don't care to adapt other ideas, don't buy it. If you are looking for great ideas regarding family tree display, regardless of technique, it is well worth owning.

in a word?

Fabulous. In fact, I kind of wish there was another word that means "more fabulous than fabulous", because that's what it is. Or maybe it's just "inspiration in a can", because it's definitely that, too. I've been looking at my own history lately, now that my father's side of the family is completely gone, and wondering if there wasn't a better way to document it with love rather than in the typewritten pages tht my grandmother collected when I was young. And in this book, I found a way to combine that information with the side of me that expresses love through art. It has inspired me to DO something with my grandmother's research, to start preparing the sheets of collected papers for another journey of an artistic kind. Some might think, in looking at the title, that it would be too specific or too narrow in focus, to be used by other types of paper artists without an interest in genealogy. But the idea is posited that your family tree can be an artistic expression -- using ancestors that never existed. Your art piece then becomes a story and a piece all in one. And Jenn Mason can point you in a myriad directions on how to make that kind of piece a reality, and inspire you to get started right away. Pick this one up. It really is beyond fabulous.