Let me just say: I love this book. It's basically half self help book and half arts and crafts. Mixed media art has always fascinated me because I am so very particular and the idea of just gluing and pasting and adding on things OTHER than paint terrified me! This book helped me learn to loosen up and not worry so much. Art should be fun, it should make you happy. It should not frustrate you. This book walks you through multiple projects step by step showing you how to create your own work and also giving you a little lesson in the meantime (meditation, self love, exploring your own life, etc). It is truly lovely and I can see myself going back to this time and time again to work on some of the projects. The art is so very beautiful and colorful. Going through this book was therapeutic and exactly what I needed at this point in my life.

This was a beautiful book to explore. Full of stunning colors and art projects. It was well laid out with gorgeous graphics and interesting fonts. We start off with a small introduction and then move into a detailed list and information about the art supplies needed.

The book is then broken up into the following chapters. Each chapter includes detailed step-by-step instructions for creating your own projects (18 in total)...

-- Letting Go, Manifesting & Celebrating
-- Self-Love, Grounding & Being Present
-- Honoring & Healing
-- Transformation, Strength & Gratitude
-- Binding Your Life Book
-- Final Words of Encouragement

A beautiful book that would make an excellent gift this holiday season!

First of all, I will say that I love Tamara Laporte's art, and when I first picked this book up, I was skeptical about how I could possibly make anything nearly as beautiful as the projects she describes and demonstrates here. But... my skepticism diminished as I read through each project, realizing that while maybe I can't draw as well as she can, there are many projects in the book that don't require that fine talent at all! My particular favorite project is the gratitude blessings mixed media page that consists of writing what I'm grateful for on little slips of collage paper, then rolling them up and tying them with ribbon and adhering them to a beautiful collage. Mine doesn't look exactly like Tamara's but it looks just like ME and I love it. I also appreciate that there is so much more to this book than just directions for completing each project. Tamara and the contributing authors each include background on the project, as well as suggestions for other ways to incorporate things like gratitude, strength, transformation, self-love, healing, and affirmations into our daily lives.

Some of the projects seem a little advanced or not to my taste, but some are very beautiful and I can’t wait to try them. I love the inspiring philosophy and spirit of this instructional art book.

I just love the ideas of melding art with self awareness while making a lifelong journal.

What a fabulous book! This book gives many idea for Mixed-Media Art Projects. I love to draw faces and characters and this book definitely gives wonderful tips. I'll buy a paper copy when it's published.

This books would be a perfect Christmas gift! I would definitely add some art supplies so the book can be use right away.
The idea of the book is to use art and crafts as in a healing process, self-love, self-improvement and personal growth. Too short in my opinion but the main idea is excellent!!!

Tamara Laporte is HUGE in the mixed media art world - trust me I don't even do this type of art but I have a beautiful friend who does and I know through her just how BIG the mixed media art world is. Think of the book and blogging community and relate that to art and you have an idea. So from what I know before diving into this book Mixed Media art is literally an art form that is meant to be therapeutic and anything goes. Literally. You take any book ( they can be our books - and by "our books" I mean our novels) or art sketchbook with the right type of paper and you literally create art in them. I know, my fellow bookish lovers the thought of painting, drawing even writing in our precious books causes us to gain a beating heart in need of steadying. But these beautiful artists do it with such love and creativity that you kind of forgive them. A little.

The book cover shows what Mixed Media Art generally looks like - from what I know of the one circle I was aware of. Let's take a closer look.

Tamara Laporte created an online art class called Life Book, and it's where you take a theme such as "Gratitude" or "Letting Go" and you create an art piece about all things you're grateful for, or you want to let go and you draw/paint/blend/pastel in your representations of the theme. You can add words (perhaps cut out from books/newspapers/magazines/printed from online/calligraphy by hand etc) to your work to add personal touches. This is where the journalling comes in (I think).

Anyway, the course proved so popular that Tamara has finally been able to bring us our very own Mixed Media Art class into book form. I was so excited to review this and try out the techniques because having a friend who is so talented at this stuff I have always been in awe of her and her talent. It's no secret that if I could do this art style then I would be so happy. So I had to try.

The first art project in the book is themed around Letting Go - and I think it's perfect to try and do at some point this month if you can as it's another way of setting goals and intentions for the coming year.

If you're new to creating Mixed Media Art or any form of art then you might be worried that you will be overwhelmed by it all, but Tamara has written this book with you in mind. She takes you step by step through every piece of the art projects, and includes colour photos of each step to give you an idea of how to do your piece. At the start of the book Tamara talks you through the things you'll need and alternatives. Now, you might feel like it's going to cost you a fortune but again, from my lovely friend, I learnt that you use what you have and build up your art stash slowly.

Each year since losing my Auntie I've kind have promised myself and my auntie that I will do things that will create memories for me and my friends and family. The first year was Crochet which I still do (and will be blogging more about), last year was lifestyle blogging/instagramming, and 2018 will include all that and more. But I would love to create some Mixed Media Art pieces this year, so watch this space as I've NEVER done any of this type of art before. The most I've ever done is sketching and using pastels. So it will be quite a journey.

From the moment I opened up this book to review I knew it was going to be an amazing way to start 2018, and I knew I had to buy it for my friend for Christmas. Keeping it a secret from her for over a month was SO hard! I just wanted to scream "Look what i've got you!!!" but I kept quiet and she LOVED it! And I know you will too.

I am awarding this book 5/5 for the creativity, the beautiful layout, the projects and their therapeutic benefits, and the amazing opportunity it gives us to document our lives adding to our life, happiness and legacy.

Review on my blog will go live 01/01/18 at 00:30am UK Time

The full name of the book is Create Your Life Book: Mixed-Media Art Projects for Expanding Creativity and Encouraging Personal Growth which is a pretty good description of what you will find in the book plenty of practical instructions mixed with "Life Lessons".  I am a big fan of a blog called http://journalworkshops.ning.com where you can find a lot of amazing classes and other videos but no books.  So when I saw the blurb on this I was really intrigued and was happy to find that the mix of the two (art and life lessons) was a great balance, this one will definitely be a permanent addition to my bookshelf so when I need inspiration I can reference it.

The cover and description drew me to this book like a moth to light. I feel that introspection is a wonderful way to improve my life and let go of things I should not be holding onto so tightly. I also like the idea of trying to create my own artwork--even though I am not at all artistically inclined.

The projects in this book are so carefully detailed, and easy enough to do that even someone like me can accomplish making my own life book.

Thank you for this. I'm ready and willing to fly!

Great artwork, pieces used for therapy, though not sure who would go through all this trouble to release their demons or honoring / acknowledging themselves - the art work is pretty intense, minutely detailed and time consuming.

<i><b> ...a happier world starts by healing the wounds within...</b></i>

<i>Create Your Life Book </i>begins with self-affirmation and positive vibes, and features lovely art projects that combine mindfulness, meditation and more.

I love the colors used throughout the book, and the drawing style. The projects look fun, and I would like to try a few of them. There is no pressure to complete the projects perfectly, with a time limit, or to exacting standards. The importance is how they make you feel and learn and grow.

I am certainly not qualified to remark on how successfully this book helps you improve your life. It is positive, beautiful, thoughtful, and venerates kindness and compassion. And how can that be bad?

I would like to share this book with friends and family.

Would be a great gift book.

I liked the idea and the way the book was fully illustrated, bursting with colour and instruction. The only thing that wasn't quite my cup of tea was the art itself. I can appreciate the book very much and I am sure it will be perfect for lots of other budding artists and writers out there, but I think I would have liked a bit more variety in the style of the art. But still an excellent book - very well executed. Good luck with it and thank you