Everything you needed to know about Digital scrapbooking but were too afraid to ask!

Digital Scrapbooking? What’s all the fuss about?

One lazy Sunday when I was prowling around the Internet I stumbled across a reference to Digital Scrapbooking and was immediately intrigued!   It struck me as being a wonderfully versatile, mess-free and FUN hobby!!  It is now my favourite obsession!  But what IS Digital Scrapbooking?  Well, it is the preservation and sharing of your precious memories in much the same way that paper scrappers do, but in a digital format. 

One of my favourite things about digital scrapbooking is that once you finish your page, if you look at it and hate it you can start all over again, without wasting supplies!  Everything on your page is done on the computer and can therefore be moved, altered, resized, erased and “un-done” with little effort.

To make pages Digital Scrapbookers use photo-editing programs such as Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Photoshop Elements, Corel Paint Shop Pro and GIMP .  Some programs even have free trials you can download so you can try before you buy.  For starting off Gimp is a good (and free!) option, but even better, is Photoshop Elements , which is a significantly cheaper version of the full Photoshop program.

You will also need digital scrapbooking supplies. A digital scrapbooking kit usually includes everything you need (and more!) to make your page the same way as a paper scrapbooking kit does. The main difference is that all the elements, alphas and papers included in the kit are digital. Digital products are purchased online, for example, at Pickleberrypop, an Australian-owned digital scrapbooking site which caters to a huge variety of tastes.  Payment options there include Paypal (through which you can also pay by Credit Card), Direct Deposit (for Australian residents), and Gift Certificates.  Pickleberrypop also has great free stuff every month through their regular challenges in the forum.

Now all you need are digital photos and you have everything you need to get started creating your masterpiece!

Making a page

With digital scrapbooking it is all about the layers!. Each item you place on your document is a layer – each photo, each piece of text, every paper, and every embellishment. And to make it all work, you just have to adjust which layer is on top of which, for example, your photo on top of your background paper. You just keep adding the elements that you want and re-ordering the layers to suit your page. Embellishments can be moved around the page, resized, or rotated, until you have achieved the look you are after. Drop shadows can be added to elements to give them additional depth, for a more realistic look. Once you are happy with it, you just save it and you are done…at least until you would like it printed!

Printing your digital pages

But wait… there’s more!

Scrapbooking pages are not the only things that you can make with your digital products – it really is just the start of it, limited only by your imagination!  Projects  like cards and invitations can become personalised works of art with just a few clicks and access to a printer.  Calendars using nifty digital templates make fabulous gifts for family and friends! Your digital products can also be used to create fabulous hybrid products by simply printing, cutting, and using them as you would with traditional paper products!

That then opens up another world of creative things you can make: custom avatars and fancy little signatures to use in online forums, funky blog banners, groovy website/blog graphics, CD/DVD labels/covers for your backups and personal discs, or why not a CD-Calendar as a gift?! 

Now lets make it more fun!

Challenges are great things to try when you are looking for some inspiration!  Challenges often provide a topic or theme to help you along the way, and over at Pickleberrypop many of our challenges come complete with participation freebies!  Not only that, but they are great fun!

Digital scrapbooking is a wonderfully social hobby and it provides a fantastic opportunity to meet people from all over the world.  Online chats are the digital version of crops and are a great source of inspiration and challenge, particularly when a speed scrap is involved!  Not to mention getting together with a bunch of like-minded people to discuss all things scrapbooking, as well as chocolate, children, and partners! 

Pickleberrypop holds a casual chat on the third Friday of each month and they really are the friendliest ladies online!  You are sure to feel very welcome!

So, do you want to get started?

• Fact sheets with everything you need to know, such as: Digital Scrapbooking – What’s the Buzz?, Site Guide to Pickleberrypop, Digital Scrapbooking Etiquette, Where do I start?, and a very helpful guide to buying digital products online.
• A Tutorial written in various different software programs to help you create your very first digital scrapbook layout!
• A free mini kit that is used throughout our tutorial
• A surprise coupon