KIT: Blueberry Fields Forever by B-Creative Designs
Shown here is an example of the power you have to edit the artwork to fit your need. I took two papers, a box frame, one embellishment and a PS brush to get this. However, the photo extraction is more advanced.
Lately, there has been a huge interest and I have been getting alot of questions about this from friends and family, so I will try to explain what this is.
A little history...
Traditonal (paper) scrapbooking gained a huge following in the 90's. Many people wanted to preserve their photo albums in a way that included a personal artistic touch. It still is wildly popular, but a paper scrapper has to buy alot of physical items: papers and embellishments, special pens, special cutters, etc. And all this stuff takes up space. Some people devote a closet or entire room to this. Trust me, if I had the room and the money, I would too. I tried to start paperscrapping about 2 years ago. I trekked over to the store and bought a complete kit for $30 that would have made a dozen or so pages. I drooled over the cute little stickers, word art and buttons hanging there in the aisle, but had to pass on most.
I went to scrapping parties, which I must say are really a blast. The personal face-to-face time with fellow scrappers is the one thing Digital Scrapping lacks. Of course there are forums, where enthusiasts like to check in often and share ideas and talk about just anything. One way to get the best of both worlds is to do both. Some even do Hybrid Scrapping (click here to learn more). When all was said and done I decided to stick with digital only. My favorite Scrap Community is at Scrap Orchard. They are a very talented and encouraging group of ladies. My most complete gallery is there.
So, what is digital scrapping? Imagine making unlimited pages with the same artwork? Imagine making an error and with a quick click or two, it is fixed? With paper scrapping when you cut and paste your layouts, they are permanent and you only get to use those materials once. There is also the possibility of making an error, which is hard to correct once the adhesive has set. Imagine if your hand slipped when you tried to write in the journaling. Digital Scrapping allows you more control in the page design. Here is another source explaining more about digital scrapping.
Photo correcting/ image editing software (like Photoshop) used to be very expensive. I believe because of the masses of scrap hobbiests going in the digital direction, they have been able to sell a version (Photoshop Elements) that is affordable at $80-100. It's almost as good as the full version.
You don't have to be designer to do layouts either. If you are completely new to this and want to join in, you can search the web for alternative programs and tutorials to help you. A few come to mind..Paint Shop Pro, Corel Draw, and Photo Paint. I stick with Photoshop, as most tutorials are made for it.
For a true beginner, look for things offered for free called Quick Pages. All you do is plop your photo in a new layer behind it. My August Calendar freebie is an example of that. You can also buy pre-made Brag Books, where you get about a dozen or so ready-made matching QPs. And over there in the sidebar are links to hundreds of freebies, including complete kits! Be selective on what you take, or you will clog your hard drive with stuff you'll never use. Many freebies are offered by designers-in-training, but occasionally you will get a gorgeous full kit by top designers. Always thank the designer when you download. If you want guaranteed quality go straight to the stores that sell them. You can get a nice full kit on average for $6.
A little history...
Traditonal (paper) scrapbooking gained a huge following in the 90's. Many people wanted to preserve their photo albums in a way that included a personal artistic touch. It still is wildly popular, but a paper scrapper has to buy alot of physical items: papers and embellishments, special pens, special cutters, etc. And all this stuff takes up space. Some people devote a closet or entire room to this. Trust me, if I had the room and the money, I would too. I tried to start paperscrapping about 2 years ago. I trekked over to the store and bought a complete kit for $30 that would have made a dozen or so pages. I drooled over the cute little stickers, word art and buttons hanging there in the aisle, but had to pass on most.
I went to scrapping parties, which I must say are really a blast. The personal face-to-face time with fellow scrappers is the one thing Digital Scrapping lacks. Of course there are forums, where enthusiasts like to check in often and share ideas and talk about just anything. One way to get the best of both worlds is to do both. Some even do Hybrid Scrapping (click here to learn more). When all was said and done I decided to stick with digital only. My favorite Scrap Community is at Scrap Orchard. They are a very talented and encouraging group of ladies. My most complete gallery is there.
So, what is digital scrapping? Imagine making unlimited pages with the same artwork? Imagine making an error and with a quick click or two, it is fixed? With paper scrapping when you cut and paste your layouts, they are permanent and you only get to use those materials once. There is also the possibility of making an error, which is hard to correct once the adhesive has set. Imagine if your hand slipped when you tried to write in the journaling. Digital Scrapping allows you more control in the page design. Here is another source explaining more about digital scrapping.
Photo correcting/ image editing software (like Photoshop) used to be very expensive. I believe because of the masses of scrap hobbiests going in the digital direction, they have been able to sell a version (Photoshop Elements) that is affordable at $80-100. It's almost as good as the full version.
You don't have to be designer to do layouts either. If you are completely new to this and want to join in, you can search the web for alternative programs and tutorials to help you. A few come to mind..Paint Shop Pro, Corel Draw, and Photo Paint. I stick with Photoshop, as most tutorials are made for it.
For a true beginner, look for things offered for free called Quick Pages. All you do is plop your photo in a new layer behind it. My August Calendar freebie is an example of that. You can also buy pre-made Brag Books, where you get about a dozen or so ready-made matching QPs. And over there in the sidebar are links to hundreds of freebies, including complete kits! Be selective on what you take, or you will clog your hard drive with stuff you'll never use. Many freebies are offered by designers-in-training, but occasionally you will get a gorgeous full kit by top designers. Always thank the designer when you download. If you want guaranteed quality go straight to the stores that sell them. You can get a nice full kit on average for $6.
Got your attention? Again, click on some of the links over in the sidebar pertaining to scrap sites. Spend a little time navigating and you'll get the idea. With me, it started about 1 year ago...I was learning about Photoshop brushes (a whole other animal) and stumbled on a scrap site. I saw a list of tutorials on how to do things like make a page curl, make a texture or special effect...and I was hooked.
After I made a few layouts (LOs), I decided I liked the appearance on screen better than printing them all out. I find that most color printers for the home cannot do the color justice on a printout. So, what to do...I had heard about blogging and up til March last year had no idea how to set one up. Well, with determination and little common sense, I had success. Since March, this blog has been a learning process, getting better everyday. I will be speaking on blogging (and digi-scrapping) again in Key West this November - watch for updates on it.
In this past year, since trolling so many sites, I got interested in offering freebies myself. I think my layouts are better than my first mini kit, so I may stick to LOs for now. I am on my first Creative Team for a shop designer, with another possibly in the wings that I applied for. Maybe later, when putting a kit together seems easier, I will offer another one. One thing I find, kit designers usually don't have the time to do LOs, and vice versa.
Something else that is gaining interest...Scrap for Hire. I haven't done that yet, but would consider it. Typical projects could be "kids sports," "weddings," "new baby" or any theme you would like.
So, what happened to that $30 paper kit I bought? I let my daughter have it to do some traditional scrap pages.
In short, digital scrapping is a very inexpensive, creatively fulfilling hobby. I love digital scrapping!
Check back in often...My posts are not usually this long!
Til next time...
Til next time...
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