Digital Scrapbooking is scrapbooking with the use of a computer and a graphics program such as Paint Shop, to create scrapbookpages. You can also combine the two, by using the pc to create your basic scrapbookpages, then print them, and then further decorating them in the traditional scrapbook manner. Whichever way appeals to you.
When you do all of your scrapbooking 100% digitally, you save a lot of space in buying and storing materials. All you need is a working pc with Paint Shop to get started. And, if you want to print your scrapbook pages, you will need a good quality printer and acid-free paper.
However, you may want to save your pages to a CD. You might even want to have your completed scrapbook pages bound into a permanent book. Which also is a great idea for a birthday, Christmas or wedding gift! You can ofcourse start with digital kits, which are widely available. All you have to do is insert the photos and be done with it. But why not create your own layouts? This isn't so hard to do.
First you decide on the size of the card or sheet that you want to make. In Paint Shop you want to start with a new image with a size of 680 pixels width by 1000 pixels height. That will exactly fit on a A4-size sheet of paper. You need to alter this size if you are using a different size of paper!
You can use a color as background or, use whatever image you have stored on your computer. You may want to play around with this for a bit; using different kinds of images, changing the size of it, etc. Because it works with everything, I have compiled a lot of backgrounds that I can use in whatever design I am making.
Like mentioned before, you need to play around with this for a while, because not everything is suitable for use as background image, and some need to be resized so they fit better on your page.
We now have created a new sheet and included our background and you may want to save this to your computer for future use. Use these sheets to either insert your photos digitally, or use the backgrounds as such, print them and then paste photos and other embellishments on to it.
Composite Sheets as I create them, are sheets that have picture frames, as well as other decor, already inserted. Again, you will need Paint Shop to digitally insert your photos into the frames. Or going the traditional route; cut out the frame and then paste it over your photograph. Whatever you like, it is up to you! When you first save all digital files, you can print as many copies as you want. Make sure you also make a copy of your photo before you begin. Then it won't matter if you don't get it right the first time; you can always make another copy and start over!
You have a frame on your pc that you like for inserting pictures. Open this frame, then copy and paste it on the background sheet you have created before. You can use it once, or twice or as many times as there is space. You can also decide to resize it; larger or smaller, depending on the size of your photos. You can, if the frame allows, rotate it and paste it in another way on the sheet. Or use different frames on the same sheet. Just play around with this to get the feel of it.
You now have a sheet with a background and one or more frames pasted on it. Now we're going to insert the photos. You do this with each photo in all the frames on your sheet. You want to check that your photo is suitable for the frame(s) you have chosen; they sometimes will need resizing to make them fit better, or you need to cut out a portion of a photo for insertion in a frame.
You are almost done, because now we are going to decorate the sheet. For this you can print it out and then use real embellishments,or do it all digital. Now you can use the sheets with frames for whatever theme you like, be it holiday photos, baby photos, wedding photos etc.
Do you want to learn more about digital scrapbooking? Then get my FREE ebook: Digital Scrapbooking - How to Start Using Paint Shop at: http://info.creativitycorner.eu/CC0801.htm
Jeanny Stevens has taken her hobby to the next level at Creativity Corner. Get lots of ideas, tips, tricks and products for digital scrapbooking at: http://www.creativitycorner.eu/index.htm
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeanny_Stevens
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
How To Create A Scrapbook
Creating a scrapbook of family memorabilia and photographs is a great way to preserve the milestones in your family's life and become a treasured keepsake for your children. We've all got stashes of photographs, movie ticket stubs, report cards, brochures and receipts. Every household boasts at least one box of memorabilia that has no where to go except in the back of the closet. If we never look at those photos or remember the movie we saw with a particular ticket we might forget some cherished memories or laughs that have been shared with our families. If these things sound familiar to you, it is possible to turn your collection of photographs and memorabilia into a scrapbook that will warm the hearts of your family and entertain them at the same time.
Gathering your supplies can be overwhelming at first especially if you have never tackled this type of project. A seasoned scrapbooker could give you ideas on where to buy the materials needed for your album. It's also possible to ask a craft store employee about the types of supplies you will find while shopping. A scrapbook album with several pages and page protectors is one way to start your project. Another place to begin is choosing just the pages and protectors for your album. You can always pick out your album cover at a later date. This will keep your initial project costs down and give you time to decide exactly what type of cover you prefer. Safe scrapbooking supplies have been emphasized in the past decade and it's a very good idea to use acid free and lignin free materials to keep your photographs safe from chemicals that can damage their quality. If you have an item that is not archival and want to place it in your album, there are options you have to make it work and still protect your photographs. Some of those options are acid free spray and archival safe storage envelopes that are made of clear see through material.
Organizing memorabilia and photographs is sometimes the most daunting task because it's difficult to find a starting point. I've found that sorting things by decades works well, such as including everything you have from the 1980s in one box and so on. Then you can sort that box by particular year and then by birthdays, celebrations and events of a particular year. Boxes, folders and envelopes are good ways to keep items separate so that you can concentrate on certain events at one time. It's much easier to look at all of the photos and memorabilia from one birthday party apart from your huge collection of photographs. Just as putting all photos and memorabilia from Christmas 2000 makes it much easier to choose what would look the best on your holiday layouts.
Comparing the items that would work well on a scrapbook page is where the real fun begins. Some people can look at their photographs and put colored paper that emphasizes the hues or seem to make the photos 'jump out'. Others may need to use a color wheel to compare different colors before making a decision on paper. It's sometimes helpful to ask a fellow scrapbooker what he or she thinks might compliment your photos. Any route you decide to go will be fine, if you are satisfied with the way the colors blend. Another thing to think about is choosing the right photos for the page. If you are like me, I might have dozens of photos of just one birthday party. It's not reasonable to think you can use every photo you have for a scrapbook. Usually it's the clearest, most recognizable photos that look well on a scrapbook page. You can use as many photos as you want, but the clearest pages have 3-5 photos on them. So if there are a dozen photos that you want to use, it will be necessary to make 2 or more pages to document one event. Sometimes its even fun to do a whole album on one event, such as a vacation or an anniversary celebration.
After you have chosen the paper you want to use and the photos that will look the best, it's time to embellish the page. This can be done with a number of items on the market today. You can really use any item that will lay relatively flat so that your scrapbook page doesn't damage the opposite pages. Take a look at a scrapbook aisle in your favorite hobby shop and you might find ribbon, stickers, metal or paper tags, raffia, vinyl decorations, etc. All of these things are fun to use and can make your page very fun to look at. But all of these items are made to emphasize your photos and the thoughts that you write about the event. If you overdo on the embellishing stage your photos will take a backseat to the main focus on your page. A simple rule to remember is to never take the focus off the photos and journaling.
Once you have everything laid out on your page and it looks pleasing to you, it's time to adhere everything to the page. There are several ways to use adhesives. Not so long ago you had a few choices on adhesives, but now there are so many different ways to get your page put together that they couldn't all be listed in this small article. Photographs should always be mounted on the page or paper with a safe, archival adhesive so as not to damage the quality of the photograph. One of a kind photos or heritage photos can be copied onto modern photo paper so that the treasured photo isn't compromised. Most photos do well with the archival glue sticks, tape and double stick tapes on the market today. Just remember that when you put the photo on the page it is most likely to be there for a long period of time. Only a few adhesives are repositionable and can be used to 'change your mind later'. Other items such as metal tags or buttons may need to be added to your page with a special adhesive. There are many such adhesives on store shelves today. Again, asking another scrapbooker or a store employee what they recommend will give you good direction.
After you have taken the time to choose your best photos and the appropriate paper and embellishments you will enjoy getting all of these things on your scrapbook page. You should leave enough room to journal dates, people's names, places and other thoughts about your photos on the page or paper. When it's completed you will have a priceless piece of your family's history to enjoy again and again.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Deena_Rendleman
Gathering your supplies can be overwhelming at first especially if you have never tackled this type of project. A seasoned scrapbooker could give you ideas on where to buy the materials needed for your album. It's also possible to ask a craft store employee about the types of supplies you will find while shopping. A scrapbook album with several pages and page protectors is one way to start your project. Another place to begin is choosing just the pages and protectors for your album. You can always pick out your album cover at a later date. This will keep your initial project costs down and give you time to decide exactly what type of cover you prefer. Safe scrapbooking supplies have been emphasized in the past decade and it's a very good idea to use acid free and lignin free materials to keep your photographs safe from chemicals that can damage their quality. If you have an item that is not archival and want to place it in your album, there are options you have to make it work and still protect your photographs. Some of those options are acid free spray and archival safe storage envelopes that are made of clear see through material.
Organizing memorabilia and photographs is sometimes the most daunting task because it's difficult to find a starting point. I've found that sorting things by decades works well, such as including everything you have from the 1980s in one box and so on. Then you can sort that box by particular year and then by birthdays, celebrations and events of a particular year. Boxes, folders and envelopes are good ways to keep items separate so that you can concentrate on certain events at one time. It's much easier to look at all of the photos and memorabilia from one birthday party apart from your huge collection of photographs. Just as putting all photos and memorabilia from Christmas 2000 makes it much easier to choose what would look the best on your holiday layouts.
Comparing the items that would work well on a scrapbook page is where the real fun begins. Some people can look at their photographs and put colored paper that emphasizes the hues or seem to make the photos 'jump out'. Others may need to use a color wheel to compare different colors before making a decision on paper. It's sometimes helpful to ask a fellow scrapbooker what he or she thinks might compliment your photos. Any route you decide to go will be fine, if you are satisfied with the way the colors blend. Another thing to think about is choosing the right photos for the page. If you are like me, I might have dozens of photos of just one birthday party. It's not reasonable to think you can use every photo you have for a scrapbook. Usually it's the clearest, most recognizable photos that look well on a scrapbook page. You can use as many photos as you want, but the clearest pages have 3-5 photos on them. So if there are a dozen photos that you want to use, it will be necessary to make 2 or more pages to document one event. Sometimes its even fun to do a whole album on one event, such as a vacation or an anniversary celebration.
After you have chosen the paper you want to use and the photos that will look the best, it's time to embellish the page. This can be done with a number of items on the market today. You can really use any item that will lay relatively flat so that your scrapbook page doesn't damage the opposite pages. Take a look at a scrapbook aisle in your favorite hobby shop and you might find ribbon, stickers, metal or paper tags, raffia, vinyl decorations, etc. All of these things are fun to use and can make your page very fun to look at. But all of these items are made to emphasize your photos and the thoughts that you write about the event. If you overdo on the embellishing stage your photos will take a backseat to the main focus on your page. A simple rule to remember is to never take the focus off the photos and journaling.
Once you have everything laid out on your page and it looks pleasing to you, it's time to adhere everything to the page. There are several ways to use adhesives. Not so long ago you had a few choices on adhesives, but now there are so many different ways to get your page put together that they couldn't all be listed in this small article. Photographs should always be mounted on the page or paper with a safe, archival adhesive so as not to damage the quality of the photograph. One of a kind photos or heritage photos can be copied onto modern photo paper so that the treasured photo isn't compromised. Most photos do well with the archival glue sticks, tape and double stick tapes on the market today. Just remember that when you put the photo on the page it is most likely to be there for a long period of time. Only a few adhesives are repositionable and can be used to 'change your mind later'. Other items such as metal tags or buttons may need to be added to your page with a special adhesive. There are many such adhesives on store shelves today. Again, asking another scrapbooker or a store employee what they recommend will give you good direction.
After you have taken the time to choose your best photos and the appropriate paper and embellishments you will enjoy getting all of these things on your scrapbook page. You should leave enough room to journal dates, people's names, places and other thoughts about your photos on the page or paper. When it's completed you will have a priceless piece of your family's history to enjoy again and again.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Deena_Rendleman
Jounaling For Your Scrapbook Baby Album
So does the idea of scrapbook journaling make you head for the hills? Do you have some beautiful Scrapbooking baby layouts sitting around, not quite finished, they might just be missing the journaling part?? Yeah I know quite a few people who tend to either leave it out completely or they really dread that part of their layout, and when I ask them why, a lot of the time, I seem to get the same two answers.
I never know what to write, and I hate my handwriting; it looks awful and ruins my layout
Well it needn't be like that though, scrapbook journaling can be quite enjoyable and honestly, it is just as important, and sometimes more important than the photos themselves. Don't get put off or scared by the thought of it, it is your scrapbook album and for starters, no one is going to judge you on it. It does not have to be a whole story, it can be in point form, or it can be written in a proper paragraph, the choice is yours. You can make it as simple or as complicated as you like, fancy or plain, it really doesn't matter, so long as it's there.
When you want to know what to write, it is quite simple, try to use the five W's when you do your journaling, this way you shouldn't miss any of the facts or important things going on in the layout. The five W's are of course, the Who, What, When, Where and Why. Those are the things you want to know when you look at a scrapbook layout, who are the people, what were they doing, when was that, where was that and why? So many layouts nowadays just don't seem to have any focus on the journaling, it's almost like journaling has lost its popularity or appeal.
As for your handwriting, if you really hate it, then there are lots of computer fonts you can use. There are fancy calligraphy styles, funny styles, bold designs you can use for titles, there are hundreds, if not thousands to choose from. There are plenty that you can choose to download off the net or just look in your document writing programs like Microsoft Word etc, they have heaps of fonts in them too. If you do choose to use computer fonts, just don't go getting carried away and using too many different fonts on each layout, it can end up looking messy and hard to read. I find sticking to just one, or two at the most usually looks nice. Don't forget that it is a nice touch to have some of your own handwriting within your scrapbooking baby album; it helps give that personal feel.
Sometimes your journaling can be as simple as a well written title and a date within the layout somewhere. A well written title can tell you so much, it can instantly give the who, what and where without any dramas what so ever. It really depends on the individual layout, some layouts can get away with just the simplest of details, whereas other would not be justified without an in depth explanation and recount of the activities that are shown in the photos.
The whole idea of scrapbooking is to record and preserve our precious memories. How can we preserve these memories without any journaling? We can't, scrapbook journaling is a vitally important part of a scrapbook, especially our scrapbook baby albums. Time flies by so quickly and what you once remember that you think you will never forget, soon becomes a distant fading memory, and unless you record it, it's gone, forever.
Written by Tash Taylorand I am addicted to scrapbooking so check out my site http://www.scrapbookingbaby.net
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tash_Taylor
I never know what to write, and I hate my handwriting; it looks awful and ruins my layout
Well it needn't be like that though, scrapbook journaling can be quite enjoyable and honestly, it is just as important, and sometimes more important than the photos themselves. Don't get put off or scared by the thought of it, it is your scrapbook album and for starters, no one is going to judge you on it. It does not have to be a whole story, it can be in point form, or it can be written in a proper paragraph, the choice is yours. You can make it as simple or as complicated as you like, fancy or plain, it really doesn't matter, so long as it's there.
When you want to know what to write, it is quite simple, try to use the five W's when you do your journaling, this way you shouldn't miss any of the facts or important things going on in the layout. The five W's are of course, the Who, What, When, Where and Why. Those are the things you want to know when you look at a scrapbook layout, who are the people, what were they doing, when was that, where was that and why? So many layouts nowadays just don't seem to have any focus on the journaling, it's almost like journaling has lost its popularity or appeal.
As for your handwriting, if you really hate it, then there are lots of computer fonts you can use. There are fancy calligraphy styles, funny styles, bold designs you can use for titles, there are hundreds, if not thousands to choose from. There are plenty that you can choose to download off the net or just look in your document writing programs like Microsoft Word etc, they have heaps of fonts in them too. If you do choose to use computer fonts, just don't go getting carried away and using too many different fonts on each layout, it can end up looking messy and hard to read. I find sticking to just one, or two at the most usually looks nice. Don't forget that it is a nice touch to have some of your own handwriting within your scrapbooking baby album; it helps give that personal feel.
Sometimes your journaling can be as simple as a well written title and a date within the layout somewhere. A well written title can tell you so much, it can instantly give the who, what and where without any dramas what so ever. It really depends on the individual layout, some layouts can get away with just the simplest of details, whereas other would not be justified without an in depth explanation and recount of the activities that are shown in the photos.
The whole idea of scrapbooking is to record and preserve our precious memories. How can we preserve these memories without any journaling? We can't, scrapbook journaling is a vitally important part of a scrapbook, especially our scrapbook baby albums. Time flies by so quickly and what you once remember that you think you will never forget, soon becomes a distant fading memory, and unless you record it, it's gone, forever.
Written by Tash Taylorand I am addicted to scrapbooking so check out my site http://www.scrapbookingbaby.net
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tash_Taylor
7 Step Guide For Your First Scrapbook
Decide on the photos you will stick on the scrapbook page. Are they themed (e.g. baby photos, birthday party) or are they miscellaneous? With this in mind, ensure that you pick out its papers to match, only if you want them to match!2. Types of papers are used for scrapbooking recommended are acid-free papers for longevity of your scrapbook. The papers used should be solid, so that when and if glue is used, it does not affect the other side and your photos will not seem too heavy for it.3. Choose one photo as the main focus for each page, and try to ensure that it correlates with the theme of the scrapbook. You may of course add other photos on the same page but try to keep their sizes smaller than the main one.4. You should always stick your photo on its own individual solid paper cut out for it before sticking it onto the solid paper used in for the scrapbook. This is to guarantee it stands out.5. Use wrapping paper to facilitate decorating the background. You can cover the whole page or only the areas you will not be sticking photos on. Another option is to decorate it with drawings and adding stickers to it as well.6. Journaling helps in explaining the photos or adding a few things the photos do not show which happened the time the photos were taken. You should leave enough space for any journaling you wish to do whilst making the scrapbook or maybe even for the future. Try to avoid writing directly onto the scrapbook's paper. Write or print whatever you wish to write about on cardstock paper, in case of mistakes, cardstock paper can easily be removed and replaced.7. Set all your photos and page decorations on the scrapbook page before gluing them to verify that the sizes are right and the designs are the way you like. After you are satisfied with everything you can begin to glue everything, beginning with the background then until the foreground. You then have your first scrapbook.Lisa is the owner of Modzy.com, the #1 online scrapbooking supplies store. Find thousands of scrapbook products and low prices everyday at http://www.modzy.comYou can also read the scrapbooking blog for the latest tips, tricks, ideas and articles at http://blog.modzy.comArticle Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_Sutherland
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