Tuesday, March 18, 2008

answers on digital scrapbooking - UPDATED

thank you for all of your nice comments on my first foray into scrapbooking. a lot of the comments had questions, so here i will answer all of you!
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for the actual editing program i used photoshop elements 4. (way less expensive than photoshop ... you can get photoshop elements 6 for $100). but you could use any graphics editing program that you prefer. (nikki ... see another use for your photoshop elements that you've boycotted!!)
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for all of the page elements (background design and embellishments) i downloaded them from http://www.epsoncreativezone.com/ (everything was free). there are also a bunch of other sites out there were you can download things for digital scrapbooking. i haven't tried any others, but i'm just starting out!
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overall i thought it was SUPER easy to do (but i am fairly computer efficient and know my way around photoshop). the first page probably took me about an hour and a half (although i was talking and wasn't focused) the second page probably only took me 20 minutes. the thing that took the longest was trying to decide what pictures to scrap (which i'm sure applies to regular scrappin' as well) and deciding what to download and what to use! you could get caught up downloading everything ... because, well ... it's FREE!! plus it's all mostly super cute!! i loved it and will continue doing my scrappin' digitally. any other questions that i missed or didn't answer thoroughly enough? just ask and i'll update the post!
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here's another page, i created it while hanging with my son ... enjoy! it took about 30 minutes, it probably would have gone faster if aidan would have stopped bugging me!! all of the papers can be downloaded here. i really like the layout, not sure if those are my fave pictures on it, but i can always go back and change that easy!!
my favorite site to download free fonts is http://www.dafont.com/ ... i love it! they have TONS of fonts in a bunch of different styles. i could spend hours on there looking for fonts.
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for more information, i recommend taking this free online "getting started with digital scrapbooking" course.
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okay ... here's my answer to kerstin's question regarding printing. i haven't printed any of my designs yet. but i plan to, that is why the 2nd and 3rd designs were 8.5x11 instead of 12x12 (as i don't have a wide format printer). i LOVE my printer, you can read all about how awesome it is here. it's designed to print pictures and has a paper tray just for 4x6. i LOVE it. it prints borderless as well, after i print some i'll take some pictures and post.
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i don't know how i would go about printing if i wasn't planning on printing at home. maybe kinkos (.49 cent color copies)? or somewhere like snapfish (2.99 for an 8x10)? i guess i would have to look into it and compare the differences. didn't you just get a new printer, have you tried printing your layouts? i guess it would depend on the quality, etc. but i figure printing would cost less than actual scrapbooking anyways when you add it all up (paper [.60 cents], plus all the embellishments, ribbons, rub-ons ... etc.)
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sorry i don't know if that was very helpful!
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EDIT:

7 comments:

Nicole Shelby said...

jo...love it!

digital scrapping seems right up your creative alley. i think this is my favorite one color-scheme-wise. one teeny tiny suggestion. the pics are really good, they just need a little editing! crop 'em in baby! zoom in on his cute face and what he's doing. i don't mean completely cut out everything else, but zoom it in. that will bring more of the focus on him.

jodi's a scrapper! jodi is now a life artist!

i've never even tried it digitally. i'm kinda committed to traditional...i'd be afraid that i'd like it too much, then where would i be with all my stuff? plus, i'm not as computer savvy as you. plus, i kinda like cutting and gluing. it's kind of relaxing, like kindergarten.

also, check out scrapgirls.com... and simplescrapbooksmag.com has some good articles and stuff. there is also a new simple scrapbooks mag spinoff, called digital scrapbooking, that's supposed to be awesome.

Nicole Shelby said...

and i didn't boycott photoshop. i was just struggling with it. i had that other random editing program that i knew how to use, and i was having problems making the switch. but, aside from me, i've heard nothing but good stuff about photoshop.

hey, on one of the blogs on simplescrapbooksmag.com - the lady talked for awhile about using photoshop to edit photos. you might get a kick out of it.

Kerstin said...

Question: Do you plan on printing these out? If so let me know how you do it...The biggest reason I don't do more digital scrapping is because I haven't figured out a good price effective way of printing out my pages...

Amanda said...

That looks so awesome! I think I would be able to do digital scrapbooking much better than regular scrappin'. I'm not very creative with writing and cutting, etc. Thanks for the ideas!

Tricia said...

Hey it all looks fabulous!
I don't think I could give up the tactile nature of touching the papers and stickers and stuff, but I really like the look of the digital scrapbooking! You did a great job.

And I am reading this, wondering, if in 20 years, my Ava will be rolling her eyes at me when I hand her her completed *paper* scrapbook, and she says, "OH Mom, that's SO oldschool!".

Will she even know a paper scrapbook of her own? I doubt it. It will ALL be digital by then. You're on the cutting edge, girl!

Heidi said...

Oh those did turn out good, now I am really sad I didnt come, WAY behind...and never gonna catch up!

We will have to get together another time!

Gina Rochelle said...

Okay, dumb question but humor me: Is the photoshop just for editing your photos or do you actually need it for the layout? I have a good picture editing program I like (Picasa). Okay Jodi I need you to come visit me in Georgia and walk me through this.