digital scrapbooking websites

I have had a lot of people email me about digital scrapbooking, or ask me questions about how to start. I am in NO way an expert. I am pretty novice when it comes to artistic stuff for digital scrapbooking - but I can try to point you in the right directions for things. A lot of what I have learned over the years was from a digital communications class I took at BYU-Idaho. We learned how to use Adobe Photoshop and other editing programs. So I am still using the version of Photoshop that I learned on then. Not because it is the best version, but because that is what I learned on.

Let me also point out that I am the world's worst at explaining things. Teaching is NOT my forte - and I hope that what I explain makes sense. A lot of what you can do with digital scrapbooking you can learn from tutorials online. Most of the websites I'm listing below will have areas on their sites that will offer tutorials - so check them out for better instructions than I am giving.

CREATING LAYOUTS:
I use Photoshop to create my layouts. You can find Photoshop tutorials on the web that will explain how to create pages...(I think, I haven't ever looked - but can't you find anything you need on the internet???) You create your layouts in layers. Because of this - I create it just like paper scrapbooking and the layers of products that you use when you do that. If you want your eyelet to show - you put it on the top layer, you can't have it hidden under another paper layer (does that make any sense?)

There is also a less expensive version called Photoshop Elements - which is around $100.00 (I think....) A lot of people use this program, and it has most of the bells and whistles that you need without forking out the big bucks for Photoshop or anything more advanced. There are other digital scrapbooking programs you can use to create your layouts - but I am not at all familiar with them.

SAVING:
I save my layouts as 12x12 layouts at 300 or more dpi. I save them in a photoshop format (in case I might want to rearrange the layers for some reason down the road), and then I also save them as a jpeg format - which flattens the image (think of scanning a scrapbook layout into your computer - it makes it flat). When I have printed the few layouts that I've printed I print the jpeg file.

PRINTING:
You can print your pages through Costco, on your own printer (Cory bought me a great large format printer for Christmas this year, and I'm embarrassed to say that it's still sitting in a box until I can find where to set it up...), you can use websites online that do digital printing - like www.shutterfly.com, or http://www.scrapbooksplease.com/. You can have them printed as layouts, or printed into a book. I like the book options. I've done several as gifts and been given a great one from a vacation we went on with friends. It's great because they are all bound and very nice looking.

Anyway, there are also kits you can buy online that are already done for you - and all you do is insert your own pictures. Or you can also find pre-made books at www.shutterfly.com, or other printing companies.

I have also been using digital templates lately that make my layout creation super easy. I don't have to worry about the page design - I just plug in my own products into the design. I LOVE this because I still feel like I'm creating, but I don't have to spend quite as much time deciding where to place everything in the layout.

Some of my favorite sites to buy kits from:

• http://www.scrapbookgraphics.com/xcart/home.php
• http://www.scrapbookgraphics.com/xcart/manufacturers.php?manufacturerid=37
• http://shabbymissjenndesigns.com/new/new.html
• http://www.digitaldesignessentials.com/Index.html
• http://ggdigitaldesigns.com/shop.htm
• http://www.littledreamerdesigns.com/shoppe/index.php
• http://www.sweetshoppedesigns.com/shoppe/
• http://www.theshabbyshoppe.com/scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=39
• http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/shop/list/?c=24&f=c
• http://scraporchard.com/market/home.php
• http://www.thedigichick.com/shop/home.php
• http://www.heatheranndesigns.com/

Some good places to find freebies:

• http://www.digitaldesignessentials.com/files/Free_Downloads_2.html
• http://ggdigitaldesigns.com/free_stuff.htm
• http://jencaputo.typepad.com/photos/sketches/index.html
• http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/shop/list/?f=c_336&c=24
• http://mandagirl.com/free-templates/
• http://mandagirl.com/free-templates-page-2/
• http://scraporchard.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=529
• http://scrap-a-lot.blogspot.com/
• http://ikeagoddess.blogspot.com/ (This blog has daily listings of sites offering freebies. Sometimes the freebies she lists are only good for a day or two though, so check frequently).

Also, most websites do offer freebies at one time or another. You can search most sites but looking for "FREEBIES". I buy a lot of my kits, but also look for free stuff when I get a chance.

OK - I'm sorry for such rambling. I hope that some of this will answer some of your questions, and that I am not just going on and on and not making any sense. If you have any tips/tricks/favorite websites of your own - please leave them in the comments - I'd love to hear! And if you have questions - ask specific questions. I have a hard time narrowing down all of digital scrapbooking into one blog post - it's a big subject, and tough to explain each step in this format.