Digital Scrapbooking 101: Part 1 of 6

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After this week's Kitchy Digitals feature, we're betting some of you are ready to dip your toe into the digital scrapbooking pool! The following is the first of six articles written by Jennifer Wilson of simplescrapper.com, to help get your feet wet in the digi-realm:

Digital Scrapbooking 101: Part 1 of 6 by Jennifer Wilson

Deer in headlights or kid in a candy store? I was both when I discovered the world of digital scrapbooking. Simultaneously thrilled to explore a new hobby and totally lost as to how I would learn it all, I jumped right in… and never looked back. In this six part series, I will help you learn the basics of “digiscrap” and no-fuss ways to fit digital memory keeping into your busy life.

Part 1: What is digital scrapbooking?
Memory keeping has gone digital. Paper, scissors, glue - nearly every tool a paper scrapbooker would use can be found in electronic form. Your supplies all come as image files and the software you choose (like Photoshop Elements) consists of your favorite tools all rolled into one. Digital scrapbooking allows you to use a computer to take the best of the paper craft and leave the mess mind. Your memories can go from camera to page without ever leaving the house!

Here are some examples from my personal scrapbook gallery:
1. Camping



2. Big Man on Campus



3. Girlfriends



As you can see, digital scrapbooking opens up a huge window for creative expression. There is no one style – there are many! While some scrappers choose to mimic paper-style pages, others rely on traditional graphic design or leverage the power of software to create their own art. There is no right way to scrap and in digi, the only limit is your imagination.
Scrapbooking the digital way is one of the few places in life where you can get a “do-over”. Digi offers the flexibility of starting fresh with no additional costs - you can’t use up or run out of digital files.

There are a growing number of digital shops where you can purchase digital ‘kits’ and other supplies as well as blogs designed to help you learn new digi skills and shortcuts. The community is growing every day – so there’s no shortage of places to share your work and network with other scrappers.

Is digital scrapbooking right for you? It is if you appreciate:

• The lower cost (and reusability) of digital supplies
• A no-mess, highly portable hobby
• Being able to tweak and re-tweak your design
• Having a backup of your scrapbook pages

Digiscrapping is perfect for busy crafters who want to preserve their photos in a creative way. This series will give you all the secrets you need to get started. Next month, Part 2 will demystify the lingo of digital scrapbooking. In the meantime, here’s your homework assignment. Visit myscrapbookart.com and explore the gallery. Which scrapbook pages appeal to you? Share a link here and tell us what you like about the style.

Thanks Jennifer! We're looking forward to your next installment!