I just did my first digital scrapbook layout!

[DogwoodMama]

I'm sooooo excited! I just finished my first digital scrapbook layout, for Charlotte's birth, with A LOT of help from my wonderful dh with Photoshop Elements! I'm dying to share it, and will as soon as I figure out the best way to save it... it's a pdf file now, maybe I can save it as a jpeg and then put it on my photo site? I'll try that...

[cklewis]

Ooooooooo -- share, share, share. I wanna see. I wanna see. :lol

C

[DogwoodMama]

So, I figured out how to "save for web", and here it is, my first page of Charlotte's baby album (about time after 16 months, right? ;))

http://pic9.picturetrail.com/VOL294/1893299/7010494/90801226.jpg

I must say, this was so much fun to do! I'm so excited that I found out about this! I downloaded the "kit" from scrapbook-bytes.com, which is a totally awesome website. :)

[cklewis]

It looks great!! I'm going to go to that site right now!!

:highfive

C

[DogwoodMama]

Thanks, Camillie! :)

I am so glad I found out about this... I've been feeling awful because I hadn't started on dd's scrapbook, but I just hated the thought of dragging all the stuff out and cutting and pasting, and having to keep her OUT of it. Now I can scrapbook while she's in my lap nursing or sleeping, no mess, no muss! And there are so many free downloads out there, this might end up being a relatively cheap hobby! Though dh has already started murmuring about buying a special printer to print out 12x12 pages, tech addict that he is. :neutral :lol

[ArmsOfLove]

that's so beautiful :)

I don't have a baby book for the twins so maybe this is something I could do. hmmmm

[cklewis]

Elizabeth -- can you tell me more details about the 12x12 printer? Where do you buy one? Can you print this out at Kinkos or Michaels or something if you don't want to buy a printer like that? Anything?

Thanks. You're inspiring.

C

[DogwoodMama]

Well, the printer is expensive! One I've seen recommended is the Cannon i9900, for example... $500. :eek

However, mpix.com is recommend as a good place to get pages developed- it looks like a 12 x 12 would $5.59 a page... not bad, if you consider how much scrapbooking "stuff" costs! And you can make them and store them until you have the funds to print them, which is what I'll do. When I get a few pages done, I will get mpix.com to develop them. Most people seem to use online services like mpix.com or whcc.com from what I read on scrapbook-bytes. (which is where i got all this info- I wanted to make sure I could afford to print pages if I made them before I started!)

I don't know about Kinkos or other places... I assume they could do it, just would wonder about prices/quality?

[Sara]

BEAUTIFUL! I love it!

Thanks for sharing! :heart

[Granola Mom]

Hey that looks great! Good job!

[Irene]

wow cool! im pretty much a computer dummy, but it looks like a good idea for keeping little hands out of the crafts!!!

[2sunshines]

Elizabeth!!!

That looks amazing!!! You did a great job!

[tree_hugger]

Wow, that is a beautiful page, thanks for sharing! :)

[PurpleButterfly]

That is just gorgeous, mama! :hearts I wanna do it! I wanna do it!!! :jump :green :jump

So let me get this straight - you create it on your pc, then print it and put it in a book somehow? I haven't checked out the website you mentioned yet, but I wonder...do the pages have to be 12 x 12 or can you do the normal 8.5 x 11? :think

I still haven't finished ds's first year scrapbook due to the expense, tools, hassle of dragging everything out, etc. But THIS looks like something I would actually be excited about! Thank you so much for sharing! :tu

[2sunshines]

You can do it in whatever size that you want! That's the beauty of it.

I just made one for my dh's aunt's funeral (a memoir of her life -- my first digital scrapbook), and I did a more simple 8.5 by 11 size, that way I could just print it out on a regular printer (well, i used my mil's fancy printer) on photo paper and boom, I'm done.

I know that people do 8 by 8.

If you do 12 by 12, you obviously either have to get them printed professionally or buy a special printer.

I am considering professional printing anyway -- if they can do a higher quality it would be worth it because the costs of digital scrapbooking alone is minimal, the costs of printing would still most likely be cheaper than traditional paper scrapping...

[2sunshines]

btw, when I did the 8.5 by 11 one, I just bought a scrapbook album from Walmart ($15.00) where I could slip the printed pages into the included page protectors and boom, I had a completed book. :mrgreen

[PurpleButterfly]

btw, when I did the 8.5 by 11 one, I just bought a scrapbook album from Walmart ($15.00) where I could slip the printed pages into the included page protectors and boom, I had a completed book. :mrgreen


***************** drool ********************

That's exactly what I was hoping to hear!!!! :highfive

[DogwoodMama]

And I know some people who like a 12 X 12 format just reduce them to 8 X 8 and make extra copies for grandparents & others. :) It's easier to "share" than traditional scrap-book stuff.

[2sunshines]

It's easier to "share" than traditional scrap-book stuff.

I know!!! That's another thing that I :heart about it. When I made this one for example, I made one copy for the funeral, and then I am going to print out copies for all the children. I can also burn a copy of it to cd or whatever. With traditional paper scrapping, once you finish one, you're too exhausted to repeat it. :mrgreen Also, with digital, I scanned the old pictures in, used them in digital format, and I didn't even have to touch the originals! Pretty cool... :highfive

[MamaKanga]

Very cool page! you have inspired me!

I have made several 5x7 digi books for kids as gifts. My DH laminates the pages and I use either a beaded ring to bind or get spiral binding from kinkos. They are a big hit, and they're super durable since they are laminated. Kids love them! I'm planning to do a 4x6 book for the grandmas for Christmas this year, if I can get motivated, lol.

I do have a 12x12 format printer, which is awesome, but it's older and the quality is not so good, so I don't print large pictures on it. When I paper scrap I print journaling on the paper and then use regular pictures. A good 12x12 Epson is on my wish list! :mrgreen

[DogwoodMama]

Here is my latest creation... :)

http://pic9.picturetrail.com/VOL294/1893299/7010494/93231532.jpg

I used a "quick page" that I got from a scrapbook bytes newsletter... the flowers are also free elements by silly bird nut @ scrapbook bytes. It still took me about 90 minutes to do, though, even using a quick page! :O

It basicaaly shows how Charlotte grew from last spring through September, actually... as you can see, her hair really came in! :lol

[2sunshines]

Elizabeth, that looks great!

I downloaded that quick page too. Haven't worked on it yet...

Maybe this will inspire me...

[SillyMommy]

Awesome for a first page - my first ones look so funny to me now! I'm a total DS addict! I'll post the link to my pages if anyone wants to look - www.craftymommy.com/gallery :)

I've actually started selling them on my site, I had so many friends request that I make them for them.

[2sunshines]

Wow, those are great!!! You do a beautiful job at scrapbooking!!! Thanks for sharing.

[Jillian]

"I can also burn a copy of it to cd or whatever."

I am SOLD! I :heart my Creative Memories but this is just amazing...

And what perfect timing! I just was talking to someone who does this and I thought I wish I could (I know the bare minimal to get online and emails, not good with computers at all). This thread caught my eye and I kept getting more and more excited as I read on. But when I saw the above quote...omgosh! I can't wait to get started :mrgreen

Oh! And now the kids won't have to fight over the albums, they each get their own!

p.s. What a beautiful page! I can't wait to see more :)

With all these new digital scrapbookers, maybe we could start a thread/forum to share all the pages!?!?

[2sunshines]

With all these new digital scrapbookers, maybe we could start a thread/forum to share all the pages!?!?

What a great idea!!!

I'll go and do it right now.