Mother's Day Tea

Hey Everybody, Barb here. With Mother's Day behind us now, I thought I would put together a layout with a few of the photos from our Mother's Day Tea. This post goes right along with my post from last month, showcasing digital scrap booking. To view that post click HERE.

I used a template by The Paper Iris to create my layout. It started off looking like this:

I love using templates. The design work has already been done for me. And I can concentrate on selecting the perfect papers and embellishments to complement my photos. Don't shy away from templates, because you feel like 'you are cheating'. Think of using a template as a starting point...flip it, omit things, move things around, re-size things, make it your own.


Here is the layout I created using a digital kit from Shabby Princess, called Sprout:

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When you compare my project with the template you can see the changes I made...I omitted the text layer, I re-sized my teapot, I opted not to use the top dots and I moved the tea cup to a spot that suited me. Creating my layout was fun, quick and easy. I selected a digital kit from my collection and just dragged and dropped my paper and pictures into place.

If you have never used a template, I encourage you to give them a try. I don't use them for every layout, but when I have a lot of 'everyday' scrapping to do, I delve into my Template file every time. So how about you, do you use templates? Leave a link to your blog or online photo gallery in the comments section below, showcasing your layout using a template...I would love to see it! Come on, share with us!

Do You Digi?

Digi-Scrapbook, that is! Hey Everybody, Barb here.  I’ve been getting a lot of questions about digital scrapbooking lately. If you follow my blog posts, you’ll notice that my scrap pages are created digitally. This simply means that I use photo editing software and my computer to put together scrapbook pages.  To some, that may sound real technical, but it really is easy and for some projects it is my preferred method of getting my pages done quickly.

I started digital scrapbooking about 6 years ago. I am mostly self-taught, because back then scrapbooking on one’s computer was not very popular. I fell in love with the art form because I could scrap anywhere; in my car waiting for my daughters to finish dance class, or piano lessons. I could scrap while we were on vacation, even on the airplane, in a fast food restaurant, the library, the park, poolside…literally anywhere since all of the supplies I needed ‘lived’ inside my computer. And I could scrap without clean up! When I was finished with a scrapping session, I simply clicked ‘SAVE’ and walked away from the computer.

 

My traditional scrapbook pages are full of embellishments and lots of detail. I found that I could still get that same effect, digitally, with just a few clicks and without all the bulk. When my friends and family view my digital scrapbook pages, I see them touching the page. They can’t believe there is so much dimension on a ‘flat’ page. Don’t get me wrong, I still LOVE to scrapbook the traditional way, with patterned paper and card stock, but for certain projects, like Our Year With Disney album, where I took over 1500 photos…creating pages digitally was really the only way to get the album completed quickly and beautifully.

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A real plus for me with digital scrapping is the multiple use of products. When I purchase a digital kit or an embellishment, I can use it over and over and over again, it never runs out. This is especially nice because I know I will never use the last sheet of my current favorite paper…so if I’m scrapping at 2am and I need another piece of paper to finish the last page for an album, I simply click it again and I have a brand new sheet, ready to go! And here’s a little secret…the digital papers can be printed out on your home computer and used for card making and traditional scrapbook pages! Yes, it’s true! Just make sure you use quality printer paper and your print out will look just like you bought it from the store. I have done this many times and the results are beautiful. Digital kits are available in just about any theme you can imagine...

This one by Shabby Princess is called Sprout...it's perfect for Easter photos. It would also be a good choice for Mother's Day pictures.

And this one, Black Pearl by Misty Cato, would really showcase those pirate birthday party pictures. And it would also be great for scrapping your Halloween pirate pics.

Another plus for digi-scrapping is the use of Templates. I love templates; I use them all the time. This simply means that I don’t have to use my time designing a page. I just select a template, pull together my photos and digital kit, drag and drop these elements into the appropriate spot and voila! Page is completed. When I use a template, I think of it as a starting point. I usually add things to it to make it my own...embellishments, journaling tags, glitter, stickers or rub-ons. Yes, these elements are available in digital scrapbooking too!

When it comes time to pull together the album or pages, I send my completed work over to Costco. They are well equipped to print out 12 x 12 pages and they do a fantastic job of it. There are some programs that can be purchased to create special bundles for printing. I have one that allows me to put one 12 x 12 layout and two 6 x 6 layouts on the same page, giving me a 12 x 18 sheet. This way, I have a large layout for the family album and two small layouts, one for each of my daughters to put into their albums. In addition to that, I can print off multiple sheets or layouts for family and friends. There is also an option to print an 8 x 8 size, which is my personal favorite.

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If you’ve never tried digital scrapbooking, I encourage you to check it out. Maybe a take an online class with Jessica Sprague or search the sites that are linked above. And don't forget to look thru back issues of E:spire magazine, there are articles and digital FREEBIES in there. If you are a digital scrapper, leave your blog address in the comments, so we can come take a peek at your pages. You will also want to share some of your creations on the Scraps of Color site, which is a GREAT place to be inspired by many talented crafters.  Don’t be shy…we all encourage one another and there are some wonderful projects to view. And we would love to see yours!

There are a lot of photo opps coming up; Mother's Day, weddings, graduations and the 4th of July to mention a few. And having the knowledge of how to digital scrapbook will help make completing beautiful albums a breeze. I hope you give it a try.

Thanks for visiting with me. Until next time...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hello Everybody, Barb here. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I’m curious to know how many of you will be celebrating this holiday and what you do to celebrate it? My family and I always celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with an Irish-themed meal. Typically, it will be corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes. I decorate the house, just as I would for any other holiday and play Celtic music. This is one of our Traditions. Something we’ve come to look forward to each year. Take a look at a layout from one of our St. Patty’s Day dinners.

Digital Kit:Kiss Me-Samara Gugler.DateIt:Meryl Bartho@DSP.GlitterStyle:Flergs.Shamrocks:Simply Sarah.WordArt:Ellie Lash.Font:Segoe Print.

I was able to pull this layout together super speedy, because I pre-made the page. Yeah. Think about it. When we scrap book the ‘traditional’ way, with paper and glue, we put together ‘page kits’ to help us complete our pages quickly. (Tiare has a wonderful video on how to put together a traditional page kit HERE.) Sooo, why not put together a layout kit or pre-make a page, when we digital scrap book?  It’s really very simple.  For my St. Pat’s Day layout, I knew I was going to use green and I knew I wanted to use a St. Patrick’s Day digital kit.  I designed a layout, and using the papers and embellishments from the kit, I put together the page. At the time, I had no photos for the page. I left those areas empty and once the day was over, I was able to just drop those photos into place and my page was done the same day! I have done the same thing with Christmas and Halloween. I even did this with my Dad’s wedding album because I knew their color palette.  I find that pre-making my digital layouts helps me get my pages completed quickly, which means they go into an album quicker so my family can enjoy the memories and relive the event.

Pre-making my pages also allows me to design my page in a relaxed, stress free way. I can take my time. I can move things around, try different techniques, or find the perfect embellishment to accent my layout.  This is our hobby; it’s supposed to be fun and relaxing. I hope that you will give the pre-made digi layout a try. It really is a time-saver.

And to satisfy my curiosity, please leave me a comment and share what you do to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. It will be fun to see how we differ and how we are the same. Have a wonderful day!

Cheers!