I’ve put this web site together to share with you the excitement of creating gorgeous Digital Scrapbook layouts to showcase your treasured memories and unlock your creativity.

It’s such a thrill to see your special photos presented in such an artistic and beautiful way.

And it’s a fabulous feeling to email your layouts to your family and friends and bask in their praise as they are amazed at your creative talent and how professional they look.

And all without the need to buy and store lots of supplies or to clear up all the mess of snippets of paper and glue.

Before you read on to discover more about Digital Scrapbooking and how you too can create these beautiful layouts, please take a couple of minutes whilst I tell you about my own journey that's brought me to digital scrapbooking.

What is Digital Scrapbooking?

Digital Scrapbooking or Computer Scrapbooking, as it’s sometimes known, is the creation of scrapbook layouts using a graphics editing software program. The beauty of it is you can view your creations on your computer, print them out and frame them or put them into an album, or share them with family and friends around the world via email. You can create stunning displays of your treasured moments; showcasing your stories for now and future generations. And the huge advantage with Digital Scrapbooking is there’s no mess, no special workspace and no need to buy lots of supplies.

Digital Scrapbooking will unlock a creativity that you never knew you possessed.

What do I need?

All you need to begin Digital Scrapbooking are the following three things:

• A computer with 256MB of RAM (512MB recommended) and 1.5GB of available hard-disk space)
• An Internet connection
• A good graphics editing software program

Which Graphics Editing Software?

In my opinion, the best graphics editing software choice for someone starting Digital Scrapbooking is Adobe Photoshop Elements.

Now Adobe Photoshop CS is arguably the standard setter for photo editing software. But it comes with several disadvantages for the Digital Scrapbooker:

• It is quite expensive – around $US649
• It is a complex software program and can be quite challenging to learn how to use. It’s really designed for professional photo editing.
• It is resource hungry on your computer; taking up a lot of your computer hard drive storage space and also needing a lot of RAM (random access memory, the memory that programs need to actually do their stuff once you have opened them) to operate on your computer.

Adobe Photoshop Elements is a ‘cut down’ version of Photoshop and is perfect for digital scrapbooking. It is a lot less expensive than Photoshop – under $100 It takes up a lot less space on your computer It is a lot easier to learn how to use. And don’t be misled by the term ‘cut down version’. Recent versions of Photoshop Elements are packed with all the Digital Scrapbooking functionality you will need and then some.

Amazon have some great prices on Photoshop Elements and even cheaper prices if you choose version 5 rather than the latest version 6.

Or another alternative is to buy a copy on eBay. I have obtained copies of Photoshop Elements this way and it’s a great money saver.

But note: if you choose to obtain your software this way you should ensure that:

• the copy that you purchase comes with the registration number so you can register it with the Adobe site and be eligible for Adobe help and upgrade options.
• you don’t buy any version earlier than V4. Versions 5 or 6 are the best.

So how do I create a Digital Scrapbook Layout?

1. Click on File in the top menu bar and select Open. You can now browse through your Windows Folders until you find the Digital Scrapbook elements that you want to use for your layout.

2. Click on the Open button and each file will open into your workspace. You will be able to see them all in the Photo Bucket at the bottom of your Workspace.

3. Now create a new file by clicking on File>New>Blank File in the top menu bar. A dialog box will open allowing you to change the dimensions of your file. Click on the down arrows next to the width and height and change them to inches. Type in 12 inches for each. Make sure the resolution says 300 pixels per inch and the Color Mode says RGB Color.

4. Now with the Move tool selected (found at the top left of the vertical tool bar on the left of the screen), you can click on each element and, holding the mouse button down, you can drag it onto your layout.

5. The power of Photoshop Elements as a digital scrapbooking tool is in its layers. Each of the elements that you have dragged into your layout file is sitting on its own layer and you can see them in the Layers Palette on the right hand side. You can drag these layers up and down the stack to change their position relative to the other layers and this will enable you to position elements on top of other elements as you design your layout file sitting in the Photo Bucket under the main workspace.

6. You can resize your elements by clicking on an element or its layer and positioning your mouse cursor over the bounding box around it. You will see little square ‘handles’. Click on these with your mouse and drag them inwards or outwards to change the size of your element.

7. Hover your mouse over the ‘handles’ and they will change to little curved arrows. You can then hold your mouse button down on the arrows and tilt your element if you choose.

8. Click on the Type tool (shown as a T in the vertical tool bar) to create text boxes for your journaling or your title. You can modify the font and its size in the options at the top of the screen.

9. Then you can add a shadow to your elements to give them a three dimensional look by clicking on them and selecting a shadow from the Drop Shadows Menu in the Styles and Effects palette and your layout is complete.

10. Finally, save your digital scrapbook layout as a PSD file to keep all the layers separate, in case you want to go back and make any changes. And then choose the ‘save for the web’ option from the File menu and save it as a JPEG so you can email it to your family and friends.

Digital Scrapbooking Kits – supplies that you can use over and over again

Unlike with paper scrapbooking supplies that need to be constantly replenished as you use them on your scrapbook layouts, Digital Scrapbooking elements can be used over and over again.

For example, using the Digital Scrapbooking Kits that are supplied with your video eclasses in Step by Step Digital Scrapbook, you actually don’t need to buy any other scrapbooking supplies ever again, if you so choose.

Of course, most of us will still want to buy other beautiful Digital Scrapbooking Kits that we may come across. But it’s good to know that you don’t have to buy any in order to keep on creating more and more beautiful scrapbook layout creations.

“But I don’t want all my layouts to look the same!” I hear you cry.

Absolutely right!

With Digital Scrapbooking you have the ability to change the colors of your elements to match the colors or mood of your different photos. Here’s a short video to show you how easy it can be.

You can add textures to your digital elements and you can blend papers together to create your own look. The possibilities are endless!

And suddenly you start to feel those creative juices flowing.

And as you become a more experienced Digital Scrapbooker (a lot sooner than you might think) you can learn how to make your own digital elements and Digital Scrapbook Kits in Photoshop Elements.

Perhaps you too can become a Digital Scrapbooking Designer, selling your own Digital Scrapbook Kits to scrapbookers around the world on the Internet.

Want to get your Digital Scrapbooking creations out of your computer and into ‘real life’?

You can print out your beautiful Digital Scrapbook Layouts and keep them in an album or put them into a frame for your wall (as well as still having the electronic version to send to your Mum.

Commercial printers such as Costco will turn your electronic creations into art work you can touch and feel. Just follow the instructions on the website to send your Digital Scrapbook Layout file to them and then you can either pick up your print-out at the local store or arrange to have them mail it to you.

Or you can print your layouts at home on your regular InkJet Printer and get a beautiful result. To be honest, I print all my own scrapbook layouts on my home inkjet printer and they look great.

Here’s a short video to show you how easy that can be.

Digital Scrapbooking gives you the Freedom to be Creative!

Many people start scrapbooking to preserve their family memories in words and pictures, which can be enjoyed by all in years to come.

Digital Scrapbooking is a wonderful way to achieve that. And it also unlocks your creativity as well.

Unlike with paper scrapbooking, you can’t ruin your digital scrapbooking supplies by an accidental slip of the scissors or by gluing something in the wrong place.

Creating your scrapbook layouts in Photoshop Elements means that any step that you make that you’re not happy with you can back out of by using the Control+Z keyboard command (Command+Z if you’re on a Mac). So there’s no need to be afraid to try anything.

Control+Z is your ‘get out of jail free’ card. And it totally liberates your creativity.

The world of Digital Scrapbooking is exciting and creative.

And don’t go thinking you’re not creative.

I spent my whole life believing that I didn’t have a spark of creativity in me until I started Digital Scrapbooking. It truly unlocked the door for me, and I guarantee it will do the same for you.

It’s so exciting to share your creations with family and friends around the world through the magic of the Internet. And it’s wonderful to receive their emails of amazement at your creative talent.

Now you can send your Mum something a lot more fun and exciting than just a digital photo of her grandchild opening their birthday presents. You can send her a beautiful layout that truly showcases the moment.

Just writing this has got me all pumped up. I can’t wait to get started on helping you along your journey to create your wonderful scrapbooked moments.

Just Begun Kit - Papers 1

Just Begun Kit - Papers 2

Just Begun Kit - Embellishments

Please join me now in Step by Step Digital Scrapbook and together let’s set free the creativity you never knew you possessed.