I’ve recently made a foray into the world of digital scrapbooking and I think I’m hooked. I’m certainly not going to give up my paper scrapbooking, but this is an awesome creative outlet and I find it easier to make the time to do because I don’t have to drag out all of my supplies, find space to work and ensure that no babies or cats get into my work. Digital scrapbooking is done completely on your computer. There are many fancy (re: expensive) programs that you can work with, but I’ve found a free program (Scrapbook Flair) and free items to work with and am excited about it. Since I still haven’t completed Ella’s lifebook, I’m thinking about working on a digital one for her.
Digital scrapbooking is very similar to traditional paper scrapbooking, in that it can be done in a very simple, sparing fashion or done with heavy embellishments and intricate designs. I like having the freedom, especially in a lifebook, to be able to express my emotions and family’s history is any way that I choose. If you have a scanner, you can scan in memorabilia such as plane tickets, documents and notes that you can then incorporate into your lifebook. I also like to see work that is done digitally and then traditional scrapbook elements are added to the finished, printed layout.
To create a digital lifebook, you can either design your page by page in a program such as Scrapbook Flair, Photoshop or others. You would then have your pages printed individually and you would put them in a traditional scrapbook album in page protectors. You can also use the wonderful services at companies such as Shutterfly, which allow you to import your designs and they will print them into a hardcover book. They also offer templates for scrapbook pages on their website. You can drag and drop in your own pictures, type your own text and it will all be created in a hard covered book for you.
If you are interested in learning more about lifebooks and digital scrabooking so you can make your own digital scrapbook, check out these articles and websites:
Adoption Scrapbooking
Lifebooks
Creating a Lifebook
Digital Scrapbook Place
Digital Scrapbooking Magazine
Vietnamese Digital Scrapbook Kit