Digital vs Traditional

I've been thinking a lot lately about digital scrapbooking and traditional scrapbooking. I started making traditional scrapbooks over 10 years ago, and I must made my first digital scrapbook last year. I've been asked by many people which one I prefer. The answer is complicated...here's my stab at it:

Traditional Scrapbooking

• You can create your pages in a hands-on way that is therapeutic and enjoyable.
• It's fun to get together with other people while you create your albums.
• While with others, you can tell the stores behind the photos and swap ideas.
• You can journal in your own handwriting so future generations can see it.
  

Digital Scrapbooking

• You can work on projects in small bits of time here and there.
• There are no physical supplies or tools to put away when you need to stop.
• If you have a laptop, you can work on your projects just about anywhere.
• You can share pages and/or albums with friends and family far away.
• You can print multiple copies of the same page or album with no extra effort.
• Albums are generally thinner and therefore more portable.
• If anything happens to a digital scrapbook, you can upload it again and print a new copy.
• Digital papers and embellishments can be used over and over again.

There are definite advantages to both methods...you need to choose the one that fits you and/or your project the best!

Digital Scrapbook Arrived

I completed a digital scrapbook of a recent trip to Los Cabos and uploaded it on Friday. I was pleasantly surprised to receive it in the mail yesterday! There is something magical about making something on your computer screen and then having it arrive in "real" form. I was thrilled to be able to put a photo on the front cover, and the new software I have allows me to make all kinds of changes to the templates. For example, I can now enlarge photos, move them, change the aspect ratio, change paper colors, etc. It really feels like "regular" scrapbooking, which I didn't think digital could.

Digital Scrapbooking Update

I did it! I created two 12x12" Page Layouts in my digital scrapbooking program, uploaded them to Costco and picked them up last night. They are gorgeous! I am so excited...this is much easier than my old method of pulling out all the paper, tools, tape, etc. and getting a bit done before having to clean it all up again! I brought the prints home and slipped them into my 12x12" album. How satisfying to have it done so quickly in one day!

Tonight I have a friend coming over and we're going to make calendar albums to give as gifts during the holidays. I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow!

Digital Scrapbooking

Today I'll be dabbling in digital scrapbooking. I got this great program that allows me to create entire albums or just single pages. I have an 8x8" album almost ready to upload and have printed, and I can't wait to finish it. The album is of a recent hiking trip to Havasupai we took with our kids and a friend. I'm loving that I can make one album but have it printed twice! The extra album will be a gift for the friend that joined us. Too fun!

I'm also going to play with the 12x12" page print feature. I'm going to put together a page, upload it to Costco, and pick it up later today and slip it into my new album that fits papers that size. I hear they look great, and I can't wait to try one myself!

I must admit, when I first heard about digital scrapbooking, I didn't want any part of it. I do still enjoy the hands-on aspect of traditional scrapbooking. But, now that I've tried it, I see the advantages. One is that I can re-create a book if it gets damaged. Another is that I can have multiple copies printed of the same book...what a time savings! I also love that I can share my digital book via e-mail without even purchasing a copy. I shared my last book, a Los Cabos trip, with many friends that might not get to see my hard copy because they live far away. One last plus is that they are much smaller and lighter than a traditional scrapbook. I don't know about you, but I am filling up lots of bookshelves with my traditional albums! I don't know how I'd ever get them all out if there was a fire!

Fun Evening!

I had some friends over last night to scrapbook and we had a great time! I started out sorting photos...I should have them all done by now, but sometimes you wonder if you really have everything where it should be. My current photos are organized, but the ones from years ago are a bit iffy. So, I worked on that for a few hours and then switched gears.

For the rest of the evening, I worked on gift albums for my kids for Christmas this year. I started them a LONG time ago and just never finished them. They are "50 state" albums...7x7" size, with a page for each state in the US. I put the state name on a red or blue border and added a black 4.5x6.5" mat for the photo. Then, I added a sticker of the state (I can't believe how small Rhode Island is!) and wrote the capital, nickname and state bird. They look great!

Welcome to my blog!

I've been scrapbooking in Phoenix for over 10 years now and love it! I really enjoy getting together with friends and doing it together...it's fun and everyone leaves with memories preserved for their family.

Most of my scrapbooks are family albums and I do them chronologically. It's so nice to be able to look back and see what we were doing years ago and how the kids have changed!

I have also done many gift albums. I made an album for my daughter on her 10th birthday called an "I Hope" album. It had great photos of her with my hopes for her future. I made an "Uncle's Album" for my brother with photos of my kids. Of course, the grandparents have albums, too. Theirs were made with slip-in sleeves so they could change out the photos as the kids get older. Recently, I made a digital scrapbook of a trip to Ireland that we took with my in-laws. It was amazing to make one album and order two copies!

That's all for today...welcome to my blog, and watch for future posts! I have friends coming over tonight to scrapbook and need to get the house straightened up!