create a digital scrapbook

E-scrapbooking has other advantages over the traditional approach, too: If you get distracted, just hit save and return to the task when you have time -- no scissors or craft paper to put away. Or if you are commemorating events that involve many friends or family, you don't have to duplicate your efforts by hand -- merely print extra copies or post your creations online where others can view them. Family reunions, birthdays, weddings, holidays, baby showers and pilgrimages to Disneyland can all be enshrined, but don't limit your scope. When e-scrapbooking, you don't have to fill a whole album, so why not artfully commemorate small, everyday events? Kim Liddiard of Denver, for example, is constructing a page about her son's first day on a bike without training wheels. A glance across many Web-based compendiums reveals pages dedicated to seemingly offhand things: a purchase of a new handbag, a rousing soccer game and even a collection of favorite quotes from Mother Teresa. GET THE E-TOOLS. You'll need photo manipulation software, such as Adobe Photoshop Elements, Corel Paint Shop Pro or Microsoft Digital Image. Apple's iLife suite of photo and movie software has scrapbooking features, as does iRemember. Most of these programs run from about $50 to $100 and can be downloaded and tried for a limited time gratis, allowing you to test each one out. The range of these programs is breathtaking, allowing you to color-correct photos, fill in backgrounds with colors and textures, and render text in fancy fonts. Also, many Web sites offer thematic templates, such as color-coordinated mats and frames. Expect to pay $2 or $3 per template. But take heart: Unlike the paper templates sold at art stores, electronic templates can be reused, says Amanda Behrmann, a founder of the Digital Scrapbook Place ( http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/ ), a resource for scrapbook starters. FIND SOURCE MATERIAL. Photographs are the centerpieces for most scrapbook pages. If you have a digital camera, importing the photos should be a snap. Regular photographs can be scanned -- most electronic stores sell good, basic flatbed scanners for less than $100. Physical artifacts such as ticket stubs, maps, program guides, menus or even war medals can be scanned to complement your digital layout. You can also write your own commentary. What were you feeling at the time? Or pick a song lyric or poem appropriate to the moment. For a tribute page to her grandfather, Johanna Berry of Washington state transcribed stories he recorded on tape and paired them with a photo. Editing is important -- keep the text short so the page won't look cluttered. "Let the pictures do the talking," Thiessen says. Look for the most appropriate font -- some can be downloaded from the Web (try http://www.computerscrapbook.com/index.html ) -- or write the message by hand. INDULGE YOUR CREATIVE WHIMS. With the materials in hand, now comes the fun part -- crafting a page that perfectly accentuates the subject. Put the viewer in the moment, relating the details and the mood of the event. Find colors and textures that complement the subject matter, as well as the colors in photographs. A page about a day trip to Baltimore's Inner Harbor could have crabs scurrying about. Experiment! "The undo button is your friend," Behrmann said. Some software, such as Apple's iLife, can even add music to the presentation, giving a full multimedia feel. When Thiessen documented some family time at the pool, Bobby Darin's "Splish Splash" served as the soundtrack. SHARE THE RESULTS. Save the final creation as an image file, which then can be displayed in a number of ways -- on a Web site, as a slideshow from a DVD or CD, or printed out and pasted in a regular scrapbook. Many CD and DVD burning software programs and online services can turn your scrapbook pages into an album that can be viewed on the computer or with a standard DVD player as a slideshow. For the Web, shrink the page to a height of 500 or 600 pixels, so it will fit in a browser. Load the image onto your own Web site or blog,

Digital Scrapbooking Software

Adobe PhotoShop CS Adobe Photoshop is a great application for everything from photo correction to website design. It can also be used for digital scrapbooking. Photoshop was created mostly for businesses and the price tag reflects this. Its MSRP of almost $650 leaves most consumers tugging at their pockets. Photoshop has been used by web masters and web designers for years. It is, no doubt, the most comprehensive image editing program available on the market. With standard features like color enhancement, cropping, re-sizing, and retouching and with new and improved functions like layering, filtering, and workspace customization, Adobe Photoshop is the perfect solution for any serious designer or digital scrapbooker. While Photoshop is very robust, it might be overkill for most digital scrapbookers. It's nice to have so much functionality, but it's easy to get overwhelmed by the vast array of options and the large price tag. Adobe PhotoShop Elements 2.0 Similar to Adobe Photoshop CS, Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 captures the best, most applicable features of the original Photoshop, but at a much friendlier price. While Photoshop CS was created for businesses and professionals, Elements was created specifically for consumers. This image editing software uses the same interface as Photoshop, and but with some significant limitations. At an MSRP of only $100, Photoshop elements is a good option. Paint Shop Pro 9 Paint Shop Pro provides a multitude of functions that will bring your photos to life and allow you to incorporate other images and animation into your layouts. PSP begins by removing noise and filtering imperfections from your photos. Then it goes a step further and provides tools that allow you to be the artist. From chalk and pastels, to a smear tool and mixing palette, you can create all sorts of special effects within your image. PSP offers a history palette and a 'selective undo' tool that will correct imperfections long after you may have made them. PSP's personalized configurations can help you to create a completely digital layout by using the photo correction software, graphics creation, and web-page design tools. This is a user-friendly, and pocket-friendly, application.

How to Make Photo Cards

One way to share photographs is with photo cards. Photo cards are envelope-sized greetings printed on high-quality cardstock and sent via postal mail. They can be made with or without a fold. Photo cards can be a greeting or an announcement for a birth, wedding or special day Photo cards can be created on a photograph-sharing website such as Shutterfly or Snapfish. Visit your favorite photograph-sharing website to learn more about creating and printing a customizable photo card. These sites have easy to follow directions for creating photo cards. Photo cards can also be created on your own computer. Here is an example of how to create a photo card of your own. Create a New Document. Open a new document in your photo-processing program, such as Adobe Photoshop or Elements. Make the document the same size as your intended photo card. The size of the photo card should be just a bit smaller than the size of your envelope. Mine will be 5 1/2" x 4". Add Photograph(s). Add your photograph or series of photographs to the document. Resize and arrange the photographs as you would like them to appear on the card. I wanted my photograph to stretch the length of the card so I sized it to fit accordingly.Add a Greeting. Use the text tool to create your own message and/or add a message using a digital stamp. I added a digital stamp, and then used the text tool to add the names. Get creative and make your own personalized photo card to share

Making Easter Decorations

If you love to make your own embellishments, making larger home decorations will be something that appeals to you . Essentially, your decoration is an embellishment, just on a larger scale. Here are some ideas when thinking about handmade banners and other decorations: - If you love making tags, try making a banner. It's simply a larger-scale project. - It's a great way to showcase a pretty piece of paper that you simply can't bring yourself to cut. - Add a special touch to a child's room by making a banner with his or her name on it and showcasing loved things with smaller embellishments to decorate it. - Tie your home decor projects into a season, holiday or your regular home decor. - It's also a great way to make party-themed decorations or for occasions that are hard to find decor for. Create a wedding banner that is the perfect color or theme.I used the Easter Seasonal cartridge to cut eggs, flowers and chicks, as well as the phrase 'Happy Easter', while the Stretch Your Imagination cartridge was used to cut my bunny and basket. I also used Tim Holtz Pewter Distress Paint to add some extra dimension to my project around the bunny. A bow and adhesive gems for a little sparkle finished it all off.