Articles : Tutorials - Digital

From Paper to Digi Without Breaking A Sweat

I admit it – I used to look down on digital scrapping. It would surely never be as good as the hands-on approach that I had been doing for the past four years. How can hitting a few keys compare with adhesive and paper tearing? Sure, I had some freebie kits tucked away that I used on an occasional hybrid project, but I didn’t have any scrapping software.

And then suddenly I did. I downloaded a trial version of Photoshop Elements 5.0 just to see what all the fuss was about, and I haven’t looked back. It’s not like I’m suddenly churning out pages of mediocre value (although I’m sure some of them are just that) because digi scrapping is so much quicker; turns out digi scrapping takes me almost as much time as paper scrapping, only with easier clean-up.

While my Cropper Hopper full of beautiful patterned papers collects dust, I hunch here in front of my laptop testing out different digi papers and elements, looking for just the right combo. The majority of my digi layouts could be easily reproduced on paper, because that’s the look I like – realism, I guess you could call it. And buying digi kits and elements is frighteningly addictive, maybe because I instantly have the product downloaded to my computer instead of waiting for the mailman to bring my big white box.

Digital scrapping has also been very creatively freeing for me. There were things I just couldn’t get right on paper – stitching, for one. It’s a breeze now! Not to mention that I can use any size photo without having to send them out to be printed, like I had to do for 4x12 or 12x12 size photos. I’m also using more elements I would never have used on paper, like clips and staples and other lumpier accents.

For those afraid of trying digi scrapping, I say forget your fear! Download the free 30 day trial of PSE 5.0, hook up with some digi freebies (plenty of those to be had online, and some really nice ones in the ACOT digi shoppe), and let yourself go! The software is easy to use, the kits are fun and plentiful, and if you make a mistake it’s much easier to correct it. Sure, digi scrapping isn’t for everyone, and I don’t think everyone should be doing it. But for me, it’s let out more of the scrap artist within and lets me take more chances.

Now, what am I going to do with all my paper supplies??

About the author ...
Mommybruno (known as Cassandra in her real life), started scrapping after her son was born in 2003. Because she lives in a very rural area with no scrapbooking stores, she quickly started looking online for supplies. And found the best website ever - Stickers Galore! She has been visiting ever since, even through the name change to A Cherry On Top, and started posting her pages in April 2006. This also led to the discovery of an active and fun message board, and so she officially joined the ACOT community. In April 2007, Cassandra started doing digital scrapping, and has fallen in love with it! And while she may shop for scrap supplies at a variety of online shops, there's only one place she needs to visit each day to get in touch with the funnest bunch of ladies in the biz - A Cherry On Top!