Before StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0 came around, many digi-scrappers including myself used Photoshop Elements to create their layouts. Photoshop Elements is a robust software program that lets digi-scrappers create layouts mimicking and even reaching beyond traditional scrapbook layouts. However, the downfall of Photoshop Elements is it is extremely complex and hard to learn. Many techniques like page tears take more know-how than most people have or even want. Sitting down to scrapbook – digital or traditional – should be easy and fun. It should never cause frustration.

Enter StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0! Fast, simple, and easy to use, this newest version of StoryBook Creator Plus is without a doubt better than Photoshop Elements. Not only are all techniques easy to learn and use, but now it can do things Photoshop Elements can’t!

One of the best examples of this new power is with the “Text Path” tool. With this tool you can draw a “path” on your layout to have your text follow. This is most useful for making your journaling and titles spiral, follow around a circle, or outline just about any shape you can dream.

Page tears are also simple to create in StoryBook Creator Plus. Simply go to the “Cut & Fill” tab, select “Straight”, and then click on “Paper rip”. Presto! An easy-to-place cutting tool appears on your page ready to create a very real-looking tear. You can even control the amount of white reveal (from the paper core), how uneven the tear is, and if your rip is wavy or jagged.

Want to put a chalked edge around something? It’s simple! Go to the “Format” tab, select “Glow” and pick the color and size of your outline.

Best of all, once you have created the layouts for your book, you simply go to the “Home” tab and select “Order” to upload all your pages at once. It couldn’t be simpler!

These are only a few of the many cool and easy-to-use tools offered in StoryBook Creator Plus. None of these are easy to do in Photoshop Elements and some are not even possible. I am a very happy StoryBook Creator Plus user and I am not even going to put Photoshop Elements on my new computer. My digi-scrapping is now faster and more efficient than ever before and I am loving every minute!

NOTE: Are you ready to take advantage of the full features of StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0? Are you ready to unleash your digital creativity? We offer a class called Let’s Get Creative! for those who are ready to use StoryBook Creator Plus 3.0 for the first time. Register for our next class on February 21st!

Make a lasting impression with a personalized photo card. I enjoy creating personalized photo cards because the designs are unique, the cards are more meaningful and they are easy to create with Storybook Creator Plus 3.0. After reading this, I think you’ll agree that personalized photo cards are the best.

First, I create a unique design for each photo card. With my photos or those taken by a photographer I’ve hired and other graphics, I can design a card that best represents me and my story. For instance, I added a favorite portrait of Jesus to my Christmas card. To represent the current season, I might have our snow-covered tree as a back drop for my daughter’s birthday party invitation. Personalized photo cards can tell a story while sharing a message. I enjoy making photo cards for birthday party invitations, holiday cards and thank you cards.

I also think personalized photo cards are more meaningful. My investment of time is shown through these cards. I think they might stay on the fridge longer and be valued more than regular cards. They might even be immortalized in a placemat or in someone’s archives. I like to frame cards and place them in my livingroom. Later, the JPG file for the photo card I make can easily be placed in a photo book for future enjoyment.

Third, personalized photo cards are easy to create with Storybook Creator Plus 3.0. After installing the software that can be purchased online, I can use some cool features to bring out the people in my photo cards and add words to it in a special way. See the illustration here as an example of these features. I can send my creation to my color printer or any online printer. I can create any size (like 4×6, 5×7, 4×8, etc.) and use techniques that look like a professional designer made the photo card.

So you can see, I enjoy creating personalized photo cards because the designs are unique, the cards are more meaningful and they are easy to create with Storybook Creator Plus 3.0. Perhaps you’re thinking that this is the year to get started in making your own personalized photo cards. If so, The Future of Scrapping offers classes to help you get started. Are you ready to give it a try?

In my last entry, I discussed my new-found closet space after making the commitment to go 100% digital.  The exercise had left me energized and free to get my creative juices flowing!  I liked the feeling so much, I thought I would extend it a bit by doing one more organizing task – I was on roll!  My thoughts fell logically to my increasingly large collection of digital photos.

Typically, when I pull photos off my camera or phone, I use the auto-name feature when importing to name and file my photos by date.  This method has generally worked well, but many times, I have needed to find a particular photo, and have not known exactly when the photo was taken.  In addition, I am receiving more and more digital photos from friends and relatives who use different naming conventions.  I have absolutely no interest in renaming every one of these photos to follow my naming conventions, so this makes these photos hard to find as well.

Enter my digital photo organizing software! (I use Creative Memories’ Memory Manager.)  Now, I didn’t want to get overwhelmed here, so I just pulled in about one month’s photos at a time.  Whenever I had a spare moment, I would tag a few photos with the appropriate categories.  In no time, I had a whole bunch of photos done.  And it was fun!

Now my mind began opening to whole new ideas.  It suddenly became easy to assemble photos for a layout featuring both my daughters together at the cabin.  Or perhaps I could do a layout of photos featuring my husband and I together through the ages.  We don’t take photos of our pets very often, but now finding photos of them is suddenly easy and I am eager to do a pet layout now as well. As a traditional chronological scrapper, these are fantastic and freeing ideas for me.  It is now easier than ever for me to scrap what brings me joy and truly tells my story!

I encourage all of you to take a small amount of time to sort your photos each time you sit down at your computer.  In just a short time you will begin to see results and possibilities like never before!

Special Note: Future of Scrapping offers a class called “Organize Your Photos and Start Enjoying Them!” which can teach you methods of organization through using Creative Memories’ Memory Manager. Complete our Class Interest Form if you’d like to register for this class.

Starting this month, we are scheduling classes upon request. We hope that offering this convenience will expose more people to the awesome art of digital scrapbooking.

So if you are available on a certain day, we will do our best to schedule a class that day for you. If you have been aching to learn more about the latest Storybook Creator Plus program, we will do our best to make it happen when it’s most convenient for you.

With so many busy schedules out there, we want to make it easy to learn about digital scrapbooking. Complete a Class Interest Form today!

How will you prepare for the gift-giving season? Even though it’s the same time each year, Christmas always seems to sneak up on me.

This year will be different, though! (Repeat this out loud until you really believe it!) Especially as I think about the gifts I want to make for people. They’ll take some extra time and energy but may be easier than I think with my updated software from Creative Memories. And some gifts will only require a simple upload of my photos.

I’d like to share a simple 3-step planning process with you and some photo gift ideas that you might consider for this gift-giving season.

When I want to make gifts, I start with a plan of action.

1. First I create a list of recipients. Who appreciates photos more than grandparents? Or what about something for each of your siblings? Maybe your children would like something special.
2. Then I figure out my budget. This might be listed as an amount per recipient or as a total amount for all gifts.
3. Finally, I decide what type of gifts to make. My mother-in-love puts together “the basics” for each of her children. This is a gift that is the same for all kids and is normally opened at the same time. So one idea might be to create one thing for everyone such as a photo book, calendar or collage. Whatever you decide, create a list so you can decide what to do first.

Once the plan is set, it takes time to implement so I need to start early. I might even set some deadlines because I may have to consider shipping time.

Here are some great gift ideas for you – ones that you can create and order through Creative Memories’ Digital Center. Because every purchase from this website requires that you input a consultant, you can easily select a consultant from our Digital Dream Team roster by clicking here.  

Photo Books
Softcover 7 x 5 and 8 x 8 StoryBook photo books can offer a unique personalized cover and are printed on specially treated paper. I’ve taken all the best photos from a portrait session and put them into a photo book. Through Nov. 30th, you can purchase them at 25% off.

If you like owning all the photos and want them to be professionally-taken, contact Suzanne Thompson of SuzanneJean Photography. In addition to touching up the photos, she conveniently travels to you. I highly recommend her.

Page Prints
Create 12 x 12 and 8 x 8 digital pages that can be slid into a photo album or hung on a wall. Creative Memories offers pre-designed templates to choose from or create your own with their StoryBook Creator Plus software.

I’ve purchased 12×12 clear acrylic frames from Digital Scrapbook Place so I can display individual pages. This is a great way to show off the photos before putting them into albums.

Calendars
Create an 8 x 11 calendar by simply dropping photos into a calendar template or customize a 12 x 18 calendar using StoryBook Creator Plus. When the year is over, the pages can be detached and placed in albums.

Mouse Pads, Mugs and T-Shirts
Select your favorite photos and templates to create great classic gifts that stand the test of time. Mugs can be used as pencil holders if not for a warm drink. Make a first-time Grandpa feel special with a t-shirt that shows off his grandchildren. 

Photo Panels
With these, the photo is the frame. Creative Memories offers a variety of sizes. They also offer free Photo Panel themes through December 31st on their website.

Posters
Wall print posters are a great way to tell the story of a special day, to honor an achievement or simply to tell someone you love them. Printed on sturdy, high-quality photo paper to keep the memory standing tall on your wall, posters are great gifts!

I’ve only listed a handful of unique photo gifts that you could make. With some planning and getting started soon, you could have some wonderful gifts to share with loved ones at Christmas. And these memorable gifts are the kind that will be appreciated most of all!

In my last entry I talked about my exercise in making a traditional page and comparing it to a digital page.  In that article I expressed how surprised I was at how creating a traditional page was not nearly as fun as I had remembered it being.  My creativity was cramped and I was left with a page that while visually appealing, did not tell my story as I had wanted it to.  After that, I was convinced I would never scrap traditionally again and vowed to do something about all my traditional supplies. 
 
When I first made the transition to digi-scrapping, I had decided to keep my traditional supplies because at the time, I was not ready to commit 100% to digi-scrapping.  Now however, I see the financial, time and creativity benefits are all too great to ignore.  It was time to let go of my traditional supplies!

I started by going to the closet where all my traditional supplies were stored.  I pulled everything out and began to sort just like I would for any other deep-cleaning project.  “Keep”, “Throw”, “Donate/Sell” were my categories.  I decided to keep the stickers for my girls to use.  I also decided to keep a good sized chunk of paper for their use as well.  I had many unused or lightly used items that I put into the “Donate/Sell” pile.  These included unused albums, decorative scissors, punches, ribbon, etc.  The “Throw” pile ended up consisting mostly of “scraps” which ended up in the recycling bin.

When I was all done, I stepped back to look at my closet.  Wow!  I had freed up probably half a closet worth of space!  I was proud of my work and immediately began thinking about other cleaning I could do and how I would use my new-found space.

Over the following days, I experienced an unexpected sensation from my cleaning efforts.  Not only was my closet free of the accumulated clutter of traditional supplies, but now my mind was becoming free of it as well.  I no longer held on to the guilt I had been carrying about not doing that wedding album which I had all the supplies for.  I no longer fretted over half-finished albums.  I suddenly had lots of creative ideas swarming in my head about the page I could work on at that moment. 

Knowing it only takes a short amount of time to create a digital page, I started thinking about doing a page featuring pets, or all our first days of school, or our first home.  In 15 minutes I could have a quick page telling the story of what I was thinking of at that moment.  My mind started going places it never came close to while holding on to the conventional notions that accompanied my traditional supplies.  Let the creating begin!

Have you ever felt so overwhelmed with what you could scrap that you don’t scrap anything at all? I’ve heard it said by many of us that we are “years behind” in what we’d like to scrap. Such feelings can become stumbling blocks to progress that lead to inaction and regret.

At The Future of Scrapping, we want to encourage and inspire you to preserve your memories through digital scrapbooking while making it fun and easy to do. Following these steps is a good to place to start:

1. Identify Projects
2. Visualize What To Scrap
3. Make a Plan
4. Get Started
5. Adjust the Plan
6. Celebrate!

Step 1: Identify Projects

We have so many special events, holidays and other projects to scrap that it can be overwhelming. Laurie Grover, a Creative Memories’ consultant once told me that sometimes the best place to begin is with a recent event. It’s fresh in our minds so our journaling is filled with more accurate memories. It may also feel more fun to scrap a recent event.

In identifying projects, keep in mind that there are different kinds of events to scrap. There are events that fill a certain timeframe such as a week or weekend like a family vacation, wedding and birthday party. There are events that cover various seasons such as sports, the school year and the summer. And then there are events that follow someone’s life such as a child, a couple married for 50 years and a retired person. Understanding the types of projects you want to scrap will help you visualize how to take your photos, organize them, and eventually scrap them.

Step 2: Visualize What To Scrap

Zig Ziglar says, “If you want to reach a goal, you must “see the reaching” in your own mind before you actually arrive at your goal.” As you look at each project individually and visualize what you want to scrap, write these things down. For instance, in scrapping a birthday party you may look at the photos you’ve taken and see parts of the event such as the gift opening, meal time, activities time and guests. I’ve found that visualizing what to scrap helps me feel less overwhelmed and more excited to get started.

Step 3: Make a Plan

At this point, you may be thinking “Ugh… a plan? Making a commitment?” Well, try to look at this step as a way to get started more quickly and complete a project more efficiently. Begin by creating a timeline with target dates. If the StoryBook is a gift for someone, when will it need to be ready? Even if it’s not for a special occasion, look at your calendar and determine when you can realistically have each part scrapped and include the date you plan to order it. Without a plan in place, chances are slim that you’ll accomplish as much.

Here are some things to consider in creating a short-term plan to complete a scrapbooking project:

• When is your energy level at it best?
  Knowing when your energy level is at its best will motivate you to continue scrapping. If you’re a night owl, a morning person or someone who feels energized when they’re away from the house, knowing this can help you determine the best time to scrap.
• When is the best time for you to scrap? (And “never” is not acceptable even though it may feel like the truth!) If you could make the time to scrap, would it be on Saturday morning for a couple of hours? Or just after the kids get on the school bus? Or do you scrap best at weekend retreats?
  Making the time can be challenging but if we know when our BEST times are, we at least have a fighting chance to use that time to scrap. Otherwise, it’s easy to fill the time with other tasks and make your scrapping time less of a priority. As Stephen Covey says, “The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”
• What do you value about your scrapbooking project?
  Understanding the value of your scrapbooking project may be the only motivating factor in completing it. Will your child appreciate looking back at the memories of football season? Will your Dad treasure the memories you’ve captured over his lifetime?
• Is there someone you could scrap with? Or someone you can check in with when you sit down to scrap?
  Being accountable to someone can help you stay on track with your project. Maybe it’s calling the same friend every time you sit down to scrap. Or maybe you can meet up with a “scrapping buddy”. If you’re accountable to someone, you may feel more committed.

Step 4: Get Started

A good friend and professional organizer, Susi McCune of Specialized Organization Services, shared this advice with me in working on any project. She said to . If after the timer goes off and you’ve had enough, then stop what you’re doing. Nine times out of ten, you’ll want to forge ahead. Sometimes getting started in the tough part and making progress is easy. Seeing progress can be encouraging enough to continue.

Step 5: Adjust the Plan

Just because you start with a plan doesn’t mean you can’t change your course. My business coach, Judy Merrick-Lockett of Smooth Sailing Business Coaching, knows all too well that we can be our own stumbling block unless we figure out what is holding us back from accomplishing our goals. And sometimes this means adjusting the plan to keep us on the right track. Examples of this could be adjusting your timeline to accommodate a birthday party you are planning, switching accountability partners or finding a better time to scrap.

Step 6: Celebrate!

Find a way to celebrate your accomplishments especially when you complete a StoryBook. Celebrating could mean sharing your StoryBook online with family and friends or posting it on FaceBook. Bringing the printed book to family celebrations, sharing it with guests, or borrowing it to friends can be very satisfying. Visiting a favorite coffee shop or restaurant with friends (and maybe the one who kept you accountable through the project) and browsing through your StoryBook is another great way to celebrate. Any way you like to celebrate, the point is to JUST DO IT!

“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” as quoted by Zig Ziglar. It’s our desire at The Future of Scrapping to help you stay motivated to complete your StoryBooks so we hope these 6 steps will help you.

To further help you stay motivated and inspired to scrap, we will be launching our new online Digital Dream Club in October 2009. This club will provide free resources for digital scrapbooking including fonts, digital kits and “how to” videos. We’ll have an interactive online forum to share tips and experience. We’ll offer contests and challenges for members to post their creations. And we’ll keep you posted on the latest Creative Memories’ product updates. Membership will be free for a limited time.

Amy Krauss

In preparing for our Introduction to Digital Scrapbooking class, I was surprised by how much I learned about traditional scrapbooking. One of the points of the Introduction to Digital Scrapping class is a direct comparison between cost and time for both traditional and digital scrapping. In order to make a fair and accurate comparison, I needed to make a traditional page and then use the same photos and types of elements to create a digital page. I approached the making of the traditional page with some excitement. I hadn’t done a traditional page since spring of 2007. I figured it would be fun for a change.

First, I had to get my supplies out of the closet where they reside. I then pulled out my paper supply to look for appropriate colors and patterns for my subject. I found some nice ribbon and some stickers and took all of it to my work table. After swapping out a few options, I realized the solid red color I had picked was just not going to work with my patterned paper and my photos as well as a nice medium yellow would. So back I went to the supplies to re-file the red and sort through again to find the right yellow. 

Next, I began cropping my photos and arranging them on my page. While attempting to crop out some unwanted distraction in one of my photos, I inadvertently cropped wrong and the photo no longer worked as well with my planned layout. Bummer! I just couldn’t keep the photo in the layout anymore. Sadly, I put it in the discard pile. 

When I was finished, I did not want to put all those supplies back in their home. I had a mess from working on just this one page, and putting it all back was not high on my list of fun things to do!

In the end, I was quite happy with the aesthetics of the page. The colors worked beautifully together, I had used good design, and it was an overall nice page. But reflecting on the story I was trying to tell, I realized I didn’t quite hit a home run. Those discarded photos still nagged at me and there just wasn’t a ton of room for the journaling that would bring it all together.

So what did I learn? I learned that as much fun as it is to work with one’s hands with paper and stickers, my creativity was cramped in a way I had not imagined. Plus, I was left with a page that while visually appealing did not tell my story as I had wanted it to. Photos were omitted and journaling was limited. For every scrapbooker, we know telling the story is the most important and lasting thing we do. After this experiment, I am more convicted than ever to digi-scrapping my story. I am eager to share this exciting technique with the world!

YOU are the reason we created this business — traditional scrapbookers who want to learn more about this thing called “digital scrapboooking”. Our mission is clear: To instruct and encourage you to bring out the best in your digital creativity.

You might be thinking that this is way over your head. Well, we’re here to show you that anyone who understands traditional scrapbooking will understand digital scrapbooking. And with the advent of digital cameras and all the phones that have cameras, we aren’t finding the time to print all those photos. They’re stuck on our devices!

Digital scrapping gives us the opportunity to pick and choose from those photos on our devices, bring them into a program like Creative Memories’ StoryBook Creator Plus, and then be as creative with them on the computer as we are on paper. It can be that simple!

Stay tuned to this blog for helpful articles, tips & tricks, new classes, special offers, events and more — all about digital scrapbooking. We want to share our passion with you and help you feel more comfortable with digi-scrapping. Because as you may or may not know, it’s the future of scrapping!

Thank you for visiting our blog! We look forward to serving you!