11 Quick Tips for Digital Scrapbooking and 8 Scrapbook Layouts

I am loving digital scrapbooking! I was able to create these pages in very little time. I am out to have fun and try things I wouldn’t DARE do in classic scrapbooking or maybe I would. I encourage you to play too! As more of you, my brave customers and readers, are trying this fun and fabulous program I thought it would be fun to share what I have recently discovered.

3 Tips to Encourage You

#1 YOU CAN’T BREAK IT! Go ahead and try different things. Your layout is “automagically” being saved as you work on it, so even if your computer acts up during the process, you don’t have to worry about it being lost.

#2 There is an UNDO button. Life doesn’t have one, but this does!! Isn’t that great? Talk about FREEDOM. So, go ahead and try it. You dont’ have to worry about ruining a piece of paper or photo because you cut it wrong or laying down a sticker you can’t move.

#3 HELP is always there. I love the HELP button. I use it often and with the great tutorials with pictures it is easy to use! You can find it in the upper right hand corner.

You can click on any layout to see more of the details.

Tip #4. Split a Photo

Baby scrapbook layout with digital scrapbooking_My Creative Cottage — Template: Crystal Ball Paper Kit Used: Splendor

Tip: To get the split image photo simply drag the same photo into both photo wells. Once in the well it can be moved to make it into one photo with a split. It’s just kind of a cool thing you can do that I just stumbled upon. If you look at the journaling, you will notice a word is missing at the end, “smile”. I am going to stamp my own word and add it when I get my layouts. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Tip #5. Layering Stickers

Tip: It is so fun to layer and cluster your stickers. It is easily attained by draggin your sticker over and then right clicking and choosing options like “move forward”, “send back” This allows you add brads to centers of flowers and so much more. Here I just sent my stems to the back and one of my flowers to the front.

Tip #6 Add a Text Box Over Photo

Tip #7 Sepia Picture

Tip: Here I used my most favorite technique and that is adding a text box on top of my photo. All you have to remember is that you can add a text box like this anywhere and it will show through as long as you click “none” for the background of the text box. I also filtered the one picture in sepia. You can see I used the same picture twice. Once from far away in color and once zoomed in and changed to sepia. These changes are EASY to make as you go along and are inspired to try it. GO FOR IT!

#8 Shorten Your 12″ Border

Digital scrapbook layout of sisters and fall_My Creative Cottage — Pattern:Out of the Hat
Paper Kit Used: Olivia

Tip: Here I used the border strip in two locations. Once to fill in empty space in my journaling box. Simply drag your sticker over, then grab the arrow and shrink it. I also used it in between the 2 photos and the sticker artwork on the right hand side.

I also used just the letter A to start my quote and draw attention to it.

#9 Use a Sticker With Your Journaling

Digital scrapbook layout of concert_My Creative Cottage — Pattern used: Birds Eye View- further customized by rotating the left hand side of the layout. Paper kit used: You Rock

Tip: Here I used 2 different stickers for journaling that had lines. I dragged and dropped the stickers where I wanted them and then I added text boxes over them. Again, I made sure the box had no background. I was able to see where the words lined up or resize or adjust font size to make it work. It may not be perfect, but it worked.

#10 CHANGE THE COLOR OF YOUR PAPER

Digital scrapbook layout of back to school_My Creative Cottage — Template: Monologue
Paper kit used: Class Act

Tip: YES! that is what I said. You can change the color of the paper to match your photos. Here, the original crossword puzzle paper is white and black. I wanted to add more color and chose blue to bring out the colors in Savana’s blue hat. So, I colored that paper Dutch Blue and then of course you can color your buttons too. So I chose Cotton Candy to match Sofie’s outfit. Isn’t that just a GREAT way to customize?

#11 Use the Same Picture Twice

Digital scrapbook layout using the same picture_guitar playing_My Creative Cottage — Pattern used: Powerful Trio
Paper kit used: Zippidee

Here I used the same picture twice. Once in the large photo well and then again on the right hand side.

First time I edited and used the color saturation option which took out most of the color in the layout but left the brighter colors of her clothes. I LOVED the way it turned out. Then, the second time once I had the photo in the well, I zoomed in on just her hand on the guitar strings and for added insterest I color saturated again and then made that black and white. It gave it a very different vibe.

I hope you have enjoyed these tips and layouts. I would love to see what you are creating these days! Be sure to leave me a comment and a link!

Until Next Time-

Be Blessed!

Sarita