| If you knew what I know now you would have | | | | this project. I finally understood why so many would |
| started a LONG time ago with digital scrapbooking. I | | | | say if their house was on fire, the first thing they |
| always envied anyone who could finish a traditional | | | | would grab would be their scrapbooks. |
| scrapbook! I still do! However, after trying to | | | | After that night, I knew that digital was the way to |
| complete just a few pages of my own and seeing | | | | go for me. I also knew if I ever wanted to create |
| almost two years pass with only 2 pages completed, | | | | something traditionally could still do so and then scan |
| I was baffled. One of my favorite stories about my | | | | it in to have it archived in case I wanted to print a |
| attempts at scrapbooking is once I traveled 45 | | | | copy down the road. |
| minutes to my sister-in-laws house to scrapbook the | | | | Digital Scrapbooking allowed me to create my son's |
| first year of my, at that time, 2yr old. When I arrived | | | | first year book in 45 minutes. I didn't have to be |
| I hauled in my huge bag of supplies and empty | | | | creative; I could use what was already there for me. |
| scrapbook albums, I unpacked all my papers, tape, | | | | I just had to match up the pictures with the pages |
| cutters and markers and spread them on the table. | | | | and add a little bit of text and I was done. Since I |
| That is when my sister-in-law asked me, "Kelly, | | | | didn't have to worry about my handwriting I was |
| where are your pictures?" I left my photos at home! | | | | able to type more about all the memories than if I |
| I couldn't believe it. I just sat back and laughed at | | | | would have done it by hand. In all honesty, I would |
| myself. | | | | say my first project was more like a digital photo |
| Being the non quitter that I am, I had a cd of | | | | book. Just pictures, a background that was already |
| pictures along with and went to Target to print of | | | | chosen for me and ability to write a little text. Each |
| another set of the photos that I wanted to use. I | | | | project that I did there after became a little more |
| was starting to wonder how much this whole project | | | | elaborate and creative. I was becoming more |
| was going to cost me along with how much time I | | | | confident in the digital tools available to me in the |
| would actually put into it. In the end, the memory | | | | free online studio and could feel my creativity starting |
| that my son would have made by me would be | | | | to come out. |
| more valuable than the time or money put into it, so | | | | There were so many perks for me but one of my |
| of course, I continued. | | | | favorites was I could create multiple copies and could |
| After another few months, a flooded basement and | | | | make each copy look just a little bit different then |
| a move to a new house, I opened up my scrapbook | | | | the one I had just published. I was thrilled that there |
| bag to pull out my 2 pages I had completed. I had | | | | was never any mess to clean up, just a laptop to |
| been introduced to a company where I could scan in | | | | close. I was most thrilled that I actually did something |
| my pages and save them as a jpeg and finish the | | | | with my photos and created an amazing memory |
| rest of my pages digitally! I was thrilled to know | | | | book filled with stories that won't fade. |
| there was another option in making my scrapbooks. | | | | The question you have to ask yourself is: Do you |
| At this time it was called digital storybooking. I didn't | | | | want to start small and learn as you go and have the |
| care what the term was I was just so excited to | | | | freedom to grow with your creativity and have a |
| check it out further. The sad thing was when I pulled | | | | free site that grows with you? Would you like an |
| out my two whole scrapbook pages, to my dismay, | | | | online site that allows you to create and design your |
| they were all molded over. The bag they were | | | | digital photo books and digital scrapbooks however |
| stored in was caught in the flood and being stored in | | | | you want without feeling limited with your options? |
| a dark damp area, the pages had become molded | | | | Heritage Makers is my favorite and the best, don't |
| and ruined. I had to throw them away. So many | | | | waste your time anywhere else. If you have the |
| thoughts went through my head, but in the end I | | | | time, please search around and let me know what |
| realized that I had only lost just a couple of my son's | | | | you find. |
| photos and was thankful of my procrastination on | | | | |