December Moments to Capture

December moments

Journal card by Digital Design Essentials. LD woodland font.

While we haven’t even celebrated Thanksgiving yet (it’s tomorrow!), December is just right around the corner and I’m thinking about the many moments I will want to capture. With a month full of memory making opportunities coming up, it’s a good idea to take a few minutes and plan ahead. Fortunately, we have a ton of great resources right here at The Daily Digi to make this easier!

Check the calendar for holidays:

December 1st – First Sunday of Advent
December 2nd – Cyber Monday
December 5th – Last day of Hanukkah
December 6th – St. Nicholas Day
December 13th – St. Lucia’s Day
December 21st – December Solstice
December 24th – Christmas Eve
December 25th – Christmas Day
December 26th – Boxing Day
December 26th – Kwanzaa begins
December 31st – New Year’s Eve

Check your personal events calendar:

Look for parties, events, birthdays, and even routine appointments. All of these will help you decide what December moments are most important to you to be captured. I still love Google calendar and rely on it to help me keep all of the schedules in my life straight!

Read through some of our past posts:

Think outside the box:

We discussed many different ways to approach holiday memory keeping in episode 107 of The Digi Show. I bet you will find at least one tip or idea that helps you take the pressure off during this busy season!

Be sure to check out Anna Aspnes’ unique approach to December Daily. She challenged herself to tell the stories of the year in December. It’s a great idea!

Make a list:

Jot down the ideas you got from the lists and links above and keep it somewhere you will see it throughout the next month. I’m going to keep mine on my iPhone for easy access. Don’t worry about doing every single thing on the list, keep it more as an idea reminder and get ready to enjoy a magical month ahead!

Katie_TDD

October 12, 2013November 27, 2013

Making frames from embellishments

making frames from embellishments

Studio Rosey Posey – One Moment. Fonts are blackout & Fontleroy Brown

Have you ever thought of creating a unique frame for a photo or journaling spot by using digital embellishments? There are some creative (and easy!) ways to do this. Here are some of my favorite tricks:

Use straight lines

Straight ribbon, washi tape, ric rack, lace, and other borders are super easy to make frames out of. Just use 4 pieces (or duplicate the same piece 4 times) and make it into a frame. You can create a square frame, or crop 2 of the pieces to create a rectangle.

using tape to make a frame

One Little Bird – Happygram

Line up the little things

Buttons, sequins, flowers, and more can all be lined up or put into a shape to create a snazzy frame. Follow a shape template to help you with your spacing and alignment and then just delete the shape when you are done. Merge all those layers together to keep the frame as a single layer that is easy to move and resize.

Digital Design Essentials – The Good Stuff

Look for natural frame spaces

Some embellishments provide an instant area for framing. Look at your embellishments with a new perspective to find places to insert photos and journaling.

ribbon

Kristin Cronin-Barrow – How Does Your Garden Grow

When you look through your digital supplies, keep an eye open for creative ways to use the embellishments in unique ways. You can extend the use of your digi kits by making frames for photos and journaling by putting these skills to use. Have fun!

Katie_TDD

October 2, 2013November 27, 2013

Scrapping in Season

scrapping in the season

Studio Rosey Posey – Autumn Time. Code Light font.

The great thing about digital scrapbooking is that you don’t have to do it in any order. You can scrap about your son’s preschool years and wedding all in one sitting. There are no rules! That said, I have to admit that I love to scrap “in season” – meaning that I scrap about the current season I’m experiencing in real life. I think it’s only natural to want to relive fall memories when the leaves around you are changing. Not to mention that all the digital designers are releasing products that are just perfect for this time of year!

If you feel like your scrapping is in a rut, consider scrapping along with the seasons as they occur. Fall is the perfect time to try out this technique because there is so much going on during the months of autumn. Here are some great ideas and examples to get you motivated.

School’s in Session

Fall is definitely a time for education. Early fall means back to school and that can inspire a whole new batch of digi scrapping. New routines, milestones, school pictures, and class subjects, provide plenty of scrapbooking material.

layout by kfite7

layout by cardinalskate

layout by Heddy

Daily Digi resources for scrapping about school:

Changing Colors

In the northern hemisphere, leaves are changing colors as they get ready to fall off in preparation for colder months. The southern hemisphere is just blooming into spring after the winter season. Either way, the colors are vibrant at this time of year. Let nature guide you to scrap those seasonal photos!

layout by Vicki

layout by Trina

layout by Anne

Seasonal Activities

There are certain activities that go along with this time of year; apple picking, corn mazes, pumpkin patch visits, and more! Why not scrap these events (even from past years) around the same time they are happening? The memories will be fresh in your mind and it will be easy to find great supplies to help you document them.

layout by Tara

layout by Courtney Mervine

layout by Heddy

Harken the Holidays

Fall holidays are perfect for scrapbookers! Halloween is such a visually fun celebration with costumes, decorations, and candy – so easy to scrap! Thanksgiving is filled with family and good food. Plenty of time to swap old stories. Get out a tape recorder or jot down some notes while you are at this year’s feast.

layout by twomoredays

layout by Tiff3fs

Daily Digi resources for scrapping fall holidays:

While it’s true that I can scrap about these occasions any time during the year, I’m much more likely to do so when the season is in line with my creations. How about you? Do you scrap in season, or does that even matter to you? There’s no right or wrong answer, just some food for thought!

Katie_TDD

September 18, 2013November 27, 2013

So many forms of digital memory keeping

digital memory keeping

After more than 8 years as a digital scrapbooker, I am certain that right now is the BEST time ever for this type of memory keeping. There have never been as many options as we currently have and our community is overflowing with well-designed supplies and helpful resources. It’s a good time to be a digi scrapper!

The definition of digital scrapbooking has broadened over the years to include all forms of digital memory documenting. We can use our computers, Photoshop, smart phones, tablets, apps, social media, photobooks, templates, and any number of designs to capture our memories in a meaningful way.

Want to see what today’s digital memory keeping looks like? Here are some wonderful and inspirational examples:

Scrapbook Layouts

Just like paper scrappers, digital memory keepers like to combine photos, words, and decorative touches to make their memory into a masterpiece. There are so many ways to make a digital layout!

page by keldakitty from our Digital Scrapbook Inspiration group

Pocket Pages

Project Life and other pocket scrapbooking formats have made it fun and easy to capture life one rectangle or square at a time. The old time photo album format met up with new age scrapbooking and created a style that is accessible to many different types of memory keepers.

page by scrapandsass from our Digital Pocket Scrapping group

Art Journaling

Artsy and creative don’t have to involve physical supplies – digital art journaling is so much fun and there’s no mess to clean up!

page by lynnirene from our Digital Scrapbook Inspiration group

Photo Books

With so many companies offering drag and drop templates for photobooks, it has become incredibly easy to save memories in this format. We especially love AdoramaPix and want to remind you about the awesome 40% off coupon for our readers – it expires in November, so hurry!

monochrome

photobook by Katie using AdoramaPix + Instagram

Card Making

In today’s connected world, we often have friends all over the globe. Digital cards can be sent anywhere and shared on social media. Or you can always print them out and give them in a more traditional manner.

card by RonnieTexas from our Digital Scrapbook Inspiration group

Blogging

Yes, bloggers really are digital memory keepers… even if they don’t think of themselves as such. Sharing digital images and words on a blog is a great form of documentation!

Memory Monday_ our first kitchen - Katie the Scrapbook Lady-1

Memory Monday post from Katie the Scrapbook Lady blog

Social Media Sharing

Photo sharing, status updates, and online conversations have become forms of memory documentation that even non-scrappers have embraced. Stories are being told through small posts on sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more.

status update

Apps

Using words + photos type of apps is a super easy and mobile way to digitally document your memories. There are oodles of options out there and you can even create collages that are very similar to full scrapbook layouts!

steph adventures

created by Steph using Over

Websites

There are lots of ways to tell your story using online formats from websites. You can save notes & pictures in Evernote, answer prompt questions on Proust, or create picture collages and projects with sites like PicMonkey. The internet is a big helper when it comes to memory keeping!

created by Katie with Proust

Video

The next best thing to being there in person is to have a video of the moment. YouTube, Vimeo, and photo sites that have video sharing capabilities are all part of digital memory keeping.

Video interview by Janet Phillips

I just love having all of these tools and resources to help me share my memories. I bet you will agree that this is the best time in history to be a memory keeper. Digi rocks!

katie big

September 11, 2013November 27, 2013

Don’t be afraid of the letter i

I believe in journaling. Sometimes it is a bit of a bother, but I am always glad when I take the time to make a page into a meaningful masterpiece by adding this very personal touch. It is very powerful to journal in the first person. This means you use the word “I” and talk about something in your own voice such as “I went to the store and bought a new shirt. I couldn’t believe it cost $50!”

Here’s an example of my own “I” journaling:

January 2012 — Layout by Katie Nelson. Credits: Scrapbook Lady Sixes template, Jenn Barrette & Kristin Cronin-Barrow Everyday Storyteller collab, Typewriter Scribbled font.

The journaling is a collection of my own thoughts about the pictures on the pages. It reads: “I took 12 pictures on the 12th of January of random bits of my life that day. The day started out as a chilly one! I took the thermometer picture with my iPhone and then switched to my Canon point and shoot for the rest of the day. We treated ourselves to pizza for lunch as a reward for finishing our semester finals. Roasted red peppers, feta cheese, & mushrooms – yummy! I took a picture of my new camera case from Photojojo. It’s so felty and cute! We’ve had very little snow this winter. I miss my garden and I’m looking forward to spring. Our patio furniture is all tucked away for the winter. I’m reading The Family Dinner right now. I’ve always been a big believer in the power of family meals and I’m grateful that my own Mom gave us the blessing of eating together as a family. This book has been an affirmation of what I know is important. I love reading cookbooks!”

When you use the first person narrative, you are telling the story in YOUR own words. When crafters talk about putting “their heart” into their creations, I’m pretty sure nobody does this more than a writer. Committing your thoughts and feelings into a tangible form is truly a gift to those you share it with.

I like orange — Layout by Katie Nelson. Credits: Template by Sara Gleason – Daffodil 3 (modified), Edged Out Border by Tracie Stroud, Papers by Kaye Winiecki (say cheese), Dani Mogstad (birds of a feather), Joyce Paul (lemonade stand), Karen Lewis (all about me – digichick collab), Misty Mareda (Organic MScraps collab), iScrap (Organic MScraps collab), Jennifer Labre (color me happy). Century Gothic font.

The journaling is unmistakably mine and brings my voice to life on the page. It reads: “A few years ago, I would have never listed orange as a color that I even liked. In fact, I really did NOT like the color of orange at all when I was growing up. Perhaps it’s because there was so much of it in the 1970’s. I still don’t like the shades of orange that were popular in that decade, but I have grown to appreciate the color recently. One of my favorite blogs is called “How About Orange” and it’s written by a designer named Jessica Jones. She’s helped me realize that orange is hip, vibrant, and full of life. I genuinely like the color orange now. How about that?”

Using the letter “I” makes the journaling more personal. It may feel more difficult to write because there is nothing to hide behind… you are sharing what you really think. Don’t be afraid of the letter “I” – it’s an important tool for authentic pages!

baby doll — Layout by Katie Nelson. Credits: Scrapbook Lady Stories template. Wild Blueberry Ink Love Story from The Digi Files #51 March 2013. Arial font.

My daughter will always enjoy hearing my take on this memory! The journaling says: “I still remember going in to check on Riley one night and finding this scene. Her baby doll was right on top of her and she not only had a binki in her mouth, but one next to her hand, and another nearby. I was struck by how much her baby doll looked like her in her jammies. It was touching to see how much love she had for this little doll, and how she must have been cuddling her to sleep. Knowing Riley like I do now, I’m sure that was the case. She is such a sweet and loving person and I love that this photo captures that about her.”

I challenge you to use the letter “I” at least a few times on your next layout. Pour yourself right into the page with your words and you will understand the power of “I” – it’s wonderful!

katie big

September 10, 2013November 27, 2013

Opening pages

travel album opening page — Layout by Katie Nelson that will be used as the opening page for a travel album. Credits: Scrapbook Lady Structured template. Little Butterfly Wings So Far Away, Tracy Martin Traveler, and Kristin Cronin-Barrow Tropical Hideaway.

Many scrappers like to introduce their albums with an opening or title page. It’s a great way to set the stage for the stories that will follow. I love this clean and simple example from Tifff3fs.

This is a great way to define the topic of a mini-album. I love the way TaraMcK started off her summer manifesto project!

It’s also a great way to explain the purpose, order, or meaning behind the album. Trina used this title page to share her love for her daughter and to tell her that it didn’t matter that the pages were not in chronological order. Love this!

Even smaller segments in time or theme can have their own opening pages like craftytamm did. Try introducing a month, a trip, or a school year by using a title type of page. It’s a great way to keep a large album feeling more manageable!

I especially love the idea of using a family tree page as an opening to a heritage album. It will help the viewer keep track of how everyone is related and meaningful. Dee Birks did a great job connecting all the relationships on this page.

You can even get ahead of the game and put together an opening page for the future. Tifff3fs must be very organized!

Just like any great book, it’s nice to have an introduction. It helps prepare the viewer for the journey of memories they are about to embark on. Trina knows just how to set the mood!

Take a look through your albums and decide where you might want to add some opening pages. These type of title layouts also make great filler pages if you end up with an odd number of pages!

katie big

August 18, 2013November 27, 2013

Using Pinterest to track digital scrapbooking inspiration

We all know how much fun Pinterest can be for finding and keeping track of inspirational projects, but have you thought about using it to organize digital scrapbooking tutorials? It’s a great place to bookmark all of those great tutorials you want to try! I’ll use the Daily Digi’s Pinterest account to illustrate what I mean. We have several boards set up to help us keep up with all the great things we find out in digiland and we have some special places to file tutorials.

The easiest way to keep track of tutorials is to simply create a board for them. It’s so much nicer to use Pinterest for this instead of just a bookmarks folder because you can see an image that goes with the tutorial. I don’t know about you, but I’m much more likely to actually try something when I can see a picture!

When you find a tutorial you want to try, pin it to a board just for tutorials. Be sure to install the pin button in your browser to make it even easier. So simple!

katie big

July 13, 2013November 27, 2013

Redefining simple scrapbooking

redefining simple

Erica Zane the eyes have it

We love simple scrapbooking here at The Daily Digi because we want to encourage our members and readers to realize that they CAN get their precious memories scrapped. It doesn’t have to be hard or complicated. There are some people who love the creative exercise of digi scrapping and might think “simple scrapbooking” is not something they want to participate in. It’s a misconception to think that simple=easy or that simple=plain. I believe that simple really means you can get it done!

There are so many ways to use the resources and technology available to keep the scrapbooking process simple and enjoyable With all the great advancements in digital scrapbooking, simple scrapbooking deserves to be redefined. . It’s time to challenge those preconceived notions!

Quick Pages = Simple

If someone else designs the page for you, all you have to do is slip a photo or two behind it. It doesn’t get any easier than that, and nobody will ever know that the page didn’t take more than a few minutes put together!

link to credits

Check out the post Super Speedy Scrapping for more examples of using quick pages to make digi scrapping easier.

Templates = Simple

When you use a layered template, all you have to do is fill the spaces with your own photos, papers, and embellishments. The page design is planned out for you so you get to focus on the fun stuff!

link to credits

There’s an entire section of template related tutorials and posts here on The Daily Digi if you are looking for even more inspiration.

Whitespace = Simple

Just because a layout has a lot of whitespace, doesn’t mean it didn’t take a long time, but generally speaking – the less “stuff” you have to sort through, the easier it is to complete the page.

link to credits

Check out Designing your memories and white space for more ideas.

Big photos = Simple

When you fill a page with a large photo or two, you don’t need to make as many other design decisions. Stunning and simple!

link to credits

Don’t be afraid to go big:

Your comfort zone = Simple

If you feel comfortable with your own style, scrapbooking will be much more simple for you. Really! Even if you like a lot of clustering, tons of layers, or other styles that might not bring the word “simple” to mind, if that is what makes your heart sing, then it will be a lot easier for you!

link to credits

There are so many great ways to keep it simple and enjoy the process of digi scrapping. I hope you will bookmark this post to review when you start feeling overwhelmed. Scrapping should be fun!

katie big

June 8, 2013November 27, 2013

Big is Beautiful!

go big with your photos

Bebas font

It’s no secret that I love really big photos on my layouts. The bigger the better in my opinion! One of my favorite ways to scrap is to fill a page almost completely with a large photo and then layer a few embellishments around in the natural empty space of the picture.

Scrapbook Lady Sweeties template. Little Butterfly Wings one of a kind word arts and papers. Pink Reptile Designs simple things.

Travel and scenery photos look especially stunning when they are enlarged. Just add some word art or some edging details if you want to dress it up a bit.

Scrapbook Lady SuperSized template. Solid papers by Suzy Q Scraps. Travel word transfer by Anna Aspnes

A larger photo can act as a backdrop for the story you want to tell. It’s a great way to call attention to a smaller picture.

Baseball by Katie the Scrapbook Lady

Scrapbook Lady StunningShots template. Supplies from Julie Billingsly & Jady Day Studios Bases Loaded

It’s still ok to add a lot of pictures to a page with a large photo. I included 6 photos on this layout and was still able to show off the main image in grand style.

Scrapbook Lady Scraps Sideways template. Thankful Gathering by Studio Rosey Posey.

There’s still plenty of room for journaling even with a great big photo.

Scrapbook Lady Stunning Singles Template, Faith True Master of Disguise kit, fonts are Bebas and Myriad Pro

Big and Beautiful

I’m not the only one who likes big pictures, just take a glance through some online galleries and flickr groups. Here are some of my favorites:

Don’t you just love this sweet little baby face?

link to credits

I love the look of the title right across the top of the photo on this layout.

link to credits

The combination of a large photo with beautifully designed text lends a magazine feel to this page.

link to credits

One of my very favorite ways to use a big photo layout is as an opposing page on a double page spread.

link to credits

Blending a large photo with textured paper can turn your layout into an art gallery piece.

link to credits

Big photo pages just always catch my eye!

link to credits

Best tips for big photo pages

Start with one picture that you really want to emphasize and go big with it. You can always add more after you get that one in place.
Keep embellishments and titles in perspective – you might want to go a little more on the bold side with a larger size photo.
Consider using photo treatments, filters, or other enhancements to make those large pictures look their very best.
Let the photo (or photos) shine and take center stage. It’s perfectly fine to add a lot of other details and elements, but don’t overwhelm the star of the show. Let that photo be big and beautiful!

More big picture ideas

Next time you go to place a photo on a digital scrapbook page, consider making it a little bigger. Remember, big is beautiful!

katie big

May 21, 2013November 27, 2013

Add a little flair to your digital scrapbook pages

digital scrapbooking with flair

Studio Blagovesta Gosheva Things I love about You (part of this month’s digi files collection)

Anyone who knows me is aware that I have a special fondness for “badges”. For some reason, I just love cute little buttons with designs or words on them. I used to go kind of crazy using the pieces of flair app on Facebook – in fact, that app is the only reason I joined Facebook in the first place! I simply wanted to make my own flair. Those flair buttons were low resolution though and it wasn’t long before I discovered how much better digi flair is! With all the talented designers in digiland, there is no shortage of fabulous flair to use on our creations.

How to digi scrap with flair

I love the way that the single flair button is acting as a fastener for the journaling card on this layout. Such a simple touch that really makes the page great!

The repetition of flair pieces along the side of this page keep the eye moving through the design and tie everything together perfectly.

Flair buttons don’t have to be round, sometimes they come in rectangles, squares, and even whimsical shapes like hearts. They give nice dimension and interest to any page, and I love the way they add some fun to this beautiful layout!

Flair buttons with words or themes can emphasize the message of the page and call attention to the important points of the memory.

A well-placed piece of flair on a layout is the equivalent of a cherry on top of a cupcake. It just adds a special little something!

A few tips for flair

Pieces of flair are just as easy to use as digital buttons on a layout and can often be shadowed in a similar way. I personally like my flair pieces to have a little more shadowing since they would be thicker than a button in real life.

Shadowing can be done in many different ways and you will need to play around with your own settings to see what you like. There are several tips and great links to explore in our drop shadows tutorial section. For this example, I used a regular button and a flair button (both by Pink Reptile Designs) and applied the following drop shadow settings (in PSE 11):

traditional button:

angle 45 degrees
size 21
distance 23
opacity 37

flair button (badge):

angle 45 degrees
size 21
distance 26
opacity 43

Another tip to keep in mind is the size and proportion of the flair in comparison to other elements of the page. I like to think of these flair buttons as the same size as the little pin on badges you can find in the real world, or pieces of flair from the paper scrapbooking store. Think about the size of the piece in relation to the other items on your page. The layouts displayed at the beginning of this post all demonstrate great proportionate use of flair buttons.