Make Your Foray into Digital Scrapbooking Easy with a Starter Project

Scrapbooks have been kept for centuries!  They're not a new tradition or fad.  In fact, scrapbooks pre-date photos!  Once photos came on the scene, scrapbooks meant even more because they preserved even more.  

Scrapbooks turned into "scrapbook-ing" in the 1980s and 1990s when scrapbookers added a creative, decorative aspect.  

The 21st century has brought us digital scrapbooking.  Instead of papers, stickers, and scissors (and a lot of space to spread out in), a digital scrapbooker utilizes technology--a computer and computer software--to create books digitally, then submit them for publishing.  

I know some digital scrapbookers keep only digital versions of their work, but print has a lot of benefits that digital doesn't, and photo experts have long maintained print as one of the safest ways to store photos.  So I consider the "digital" part of digital scrapbooking in the creation only, not the finished product.

Your story is worth sharing and preserving (the benefits to the heart and soul are impressive), and photos are the highlights of your life's story.  So let's explore making that entirely doable for you!

If you're considering making the transition from paper scrapbooking to digital scrapbooking, here are some great ideas and reasons to do it (such as a book never needing a full battery in order to give you access to your photos).  

NOTE:  I am a Forever affiliate, called an Ambassador, because I love Forever so much!  This means I make a commission from purchases at my website, and being your Ambassador means I'm here to help you with questions, too.

Making Digital Scrapbooking Easy

Today I'll share with you a brilliant way to make your foray into digital scrapbooking easy:  a starter project.  

There are five things I love about this approach I'm about to share with you:

1. It's a great fit for anyone who doesn't feel very computer-savvy.
2. It's a great fit for anyone who doesn't have a lot of time to spend preserving photos and memories.
3. It's a great fit for anyone concerned about photo privacy.
4. It provides you both a digital (shareable!) version of your book (digital backups are always smart) as well as access to a professional printing service with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.  
5. Once you've completed the starter project, you'll have a taste of an easy way to digitally scrapbook.  From there, you can continue using the simple software platform (free) or you can advance to a more creative and flexible digital scrapbooking software if you prefer.  (In my opinion, this is the piece de resistance!  Finding a digital scrapbooking method that works for you makes it not just doable but enjoyable moving forward.  Fun is what makes it easy.)

There seems to be a false idea out there that preserving photos and memories is hard, is complicated, takes a long time, is only for some people but not for others.  It's simply not true.  Memories aren't just for certain people.  Photos aren't just for some people.  The feel-good benefits that come from photos, memories, stories, and connections are for everyone!

My two biggest tips for making digital scrapbooking easy and doable are:

First, use a template.  It's just faster and easier.  All the templates in the platform I'm showing you here are free, so that's an extra bonus.

Second, set aside some time.  Take some Me Time on a Sunday night or a Saturday morning to spend with your photos and memories.  As soon as you start, it will stop feeling like a chore because you will love it!  I promise.

So let's get you there with a Starter Project.  Right now, just explore the options and don't worry about how to make them.  I'll explain everything!  😊

The Starter Project:  Three Options

When you're trying something new, it's often easier when you first just get your feet wet.  I have three ideas for your Starter Project which will do just that, so choose whichever one sounds most interesting and enjoyable to you.  

I've chosen three projects that you can actually try out for free, too!

I'll give you some instructions on how to do that shortly, as well as a little tutorial video on how to make these items.  You'll love how easy the software is to use!

OPTION 1

This starter project can be done in less than 5 minutes!  This is a set of 4 cork-backed coasters.  Keep it for yourself, or give it as a gift.  Click this link to start the project if it's the one you choose.

You'll choose 3 photos, a quote or sentiment, and a little text with one of the photos.  Easy, peasy.  Really.

OPTION 2

This starter project can be done even quicker than the coasters!  This little magnet has a quote as part of the design, then you just add a photo.  Click this link to start this project if it's the one you choose.    

With magnets, you can choose a 3x4 size or a 4x6 size.  If purple isn't your thing or you'd like a different quote, there are lots of other magnet templates you can choose from here.

OPTION 3

This is a sweet little book called "Remember."  Clink the link to start this project if it's the one you choose.

The "Remember" book has a lot of different page options, each one with a word like "SMILE," "GROW," "SHARE," etc., room for a few pictures, and space for text.  Write down a few of your memories--things you remember--and find some photos you can add in, too.

If finding photos is a little overwhelming for you because you haven't organized them yet, here's an idea:  Go to a local park and take some nice scenery pictures.  This is just a book of your memories, and you're just getting your feet wet making a book.  You can save the photo organization for later if that's easier.  

By the way, my goal here is for your Starter Project to be free if you're new to Forever, but I know there are several options for sizes and bindings available for books.  If you choose the 8x8 softbound book during a 50% off sale, you'll still be able to get it for free!

The How-To:  Instructions

Follow these simple steps to make your Starter Project (hopefully for free!).

1. You'll use the free templates at a simple platform called Create & Print by FOREVER.  First, open your free Forever account here.  
2. Next, check your email for an email from Forever so you can verify your email address.  If you're new to Forever and you verify your email address, you'll be emailed a $20 Welcome Coupon that's good for 60 days.  You'll be able to use it for your Starter Project!
3. Now watch this 5-minute tutorial video about how to use the Create & Print software (formerly called Design & Print).  I like to say that the learning curve for the Create & Print software is almost a straight line!  This allows you to get projects done in a jif.
4. Choose the photos you'd like to use in your project.  Upload them to your Forever Storage (cloud storage for photos and videos).  If you're uploading from your phone, this tutorial video will help.  If you're uploading from your computer, this tutorial video will help.
5. Next, click on whichever Starter Project you've decided on:  the coaster set or the magnet or the "Remember" book.  Make the project!  👊  I'm your Forever Ambassador, so reach out if you have questions.  photoandstorytreasures@gmail.com
6. Once your project is completed, go to the "Deals" tab along the top of the page at the Forever website.  Check to see if your chosen product is on sale.  You should be able to use the $20 coupon to get these items for free if they are 50% off.  Everything is on sale all the time, and sales vary between 35%-50%.  If you want to wait until your item is 50% off, you certainly may.  Whatever the sale is, use the sale code you see there so you'll get the sale price at checkout.
7. Now, go back to your email and get the coupon code for the $20 Welcome!  Apply that $20 Welcome code in your cart as well.  You should have the sale code and the $20 welcome code.  You will pay shipping, but hopefully you're getting your lovely Starter Project for free.

Next Steps

Now that you've gotten your feet wet with the Create & Print software, you're ready to do some digital scrapbooking to preserve your photos and memories!

You can keep on using Create & Print by Forever for travel books, yearbooks, Reasons I Love You books, and much more!  

There are hundreds of templates in Create & Print, and new ones are added all the time.  Old ones are retired periodically, so if you see one you like, snap it up and get started!

And, of course, you have also seen that you can make plenty of photo gifts and home decor using free Create & Print templates, too!

If you love Create & Print, then my work here is done!  😊  Set aside the time, use Create & Print templates, and you're ready to become a regular digital scrapbooker.  I like creating yearbooks every year, and you can find a lot of different designs by typing in "yearbook" into the search bar or just clicking here to explore.  

However, if you liked Create & Print OK but haven't met the love of your digital scrapbooking life, let me introduce you to Artisan digital scrapbooking software by Forever.  

It has many of the DIY elements of traditional paper scrapbooking (like using embellishments and alphabet stickers and "ripping" papers).  There's a LOT of room for flexible pages and for creativity.  You can see the basics at an introductory class I taught a few years ago:

It's my personal favorite because I can do things like this with it, playing with fonts and creating my own pages (whether from scratch or from blueprints) and choosing my own digital art and designs:

If you think you might fall in love with Artisan like I did, you can start a 30-day free trial here and read all the computer system requirements.  (Mac users need a partitioning program.)

What Will You Do?

I love that these options mean there's something for everyone, that you can get it all with both photo privacy and a 100% satisfaction guarantee, and that you can really be your own digital scrapbooking hero!

Tell me--what will you do?  Which of the three Starter Projects will you choose?  Which of the digital scrapbooking options will be Your Thing?  Let me know in the comments.  You're going to love the world of digital scrapbooking, especially with Forever!  

Who do you know who is looking for a simple way to get into digital scrapbooking?
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Be in the Pictures: "This isn't about you"

Last year, I took a lovely trip with my sister to one of her favorite places on earth.  Because it's a beach, it's automatically one of my favorite places, too, even though I'd never been there before.

One day, we were on a small ferry to an island where one of the ferry employees offered to take our picture.  We said, "Sure!" as we laughed a little about our very, very windblown hair.  

She took the picture and then told us a very short story that has become one of my favorite stories about pictures.

The Story:  This Isn't About You

She told us that her daughter recently wanted to take a photo of her, but she declined because she didn't think she look very good that day.  

Her daughter said, “This isn’t about you.  It’s about when you’re dead so that I have pictures of you to look at."

We laughed, mostly at the bluntness of the statement, but I really appreciated the reason behind the argument.  

Eventually, photos and videos and maybe even some audio recordings will be all we have left of someone special.

When we had this photo taken on the ferry, neither of us were trying to be a part of a beauty contest or have something airbrushed to make us look ten years younger.  (Why do we do that?!  Age is something to be proud of because we've earned it!)

We were just enjoying time together as sisters in a beautiful place where we had a completely delightful time.  Together.  And, hello, there were wild horses on that island behind us!! 

Just Do It

Just do it.  Be in the pictures.  Don't worry about if your hair is everywhere or you have wrinkles or gray hair ("sparkles") or if your eyelids are heavier than they used to be.  Guess what.  This is what I looked like at 52.  And this is something great that I did when I was 52.  So I should have some pictures of it!

It's about the moment, not about some ridiculous ideal that nobody can really live up to.  

I know it can be hard to get over ourselves in this world so focused on appearances, but to the people you matter the most to, they don't see anything but YOU.  The person they love.

The Two-Part Challenge

This is hard for most of us, I know.  This two-part challenge is for me too (although I've nailed part 2!)  

PART 1:  Look beyond appearances to the MOMENT and what's MEANINGFUL in a photo!  Look at the memories.  Begin to see something you'll cherish 5 or 25 years from now.  See something that those who love you will cherish even beyond that.

PART 2:  Celebrate memories.  Share your pictures.  Get them off your phone!  They don't get seen there.  Shared photos and memories and stories make life meaningful and have a whole host of personal and interpersonal benefits like these.

Then, get started preserving and sharing them in pages.  It doesn't have to be hard or complicated.  There are two different options at that link to fit your time and interest, and both of them are printed in highest quality bindings, papers, and inks to last generations.

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NOTE:  I am a Forever affiliate called an Ambassador (a decision I made because I love it so much), so you will find affiliate links in this post. I earn a commission from anything purchased at my website, and being your Ambassador means I'm here to help you with questions, too.

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Choosing the Right Memory-Keeping System for You

Listen.  I'm not special.  Yes, I love preserving my memories in pages, so I'm rarely more than a month or two "behind."  But all it takes is finding something you love and a plan you can stick to.

Because after that, it's just fun.  It's not hard. Not even a little.

We are going to focus today on digital memory-keeping--creating digitally with a printed result (and a digital copy, too).  The non-negotiables below still apply to traditional paper scrapbooking and to simply sliding your photos in photo albums purchased at a craft store or a big-box store, so make sure you can check all those boxes even if you're not interested in digital memory-keeping.  

The Non-Negotiables

No matter the memory-keeping system you choose, there are some non-negotiables that you should not budge on:

• quality: Look for acid-free, lignin-free pages printed with high-quality inks and best-in-the-industry bindings.  Do not use any company that uses glue in their bindings because over time the glue will crack, causing pages to fall out.  The best binding would be either stitching (a library binding) or a PUR binding which is a chemical bonding process, not glue.   
• a place to write: Photos without stories are the 21st century equivalent of an old shoebox in the attic--if you don't know who is in the photo and why it was taken, it actually loses its value!
• guarantees: Don't accept anything less than a 100% satisfaction guarantee and a privacy guarantee.  These days, it's very easy to find online sites that will print your books, store your digital photos, etc., but it's shocking how many of them have fine print that allows them to shut down their site without notice, sell your information, and even sell your photos.  Make sure you have a guarantee on all those things.  I wrote about privacy guarantees and common fine print here, if you'd like to learn more.  And, really, a 100% satisfaction guarantee for something you're paying for only makes sense.  You want your book to be amazing.

These non-negotiables do eliminate a fair amount of options, it's true.  And that's for good reason.  You really and truly don't want something that is going to fall apart.  You really and truly don't want your photos to be data-mined and sold.  You want a photo-memory book you can give as a gift and can pass on to the next generation.

The Magic Solution:  a hack

We will definitely get you to a solution here, but I first want to tell you the biggest secret in finding a memory-keeping system that works for you.

There's not a "latest and greatest" you should be looking for.  There's not some magic solution.

There's just a hack.

And the hack is this:  The right memory-keeping system, the best memory-keeping system, is your favorite one.  It's the one you will do and love.

That's the honest truth.  Make sure your chosen system meets the non-negotiables listed above, and if it does, you're in the right place.  

If you're still looking for the right thing for you, we'll talk next about how to choose the right memory-keeping system FOR YOU.  Something you'll do and love.

How to Choose the Right Memory-Keeping System for YOU

There are a few good questions to ask yourself in order to help you choose the right system FOR YOU.  Is your goal to spend time or save time?  Would a creative option or a pre-designed option be your choice?

Again, we're just talking about preserving memories and photos in pages here, but if you'd like to preserve them digitally in the cloud, this video will show you the digital equivalent--best quality, privacy, and longevity guaranteed.

NOTE:  I am a Forever affiliate called an Ambassador (a decision I made because I love it so much), so you will find affiliate links in this post. I earn a commission from anything purchased at my website, and being your Ambassador means I'm here to help you with questions, too.

Two Recommendations 

In 19+ years as a memory-keeping consultant, the best options I've seen for preserving photos and memories in printed pages that will last for years and years to come are:

OPTION A:  Create & Print

I've seen so many people use this simple method with beautiful results.

And more than the "beautiful" part... They have RESULTS!  For anyone stuck (not moving forward) with memory-keeping, this might be the most important thing of all.  Something doable can make all the difference.

Create & Print templates are professionally-designed and free to use.  Choose the size, number of pages up to 99 (the price of the book is for 21 pages, then you can add pages at a per-page price), and the cover type (hardbound or softbound).  There's just one design for the cover, but you can choose each page of the book individually based on your needs (a page with 3 photos, a page with 4 photos plus text, etc.).  And there are hundreds of templates available for you to choose from, in many themes from vacation to wedding to everyday memories.

Another big win with Create & Print is that it uses very intuitive software that really only takes about 4 minutes to learn.  You can see exactly how easy it is to use Create & Print here (or at this playlist)

With Create & Print, you can even make a book right from your phone.

Some people love designing their own pages for full creativity and flexibility when making digital photo-memory books.  That's Option B, but I always suggest that if you're stuck or behind on your memory-keeping, you can get books done rather quickly using Create & Print, and you may like getting last year's photos into a book  with Create & Print and then move on to this year's using Artisan, an amazing and fun digital scrapbooking software program I'll tell you about next.

I've seen this in action, by the way.  If time is of the essence or if you've been sitting on a photo-memory book goal for too long, Create & Print may just be your best friend.  

I have a friend who waited on putting together her daughter's wedding book for about 4 years because her go-to memory-keeping company was going through some changes and had some problems.  I suggested Create & Print and she put the entire book together--and ordered it for printing--in 4 days.

OPTION B: Artisan digital scrapbooking software

I have used Create & Print several times for projects I needed done quickly, which is fantastic, but I absolutely love Artisan for full creativity, flexibility, and freedom of design.  Artisan is definitely my go-to.  With Artisan, I use fonts from my own computer (and 1001 Free Fonts is my favorite tool for always adding new, fun fonts), and I love creating!

Artisan is a program you purchase and install on your computer (like you do with Word or any other computer program).  There's a free 30-day trial, too.  Then, you can purchase digital art to use with Artisan so, again, you're getting exactly what you want.

While some people like--or some circumstances necessitate--quick and easy photo-memory book completion, if you enjoy the creative process like I do (it's, quite honestly, needed Me Time), you may love Artisan as much as I do.

Because there's SO MUCH you can do with Artisan, and it does take a little time to learn the program--just like with any computer program--I have created a whole Artisan Quick Tips with Jennifer series of tutorial videos that show you one thing at a time, such as how to add a drop shadow, how to create a wrap-around cover, how to crop photos, etc.  You can see them all at that link, and this video will show you how to make a basic page:

What Now?

Get books in your hands!  Choose the system that works best for you, and just get started.  Don't wait.  All the benefits of memory-keeping that I listed above are waiting for you!

Get started following the steps here.

Remember, too, that books make great gifts--for yourself, for your family, for grandparents, for kids.  Emailing pictures really isn't the same thing.  Something you can hold in your hands is precious.

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