Digital Scrapbooking

Lately I've been really into doing digital scrapbooks. I have learned that my printer (Canon MP480) is capable of printing borderless 8.5x11 sheets. WHOA, am I excited!!!! Below are two images of a two page layout I did in Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 (yeah, 2.0...) in an 8.5x11 format. They printed off perfectly on Canon Photo Paper Plus Glossy II sheets. I'm not being paid by Canon to say that or anything, but I have learned from personal experience that, yes, there IS a dramatic difference between the products made for your printer and products you may try to buy of any other brand. I'm more than satisfied.

I made this layout using the Barefoot kit over at www.shabbyprincess.com. This was a kit I bought (*GASP!*) because I just couldn't resist. I love the fact that this kit is really made to celebrate boys. There are far too few things out there meant to do any kind of craft projects for boys, as if moms of boys are any less inclined to craft about and for their children than moms of girls.

What I LOVE about the digital scrapbooking is the fact that you basically have limitless use of what kit items you get. For instance, I just made my entire title and a little subtitle out of the awesome distressed looking letters that came with the kit. I didn't have to give any thought to the fact that I was using up my letters in this project because I can never run out! Even though I use up paper and ink in printing these sheets, I'm technically not using as much as it seems because I'd be using a lot of this ink to print the pictures in these pages anyway.

For those of you who have a good photo printer, but can't print borderless 8.5x11" sheets, go with 8x8 sheets! You can print the 8x8 square onto a sheet of 8.5x11" photo paper and then cut it out and slip it into your album. I've been making an entire album for my husband for our 5th anniversary like this. It's totally cute.

Oh, and for anyone who thinks using the ink is too expensive--on my printer so far (I've been keeping an ink journal), I've printed 12 4x6 photo sheets, 8 5x7 pictures, 5 8x8 sheets, and 2 full 8.5x11 sheets and my ink is saying I've only used up half of it. My ink refills cost about $24.00 (I use the ColorXL, too... more ink for less money!).

So I'd encourage people to try out some digital scrapbooking! Go to my favorite digiscrapping site--www.shabbyprincess.com--for all kinds of free kits you can experiment with!