Something old and something new here at Lime Lane today. This is not the first interview here at the site but it is the first time that digital scrapbooking has made an appearance.

Lita, from Artful Fancies and Litabells Designs, and an advertiser here at Lime Lane, has dropped by to share a quick introduction in the world of digital scrapbooking. Because I have to confess, it was a world of mystery to me and I thought it would be interesting to find out more about it. I’m a big fan of scrapbooking supplies ~ I love all the paper, and the embellishments, I love stamps although I have to admit I have never actually put together a scrapbook page. Although I am intrigued by the idea of putting together a page on the computer and printing it out.

First off, tell us about the world of digital scrapbooking ~ what is it and what does it involved?
Digital scrapbooking is based on traditional scrapbooking – preserving your memories, using papers and embellishments to create a beautiful page for your album. Digital scrapbooking takes that concept and simplifies it. Instead of having a bunch of papers, ribbons, flowers and other pretties, all you need is a computer and a photo editing program, and some digital scrapbooking supplies.

How do people use the digital elements? What kind of technical skill is required?
The most commonly used program is Photoshop, but other suitable programs include Gimp, PaintShop Pro, Scrapbook Max and Photoshop Elements. Now comes the fun part – shopping! There are many digital scrapbook stores online, where you can purchase beautiful digital kits, that include co-ordinating papers andembellishments. Using your program, you can create a beautiful layout that can later be printed and put into an album, or even made into a bound book.
Programs such as Photoshop have a fairly steep learning curve, and perhaps aren’t best for a beginner. Something like Scrapbook Max however, is very user friendly and quite simple to learn. There are many tutorials out there in Google-land though, which can help with whatever program you may have.

Do the digital kits have any other uses?

Kits can be used for scrapping layouts, personal blogs only and can also be printed to use in traditional scrapbooking.

Has digital scrapbooking taken off?
Digital scrapbooking is extremely popular these days. It is much faster than traditional scrapbooking, takes much less space and is incredibly cost effective. Papers from a scrap store can cost anywhere from $1.50 a piece to a whopping $5.00 and you can only use it once. In digiscrap, an entire kit (generally 12 papers and approx. 30 embellishments) costs on average $5- to $6 and can be used over and over again.

Where do you find inspiration for your kits?
I find inspiration in many places – sometimes from colours I see, something silly my kids say, a cute outfit, a fab magazine ad. Anywhere and everywhere really.

How do you find technology and social media has changed the world of digi scrapping?
Technology and social media have had a huge impact on scrapbooking. Clearly, the technology is what enable us to create our digital kits and layouts, and also makes it incredibly easy to access digital supplies via the net. Social media plays a huge part in ease of sharing tips and tricks, promoting business and also sharing our creations. Most digiscrap stores have forums and galleries attached creating a wonderful community feel. It is a great source of inspiration!

Want more? You can find Lita at:

her digichick store | blog | facebook | twitter

And some popular digiscrap stores:

• Digichick
• Sweet Shoppe Designs
• Scrap Orchard