May 29, 2008
Hybrid Scrapbooking - the Best of Both Worlds
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As regular readers will remember, I’ve written in the past about hybrid scrapbooking and how, these days, I would very rarely make a paper scrapped layout or card without some hybrid component to it.
I think a lot of this is because I tend to design my layouts ‘on the fly’ so to speak, instead of planning them out. Rather like Haphazard Hetty from an earlier article.
Now whilst that’s not really a big deal for digital scrapbooking, since I can always find an element that suits my purposes or modify it to do so without much trouble. It’s very different with paper scrapbooking.
So without forward planning, I would never have bought just the right element in the right colour for what I needed on my layout.
Once I started combining digital with paper scrapbooking, life became a whole lot easier.
I can use my digital alphas to create a monogram in the colour that I want. And I can easily add some journaling to it if I need to. Then just print it out on cardstock or photo quality card, mount it on foam tape and I have a custom designed monogram for my layout.
Another technique I like to use is to apply digital embellishments such as frames or accent flowers to my photos before printing them out.
And journaling tags are probably my most used technique. I choose a tag from my wide selection of digital tags. Change the size and maybe the colour to fit in with my scrapbook layout. Then just type my journaling directly onto the tag and print the whole thing out.
Apart from making life a lot easier, mixing my digital techniques with my paper techniques means that I’m never at a loss for the elements I need to finish my layout. And if it’s the right shape but the wrong colour I can change it to suit.
I know that many of you paper scrapbookers enjoy the tactile side of creating your layouts and don’t want to forsake it for digital scrapbooking.
And why should you?
But mixing the two scrapbooking approaches can open up a whole new level of creativity for you.
Oh and by the way, because I don’t need to buy lots of different embellishments I get to save money with hybrid scrapbooking too. You gotta love that.
I’d love to know whether any of you paper scrapbookers have tried hybrid scrapbooking and how you feel about it. Share your story or your views in the comments below. And how about you digital scrapbookers. Have you tried getting a bit of glue under your fingernails and mixing your digital layouts with some hybrid ones?
And if you’d like learn more about developing the digital skills to do this, click over to Step by Step Digital Scrapbook, the site that’s designed specifically to help beginners to digital scrapbooking.
Expand your scrapbooking and save your pocket. We all like that, don’t we?
Other Related Articles:
Hybrid Scrapbooking - What’s it all about?
Methodical or Haphazard Scrapbooker - which are you?
Madison Avenue Scrapbooking - scrapbook idea on advertisements inspiration
Stumble it!
12 Responses to “Hybrid Scrapbooking - the Best of Both Worlds”
I once took a ten month multimedia course at a local school, intending to work in the field of multimedia development. That never panned out and my training went to waste until I discovered digital photography and scrapbooking. I have used digital elements in my scrapbooks long before the term digital scrapbooking was coined. I think combining digital and traditional gives us the best of both worlds.
By June Campbell on May 29, 2008
I’m with you 100% June. I love the breadth of scope that digital scrapbooking gives my creativity. In face, until I started going digital I didn’t think I was all that creative.
It’s great to hear that you were able to recognise an opportunity to use your multimedia training in digital scrapbooking.
Actually I think that the skills you use in digital scrapbooking are enormously helpful when you learn how to use other computer software.
By karooch on May 30, 2008
This is a great idea! Especially since I am not a fan of my penmanship. This can keep my pages looking clean and it will fit perfectly.
Antoinette’s last blog post..Features
By Antoinette on May 30, 2008
Oh, yeah! Bad penmanship is my middle name. I never touch pen to paper when I’m scrapbooking. Its all digital. I do a lot of photo editing as well.
I am currently making one of those little chipboard albums that is cut in a funky heart shape and fastened together with a ring on one side. I scanned one of the heart shaped pages into the computer, resized the image to make the heart about 25% smaller than the original, then using Photoshop’s Paste Into command, I pasted my pictures into the heart. The result is images that are the exact shape of the funky heart, but smaller so I can attach them to the book and have room for a border and embellishments. It would be tricky to do that if you didn’t use digital tools to get the effect.
By June Campbell on May 30, 2008
I think most of us are unimpressed by our own handwriting Antoinette. I know I think mine is messy and uneven, although others sometimes comment that they like it. I guess the grass is always greener…
But even though I prefer computer journaling over handwritten stuff, I do feel I need to make an effort to leave some sort of memory of my handwriting. So I occasionally do a little bit of ‘real’ writing on my layouts.
What a great idea June. I made an album in the shape of a handbag (purse) for my niece’s 18th birthday. It was a hybrid project and I cut the background papers to the shape of the handbag. But your album sounds really cool and intriguing. Do you have it posts on the Web anywhere I can see it?
By karooch on May 31, 2008
I love your purse album. It really is outstanding. I left a comment on the page. My heart album isn’t quite finished yet. I’ll put up a picture or possibly a small video when it is finished. It’s going to be a gift for a 95 year old cousin, so it will be fairly traditional.
By June Campbell on May 31, 2008
Hi, Want to take a look at my weekend project? I made a video of it. It’s at Hybrid Scrapbooking Album
By June Campbell on Jun 3, 2008
For some reason I haven’t been able to access your site for the last couple of weeks (my end, not yours); but now I will try to catch up, LOL.
I started “hybrid” scrapping over 10 years ago when I came back from Germany and could not find the elements I wanted for my pages. At the time I would trace out stuff from my pictures that I though would make good elements and off I went.
By Tink on Jun 21, 2008
Wow Tink. You were a pioneer. You were doing it even before hybrid scrapbooking got it’s name.
By karooch on Jun 22, 2008