Freebies

Free is always a nice word. :) I have found that it is nice to look for free things and then if you discover you really like a particular designer's style then you can purchase some of their things.
Free is also a good way to try this whole digital scrapbook thing out before you spend an arm and a leg only to discover that you don't like it after all. So I thought I'd share some places that I get free stuff. This list is in no way compehensive. There are free things everywhere it seems!
So, here goes:
www.google.com - that's right! Google is a good place to look for free stuff for your digital scrapbook. I try to be as specific as possible. For example, I was working on a Luau page and I tried Free Hawaii Digital Scrapbook kit, Free Luau digital Scrapbook kit, etc.
www.scrapmatters.com - This is becoming one of my favorite sites. In their forum they have a section titled "Scrapmatters' freebies". Inside are thread discussions of freebies being offered.

digifree.blogspot.com - is a search engine for free digital kits. Lots of neat stuff for all different tastes.

http://www.digiscrapdepot.com/freebies/ - More freebies than you'll know what to do with!



Here is a tip: Only download things you think you will use. Otherwise you'll fill up your hard drive in no time.
Happy searching!
--Rachel

Speed Scrap

I was visiting the blog of one of my favorite designers and she mentioned how http://www.scrapmatters.com/ has speed scraps. I decided to go over and check the forum for more information. I got to paricipate in one tonight and it was so much fun! I ended up converting the time wrong so I got in over 1/2 hour late so I didn't have as long to prepare. I had planned to scrap something from our Disney trip using some new items I was downloading but the download wasn't finished and I had to jump in fast.

So, I used some pictures of my girls that were on my desktop. First I came up with this by the deadline:

I wasn't 100% happy with it but considering the time limit and the limited supplies that I have, it was a start. I tweaked it a bit more but I'm not sure if I'm finished. Here is the 2nd take:

Recommended Software and Books

Software

Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2

http://www.amazon.com/Paint-Shop-Pro-Photo-X2/dp/B000VJTL1Y/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=1214412899&sr=8-1
Amazon has it for $69.99. This is a one time purchase to make ALL of your books.
I like Corel the best and there are quite a few tutorials for free on the web for them but the most popular one is:

Adobe Photoshop Elements 6

http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-29230727-Photoshop-Elements-6/dp/B000UKBIEC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=1214412990&sr=1-1
Amazon has it for $76.49. Again a one time purchase to make ALL of your books.
Think of it as buying some papers and embellishments to make your first scrapbook but you get to re-use it all again and again and again!

Books
Although there are a lot of free tutorials o
n the web, I wanted a book that I could thumb through as well. I liked

Picture Yourself Learning Corel Paint Shop Pro X2 by Diane Koers

and it’s on Amazon for $19.79.
http://www.amazon.com/Picture-Yourself-Learning-Corel-Paint/dp/1598634259/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214413186&sr=8-2
I have a few more books that I ordered through Amazon today and I'll review them after I get a chance to look at them.

--Rachel

My plans for this blog

I am totally in love with digital scrapbooking! Although I think the scrapbooks with one picture on each page with beautiful details to the pages are beautiful, I am more of a fan of pages with multiple pictures and journaling. I don't think one is necessarily better than the other. I think it depends on the individual's preference and taste. Some people like chocolate ice cream, some like vanilla, but it's all ice cream. :)
So, I want to share some resources I've found useful with digital scrapbooking. I also want to share some pages I've completed and I'd like to share some kits I make. Some kits will be free and some will possibly be for sale. We'll see.
I'd also like to share about the name Princess Ladybug for the curious. :) Princess was my nickname that my paternal grandmother gave me. Ladybug is what my dad called me until one day when I was all grown up (around 6th grade :) ) and told him that he couldn't call me that anymore. I made the ladybug and the tiara in Paint Shop Pro. I had fun doing it.
--Rachel