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Really, the things you can do with your digital creations are limitless--get creative! Think out of the box! Here are some ideas to get you started:

Print your pages on your home printer.

Upload them to an online photo processing site such as scrapbook pictures and have them printed. You can then add them to a top-loading photo album.

Upload your layouts and have them printed in a bound book. I have heard of Shutterfly to print books, but there are other companies that offer the same service.

Print your pages and add to a traditional scrapbook page. You can combine your layout with lapbooking and notebooking elements to finish the project.

Turn them into cards, calendars, gift bags, place mats, coasters, invitations--ANYTHING you want!

Create a slide show and upload to share on a blog, Ipod, etc.

Add to your digital picture frames and have a wonderful visual reminder of what your child has learned.

Turn into your computer's wall paper.

Make it a background on your Ipod or Ipad, or computer.

Print them out as quality family photos--frame and set on display for all to see and admire!
 
 
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So we're just going to go over the 5 basic steps of digital scrapbooking. Of course, this is by no means a tutorial, it's just to give you a basic idea. There are plenty of great tutorials you can learn from once you get the concept down. Also, I'm talking 100% digital--there are all sorts of variations--print outs, then cut and paste, etc. But here we're just dealing with the completely digitized version, okie dokie?
OK so, the first thing you need for digital scrapbooking is a digital camera--uh--and digital photos of you and your kids! It can be of anything really--a picnic at the park, a birthday party, a day at the beach, or just fun childhood memories! Be sure to include you and family and friends once in a while as well!
Once you've got that, the next thing you need is a computer--which, if you are reading this, you obviously have already!
After that, in order to do digital scrapbooking, the next thing you need is some software. The most commonly used programs are Adobe Photoshop (PS), Adobe Photoshop Elements (PSE), Jasc Paint Shop Pro (PSP), Microsoft Digital Image Pro (DIP) or Ulead Photo Impact (PI). It is also possible to use other programs such as FotoFusion, but does not have the same capabilities as the other programs.
Let me just say here that before I'd ever heard of the term, "digital scrapbooking", I'd made what amounted to exactly the same thing, and I didn't have any of the above programs, much less any templates or other digital scrapbooking tools.  I just used the MS powerpoint program! Lo and behold, I now find out years later that what I was doing was essentially digital scrapbooking! Click here to see some of the digital scrapbooking I made years ago using the simple and easy to use powerpoint program.
Of course, nowadays the digital scrapbooking templates, kits and accessories that come with it are not only ultra cool, beautiful, and artistic, but are easy and time efficient to use!
So, once you've got one of the above programs, you are well on your way.
BUT WAIT! There are also programs specifically designed for scrapbooking that are cheap and user-friendly. I've made a compilation of some of the best ones out there--at least as far as I can tell! Check it out here: Best digital scrapbooking software!
After you've got the software you like, you can get a ton of gorgeous digital scrapbooking kits--free or for a small fee. I tried my hand at one and I gotta say, I had a ball of a time, so much fun, relaxing, and I even felt like I'd accomplished something by the end! I LOVED IT!
So here it is--my first official digital scrapbooking page--simple 'n sweet, and I can't wait to do more!
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I used a digital scrapbooking program I found called, "scrapblog". They give you a certain number of credits to begin with, and basically you can make as many pages as you want to for free, but in order to render it printable, you need to register and pay a reasonable fee. Oh yeah, and you do it online!
Sooooooooooo I did just one so far, but like I said, I'm itching to do more--just haven't had the time yet.
I did like the program a lot--it has tons of "stickers" , embellishments, and plenty of fun options, and so so so easy to use! (No, I'm not working for them, I just found them online!!!)
So let's recap the 5 basic steps of digital scrapbooking:
Step 1: Get a digital camera if you don't already have one.
Step 2: Take and or gather together great shots of your kids and family--fantastic memories you want to keep always!
Step 3: Make sure you have or buy a computer! (Le'ts assume you have one, but we'll mention it just because!)
Step 4: Make sure you have or buy a program that you can use for digital scrapbooking.
Step 5: Make or get free or buy at a reasonable price, digital scrapbooking kits!
Oh let's add a Step 6 as a P.S.: HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
 
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After starting my weblog, and reading other mom blogs and learning all sorts of modern and cool motherhood lingo I'd never heard before, I kept coming across this term, "digital scrapbooking". Just from that I had a fair idea of what digital scrapbooking was--but I looked it up anyway. Boy, was I surprised to find out just how much there was out there about digital scrapbooking!
Basically, Digital Scrapbooking is just another form of capturing & preserving your memories. You know, we used to do it with photo prints--we cut them and put them into hand cut picture frames in big photo albums and decorated them with stickers and dried flowers, etc. Then the "digital age" came along and we all switched to digital cameras. Some  people still printed out their photos, but scrapbooking started becoming a lost art. Now with digital scrapbooking, you use those digital photos in combination with a graphics  or photo editing program to design your pages, take them to a photo print out shop, and there you go! A beautiful memory printed out that can easily go in the family memories folder, or stored neatly on your computer, put up on FB or your log, or shared with family and friends!
Coming Next: The 5 Steps of Digital Scrapbooking!