Digital Scrapbooking

Okay, this technology is pretty darn cool.

And easy to use.

It's a digital scrapbooking site that lets you upload photos and easily drop them into pages to create a unique scrabook. You can choose a premade theme or you can create on from scratch.

I clicked over just to check it out, and within minutes I had created a new page, complete with cool theme, pictures, and journaling.

I can see a lot of potential to this. You can share your photos with far away friends and loved ones, or create a unique slideshow to highlight a project.

Tags as Scrapbook Enhancements

Sometimes scrapbooking cheaply is merely looking at all the other items you see in a different way. For example, I recently bought some candles, and they had a tag with the price on one side and this:



on the other side. Of course, I knew it was too cute not to use! I cut it up and put it on a scrapbook page:



The picture and journaling are removed from this as it's a personal page, but I wanted to share the idea with you.)

Use Christmas Cards for Your Scrapbook Pages

I hate throwing away all the beautiful cards people give me, so I can and incorporate them into scrapbook pages. Using them not only provides free scrapbook material, but also helps recreate the memory of the day, holiday, or event. Whatever I happen to be scrapbooking about.

In this example, my friend had sent us a store-bought greeting card, but it was so cute I wanted to use it on a page:

In this example, my aunt had made an adorable card from scratch:

and I knew I couldn't throw that one away! It has rivets in the place of "ornaments" and ribbon across the front. It went on a page as well:

In the third example, my cousin had printed off a card on her computer. It, took, when on a page:

Oriental Trading

I love looking through the Oriental Trading catalog, but I never thought of it before as a place for inexpensive scrapbook supplies.

Then I caught this press release announcing it as the "Winner of the 2008 Creating Keepsakes award" for the mail or online order category.

I checked out the Oriental Trading website and sure enough, under the "craft supplies & hobbies" tab is a link for scrapbooking supplies. I have to admit, however, from the items I saw listed I didn't that many super cheap items. Perhaps this changes throughout the year as their merchandise does? I'm interested to know if others have used them for scrapbook supplies and what their experience has been.

Scrapbooking & The Economy

Saw this great article on the idea of scrapbooking being recession-proof. I think scrapbooking has become the "rich lady's hobby" in some cases, which is why there are so many outlets for creative and inexpensive ideas. So unlike many other hobbies, I think scrapbooking will become impacted by a turn in the economy, although I don't think it will become unpopular.

Many other folks like me who are sick of high prices and ridiculously uncreative and high-priced "kits" look for other ways to make our scrapbook pages come to life. When the economy is in a down-turn, I think more people will either look for better ways to scrapbook without blowing a ton of money, or they'll merely give it up if they're uncreative. (Although most scrapbookers are VERY creative.)