One of the reasons that Adobe is such a great company for modern-day computer users is that they offer a wide range of products.  These products help you to not only create documents, but to really enhance them when you’re working with photos and other graphics.  So, using Adobe for digital scrapbooking can be a fun and enjoyable way to create stunning graphics and pages for your own albums.

There are some common questions that you might immediately have when it comes to getting started with digital scrapbooking with Adobe, so hopefully we can answer some of those basic questions here, and get you on your way. Once you learn how to use Adobe Photoshop you will be able to add more creativity to your scrapbooking pages.

Most people think of the Adobe software program, Photoshop, when they talk about digital scrapbooking with Adobe.  Many people use Photoshop to edit and enhance their photographs on their computer screen.  The internet is full of some of the funny photos that have been altered by Photoshop – the President’s head on a buff muscular weight-lifter’s body or a cat riding on top of space shuttle – those photos are created with Photoshop.

Adobe Photoshop has many useful tools, including the selection tool.  With this tool you can remove any area of a photo or graphic from it’s original file, expand it, or enhance it in many ways.  You many want to take a photo of both of your children and separate them into two photos with each individual child.  Now you can use these two new photos on your scrapbooking layouts.

Digital scrapbooking with Adobe Photoshop offers scrapbookers the ability to enhance and manipulate their photos into entirely new pictures.  You are never limited by the photos you have.  This software allows you to expand upon any photo and manipulate it to meet the needs of your scrapbooking projects.

It’s common to see scrapbooking pages with multiple copies of the same picture or severals shots taken in sequence.  Digital scrapbooking with Adobe Photoshop gives you flexibility with your photographs and graphics.  You not only can copy your picture, you can also reduce them, enlarge them, and add as many other photographs as your page layout needs.  All this is at the click of your mouse.  Photoshop always preserves your original photo so their is no damage done to it.

Whether you are a beginner or advanced computer user, Adobe Photoshop has a version that is right for you.  Consider how long it takes you to learn a new computer program.  Professionals use the full versions of Adobe Photoshop.  However, these are much more expensive and offer more features than most digital scrapbookers will need.  The Adobe Photoshop Elements version is a much more practical and easier to learn digital scrapbooking software.

You can create beautiful and unique scrapbooking pages using Adobe Photoshop for your digital scrapbooking needs. With a full range of special effects, you can enhance your photos and design a variety of graphics for your pages.  Take the time to learn Photoshop.  You’ll be glad you did.

Christine Perry invites you to her website, for more scrapbooking techniques.

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Scrapbookers have so many choices in scrapbooking adhesives. Manufacturers are offering more and more options to meet the needs of this hobby.  Scrapbooking techniques have continued to change over time, and now scrapbookers need adhesives that can handle the newest techniques and trends.

Photo safe is the most important quality when choosing a scrapbooking adhesive.  Make sure any adhesive you choose is archival sage, especially when using them on the back of your photographs.  Scrapbookers have so many choices when it comes to adhesives.

Photo Corners: These are the pioneer adhesives of scrapbooking, and they still remain a popular choice for many scrapbookers.  When scrapbooking first began, photo corners were used because they would allow you to attach photographs to a page and still remove them.  Because photo corners are not permanent adhesives, they are ideal for heritage photographs and anything you don’t want to permanently mount to a page.  They now come in a variety of colors and materials.

Glue: Whether in pens, bottles or tubes, glue is the most versatile adhesive option for scrapbookers.  Glue pens allow you to put a tiny dot of glue where ever you need it.  They come in permanent and repositionable varieties, as well as specialized glues made for fabric or metal.

Tape Runners: These are a basic supply for most scrapbookers.  Tape runners are double-sided adhesives and come in dispensers or on a roll.  Like glue, they are available in permanent and repositionable tape.  Tape runners are convenient and fast for quick page layouts. As you run the tape along a surface, it leaves behind a continuous line of adhesive. You use only as much as you need for each item.

Glue Dots:  Available in rolls or sheets, glue dots provide a strong bond for heavy embellishments.  They work well with fabric, ribbons and textured materials as well.  Glue dots are available in a variety of sizes.

Glue Sticks:  If you don’t want the mess of glue, glue sticks are a convenient alternative.  They glide on easily and allow you to cover a large area quickly.  You can still use them on small embellishments too.  Use only glue sticks that specifically state they are photo-safe.  Stay away from the ones that are for school use.

Adhesive Spray:  Adhesive sprays provide transparency and even coverage.  They don’t show through paper like many adhesives, making them perfect for vellum.  Be careful with over spray.  You always want to cover your work surface before using adhesive spray.

Tape:  Double-sided tape is a basic scrapbooking adhesive.  Standard one-sided tape is also a must-have for scrapbookers.  Apply one-sided tape to the back of eyelets or brads to keep the prongs from catching on the paper.

Foam Tape:  Dots and squares are common shapes for foam tape.  Double-sided, this adhesive gives your page elements a dimensional effect.  Try using them with letters and scrapbooking titles and add some interest to your pages.

With so many scrapbooking adhesives to choose from, you’ll want to stock up on your favorites.  Watch your favorite craft stores for sales.  Make sure you pack a variety of adhesive options for your next workshop or crop.  You’ll be sure to have the right adhesive for your next scrapbooking project.

Christine Perry is an avid scrapbooker and has over 10 years of scrapbooking experience. Her favorite scrapbooking subjects are her reluctant teenagers. She invites you to her website, http://www.intoscrapbooking.com for more beginner scrapbooking and creative memories scrapbooking.

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Designing a mini scrapbook album is a great idea for a beginner scrapbooking project.It also works well for mementos and scrapbooking materials that are smaller and so can be a bit out of proportion for larger pages, like 12 x 12 layouts.  It’s also a great project for those that want something easy and direct, or a very focused theme for a scrapbook like a military scrapbooking album. Actually, there are many different reasons why you may want to choose a mini scrapbook album instead of a larger traditional album. But whatever your reasons, there are some things you’ll want to consider in order to make your albums look their best. Smaller-sized layouts can’t be composed the same way you do with larger layouts. Let’s take a closer look at what is meant by this.

For example, creating a mini scrapbook album may require you to crop or trim your photographs. If the photo takes up too much of the page it can look overwhelming and out of place. In addition, if you think that smaller is better and choose items that are way too small, it can look disproportionate too. Consider using many different sizes to see what looks the best, but be ready to crop your photographs. You might also want to consider using other mementos when you make up a mini scrapbook album such as ticket stubs, postcards, and so on. Because these albums are smaller they’re usually perfect for smaller mementos and souvenirs.

When creating a mini scrapbook album, you will want your embellishments to be in proportion to the size of the album. All that is necessary is usually just a single large item with a group of smaller items. You’ll also need to use some discretion when adding in scrapbooking borders and contrasting papers. If you have a lot of elements and contrasts, it will seem busy and crowded. Consider that a mini scrapbook album isn’t just a miniature version of a traditional scrapbook album, but it should be more focused and less busy.

A good idea when it comes to composing a mini scrapbook album is to set out all your elements and items and take a good look at it, moving some things around and taking some things away. You might realize once you do this that less is more and that using discretion and being selective with your elements and items is better for an overall look. If you do, you may find that a mini scrapbook album is your new favorite type of project!

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