The old days of cutting and pasting to scrapbook have been replaced with virtual materials that enable scrapbookers the opportunity to change the look of a page in the blink of an eye.
St. George Magazine takes a look at how the craft has evolved, and the ways those working in the industry have adapted.
Michelle Ennis is a hard-core scrapbooker, but a person won’t find an area littered with colorful strips of paper in her home. Thanks to a computerized program called Creative Memories, Ennis is able to put together an entire scrapbook using nothing but her laptop. Ennis, who works as a consultant for Creative Memories, says companies like hers have revolutionized the industry.
Online scrapbooking has numerous advantages. Topping the list is the absence of messy materials. The Creative Memories program features pre-designed templates that make it simple to construct scrapbook pages. Ennis says to make a page, simply drag and drop photos into templates.
“They look like you’ve spent hours creating a beautiful page,” Ennis says. “Even beginner scrapbookers can look like they’re experts at this.”
The program features kits themed for holidays, travel, special occasions, sports and school. Ennis says the kits include everything needed to produce a page, including virtual paper, stickers, doo-dads and words.
“If you don’t like the colors in a particular kit, you can change them with the toolbar,” Ennis says. “The options are endless.”
The Creative Memories program is relatively inexpensive — Ennis says the software is $60 and includes one kit. Additional kits cost about $4 each. Additionally, Creative Memories has free kits and templates on its Web site. Using the virtual system, scrapbookers can print or e-mail pages to friends and family.
Inexpensive Priceless Heirlooms
The scrapbooking industry has branched out into the publishing arena. Companies like Creative Memories now offer services to turn scrapbook pages into hard bound or paperback book editions. Ennis says a hardbound book with 20 typing paper size pages costs about $40. Scrapbookers design everything, including a cover.
With traditional scrapbooking, each page had to be duplicated by hand. Now, scrapbookers can do the work once and make several copies that are bound together with an attractive cover. Ennis says the gifts have sentimental value that can be enjoyed for years.
“There is nothing that can compare to giving a gift from the heart,” Ennis says.
To learn more about the Creative Memories system, or about the educational and consulting services offered by Ennis, visit www.mycmsite.com/michelleennis.
Picture Perfect
Perhaps the most radical change in the world of scrapbooking concerns the pictures themselves. No longer are people snapping shots on film, paying to develop them and hoping the prints will come out all right. Digital photography has taken the guesswork and much of the expense out of the process. Today’s high tech cameras have changed the entire photography industry.
Fred Topalian, owner of Camera Country, says digital photography has made everyone better photographers. “You can shoot more pictures, be more selective of the shots you want and get instant results,” he says.
Scrapbookers love digital photography because it means they no longer have to use shots that aren’t “picture perfect.” Thanks to programs like PhotoShop Elements, scrapbookers can crop pictures, add text, lighten or darken shots, get rid of “red eye” and print photos to any size.
“It makes it easier to scrapbook because you have your digital files in your computer and you can just drop them in and see what it looks like,” Topalian says.
While the camera industry has had to adapt to the new technology, Topalian believes digital photography has widened the circle of photographers.
Beautiful Embellishments
Scrapbooking stores like Pebbles in my Pocket have been quick to acclimate to the changing industry. While many are now using computerized programs to make their pages, they still enjoy the craft of “accessorizing.” Wendy Walker, manager of Pebbles in my Pocket, says scrapbookers can make their pages “pop” with dye cuts, brads, buttons and ribbons.
“It makes them a little more 3D,” Walker explains. “For those of us who have done traditional scrapbooks, we like the feel of texture to our pages.”
Pebbles in my Pocket simplified the practice of traditional scrapbooking by carrying all-inclusive paper kits. The kits contain coordinating papers and embellishments needed for a two-page spread.
Another product called a Share-n-Tell simplifies the process even more. The Share-n-Tell system includes a binder and two types of sheet protectors. A full sheet protector is used to display the scrapbook pages, while the second sheet is divided into 4 by 6 inch slots to be used for photos and journaling cards. Walker says the advantage of the Share-n-Tell is that it saves time because there isn’t much work involved, but the pages look great.
Whether a cut and paste person or an online artist, the craft of scrapbooking has never been easier. Digital photography has opened up a world of possibilities when it comes to sharing pictures, and the scrapbooking industry offers an infinite amount of ways to display them in fun and creative ways. sgm
