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Have you heard about the Project Life back-to-basic style of scrapbooking but either prefer digital scrapbooking. I love scrapbooking but I am a tend to be more of a digital scapper or hybrid. Sometimes I find that it is just too hard to do traditional scrapbooking because of a number of reasons including
- space – just not having the space where I can work (and look after the kids at the same time) and not having a space where I can stop and leave my work without having to pack it up … so you have to unpack … scrap … then pack up again. This also means to have to have dedicated scrapping time when you know you have time to complete that whole process.
- paper-product brain freeze – I find that I tend to get a scrapping brain freeze when I am working with traditional papers. I think it is because you can’t undo something when you have made your cut. I love with digital scrapbooking that I can experiment and try different things and know that it is not going to cost me a bom in paper or other products.
- expense – I find that doing paper-based scrapping is alot more expensive. I find that the kits are cheaper when you get them digital … and I love the fact that you can buy a kit once and use it once or a million times and it doesn’t cost any more. Plus I don’t print everything so in the end I save a heap of money.
- easier to share and be social with other scrappers – I find that as they are already digital that it is quicker and easier to share your creation with other scrappers. Join a site like DigiShopTalk and you can be chatting with scrappers around the world 24/7.
What do I need?
But how can you get the benefits of the Project Life system of scrapbooking … but digitally. That is easy … you just need to get a couple of products and of course a photo editing software (like Photoshop Elements). I will cover in a later post the options and requirements for printing .. if you want to make a phsyical version of your creations. 
- Project Life Style Templates – You can get templates either from
- JessicaSprague.com – These are the official digital templates are you can get them in all of the styles just like the physical Project Life. You can buy either the complete template set (US$11.99) or each of them individually (you can get designs A-G here US$1.99 each)
- Unoffical Ones – You can find some unofficial Project Life templates like those by Valorie Wibbens – Pockets No.03 The Basics. (US$4.99) These are alittle different but look cool and should work with most Project Life elements (maybe with some small modifications .. but hey that is easy with Photoshop Elements).
- Project Life Elements and Papers
- JessicaSprague.com – You can find here the official kits that are direct replicas endorsed by Becky Higgins for Project Life. With these kits you can do Project Life exactly the same as anyone doing it with the paper products. You can buy the components individually or the complete sets (Original Edition Full Collection, Turquoise Edition Full Collection, Cobalt Edition Full Collection, Clementine Edition Full Collection and Amber Edition Full Collection)
- Unoffical Ones – There are alot of digital designers out there that have created some fantastic stuff for Project Life – Some of my favs include HGD by LA, Kate Hadfield and Designs by Lili. Plus of course you con’t need to use only kits and elements designed for Project Life. You can use anything from your stash.
How do I get started?
This video by Jessica Sprague is a great introduction on how to get up and running quickly with Photoshop Elements with the official templates and kits. Even if you aren’t using them they are project heaps of information that would be relevant to the unofficial templates and kits too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?=lAQ8y8Pq95k
Are you doing digital project life? Want to share your creations … put a link in the comments. Have some tips … please also share.
2 comments
Oh Bron, a whole new area of digital creativity is opening up before me – panic!! I love to be the keeper of the family photos and to put them in albums but have never scrapbooked. Am bookmarking this post so that when the time comes… whenever that is… I know where to start.
I am totally biased (and love scrapbooking) but Project Life is the easiest way to do it … both digitally, hybrid and traditional methods (the old fashion paper way). If you want to try scrapbooking, this is the way I would do it. It is alot cheaper, easier and quicker than more traditional scrapbooking methods. I will warn you though .. once you start you won’t stop. 🙂