Travel back with me to Christmas 2006. I had one sweet 16-month-old daughter, busy as can be. I had joyfully discovered during Thanksgiving a few weeks earlier that I was expecting another baby, due the following summer. My sister-in-law (also my best friend) was showing me her beautiful scrapbook of her own 16-month-old daughter, my niece. I was in awe of what beautiful books of memories she had created. She took a lot of time to tell me about her process. For Christmas, she and my in-laws outfitted me with everything I would need to start traditional scrapbooking, and oh how I dove in!
Fast-forward to 2010. I had now had three daughters, ages 5, 3, and 1. Traditional scrapbooking had become rather non-existent in this wonderful world of mine with three busy little ladies around me all the time. I was saddened by this but figured I would get around to it again…eventually.
I honestly have no idea how I discovered digital scrapbooking, but I stumbled upon it somehow and researched it until I felt comfortable giving it a shot. I purchased a now obsolete program and set off on my journey into digital scrapbooking. Now, 10 years later, I have created hundreds of layouts, full scrapbooks, and more. When I began, I looked for what I could find for free. It was a lot of random searching, and not the easiest way to start. Still, I did not have a lot of extra money to invest at the time and it was the best choice.
I discovered Digitalscrapbook.com in 2015. I believe someone mentioned it in a thread on a message board for digital scrapbookers. It was like a dream come true! This treasure-trove was a discovery I couldn’t believe I had been missing out on this wonderful site.
Pixel Scrapper describes itself as… “friendly community site for digital artists and scrapbookers.” It uses a system of active participation to earn credits which can be used to download individual items for free. This is a unique system that allows users to engage in a meaningful way with a reward. You can also become a patron where you have access to download full kits for a very small amount each month.
The templates, papers, elements, and actions are all high-quality creations from top-notch designers. The kits are packed full and there is so much variety! I love the search function, super easy to access at the top of the home page and the left sidebar allows more narrowing of your search by item type.
I really think the best part of Pixel Scrapper is the community. It is encouraging, affirming, and honest. There are many opportunities to engage in conversational threads where you can ask for help, look for answers and inspiration, and just have fun conversations with people who love to scrapbook too!
This is an excellent place for beginners as well. This summer I had the chance to Zoom call with a couple of friends who want to learn to scrapbook digitally. You better believe the first place I pointed them to was Pixel Scrapper! You will find all the resources you need from tutorials to materials. Don’t be nervous! The community is kind and you will be thrilled with the results of your memory making endeavors.
Hope to see you soon over at Pixel Scrapper!
gracefilledwriter.com 