Digital Scrapbooking / Photo Art software...

I'm not entirely sure where this post should go, so Mods please move it to a more relelvent thread if there is one!

So I want to start scrapbooking, and I really lke digital scrapbooking as I've tried the 'traditional' way, and just end up making a big mess of it all! Somehow I can't cut in a straight line, I can't cut in a wavy line (using wavy cutting scissors... don't ask me how... I just can't LOL!), and I can't glue anything without sticking a million other things to it, including the other pages, and completely wrecking my whole creation! As you can probably tell, I'm not the most hands-on person. I have a clear idea of what I want to do, I just can't actually do it!

So I am looking at some scrapbooking/photo art software and I'm not entirely sure which one is good. I have downloaded some trials, like PhotoMix (which I don't really like) and trying out Scrapbook Flair, and have also heard that ScrapbookMAX and PhotoShop Elements is good... I'm a bit apprehensive about buying anything until I'm 100% sure that its the one I want to use... I want to be able to create my own layouts rather then continually downloading someone elses templates. I'm also looking for a program that actually comes with some backgrounds/paper and embellishments, instead of downloading everything... though thats not all that important cos I don't mind downloading a few things, as long as they work as a background or embellishment...

I didn't like PhotoMix because the "paper" and embellishments I download have to be imported as a picture, instead of a background or project, and gets a black border around it that I can't take off or change the colour of.

Ok. Did that make sense? Does anyone know hat I'm talking about? I should create my own software lol.

I just use PhotoShop & download bits n pieces from the net, so I have a stack of "papers", embellishments, word art etc. Then basically I just categorise them by colours & put them together as I want. There are stacks of digi scrapbooking websites & most have a freebies section which is where I got most of my things ;)

I think I will have to check this out!! I was only thinking about it the other day.

Oh and Sarah... CONGRATULATIONS on number 2 hun.

Sarah... did you buy Photoshop? Thats quite expensive huh? Is there a cheaper version I can get that does pretty much the same thing?

Mmm yeah we bought it years ago. Do you have any sort of photo editing software, you really don't need anything special.... I'll post some of my pages to the gallery so you can get an idea of what you can do in a basic photo editing program... Craft & Creations - BellyBelly Member Photo Gallery

I started with PhotoShop element and am now using PSCS2 - which I LOVE!

There are plenty of places online where you can download 'freebie' and various designers offer them on their blogs or through the sites they sell at.

I used to be a designer at a couple of stores, it's quite easy to design all your own papers and elements with any of the Photoshop suite programs too.

Hope you find something you like!

Alisia, if you go to the adobe website I'm pretty sure you can download some free stuff.

Sarah... How do you print them to fit in an album??? 30x30???

If I'm planning on printing I do them as 8x13 I think (whatever A4 paper is) and then it shrinks down to the right size.

Ok really dumb question.... do you just leave them on the pc???

Yep most of the time. But what I have done in the past is put them into a DVD program & made a video sort of thing out of them. Basically it was each scrap page & a nice transition between each, then I added on some bits n pieces of videos of him. So it's like a virtual album IYKWIM. I did them for Zander's first two Christmas' for his grandparents & they loved it, my mum cried!!