How to Create Hybrid Scrapbook Layouts

Scrapbooking seems to have two options: digital or traditional scrapbooking, black or white. But there's another way. If you want to use your newly learned digital scrapbooking skills and still use up your stockpiled scrapbooking supplies, then hybrid scrapbooking may be right up your alley. In no time, you can create hybrid scrapbook layouts that will wow your friends and family and let you have the best of both worlds.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Photo editing software
• Printer
• Scrapbooking paper
• Scrapbooking embellishments
• Photos
• Acid-free glue
• Scissors or paper cutter

1. Take inventory of what you have. The trick to creating hybrid scrapbook layouts is finding a good balance between what you already have and what you still need. If you have a great piece of patterned paper but lack the embellishments to really make it pop, that's where you need to bring in the digital elements.

2. Begin with your photos. One of the easiest ways to incorporate digital elements into your scrapbooks is with photo editing. You can play with colors, borders and cropping directly from your computer. Then when you have the photos the way you want them, you can print them out on your home printer or send them to your favorite store for developing.

3. Do a little digital shopping. One of the benefits of doing some digital work is the sheer volume of patterns and embellishments that are available. You don't have to go to the store and wade through thousands of sheets of paper, simply point and click your way around the online shops.

4. Change it up. If you find a really great piece of patterned paper but it doesn't match your photos or your traditional scrapbooking supplies, alter the color in your photo-editing program to make it match. You can usually accomplish this with just a few clicks and can help you pull together great hybrid scrapbook layouts quickly.

5. Break the rules. Creating hybrid scrapbook layouts is about doing things differently. You can choose to type up and print just your journaling boxes, or you can do more complex layouts with printed papers and embellishments.

Tips & Warnings

• You don't have to have a 12" X 12" printer in order to create hybrid scrapbook layouts. You can create accent paper, clip art or journaling boxes using standard 8.5" X 11" card stock.

Resources

• Learn more about making hybrid scrapbook layouts at ScrapJazz
• Hybrid scrapbook layout ideas and tips

[opalpearl3]

on 11/14/2008 Great article. Thanks for the information.