Hello there, Stefanie here with a step-by-step break down of my scrapbooking process. When I was a paper scrapbooker, I always had the photos printed in advance for the layout I was doing at the class that day and the photos for the next layout I planned so I could get help choosing the papers and embellishments for the next one. That way I could “crank” out two layouts a week.

What I love about digital scrapbooking is the instant gratification of this version of my hobby. I can take photos, peruse ForeverJoy Design’s digi store for a fabulous co-ordinating kit, with perfectly matched papers and embellishments, buy it, and download it and have a layout completed in under 30 minutes. Here’s how I do it:

STEP ONE

Three photos, is one of my favourite number of photos for a single page layout of everyday storytelling: a mix of details in two close-up shots and a larger more context giving photo that often plays more of a background role.

STEP TWO

Next, I add in a few shapes and Ctrl-G clip papers into them.

Then I add embellishments, title, journaling, some more goodies because they’re awesome and can be piled on to my heart’s delight.

Then the date and a tweak of the paper pieces to make the rectangles on either side of the layout into squares.

I check that I have a visual triangle of stars that frame the photo cluster and that I have a cluster bleeding off the top right and the bottom left to add the diagonal draw that makes me happy.

STEP THREE

And I call it done. All the clever paper and element matching have been done by the designer, Renne and allow me the freedom to mix and match from within a single kit and know that everything works perfectly together.

credits: Beautiful Dreamer Page Kit | ForeverJoy Designs