I’m a pretty crafty person, if I do say so myself. It’s a big part of my job here at ALL YOU and so I’ve at least dabbled in most aspects of crafting—except for one. I confess, I’ve never tried scrapbooking. But I know a lot of our readers are big time scrappers and there’s a huge community out there who loves it as well. So when I was presented with the chance to meet with the makers of a new digital scrapbooking program called Digital Scrapbook Artist, I knew I couldn’t say no.

I was amazed by what this program can do. For one, the templates are modern and cool—light years ahead of the similar programs on the market. There are tons of ways to design your page, from customizable templates to tools that create realistic-looking fabrics, papers, embellishments, plus way more. You can cut materials using decorative-edged scissors, make things bigger or smaller or reposition them with a click of the mouse and even scan in your own keepsakes and add them to your design. The program also lets you edit your photos to get rid of red-eye or adjust brightness or whatever else you want to do. Personalize your pages by adding fun touches like glitter, sand or sequins, and then (this is my favorite part) upload your pages to DaisyTrail.com, a website that allows users to share pages with friends, family or fellow scrappers. And of course, pages can be printed to put into a traditional book.

I know some scrappers will stay loyal to the original, non-computerized method. But I love the way this makes the craft accessible and affordable. The program costs under $40—a fraction of what you’d spend on scrapping supplies. And whereas those supplies can only be used once, these materials can’t be depleted! So it’s a great value, there’s zero cleanup (love it!) and if you use a laptop, you can work on your project anywhere you go.

Trust me, it’s hard to impress editors who see so many products, so the fact that I can’t wait to get home tonight and whip up a page of my own says alot. Get the program here. And if you make a great page, send us a link—we’d love to see it!

SEE ALSO:
Dress up your table with centerpieces
Make homemade cards (without the effort)
Forget the mall! Make your own gifts
Fun fabrics for less than $20

Posted by Elizabeth Blake, Senior Style Editor