The Ever Changing Digital World

I went to a funeral this week. My father and sister had gone to the wake the night before, and were telling me that one of my cousins had gotten into scrapbooking. I was excited about it- i figured that we'd talk about it.

She did bring it up, and when I told her that I was a digital scrapbooker, she said that she wasn't good with a computer (no funny looks or snide comments about it). But, what I wanted to talk about was a comment that was made- she said that all the supplies were so expensive, and she implied that digital scrapbooking was cheaper.

I didn't have the heart to tell her that my set up probably cost more than her set up. I spent $600 on my program of choice alone (Photoshop CS, for those who don't know me). Her comment got me thinking about the cost of digital scrapbooking.

When I first started with digital, there weren't any consignment shops. The cost of digital scrapbooking lay mainly in the start up- a good program, printer, scanner, camera, computer, pen and tablet... Most digital scrapbookers wanted to create their own elements and backgrounds, and most did. Many of those who did create their own elements would then turn around and offer them as freebies to other digital scrapbookers.

This, in effect, limited digital scrapbooking to those who were really interested in learning how to create their own elements. Sure, there were still those who had no interest in making their own who chose this form of the hobby, but many just had no interest in learning how to create their own elements.

Now- there are little digital boutiques all over the internet. Join a group like Promos4DigiScrappers and you'll see just how many there are out there. What this means, aside from the fact that the hobby is getting more expensive, is that anyone can start. Anyone. You don't need to know how to make your own anymore- there are certainly fewer 'how to make elements' threads on digital sites now. I've even run across digi scrappers who have never made an element (and these are very talented people with a good eye for design).

The hobby is becoming even more user friendly than what it once was. What I love the most about it is that you don't have to read a magazine to get tips from the 'pros'- Rhonna Farrer posts at 2peas, the designers are Digital Scrapbook Place are very helpful (and friendly), or you can ask your question in P4D's forums and get an answer for numerous designers at once.

Can I share a site that I found recently? I love One Digital Scrapper. Most of her blog entries are reviews of page kits- which is great (and no, she hasn't reviewed any of my kits). What I like about it is that it's not a designer's blog, it's a customer's blog. She reviews the kits, gives her honest opinions, while writing about other things (recent posts include links to blogs, a new ezine, and even a post about her son).

While I'm on the subject of blogs- I have no intent to use this as a way to sell my kits. It's just nice to have someplace where I can go to talk about all the designer stuff that is on my mind. Sometimes, I can share my thoughts on a message board, but the way that my mind works, I tend to go off on tangents and stuff. Besides, it's fun.