Where to start without being too overwhelmed?!

[bviannie]

Yup, it's New Year's Resolution time.... I feel as if I'm finally getting a handle on those boxes of photos & pictures already uploaded. I used to paper scrap several years ago, but it fell by the wayside as it got to be too crazy hauling out the stuff, then packing it back up so the kids & the cats wouldn't get into it (plus we kind of needed that dining room table every now & then:D ).

I have checked out digital scrapbooking a bit, but quickly became overwhelmed. I did do some photo books online through Shutterfly for Christmas - I was happy with them, but felt like there were very few options for creativity. Sad thing is, I'm not very creative, but I'd like to use different papers & some embellishments. The pages from all of you look are AMAZING! I'm just hoping I can tackle the basic stuff!

So... any advice to get me started (again) would be appreciated! What would my next step be in moving on from photobooks? I'm hoping to be able to work on my pages on a regular basis, so I can keep up with my photos (& not be up all hours of the night pulling together a high-school graduation book at the last minute like I did last time!).

I have PSE4.0. Has much changed since then? Also, where do most of you print your pages? I have a Canon Pixma IP5200, but am wondering if it's cheaper to print somewhere else vs. the cost of the ink/quality of my printer.

Yes - I'm definitely overwhelmed, but eager to get back into things! I missed this forum!

[SharLamb]

I got started digi-scrapping a couple of months ago the same way you did. Although I loved my Shutterfly mini-albums (something to hold in my hands after years of all my photos being somewhere in cyber space or on my cpu), I was frustrated by the limitations. I had never used PSE (started with Version 5), and was overwhelmed by it as well as this new subculture I had entered.

Over a year before I really knew what digi-scrapping was, I had run across Renee Pearson's book, "Digital Designs for Scrapbooking." I was attracted to her contemporary, clean style, and thought I might be able to make pages like that using CorelDRAW (maybe I could, but I put the book aside and only pulled it out again when I had PSE on my cpu). My only frustration was that she used PSE-3, and being a total newbie to PSE, I wasn't smart enough to realize that the reason some of her instructions didn't work for me was because of the difference in the programs. But it worked well enough for me to get started, and I still love her style, and use the papers, and elements--even templates from her book/disk.

The best thing I did was buy and watch/read Linda's "Scrapper's Guide to Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0" (I think she has one for version 4 as well). Linda has a soothing way of teaching...takes baby steps...makes you feel like this is doable.

The next wonderful thing I did was join this forum, then sign up for the Newsletter and subscribe to Premier.

I checked out every book on PSE and digital scrapbooking I could find at the library, and finally settled on two that I bought:

Digital & Hybrid Scrapbooking & Card-Making with Photoshop Elements, by Patty Debowski [Very readable, great writing style, aimed at scrappers.]

and

Photoshop Elements 5--The Missing Manual (The book that should have been in the box), by Barbara Brundage (Pogue Press/O"Reilly) [Truly a manual for PSE5...lots of technical stuff, but still understandable where so many of the other techie books looked like Greek {Geek?!} to me.]

Then I got up the nerve to upload one of my layouts and start posting here (95% of my posts have been questions over problems I've had!)...in other words, PARTICIPATE.

I cannot believe how far I have come in the 2 or 3 months since I joined. I felt from the first day that this was the right place for me, and I was right. I start my day by checking out the New Posts here, and by the time I've had a cup of coffee, I've looked at the galleries to admire and get ideas from the new layouts.

As for not being creative, most of us feel that way. Here is one of my favorite quotes:

"Only people without a memory think that they are original. What matters is form, composition, color, and the way light falls. Details come from recollections of things you've seen and loved." --Barbara Berry

The best advice I can give you, from newbie to newbie, is to remember that the PSE Organizer is not an actual storage place. I forgot to download a ton of my stuff into a file on my computer, but had rather, "stored" it directly into the organizer. It was many days until I discovered my error, and by then a lot of what I had downloaded (mostly freebies, I admit), was gone. I have learned, when downloading papers, kits, etc., to make a new folder for each designer, and put all the goodies in that folder. Then I open that folder and copy the goodies to the organizer. I know I had been told this in many places, but I didn't "get it" until I learned the hard way.

Another organizational thing I've done that has helped me is to get a 3" 3-ring binder with A-Z dividers. As I print off lessons, instructions, tips, etc., I store them in this binder so they are not wandering all around my office. When I want to do a curled page, for instance, I look in the "C" section, and voila! There it is. No digging thru stacks of papers only to say to myself, "I KNOW I printed that off!"

As to printing, I have only printed a few pages at home (8x8"). I was anxious to have something to hold! My ultimate plan is to wait until each album is ready, then have books printed at a service (such as Shutterfly, Viovio, Polkadotpotato, Costco, etc. I love the way the books look--so "professional." My friends have had their socks knocked off by my simple Shutterfly books. If you do a search on the forum you will find a lot of discussion on this topic.

To get you started, there are many templates available where you just have to drag your picture into it. (If you're a Premier Member, you got Karen Aicken's Winter Dawn Kit, which has a page template.) If not, open your PSE program, put some color down as a background, and just start pasting some pictures onto a page! Once you do just ONE THING you will get past the fear and the creative juices will begin to flow. And you can only learn PSE by DOING it. Scraplifting is encouraged in this World, but just give credit to the orginal designer if you know who she/he is.

Expect to have problems. PSE has a steep learning curve. But there are several techies on this forum who can answer any question you throw their way, and a gracious about what seem like dumb questions...often the same ones over and over! When you are frustrated, take a break and eat something--preferably chocolate ;) .

Welcome aboard!

Shar

[troush]

Welcome!

I would recommend getting Linda's training CD (http://www.scrappersguide.com/store/product.php?productid=16204&cat=253&page=1). She'll walk you through it step by step, and you will learn so much without even realizing it.

-Trish

[rae vogl]

bviannie-as Trish said-Linda's cd's are a great way to get started and as Shar said-take it a step at a time-I am neither techie or artistic and the bravest thing I did here was to download my first layout. I still think mine are pretty plainjane campared to the amazing creative layouts I see here,but I plug on and keep learning from observing what others do and from Linda's tutorials. Do invest in Premier membership. It's worth every penny and then some. You get wonderful instructional videos and free kits from some very talented people. How good is that? Ask questions here-there are so many helpful people . Good luck

[sabina_canada]

I asked this question in the PSE 5 Forum but so far have not received a posting. Please could you help me either in guiding me to another forum or perhaps helping me with my question.

I tried almost all night last night to follow the instructions of the Scrappers Metal Frames to install them in the folder that they are supposed to go into. However, I am unable to access the styles option on top of my laptop. I must be doing something wrong or the folder is in the wrong part of PSE 5.
Could it be that it should be in the photo creations folder i.e. a different path?

I don't know how to explain it, but in the actual palette at the top I have five icons including Favorites and Text. I cannot locate the option underneath the Special effects for the Scrappers Guilde Metals nor anything on the right next to it.

Is it possible that the 'styles' folder was not installed i.e. the option for it. It does exist when I follow Linda's path, but it does not show up in PSE 5.

Hopefully someone can help or should I try the PSE 5 Forum again?

Sorry.
Sabina.

[roxyrenders]

Sabina-
If I remember right that lesson was filmed in version 4. PSE 5 has a different path for installing layers styles. Depending on whether you are using Windows XP or Vista there are subtle differences In Windows XP it will be >Programs and in Vista it will be >Program Data in the path. Also you may need to choose the option to "show Hidden Folders" in your Folder Options. The following is the path for installing layer styles with Windows Vista.

C>Program Data>Adobe>Photoshop Elements>5.0>Photo Creations>Special Effects>Layers Styles

There are different ways to organize this next step. I make a folder named Scrapper's Guide inside the Layer Styles folder and copy all my layers styles from Scrapper's Guide in it. It's a good idea to keep your layer styles stored in a different location and just copy them into PSE. That way if you have to reinstall or upgrade you will still have access to the styles and stuff you have gathered.
If PSE is open you will need to restart it to have the Artwork and Effects pallette rebuild. Hope this helps.

[bviannie]

Thank you for your ideas & encouragement! I sometimes feel there's so much info out there & it becomes "where to start? where to start?!

I do have Linda's Guide to Scrapbooking for PS4 (which is what I still have). I think I just need to set some time aside & start at square one again. Are there any big changes between PS4 & PS5 or 6?

Again, thank you for the warm welcome to the returning-newbie!

(And, Shar - I'll be sure to follow your chocolate remedy for frustration! :)

[Sharhu]

I am so glad I found this forum and so glad someone asked just what I have been wondering. Where do I start? I discoved digital scrapbooking when I started looking for something more to do with my pictures. I love using ProShow Gold to make slide shows with lots of movement and music and all kinds of transititions. Then I decided I needed to find ways to fix up the pictures and add some designs and things to them. Anyway that was what started me looking around. I also just recently had seen a photobook done with digital scrapbooking that was wonderful. Now I want to add that to my list of hobbies to find time to learn and work on. So far I just recently purchased Elements 6. Other then loading my pictures in the organizer, and tagging them which i have really just started doing. 5,900 pictures are going to take me a while to really tag but I just wanted to get some general things going. Next I bought the Photoshop Elements 6 Missing Manual and have just finished reading it. Not that I have really learned how to do anything from it yet, as I didn't even use the computer as I read through it. I just carried it around with me so I could read some any chance I got. I want to just an idea what you could do, what things are called, what things I am most likely going to want to focus on learning first for what I want to do and was afraid if I tried working through the book and the computer at the same time I wouldn't get very far very fast . Next I guess I am going to sit down with the book and some pictures that I want to play with and start trying to learn how to really do it. Along with this I want to learn how to do the digital scrapping also. The worst part for me is going to be figuring out where to start so it isn't so overwhelming and finding the time after work, after dinner if it isn't one of the 2 or 3 nights a week that we are out country dancing, and there aren't any other happenings going on. Guess I will have to put the cross-stitching, quilt I planned to start and reading, and definitely some of the housework on the back burner for a while so I can get a handle on this first. Wish there was more time in the day.

I see the training CDs for Elements 5. Are they going to be useful if I have Elements 6 or should I wait for something for 6?

[Wendy]

Hi Sharhu ..

... and welcome to Scrappers Guide :)

It sounds like you have quite a busy life but I am sure that you will soon get into scrapbooking. Linda's training for PSE6 sould be along fairly soon so I would thing that it probably is worth waiting. In the meantime take a look around the Galleries that should help you get some idea of the different things that can be done :)

Wendy

[Auntie Social]

Hello everyone. I'm relatively new to digital scrapbooking and recently bought PSE6. I was using 4 and was able to load the scrapper's guide metal styles, and in 6 I've loaded them in the same way [copied to
C>programfiles>adobe>photoshopelements6>presets>styles] but cannot use them or find in the effects drop down window.

I've also looked for

C>Program Data>Adobe>Photoshop Elements>5.0>Photo Creations>Special Effects>Layers Styles

in PSE6 but can't find anything like it. I also have vista now.

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

Thank you so much

[Wendy]

Hi ...

Its different in PSE6 ...

You need to install them here for Vista:

C:\ProgramData\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\6.0\Locale\<en_US or your locale>\Photo Creations\layer styles

However you will need to choose Show All to see them :)

Hope that helps ..

Wendy

[Auntie Social]

Thank you so much! I didn't find the "show all" to enable me to see things but I used copy and paste on the path and was able to get to it that way. I also found this information in another forum (should have looked other places first). I guess you are maybe anwering the same questions in a lot of places. Sorry about that. I followed the directions for installing them as xml files but I still don't have them. Any further advice?

[troush]

You probably need to delete the Mediadatabase.db3 file. You will have to show hidden files and folders.

-Trish

[Auntie Social]

Thank you so much! I've finally got them going and I'm excited to use them again!

[Wendy]

Oh that is great news .. so glad that you now have them :)

Wendy

[owlet]

Hi, bviannie --
This is my first visit to this site ... and I'm in pretty much the same position as you, so your question has helped at least one other "newbie"! I'm using PSE5 for the first time and digi-scrapping for the first time... it does sound overwhelming, but these scrappers have been so nice to you in this thread that I feel very comfortable asking them anything in the future.
Thanks from Texas!