Digging digital

I took this picture of Aidan last week and thought: man, that's a killer photo. I should do something with it.

I decided to create a simple layout using InDesign that would let me drop a good chunk of journaling onto the photo as part of the core design. The resutling layout looked like this:

Sometimes, when I'm concepting ideas for new templates, this is how I work. I start messing around using InDesign and later translate the design into a digital template in Photoshop.

I had fully planned to use the layered template to create a hybrid scrapbook page. I was going to print the photo and journaling onto photo paper and trim. Next I'd find some patterned papers to print the "dearest aidan" and "love, mom" onto. It would be simple enough. Just turn off key layers on the template, trim the patterned papers to 8.5 x 11. Feed them through the printer and cut and paste accordingly. A little extra work here and there to create a page that used traditional scrap fixins.

And then I just thought: but why go to the extra trouble when I can share the same exact story in a purely digital format and it still achieves my hoped for aesthetic end result, i.e. a really cool layout that tells a story that matters to me?

So that's what I did.

And here's how the digital page turned out:

JOURNALING READS: I wanted to sit down and write you a little note about you and me and how incredibly thankful I am for the relationship we have in the here and now. You're on the verge of well-oiled teenhood, yet we clash less with each passing year. Is it because you're maturing and gaining more confidence? Is it because I'm learning to chill out more and see you as your own person, wholly separate from me? I'm feeling a tremendous amount of gratitude to be able to share in your life. To see you grow, and learn, and express who you are through your words, fashion, art and world view. Yes, I'm beyond thrilled at your hipster leanings. Your taste in music, your political leanings, your social conscience. But I want you to know that YOU are the part that matters most in all of it. Your thoughts and opinions, your choices and moves, your heart and your soul—the very things that make you who you are the things I'm so grateful to learn about and know. I'm not taking any minute for granted with you, my girl. I love you so very, very much. I hope this is something you will always know and feel in everything you do.

SUPPLIES
digital template—Love Letter Template (Cathy Zielske)
digital patterned papers—Krafty Ledger Paper Pack (Katie Pertiet), Tonals Pink (Jesse Edwards, coming this weekend!)
digital brushes—Boxed Days (Cathy Zielske)

I recently placed an order at ScrapbookPictures.com for 15 digital pages from the past several months. Some are from Cole's Elementary School album, others are simply random pages I've done fully digitally. Each layout cost around $2.50 to print on a premium grade photo paper, and the results are fabulous.

I'm surprised at just how much I like the digital prints, especially once they're tucked into page protectors, mixed in with all of the traditional and hybrid pages.

And to be honest with you, sometimes going the digital route is a bit simpler for me while still yielding a page that makes me happy.

I guess I like being able to do both, but right now, I'm just really digging digi.