My Scrapbooking History

What is your SCRAPBOOKING history? Did you start with paper or digital?

I have always scrapped. Maybe not in the terms it is thought of today
but definitely if it means cutting, pasting, decorating.
I have kept a diary since I was 12 and I have kept all of them.
I used to scrap pages in them, cut out things from magazines, pictures,
words, stick memorabilia in from concerts, movie's whatever. Or just do a general:
My life as this moment in time thing and then write down my fav things
at that stage. And use pictures to describe it better.
I used to make books like that too. I started with photo-scrap
books when I was about 15. I have tons of scrapbooks with all my
photos from my teenage years, my holidays, friends,
dating, wedding and also my son's first three years.
But I only really started the "real" paper scrapping with proper 12x12 papers
and embellishments last year December.I had no idea what to do
or what to use, but just visiting the scrap shops and buying the magazines
helped. I had planned to do an album for each child -a page for each month of their
first year and so far have a few pages of my daughter. Not much of my son though
as we only got the digital camera when he was 3. So all his baby photos
are still in neg's. And I just have not felt like looking through my huge box of
neg's I have from since I was about 13/14!
I have done 62 paper scrap pages (since December 2005) and completed one
album of a special holiday I had in March this year in which one of my best
friends who I have been writing to for 9 years and who is married with a 2 year old son( She lives in England)came to South Africa to stay with me for two weeks
on her own. We had never met in person, but knew each other so well
as not only did we write, we shared everything, and spoke on the phone, skype, msn,
email, sent each other photos, parcels. It was amazing
and we got on like a house on fire, just the same as we do
every other way. No weirdness. Anyway so that took me two months
and is no done. I have done smaller projects in tins and every few months
I do a small scrap booklet of the last few months to send to
family and friends all over the world (New Zealand, UK, States)
So that is my PAPER scrapping history.

Digital: I have touched on this briefly in a previous post.
I started digi-scrapping 8 months ago, but only started sending
my lay out's in to sites in January this year.When I first started
it was with adobe and open office as I mentioned in a previous post.
I would love to have photoshop, but as yet have not got it.
I think though that with the program I do have, I have learned a lot
and made huge advancements from the first pages I did.
It helps a lot to look at the sketches, to do the challenges
and to look at other people's work for inspiration!

Discovery of Internet...

How did you get started using computers? When did you first get "online". Do you predate the Internet being available to the public or was it always here for you?

I never did computers in school, it wasn't available at the school I went to.
So i would say that I first started using a computer about 8 years ago when I first got married. We had internet then too, but for the life of me I cannot remember what I did on it! Probably just used it for email! Then we went through a stage when we didn't have internet for a long time, due to not owning a land line anymore and it was only the last three years that we got it again. I have always loved using the internet, and to add to yesterdays post a bit (which was a huge, topsy-turvy roller coaster ride! sorry, it was late and It was not a very clear post! Sort of went on a different tangent all the time!):
*I have used it for email
*I have msn and skype and use it to chat to my family and friends who live in Uk, New zealand and the states. (I live in South Africa).
*I also use it to blog, here and on msn I have a personal blog for family and friends.
*I use it to do all my on line banking and shop for all my books, cd's, DVD's and paper scrapping supplies on it.
*I love to link from one blog site to another.
*I use it to do the challenges on the scrap sites I visit.
*I also use it to learn and gather new information, pictures (google image search is amazing!)movie trailors and news.
*I like to read the transcripts to a show if I have missed it and there is no repeat (like LOST).

I had a feeling way back when I first started using it that it would become BIG and it has. I really dislike the bad side to it though: the porn, the evil that people use it for, pedophilia, and just meanness in general. The hackers, virus's etc. But apart from all that, it is an immense library in which there is, it seems, an almost never ending supply of information and resources.

I think it is great for kids to. My Son plays educational games online sometimes and it is good for them. He started using a computer at age 3!

Okay that's it from me today.

My Online Life

I am starting with this blog prompt thing from DSP as of today. It sounds like a good idea! Todays Question was: What do you do when online(besides DSP)?
My other home is Rakscraps. I love it with a passion. I have been a member there now for 6 months and I just find the challenges are great as well as the posting prizes.
I have made a lot of friends there and I think it helps to "know" some friendly people and see them online when you are. I love DSP too and do the challenges there too.

I started digi scrapping about a year ago, very basic, infact my first lay outs i used to make in Adobe reader! I had no other medium! But when i discovered that the PDF files would not upload to any gallery I changed to Open Office! (yes, yes, have your laugh!)Then my dear hubby bought me Creating keepsakes designer deluxe and I have not turned back since. There is ALOT I can't do with it and ALOT I would love to be able to do, but for now it suits me just fine. I even make kits with it.(as you can see). (But they are not 300Dpi, my prog won't allow me to make them in that format. so not printable quality, I found that out today. sniff sniff)
Anyway I am getting off the beaten track here! So the point is that I started to scrap digitally and discovered a whole new world. I joined a few sites and started to take part in challenges.
So I spend a lot of time when I am online, checking out all my fav sites, the challenges, the forums, and most recently, (the past two weeks) I found scrap blogging! I have blogged before and have one on msn, but I had no idea scrap blogging was so big. So I hopped on the cart and followed suit like the little bleating sheep I am! Now not only am I an addicted digi scrapper, but a blog hogger! I love reading the blogs, and following the links that link to other blogs ( I am sure if I went from one blog to another just by linking it would eventually lead me back to mine and that is without hitting the back button on my browser! HA HA)

You will not believe it but I have never bought a single piece of digi scrapping material in my life!! Everything on my computer is from downloading freebies and I have ALOT! This is because: 1) When I first started we did not own a credit card, yip that's right, we have lived for nearly 6 years without one, we always swore we would never get one...but in todays age you have to. 2) I wanted it to remain not only a mess and fuss free hobbie but an inexpensive one too and with everyone being so generous with their freebies I saw no need to buy. Now we do own a credit card for about two years now, but I am still not going to buy kits. As much as I would like to, I won't as I know it will just become another addiction and probably land us living off the streets begging for bread crumbs!
I guess I am what you call a digi savenger! Hunting for freebies! ha ha.
So yes, i also spend time looking for freebies but I only do so once I am tired of scrapping with the stuff I have.
I have two small children, aged 5 and nearly 3, so my online time is either in the mornings when they are at school or late at night when they are in bed. But when i am online you can't drag me off! See...this is already a looooooonnggg post that has you snoring softly and battling to stay awake.
I promise I will try not to be so long winded next time! THank for reading.