Digital Tutorials - Page 21

There are many ways to display papers - people use strips of them, they use varying sizes of squares, and I've seen ones where the edges are curved to look like rolls of wrapping paper. I didn't want anything to distract the eye from seeing the papers, so I decided to just use strips. I created my 500 pixel square preview image, and cut 100 x 500 selections from each paper. Once the papers were lined up, I added a drop shadow to the right edge of each, just to set the paper off from the next one.

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Now to add the elements. Since I only had three, I added the ribbon across the page and placed the sticker and page pebble at the bottom corners. Because I wanted to show the detail of the ribbon that was lost in the smaller size version, I selected a small portion of my original ribbon (3600 pixels wide) and added it to the preview. Since I wasn't sure if people would know what it was, I added a text box saying "closeup of ribbon." (See next photo below)

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The next step is to identify you, the designer, along with the name of the kit and your web site or blog. Again, I looked at many different previews and decided to use a semi-transparent box to contain my information. I added my name, the name of the kit, and listed the items in the kit, along with my web site.

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Step 2 - Prepare a Text File with your Terms of Use
This is optional but I wanted to let people know that it was okay to use my designs for personal use, not for commercial, and that I would appreciate acknowledgement and a link to my web site if possible.

You can open Notepad to type the information and when you save the file it will automatically save as a .txt file. Again, check out other designer's terms to see which would best suit you.

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Step 3 - Zip Your Files

There are many programs that can be used to zip your files, most of them free. I prefer to use a .zip extension since most people have the capability of unzipping the files in Windows, but many use .rar extensions. Before you zip, it's a good idea to rename your files to include your name, and perhaps even the kit. For example, my striped paper is named Dyan_Cute_Chrismas-striped.jpg. Since I save my downloaded files by category rather than designer, it's great when the designer name is part of the file name so I don't lose track.

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Step 4 - Upload Your Files to a File Sharing Site

Again, there are many places to host your files at no cost. I like 4-Shared and just opened up a free account with them. Once your account is open, just browse to your computer and upload your zipped file. When the file is uploaded, a window opens that gives you a download link. This is the link that you send to people to allow them to download your kit.

Here's the link to download my free Dyan's Cute Christmas Kit.

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Step 5 - Share Your Link

If you have a blog or web site, you can post your preview along with the download link. There are many groups available that allow you to share your kits.

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I made two Christmas cards with papers and elements from my kit, and you can see how versatile digital items can be. On this first card, since I didn't want to cut out around the Teddy Bear, I just added a white layer behind him and printed on cardstock. I wanted a little more contrast between the background paper and the white of the image, so I darked the pink paper a little.

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For this angel card, I added the text of the Christmas Carol, "Angels We Have Heard on High" on the green paper before printing. Also, because the angel page pebble didn't really fit on the layers, I used the original angel clip art.

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So there you have it. You've learned how to make a scrapbook kit and post it so you can share with others. Of course, you don't have to make a full kit. Sometimes I just need one paper for a card I'm doing, or I need an element that I can't find at my local store. The wonderful thing about digital, is that you can make exactly what you want, in exactly the size you need.