I'm not one that has said goodbye to paper crafts as I sit here staring at my tower of papers, Tim Holtz paints and inks, Copic markers, and more! But, I will say that I've converted to digital for *most* scrapbooking and *some* card making. And for when I can't make up my mind there is always Hybrid!

But, if you are thinking about making your first photo album or switching from paper here are the top five reasons to try digital scrapbooking:

1. Because there is less mess, you are more likely to sit down and scrap, if only for a few minutes!
2. "Control Z" (better known as "undo"), you can tweak your page to your hearts content, and fix any mistake!
3. It takes up less (no) room in your house! (You just might eventually need more hard drive space.)
4. You can accomplish the layered embellished look without having bulky albums!
5. You can print out multiple copies of the same layout and give as gifts.

Quick Pages are pre-designed digital scrapbook pages. All of the digital "papers" along with elements like frames, ribbons, flowers, buttons, etc. are already included and placed on the page. Quick page layouts are often made by the designer who created the scrapbook kit, or a talented member of the creative team. A quick page is the fast and easy approach to creating a digital scrapbook page. Open it using a photo editor, drop your pictures in the "holes", and you are done!  They are perfect for:

• A beginner who is just getting started in digital scrapbooking.
• Anyone who is not interested in learning how to create their own digital layouts but still desires the look of a custom scrapbook.
• Anyone who already makes photo books using Shutterfly or Picaboo but wants to insert a beautifully designed page as a "divider" between occasions.
• A seasoned digital scrapbooker who sees the perfect layout and sees no need to recreate the wheel!

Templates are a great way to learn digital scrapbook techniques! Since the "design" is provided for you, you can concentrate on learning technique. To use templates you need to have photo editing software such as Photoshop Elements. Other software packages like Creative Memories work as well, the main requirement is that the software supports layers.

Most people are familiar with the concept of a sewing pattern, right? Just consider each layer you see in a template as the "pattern". What you will do is lay papers and photos over the pattern shape and "clip" the paper to the shape to "cut" it out.

Sometimes there are flower shapes, and instead of clipping a pretty paper, you might just want to paste in a "flower element" and delete the flower pattern/placeholder. The same concept applies to ribbons or any other shape accent. These types of embellishments are available for sale as kits by all of the same stores that sell the quick pages and templates.

Again, what a template gives you is a visually pleasing design, that even veteran scrapbookers often love to use as a jumping off point!

There are different approaches to Template designs, which might be helpful to understand when comparing products and prices. Some templates are color coded. For the color challenged they may either show you how to disburse colors in a pleasing way. Or, they may be designed for a particular color palette where you can literally clip your favorite papers over the right colored shape.... ala paint by numbers!

Other template designers might include some of their products in a template. Katie Pertiet at Designer Digitals is one of my favorite template designers for that very reason. She often includes word art, frames, staples, tape, paint splatters, etc. With her templates you can sometimes just add your favorite papers and be done. Then you can re-use all those elements in other layouts, two for one!

One last thing to keep in mind (in this very brief introduction to templates) is that templates can be used over and over again. When you use a different kit, and rotate the page a quarter turn it looks like a whole new layout!

You can navigate several ways within Quick Pages and Templates.

By the "Sort Bar"

Use the "sort bar" at the bottom of the page and click one of the following:

1. Most Viewed-The default is set to "most viewed." If you are short on time it shows you what every one else is clicking on the most.
2. Newest First-If you are visiting Digi Scrap Quick Pages often then you might want to scroll down to change the sorting option to "newest first", allowing you to concentrate on what is new!
3. Newest Last-Or click "newest last" if you didn't get to look at everything last time you were here and you want to look at the oldest items first.
4. Best Rated-Finally, if you want to see what's hot, then sort by "best rated"!

Via the Tag Cloud

Use the "Category Tag Cloud" to fine tune the products shown for the page you are currently viewing. This is an intuitive approach to finding what you need fast. For example:

1. If you were on the Quick Page tab and clicked on "5 photos" the results would include all products that are in the Quick Page category that have a 5 photo option.
2. There are also subject matter tags such as "Fall", "Spring", "Snow", etc.
3. There are size tags so you can view all Quick Pages that are 12x12 or 8.5x11.
4. You might begin to notice that many of your favorite pages seem to be at the same few stores. If that is the case you can click on a store name to see all Quick Pages associated with a store.

Yes, the tag cloud functions as a sub-category navigation tool. You can find the tag cloud at the bottom of the page. Just click on a word and it filters the results to that topic. For instance, if you are on "Quick Pages" and you want to look at all Quick Pages that are 8 inches square then click on "8x8."

First of all, you must be a registered and logged in user. Anyone can tag a photo, not just the designer, or the person who uploaded it.

1. Below the photo you will see a box entitled "Tag This Photo".
2. Begin typing one tag in the box. After typing the first few characters, potential matching tags may show up.
3. If a match does not show up, click "add this tag to the picture."  Tag words are maintained by Digi Scrap Quick Pages so that we do not end up with similar tags with different spellings, etc. So, if your tag is slightly modified, you know it is in order to keep the tag cloud manageable.

Please-jump in and tag a photo if you think of a great tag that isn't assigned yet!

Absolutely! Designers know best which products are in which stores! Please add the tags to make shopping easier for everyone!

Remember the tags are moderated. If there are inconsistencies they will be changed to match the storefront.

The Quick Pages and Templates can be purchased in the store(s) the designer sells her product. Just click the "Visit This Product's Website" link. The link appears beneath each thumbnail and on the product details page under the designer's name.

Anyone can upload products! If you have a favorite template that you don't see here then by all means, share! This will only help the designer sell the product. Or, if you are on the designer's Creative Team, feel free to register and help out by uploading the new products!

If you have a freebie on your blog you can even upload it and link to your blog! Make sure and tag it with "freebie" so people can spot it easily!

1. Register as a user at Digi Scrap Quick Pages.
2. Click on "Quick Pages" or "Templates" on the top menu bar.
3. In the upper right corner you will see a pink arrow with a "Submit Picture" link.
4. Paste the Title for your product.
5. Paste the Description for your product.
6. If you are the designer and you are not on the drop down then select "propose new designer" and then type in your name. After the name is approved it will appear in the drop-down.
7. If you are the designer, click yes. This will add an extra link to the site you listed in the "quick page link" field. Note, if someone else uploads photos for you under their login then this link will not appear under the product link.
8. The category will be set at whatever page you were on when you clicked "submit picture." Click "up" if you want to change categories.
9. Select the image from your browser. Choose a 600x600 resolution file if you have one. The system will create the other sized thumbnails automatically.
10. Click submit.
11. Now you are ready to Tag your photo, see that FAQ.

For now please re-upload the product with the corrected data. Then email holly.nester@scrapallier.com with the subject "Digi Scrap Quick Pages Product Edit" I will delete the incorrect product posting on the back-end. And, if a product is no longer available I can delete it for you as well.

Commenting on Photos is a GREAT way to give the designer feedback on their product! Let them know if you want more of a certain type of quick page or, if you love to have lots of photos and don't see enough quick pages or templates with plenty of photo slots!

Unregistered Users

• Can comment on a photo but cannot add comments to an existing comment thread
• Comments are moderated and require entry of an email address
• Plus, to avoid spam, URL links are not activated
• Unregistered users cannot edit or delete their own comments or join in on the voting fun!

Registered Users

• Your URL's are clickable, which is great for PR
• Your home page is shown
• Join in on fun comment threads and vote on comments!

Everyone needs a way to pick up their shopping where they left off, right? Past COMMENTS will be accessible on profiles of registered users. So, comment away on your favorites! "Favorites" are currently not possible with this product version.

Only registered users can rate a product. Rating is as easy as clicking on a star! You will find the stars on the detail page. Of course five stars is the highest rating!

Providing a rating is another way to give the designer feedback! Of course, leave a comment so the designer knows why you love her product so she can give you more of the same!

Designers incur NO monthly or annual charges to participate. However, you are requested to make a donation each month, with a choice of the following options:

1. One digital kit or quick page album
2. OR a $5 value gift certificate
3. OR one 40% off coupon AND a Twitter or iTunes wallpaper freebie

These donations will be used to drive site traffic, ultimately back to your products!

Designers will be subscribed to a monthly newsletter which will keep you updated on Digi Scrap Quick Pages and remind you that it is time to send in your donation.

Please register by filling out this form. Sorry it is a bit repetitive with the site registration, but this puts you into my newsletter and customer relations databases.

I will email you each month to let you know about the latest status of the Digi Scrap Quick Pages product roadmap. And, to remind you that it is time to send in your participation donations.

If for some reason the form is not working just send me an email at holly.nester@scrapallier.com.

Users can search by your name in the top module of the right hand column. In phase two of the website launch they will be able to browse by Designer.

The "Quick Page Link" is an opportunity to showcase a second link on the product details page. this page already links to the product in the store. The "Quick Page Link" can be your blog or your Facebook Fan Page. Populate this field with a destination where you are most active and you want customers to visit first.

The "quick page link" will only show up on products that you upload yourself, indicating that you are the designer.

When they visit your profile page they will see the both the "quick page link" and a second link, the "Website." The website link could even be the designer landing page at your store.

Available Sponsor Packages

Site-wide Rotating Banner:

Banners run site-wide at the bottom of each page. They are 468 pixels wide by 60 pixels tall. (468x60) They may be animated .swf files. If you have a banner ad in an animated .gif format we can try converting the banner to a .swf.

Premium Rotating Sidebar:

Square ads, nicely sized at 200x200, run site-wide in the right column. They have a premium position right below the log-in module. They may be animated .swf files. If you have one that is an animated .gif format we can try converting the banner to a .swf.

Designer Advertorial:

The Browse by Designer pages showcass all products uploaded by the designer. The designer can provide content for a full-featured advertorial in the right hand column. The site-wide modules are not present on this page, so all advertising is focused on you! A logo and bio are suggested, but anything goes! Include a coupon, a preview of a giveaway on your blog, a list of tips for newbies, or examples of your templates in action. At this time the advertorials are free. When DigiScrapQuickPages.com reaches traffic goals designers will be able to subscribe as monthly advertisers for a nominal fee. With each change in copy for a given month you will simply charged again.  You will can publish whatever you want in the right hand column. Make it yours!

Floating Tutorial Video:

This unique advertising opportunity is sure to draw attention. The video can be addressed to guests or members and will pop up from the bottom of the page of your choice. Do you sell video lessons? This ad would be a great fit for class previews! Or a store could create a tutorial video using templates and a new line of collaboration products. If you do not have anyone to create the video tutorial I would be happy to do it for you!

As someone who was new to digital scrapbooking in 2007, I have to admit I would have transitioned sooner if I could make heads or tails of the industry. And, I was not even your average "newbie"-I actually used Photoshop and Illustrator professionally in my advertising career in the late eighties and early nineties and still found digital scrapbooking overwhelming. Digi Scrap Quick Pages attempts to address some of the newbie hurdles:

• Let them know, if they have ever made a photo book they are ALREADY a digital scrapbooker! Whew! The ice is broken, now we can tell them how to take their photo books to the next level!
• Ease them in with Quick Pages. This website is a first-the first time Quick Pages have been aggregated in mass with such unique and intuitive navigation! Between the Editor's Picks, ratings, comments, and tags they are sure to find the perfect product!
• Templates are the next baby step! But, we all know seasoned scrapbookers use them too. They will love browsing by number of photos, it just makes sense.
• Tell their friends. Every scrapbooker who has tried to coax their friends along, will catch on quickly that Digi Scrap Quick Pages is the perfect place to send them to. And, that is where the monthly donations (in lieu of fees) come into play. Digi Scrap bloggers who wear the badge, AND pass traffic this way will be rewarded with giveaways!
• Access tutorials that are focused only on Quick Pages, Templates, and uploading to the photo books. Let's not scare them away just yet with all there is to learn. Digi Scrap Quick Pages will get them started and then refer them on to other communities for further learning.

My goal is to help usher new customers into the industry.

I came up with the company name "Scrapallier", pronounced "Scrap-a-leer", in early 2008 planning my next career move. My thought was, if there are no jobs in advertising technology in Oklahoma, and I'm going to have to look for remote positions or change industries, why not pick an industry I'm passionate about?

The "allier" part of my name was chosen because I want to be an "ally" to designers and store owners. It was picked from the origin of the word:

My name is Holly Nester, and I have spent my entire 20 year career in advertising and marketing for large corporations. My last position was primarily focused on advertising technology for the Internet and Interactive Television.  I was in the unfortunate position of working myself out of a job-- recommending the sale of the company, helping to find a buyer and market the company, and managing due diligence projects for Department of Justice approval.

I have had a lot of time to think about what I want to do next. I decided to try and build a freelance career working from home. My plan is to do what I love while staying flexible enough to focus on my family.

I find it interesting that I'm currently drawing on literally every past skill-set and career interest:

• My interest in scrapbooking is rooted in my high school years when I was head photographer for the Yearbook and Newspaper. Plus, I was one of ten students in the state selected based on my photography portfolio to attend the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute.
• I learned Photoshop and Illustrator in the late eighties and designed ads that were run in Time, Life, and Sports Illustrated. One of my favorite projects was art directing watercolor artist Sabine Bernard for a national point of purchase campaign. I'd knew I'd never *be* a great designer but I *loved* working with artists. And I've often thought it would be fun to be an artist's representative. This site seems to fulfill an old dream.
• As an Internet Consultant I built award winning sites for Coach John Wooden, UnitedWay.com, Phillips Petroleum, Dayco Purolator and more. Now I'm doing simple web development projects to fund the custom programming for this site and I've done all the the Joomla configuration myself. My Scrapallier logo was done by the designer (Chris Lo) who worked with me on the Coach John Wooden site. And, my site design is based on the business card Chris designed.
• My early days as a media buyer were a great foundation for my later jobs as Sr. Manager of Product Marketing for an advertising distribution company and Strategist. Now, all of that research of advertising technologies is quite useful as I try to build an Internet business model based around advertising.

I hope to grow this site into a stepping stone for people who may have made their first photobook at a site like Shutterfly or have thought about learning to scrapbook digitally. But there is so much to learn, which can be overwhelming for the beginners.

Therefore, this site has a very narrow focus-it is simply a place to aggregate Quick Pages and Templates with enough tutorials to get beginners started. The navigation is very intuitive, and community participation will help others speed the selection process.

I did not want to build another social networking site as there are plenty of great ones out there. But, I hope my visitors begin to get comfortable with online participation in this fantastic industry, and graduate as participants in the other online communities.

Of course, great quick page designs and templates are of interest to even the most seasoned scrapbookers. I hope Digi Scrap Quick Pages brings you back again and again AND that you agree it is the perfect place to send the newbies among your friends and family!