Hi Reader,

In my last email I shared the two paths for photo books: templated (drag-and-drop into pre-designed layouts) and digital scrapbooking (you’re the designer with full creative control).

✨ Today I want to show you what digital scrapbooking really looks like—and introduce the software I use and recommend for PC users.

But first, a quick note:

Mac friends, I haven’t forgotten you. I’m still testing digital scrapbooking options for Mac now and will share a recommendation once I’ve put it through its paces. In the meantime, templated photo book tools from FOREVER, Mixbook, Artifact Uprising, and others work beautifully on Mac. 💻

If you’re on a PC and curious about digital scrapbooking, keep reading. 👇 (Or if you have Virtual Machine software on your Mac and run Windows, this email applies to you, too.)

What is Digital Scrapbooking? 🎨

Digital scrapbooking is exactly what it sounds like: scrapbooking on your computer.

Instead of paper, stickers, and embellishments from the craft store, you use digital elements—backgrounds, frames, ribbons, buttons, text styles, and more.

You place your photos where you want, add decorative elements, tweak colors and sizes, and tell your stories with complete creative freedom.

At the end, you order a printed book that looks and feels like a traditional scrapbook—without the mess, storage, or risk of water or fire damage.

Here’s what I mean—two pages from books I’ve created with digital scrapbooking:

With templates, you fill pre-set spaces. With digital scrapbooking, you decide photo size and placement, background, text, and how the page is decorated. 🧵 It’s the same creative control as traditional scrapbooking—only faster, easier to edit, and simple to reorder if you ever need another copy.

The Software I Use: FOREVER Artisan 6 🖥️

For PC users, I recommend FOREVER Artisan 6.

Here’s why I love it:

• Direct FOREVER integration. When you’re done designing, you order straight from the software—no exporting. Seamless.
• Incredibly flexible. It comes with templates, backgrounds, and embellishments. You can add more from the FOREVER store, or use JPG/PNG elements from other vendors. There are regular freebies and monthly sales.
• Complete creative control. Start with a template and modify it, or build pages from scratch. You decide everything—photo size and placement, background, text, and embellishments.
• True digital scrapbooking. Artisan 6 is powerful—almost like Photoshop for scrapbooking. Yes, there’s a learning curve, but you can create almost anything you can imagine. (I’ll even show you how to make a plaid from the colors in your photos!)

What’s the Catch? 🤔

Let’s be honest: Artisan 6 is not something you'll pick up in an afternoon.

It’s powerful, and that power comes with complexity. If you’re comfy with tools like Photoshop, you’ll adapt quickly. If not, expect a little ramp-up (I can help!).

But here’s the payoff: once you’ve got the basics, you can make books that look exactly the way you envision. No compromises.

FOREVER also offers solid tutorials and support to help you get started.

Pricing 💸

Artisan offers a 30-day free trial so you can test-drive it. After that, it’s $99/year.

I know that may sound high next to free templated tools. But if you were buying traditional supplies—paper, embellishments, tools—you’d easily spend that (or more) in a year. With Artisan, you can get updated kits and can create as many books as you want.

My Offer: Free Training to Get You Started 🎁

The learning curve is real—but you don’t have to figure it out alone.

If you purchase Artisan 6 through my affiliate link, I’ll give you up to 2 hours of free 1:1 training.

We can do it all in one session or split it up—whatever works for you. I’ll help you get comfortable, answer questions, and troubleshoot. This is my way of making sure you actually use what you’re investing in.

​💪 Get Artisan 6 here (and claim your free training)​

Is Digital Scrapbooking Right for You?🤔

Here’s think to about it:

Choose templated photo books if:

• You want fast and easy
• You’re happy with pre-designed layouts
• You just want to get the photos into a book and move on

Choose digital scrapbooking if:

• You want full creative control
• You enjoy the process of designing and creating
• You’re willing to invest time in learning the software
• You want your books to look exactly the way you envision them

Both paths are great. Both preserve your photos and stories. It just depends on what matters most to you. ❤️

Want to See More? 🔍

If you’re curious about what’s possible with Artisan, browse the FOREVER Artisan 6 page to see examples and learn more.

And if you try it, tell me what you create—I’d love to see! 📚

Next week, I’ll talk about photo organizing software—what it can (and can’t) do, the limitations to keep in mind, and the one situation where I recommend it.

Until then, if you’ve got questions, hit reply. I’m here to help. 🙌

Warmly,

Fancy

PS - Artisan 6 can also be used to create page prints and many of the photo gifts on the Forever site as well. And for years I've used it to make flyers, event banners, business cards, invitations, and much more!

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