When I started blogging back in the Days of Yore, I remember distinctly thinking how awesome it was going to be to have all these new little bits of story telling and pictures to scrapbook with.
It made perfect sense. I'd put all this time and energy into crafting blog posts, then I'd transfer it all to a scrapbook page to preserve forever in the so-called real world.
While it's a sound idea, I've probably only done this a handful of times. For example, one time I told a rather sweet story about something Dan said to me (read it here), and then I made this page:
A true and victorious example of blog to page. But I can count on a few fingers how many times this has actually happened.
Enter the Blog Grab.
(Not to be confused with the very familiar and all-too-prevalent Boob Grab):
As I was working on some new template ideas for Designer Digitals, I thought: I want to create something that easily lets me transfer a word-heavy and photo-laden blog post to a simple layout design. You know, a design with lots of room for journaling, and accordingly, room for multiple photos if need be. And here's what I came up with:
These templates (one for 12 x 12 scrappers, and one for 8.5 x 11 scrappers) are my solution for taking a longer story that I love, like this one, and being able to save it to the real world scrapbook page, like this:
Or, the page I actually printed out for Cole's album, in 8.5 x 11:
SUPPLIES: Layered Template No. 7 (12 x 12) • Layered Template No. 8 (8.5 x 11) • Spot Dots Paper Pack No 11, Digital Dates Date Stamps Vol. 12 (Katie Pertiet) • Archer font • Adobe Photoshop CS4 • (Note: I cut the larger shot on this template in two, to add a few more shots.)
Because I was on a roll, I also did this hybrid page with another blog post about my girl turning 13:
(click on the image to see a larger version of the layout in new window)
I tweaked the template a bit by first turning off all of the photo layers and backgrounds, then erasing the lower left hand horizontal line on the overlay for the left page, and then flipping the overlay itself and moving the journaling block over to continue the journaling on a second page. Next I copied and pasted my journaling directly from the blog post into the template and formatted the text using Avenir and a tiny bit of Amelie. Then I printed the two pages out onto white cardstock. To finish, I grabbed some of the shots from the blog post (in 300 DPI, mind you), plus a few other shots, measured the open space, and trimmed the photos to size.
These templates also work great if you simply need lots of space for multiple photos and longer stories.
Don't let your good stories live only in cyberspace. Take them from blog to page today. Try one this weekend!
Every one of my templates is on sale—as is everything in the store—until next Tuesday at 6 a.m. E.S.T. as part of the Designer Digitals 4th Quarter Sale.
Have a lovely weekend.
renee says
cathy… i remember that post about aiden. i recall how it brought tears to my eyes then … and now seeing it with the pics … its lovely, wonderful and just right. thanks.
Jess says
Cathy, you rock! I love your new digital templates. I have been admiring them from a far and will get me some during the quarterly sale.
Katrina Kennedy says
Oh Miss Cathy! I just had fun with this template!! Posting in the gallery this morning 🙂 You rock!
Angela Butler says
Love Love Love this. For those of us who get creative blocks when it comes to traditional scrapbooking this is a great medium to satisfy the need to have both.
Barb says
I love these, Cathy! I was just over at Designer Digitals, adding stuff to my wish list. Gotta go take a closer look at your new templates! 🙂
Sharon says
and I am off to check out the sale too! I do have a question though – I have been having a great time making little photo overlays and frames as per your tutorial a little while ago (which was great!) – and have even worked out how to do rounded corners thanks to one of your commenters. But I am wondering how to get some rounded and some not (like the line around one of your templates above) – using PSE. Can you help?
thanks 🙂
Denise Laborde says
How do you spell awesome? C-A-T-H-Y!
CathyZielske says
Hey Angela, I’m definitely starting to think more in terms of hybrid types of digital elements, sort of like how i mostly scrapbook—there are always some sort of digi/hybrid things going on on my pages.
: )
Jennifer M. says
I need to do this more often. Thanks for the inspiration.
cathy says
Hey Sharon,
That is something that I do using Indesign, actually. I have this plug-in that runs a script that allows me to choose which corners are rounded and which are not.
Then i drag the element into PS as a smart object.
But there is a way to do it in PS that i’ve figured out. Hmmmm. Maybe i’ll put together a quick tutorial on it for next week!
{vicki} says
Unrealted to ‘the blog grab’ which I think is a supergreat idea——
Last night on Jeopardy! (it’s tee week) there was a young gentleman that want to be a LEGGO designer. I immediately thought of Cole.
alexa says
Space for lots of photos AND lots of journalling – perfect!
Cathy, I was wondering – when you said you printed out the 8.5 x 11 layout for Cole, did you print it straight onto card, or a sheet of photo-paper, or did you print the photos separately and attach them? Many thanks!
TracyBzz says
Love the design of Adian turning 13. Journaling on each side with photos in the center 🙂
kp says
Okay, I am feeling a little weirded out here. Or is it wierded…I had just emailed my sister, on Monday, telling her how I wish I could figure out how to turn my blog posts into a scrapbook, and specifically, that I was going to EMAIL YOU and see if you could come up with a clever way for us to do this. And today, you introduce Blog Grab, and I am feeling like I am on an episode of the Twilight Zone, with that music playing in the background…
cathy says
For the Cole page, i pirnted the whole thing onto photo paper.
cathy says
That’s a bit freaky… : ) freaky GOOD.
cathy says
Thanks, TracyBzz.
Wendy says
Honestly, I never even thought of turning my blog posts into a scrapbook page (weird, I know). But that’s awesome! I love your templates.
alexa says
Thank-you! I’ll probably need to convert my LO into A4, as 8.5×11 photo-paper over here is non-existent. Off to try …
Jana says
Love these! They might be the nudge for me to start scrapping once more… or at least buying templates!
Annette says
These are the coolest. I really like how you showed multiple ways to use the template. I’m going to have to get this one for sure!
shirley says
these are some really great ideas but honestly the boob grab photo had me rolling!!!!!! Love your honesty – hahahahaha
Natalee says
I love these 8.5 x 11 templates Cathy! They are so versatile…keep making them! I still love the boob grab. That pic makes me laugh!
MaryRuth says
Looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove the templates! Love love love!! Off to shop!!
JoLynn says
Wow. I missed the post about what Dan said to you. That is amazingly sweet. I love your DPS on Aidan. Every time I look at my soon-to-be thirteen year old, I see his baby pics in my head. It hasn’t been a quick journey, but it feels so quick now. You know? That sounds crazy, but when I look back, he’s been through a lot of good and bad in our family life. Where we are now is not where we were when he was 4, and I really wish I could relive some of that time and worry more about him and less about the other crap. Hmmm… smells like a page coming on…
Lara says
you totally crack me up! I love your sense of humor!
Kathy Floen says
Cathy-I love it….I love how you created a template to actually put our blogged ideas/thoughts onto/into a LO! 🙂 Thanks…and I still laugh at the boob grab! 🙂
Dixie says
Holy Cow! I accidently ran across your blog and can not stop reading it! Your words are pictures in themselves. Thank you. I’ll be back from time to time. I just love your writing, what you have to say, how you say it and yes, your photography and scrapbooking as well. I’m also a digital scrapbooker. LOVE it! Thanks for the sunshine in my day! Seriously!
sell gold says
Those are really wonderful templates. They are appropriate if you need lots of space for multiple photos and longer stories.