Not so cutesy anymore!

There was a time when scrapbooking was all about cutesy layouts and simple themes like “Jessie loses a tooth”; but, in the past few years scrapbooking has undergone a radical makeover, evolving into a more sophisticated, even elegant art form. Artists are pushing the scrapbook envelope, experimenting with new techniques, mixed media, altered art. They’re challenging accepted notions of this genre to the point where it’s often hard to tell where scrapping ends and art begins.

Digital scrapping offers innovative techniques to those who follow their own siren’s call of creativity. For the past four years, CottageArts has provided you with new techniques, that even beginners can try, and of course, a gallery full of inspiration. Our newsletters offer ways you can use your computer and other tech tools, from making the most of your printer to scanning and correcting photos and keepsakes. This is not an advanced computer course, but a way for artists to share tips.

Hybrid scrapbooking is now the new thing. Mixing digital techniques with dimensional paper pieces is where the paper and digital artists can meet in the middle. We hope to offer you much more inspiration in this area in the coming year, especially in this column.

While not all artists may welcome our interest in technology, we can respectfully disagree. Computers, like any artist’s tool, serve to foster and enhance creativity, not replace it. So, enthusiastic cyber artists be proud of your creations! No matter what tools you use, the art you make today becomes your heritage, a part of you for your loved ones to come to know who you are

Written by Beth Ervin, Creative Team member, CottageArts.net