The best thing about hybrid scrapping has to be that you can use all the fun paper supplies AND those cool digital supplies together. My all-time favorite hybrid technique is using digital frames for my photos. I love the dimension they add – even if it is fake dimension! There are tons of different types of frames out there but I am especially fond of cluster frames or storyboard frames where I can display a bunch of photos quickly and easily.

Check out these funky frames by Katie Pertiet at http://www.designerdigitals.com

They are easy to use – just clip your photos on to the photo-holder using clipping masks in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements and print off the final result. Here’s how I did it:

1. Create your canvas in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements (8.5×11, 300dpi)
2. Open the .psd file that you want to use. I typically use the .psd files because you have the ability to move the layers of the cluster frames around making it customizable.
3. In the Layers Palette, select the top layer of the cluster frame. Hold down the Shift key and scroll down to select the last layer. All the layers will be highlighted showing that they are selected. Use the Move Tool to drag all the frames together onto your canvas.
4. Open the photos that you want to use.
5. Select a photo layer in the layers palette of your canvas and choose a photo to drag on to that layer. Resize the photo using Ctrl-T (Edit → Free Transform).
6. Clip the photo on to the photo layer mask by pressing Ctrl-G (Mac: Cmd-G) in Photoshop Elements or Al-Ctrl-G (Mac: Opt-Cmd-G) in Photoshop

Repeat steps 5 and 6 for the rest of the photos. Cut around the edge of the frames and you have a fun and funky photo arrangement for your layout.

 

Ok, let’s give a great round of applause for Paula this week! Thank you, Paula, for sharing some great tips and for taking some of the mystery out of hybrid scrapbooking!