Is Creative Memories Storybook maker a good choice?

[i12go2wdw]

Is this a good choice for digital scrapbooking? I looked at photoshop elements and loved what it can do for pictures but looked too complicated for scrapping. For those of you who have used the CM one I'd love to hear your opinions. TIA Christine

 

[Lisa]

I've made three storybooks; one for my DD Special Olympics team, one for our niece's wedding, and one for my mother's kayak trip in GA. All came out great.

CM has Storybook Plus which the digital CM scrappers love, alas though it isn't for the Mac users yet.

 

[DisneyCruiser2008]

I really love StoryBook Creator Plus -- but I have never used PSE, so I can't really compare the two. But, SBC+ does pretty much everything I need it to.... I love using CMs premade pages as templates and having the option of changing out all of the papers and elements with non CM kits -- lots of flexibility there, but I don't have to create every page from "scratch" which I find very time consuming. I do make some pages from scratch from time to time when I am feeling especially creative, though. I have made several StoryBooks which I have been every happy with, and I have also had 12 x 12 page prints made which I have slipped into my scrapbooks -- which is kind of nice too.... so I can combine some traditional with some digital pages. There are some good tutorials on the CM website if you'd like to get more of an idea as to how the program works.

 

[Disney Baby]

I have both Storybook Creator Plus and Photshop Elements 5.0. SBC+ is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much easier than PSE 5.0. Just like the previous poster described - the predesigned pages make it really easy to put your pages together. Creative Memories prices for digital elements are really a bargin vs. what you would pay for a kit on the internet. That being said - you can bring in any element that is a jpg, gif, or png file into SBC+ and any True Type Font that you have added to your operating system will show up in SBC+. PSE 5.0 does have the ability to do things that SBC+ cannot do - but these are really advanced techniques. I am confident that SBC+ will meet your digital scrapbooking needs. Also as the previous poster stated - you can go the website and go to shop products - digital scrapbookin - training - webinars - and it will give you the information you are looking for

 

[labdogs42]

I love SBC+ and I have used PSE, too. SBC+ makes it SO easy to scrap digitally. You can use all the stuff you can find online in SBC+, too, not just CM stuff (I just realized that this week!). I recently posted a few layouts in the pinned Digital Layouts thread, all of which were made in SBC+, some with CM pre-designed pages, some made from scratch. Feel free to go check them out!

 

[TiggerFamily]

I just did my first Story book using story book + and I loved it. It was so easy to do. the only problem I had was on 2 pages my type was to close to the edge of the page and you can't read it all it goes into the binding of the book.

 

[loveGoofy]

"the only problem I had was on 2 pages my type was to close to the edge of the page and you can't read it all it goes into the binding of the book"

There is a feature in Storybook that allows you to view the portion of the page that you will not be able to see when the book is bound. I have found this feature very valuable.

 

[swhall]

As a Creative Memories consultant I may be a bit biased The program is very easy to use and has many wonderful features. You will not be disappointed with this product.

 

[Melrosgirl]

I use the Storybook Creator Plus program and really like it. It's easy to use. Not a huge learning curve to it.

 

[Fran98765]

Personally, I prefer a graphics program such as Photoshop or Photoshop Elements or Paint Shop Pro. They may have a bit more of a learning curve then a "scrapbook" program, but you have so much more that you can do with them. Even with the added options that it sounds like this one has, you will eventually hit the wall with a scrapbook only program.

There are hundreds of digital scrapbook sites out there now. Most of them have dozens of tutorials to help get you started. I list a few sites in the FAQ sticky.

 

[uncgrad95]

Does anybody know if you HAVE to use Creative Memories to print the book? I have looked at Snapfish, Walgreens, etc. and the books are so much cheaper! I know at Snapfish, you can upload your books from other programs just for printing- but didn't know if the SBP program allowed it to be sent. You know, like in Memory Manager where you have the option to send the pictures to whoever to print?

Thanks!
Alanna

 

[Fran98765]

Have you looked at Shutterfly? I find them to be very cheap on their photobooks. $30 for a 20pager, plus you can usually find a coupon easily. Usually for $10 off or 25% off.

 

[Disney Baby]

Does anybody know if you HAVE to use Creative Memories to print the book? I have looked at Snapfish, Walgreens, etc. and the books are so much cheaper! I know at Snapfish, you can upload your books from other programs just for printing- but didn't know if the SBP program allowed it to be sent. You know, like in Memory Manager where you have the option to send the pictures to whoever to print?

Thanks!
Alanna

Hi Alanna,

If you are using the free program - SBC 2.0 - then you can only upload to Creative Memories. If you are using the $59.95 program - SBC+ then you can upload to anywhere. If you are going to go with another company other than CM - the only comparable quality that I have seen is shutterfly.

Hope this helps!

Jennifer

 

[labdogs42]

Does anybody know if you HAVE to use Creative Memories to print the book? I have looked at Snapfish, Walgreens, etc. and the books are so much cheaper! I know at Snapfish, you can upload your books from other programs just for printing- but didn't know if the SBP program allowed it to be sent. You know, like in Memory Manager where you have the option to send the pictures to whoever to print?

Thanks!
Alanna

I don't think you can send it FROM SBC+, but I know you can save your pages as .jpg's and upload them to any site for printing as a book. I plan to use shutterfly.

 

[Disney Baby]

I don't think you can send it FROM SBC+, but I know you can save your pages as .jpg's and upload them to any site for printing as a book. I plan to use shutterfly.

OOPs- Jessica - thanks for clarifying - I forgot the step of saving as jpg..

 

[uncgrad95]

Thanks, guys. I've looked at lots of programs and like this one the best, but at almost $30 more per book every time I ordered... wasn't sure over the long run if it would be worth it if you HAD to order from CM.

One more question... I'm "playing" with the free program. If I have pages on the free program with text, etc. but then buy the other one, can I make changes to the pages I've already created - making text boxes bigger, moving pictures, etc. or would i have to start over in the upgraded version?

Thanks again,
Alanna

 

[Disney Baby]

One more question... I'm "playing" with the free program. If I have pages on the free program with text, etc. but then buy the other one, can I make changes to the pages I've already created - making text boxes bigger, moving pictures, etc. or would i have to start over in the upgraded version?

Thanks again,
Alanna

Yes, Yes, Yes!!!! I made some storybooks with SBC 2.0. I never printed them and I was so glad that I waited. I was able to open them up in SBC+ and move everything around.

You would not have to start over

 

[SweetPeasMom2]

Another option is Heritage Makers. It functions A LOT like PSE but more user friendly. Most features and effects you try to achieve in PSE take several steps and with Heritage Makers, it's just the click of a mouse or key stroke.

Also, it is web-based. You can use it from any computer that has net access. You aren't locked into one computer.

It's very user friendly and fun. Actually addicting .

We do the books and starting May 12, you'll be able to print 12x12 pages.

 

[RadioNate]

As a Creative Memories consultant I may be a bit biased The program is very easy to use and has many wonderful features. You will not be disappointed with this product.

Any word on the Mac version? One of my consultants said they were thinking about releasing one.

 

[Lisa]

No word that I have heard as of yet.