Who here uses CM's SBC+ for digital scrapping?

[kellig]

Okay, Ladies. I was just at my CM Regional Convention and I have a bit of news for you. They have quite a few new digital (& paper!) kits coming out soon that are very nice. The first will be the new Discover Baby Boy & Delight Baby Girl themes & accessories. Other goodies to be introduced will be the Wishes & Dreams, benefiting the Make a Wish Foundation, and the Discover & Delight kits (different than the baby kits).

But I know a few of you had asked about upgrades to MM & SBC+. First, on March 1 there will be a MM 3.0 upgrade available. This is an upgrade, not an update, so there will be a fee. I you currently own MM 2.0, during March & April the upgrade will be available for $9.95. After this it will be $15.00. But it you don't own MM 2.0 and want to purchase 3.0, the price will be the normal $39.95 price and you won't have to worry about the upgrade. (I hope I didn't confuse too many people!)

The biggest news is that MM 3.0 will sync up with SBC+! You will also be able to more easily do selective coloring and copying/cloning from one photo to another. There are other things, but my brain is on overload and I can't remember what they are!

I also asked about the potential of SBC+ having text path and tearing tool features. They said that they were still in the development stages of it and it wouldn't be available until at least next year - no firm dates. They are also still working on SBC+ for Macs, but that won't be soon, either.

I hope that this is helpful to you!

Wow...thanks for all the great info! It's always exciting to hear about new abilities with SBC+!

My question is how do I resize when I open them? Whe I try to import into SBC+ I get the red X that says wrong size.

You can only import a template into a storybook that is the same size. For example, all of the templates you find in this thread are 12 x 12. If you are working in an 8 x 8 book, you can't import that template into your book. I get around this by importing my template into a blank storybook and creating my layout as 12 x 12. I then save that individual completed page as a jpeg file. I go back into my original 8 x 8 storybook and add the jpeg file I just saved as a photo. Then drop and drag the photo (your completed LO) onto the page. Voila...you have used a template.

I know it sounds confusing, but it is really not that hard. Just make sure you don't create your LO over your template. I would also suggest doing everything as a 12 x 12. You can always make your finished product smaller, but can't always make it larger. Words of advice I now wish I had understood when I first got started.

Good luck. You are in a great place to get tons of useful and helpful information!

 

[augusta]

I'm getting frustrated. I have figured out how to import the LO from here and get them into a 12 x 12 book but i can't get it into a 8x8 or 11x8. I've saved a page as jpeg and then try to import it and can't get it. I get the message that my page is not the correct size for the book and will not be imported.
Storybook won't let me interchange the sizes.

 

[augusta]

OK I've figured it out. I'm posting because if it was a problem for me, it probably was a problem for someone else.
I was trying to import the saved jpeg as a page not a photo. Once I went to get photo, not import page, I could find my page that was saved as a photo and it worked.
I'm still wondering if Creative Memories will print a storybook prepared as 12x12 as 8x8 ?

 

[DisneyCruiser2008]

OK I've figured it out. I'm posting because if it was a problem for me, it probably was a problem for someone else.
I was trying to import the saved jpeg as a page not a photo. Once I went to get photo, not import page, I could find my page that was saved as a photo and it worked.
I'm still wondering if Creative Memories will print a storybook prepared as 12x12 as 8x8 ?

Glad you figured them out... yep -- once you save them as jpegs, you just bring them in as pictures... To print an 8x8 Storybook made from 12x12 pages, you'll need to bring the jpegs into your 8x8 album one by one and make a storybook with them. Does that make sense?

 

[augusta]

Yes that makes sense and even works! I just tried it. Thanks, I'm liking SBC+ more and more, Just takes some playing around with it to learn. Thanks to all who post here and help me to figure this out.

 

[DisneyCruiser2008]

Soooo.. I signed up for the recent CM SBC+ webinar and forgot to attend..... Did anyone see it? Were there any good new tricks???

 

[ckdsnynt]

Where do you learn to do digital scrapbooking? I need to see it being done. I simply can't learn from watching it on a cd.

 

[cruisecrzy]

I did not make it to the sessions either,but I am pretty sure the email I got said it would be recorded and available.

 

[lauknob]

...

 

[augusta]

I watch all the webinars I know about. I am lucky to remember one or two points with each. The design in four was a push to create and print a storybook. Just the basics, this is recorded on the webpage under the help section.
The webinar last week was digital inspirations and they featured one or two items in the software. They plan to continue this. The focus was on the layout. What I remember is using the snap to grid-to line items up evenly. Alignment, colors, matting, edges. Most of these I knew from playing around but I found it helpful. What I liked was with each page demo she put the kit and font she used. There was mention of having more like this.

 

[augusta]

Just checked the web site, you can register for upcoming baby or wedding digital inspirations.

 

[lauknob]

...

 

[Dopey Rocks!]

This has turned in to a really long post...bear with me! Having read through this thread, I have every confidence in all of your opinions!


OK....you all are ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!! There are no Smilies or Words enough to express my admiration for all of you.

I have only been scrapping a couple of years and have gone the CHEAP route. Lots of pics on a page with 'some' color here and there if I-or the page-is lucky! I went to a CM show last month that a friend had and saw the possibilities of digital. WOW! So, being the Disney fan that I am and having researched our Sept trip with all of the incredible people here on the DIS boards...I came here first to research the SBC+ stuff. Well, you did not disappoint!!

This is the first thread I came to (AWESOME!) and, again, WOW! I got the software off of ebay and it came last week---yep-cheap! I have not loaded it yet as I have to clear space in a big way.

I have read through this entire post-which took a while-and took notes as I went along. A BIG THANK YOU to those of you posting templates and examples and tips and tricks etc......! I am sure it will all make sense when I get into the program.

My major questions are about storage. My laptop will be the most versitile place for me to load the software as I can take it with me to work on at various places. My problem is lack of space. I have so many pictures! I know some of you have kept everything on external hard drives. My husband has moved all our pix to the EHD which would free up a ton of space if I deleted them off the laptop. (I begin freaking out now....it makes me nervous! )

How easy is it to import the pics from the EHD? Should I do it this way? My main concern is space. I know I would have to have the EHD anytime I would be working on layouts. Or, to prepare, could I import a section of pictures to SBC+ and go from there without the EHD hanging around while going to my Mom's for instance?

And, there was mention of corrupting files if I save incorrectly? I need more info regarding these issues--I am a freak about backing things up. I have copies here at home on disc, at my Mom's on disc and on our desktop of pics.

I want to hit the ground running once I load the software. And, knowing myself, I will sit for hours at a time playing with it. How I will do that with a 4 year old remains to be seen. I am going to love not dragging out all my stuff for my DS to get into. I can just sit and scrap then go play a game, clean (yeah, right) or whatever and not worry about unwanted crops from my 4 year old! I am still amazed this is even a possibility!

I have written down and placed in favorites a lot of the blogs and sites you ladies recommend. I will start downloading free stuff there. If you have any other ideas for me-having not done one key stroke yet, PLEASE let me know!!! I want to look at some of the other threads to get ideas. I suppose I should do that after I get started?? Any direction you have-point me to it.

And, the final question is this--is it really as easy and amazing as you guys make it look?! I truly am in AWE of you ladies and hope I can do pages half as good as all of you!

I know I will have more questions once I get started. THANK YOU a thousand times over!!!

 

[Dopey Rocks!]

Okay, Ladies. I was just at my CM Regional Convention and I have a bit of news for you. They have quite a few new digital (& paper!) kits coming out soon that are very nice. The first will be the new Discover Baby Boy & Delight Baby Girl themes & accessories. Other goodies to be introduced will be the Wishes & Dreams, benefiting the Make a Wish Foundation, and the Discover & Delight kits (different than the baby kits).

But I know a few of you had asked about upgrades to MM & SBC+. First, on March 1 there will be a MM 3.0 upgrade available. This is an upgrade, not an update, so there will be a fee. I you currently own MM 2.0, during March & April the upgrade will be available for $9.95. After this it will be $15.00. But it you don't own MM 2.0 and want to purchase 3.0, the price will be the normal $39.95 price and you won't have to worry about the upgrade. (I hope I didn't confuse too many people!)

The biggest news is that MM 3.0 will sync up with SBC+! You will also be able to more easily do selective coloring and copying/cloning from one photo to another. There are other things, but my brain is on overload and I can't remember what they are!

I also asked about the potential of SBC+ having text path and tearing tool features. They said that they were still in the development stages of it and it wouldn't be available until at least next year - no firm dates. They are also still working on SBC+ for Macs, but that won't be soon, either.

I hope that this is helpful to you!

Yea!! Thank you for the info! Should I wait to get the 3.0 software or try to get 2.0 now and download the new version later? I am not really in a hurry for this software. I want to play with the SBC+ first and see what I really need as I go along. Any advice you have would be appreciated!!

 

[Dopey Rocks!]

I keep thinking of questions!! Here is another...

While at the CM show last month, the consultant said that the pictures were stored only ONE time in the program no matter how many tags you placed on them. Is this correct? Also, with the 3.0 version, will the pix be stored in MM and in SBC+ in places other than the actual layout? I read where you all delete pictures after using them. Is this common to the digital programs?

Thanks again to all of you!!!

 

[ckdsnynt]

I keep thinking of questions!! Here is another...

While at the CM show last month, the consultant said that the pictures were stored only ONE time in the program no matter how many tags you placed on them. Is this correct? Also, with the 3.0 version, will the pix be stored in MM and in SBC+ in places other than the actual layout? I read where you all delete pictures after using them. Is this common to the digital programs?

Thanks again to all of you!!!

where did you find the CM show or class you attended? I would love to learn digital scrapbooking but I need to learn hand on! I'm terrible at reading and learning this stuff. Have to see to do!

 

[quiltymom]

Let's see if I can answer some of these for you. We have a snow day today - Yay! I was ready for one, and so were the kids.

Yea!! Thank you for the info! Should I wait to get the 3.0 software or try to get 2.0 now and download the new version later? I am not really in a hurry for this software. I want to play with the SBC+ first and see what I really need as I go along. Any advice you have would be appreciated!!

Here's the scoop. Currently, MM 2.0 is available for purchase for $29.95, which is $10.00 off the regular price. They're offering it as a discount until the upgrade is made available, which will be offered during the months of Jay & June at a cost of $10.00, which makes the total cost the original $39.95. After July 1, the upgrade will be $15.00.

Bottom line - if you do purchase 2.0 it now, you won't loose any money if you then purchase the upgrade in May/June.

Do you need it to play on SBC+? No. So, if you're not in a hurry, you can wait. But if you are going to purchase it anyway, you just may want to get it now to load and "file" all of your photos to have them ready for the upgrade.

I keep thinking of questions!! Here is another...

While at the CM show last month, the consultant said that the pictures were stored only ONE time in the program no matter how many tags you placed on them. Is this correct?

Yes, and that's the cool part! I have some photos in 7 different folders. It really makes retreiving photos a snap!

Also, with the 3.0 version, will the pix be stored in MM and in SBC+ in places other than the actual layout? I read where you all delete pictures after using them. Is this common to the digital programs?

Thanks again to all of you!!

I haven't read up on all the stuff 3.0 will do, but if it does delete them, then wonderful! You really don't need the photos in your SBC+ file once you've used them.

Currently, photos are only stored in SBC+ if you bring them into the "photos" file. Once you use the photo in a LO they are on the LO, no matter what. The photos have been placed in the LO and will not disappear if you remove them from the photo file. That way you're not saving all of the photos again in another place.

For example, once I complete a LO or album (especially an album!) I will delete all of the photos from the album file. Like my WDW '07 file. I have 92 pages completed in which I used close to 500 photos. If I kept those phots in the "photos" file, it makes the StoryBook file all the more larger than it needs to be. If you remove them from the StoryBook file that way, your file size will be smaller, therefore not taking up as much room on your hard drive than is needed.

If this isn't clear, let me know.

And I'll be happy to answer any other questions!

 

[quiltymom]

where did you find the CM show or class you attended? I would love to learn digital scrapbooking but I need to learn hand on! I'm terrible at reading and learning this stuff. Have to see to do!

The best way to find a CM consultant - if you don't already have one - is to go to the creativememories dot com website, click on the "Consultant Locator" tab, put in your address & zip and it will tell you the three consultants that are closest to you. Contact all three of them and ask what they are doing with digital, if they are having any workshops or training in SBC+ & MM. (Not all consultants are doing digital - yet!) They'll be absolutely thrilled to hear from you. Just tell them that a CMC from the DISBoards sent you their way. Of course, you'll have to explain the DISBoards ...

Also, participate in ALL of the webinars and tutorials available. You'll get an awful lot of training there. I've been using SBC+ for about a year now & I'm still learning new things every time I use it. And ask questions here. We love to answer them.

Does this help you?

 

[Dopey Rocks!]

where did you find the CM show or class you attended? I would love to learn digital scrapbooking but I need to learn hand on! I'm terrible at reading and learning this stuff. Have to see to do!

The show was a regular CM show but she focused on digital the whole time. It was a friend of a friend. She is out of Tulsa and is willing to travel. I have already gotten a couple of emails from her about webinars coming up. I have not committed to any of those yet though--4 year old and all....until I have cleared my hard drive and loaded the program.

I also have a friend from church that is a consultant but I do not know how much digital she does. She is out of OKC and we have a scrap 'class' every Tues AM at our church. It is more like a crop with ministry discussions and prayer time as well. I will ask her Tuesday when I see her.

PM me if you want any other info about them! We can learn together!

 

[Dopey Rocks!]

quiltymom....YOU ROCK!!!! Thank you for answering my many questions!! I had not thought of getting the 2.0 and getting the pix ready now for the upgrade later. I will think on that one.

Now, another question. I went to the digital page board and browsed through the amazing posts. There were links to some great free downloads. How do I know if they are compatable with SBC+? I know they have to be .png--where do I look for that designation before I download?

Also, let's say I only like one or two of the papers in a kit-can I delete the others and keep only what I will use? That would be another space saver for me.

And, finally, any suggestions or advice regarding the EDH storage?

THANK YOU---THANK YOU---THANK YOU AGAIN!!!