what to do with the old scrapbooks?!

[thisisfunstuff]

Ok, so I have fully converted to digital.. started a while back & have done my daughter's 2nd, 3rd, & about to start on her 4th year of life scrapbook...

my problem is.. I"m a little OCD & it's going to drive me INSANE that her birth & first year scrapbooks are old fashion, PAPER books!!

I know there is a scrap store here that has a 12x12 scanner... would it be just terrible to scan all the pages & upload them to the site I use for printing my digital books, & get a book made that way? would they turn out?

I reaaaaaaaaaally don't want to scan all those pictures & re-do it all!

but if someone has scanned albums & wasn't happy with the turn out, please let me know!

I'm open for any advice!!

[ditzyscrap]

I say leave them alone...that's what I'm doing! Don't rescrap the pics, don't scan them in and print them (depending on how bulky they are, that would affect the quality anyway).

JMO!

[jessica31876]

I would not scan them and print them...kinda a waste of money that could go towards more scrapping supplies or printing new layouts. If you are really unhappy about having the first year and birth in paper albums you could do some quick pages and then have them printed. That way all youd have to add was journaling and photos and not have to redesign each page. Otherwise if you are printing in 12x12 and the pre-digital is 12x12 there really isnt a reason to scan/reprint IMO

[ColleenSwerb]

I'm not OCD about stuff like this, so I voted no.

The important thing is that the memories are SCRAPPED! Not how, or in what format or medium. They are SCRAPPED. Accept it, and move on. If you spend too much time worrying about old memories, you'll never MAKE new ones!

[CA Dreamer]

I was in the same dilemma. I have recently made peace with myself about having the old albums be in the paper format and the new ones being digital. My older son was 5 when we went digital. ALL of his baby/toddler pics are paper scrapped. For some really precious pics, I am scanning old photos and doing new pages. More to have the "family" albums completely digital so that the pages can be shared when the kids are grown up and have families of their own.

You can scan your old pages, but only you can be the judge about if you will be satisfied with the scans of those pages. Do what brings you the most peace of mind.

Good luck. I totally know where you are on this!

p.s. Scrapping styles have also changed and I don't put as many pics per page as I used to when traditional scrapping. I have just picked my favorite few per event and scrap those for a page instead of 'documenting a whole day or event' like I used to. This is just what I am doing.

[Darcy Baldwin]

To me, part of that precious memory of the early books will be your style and how you put the pages together. Sure, paper's a bit bulkier and not as slick, but don't go through all the work when it'll be part of the heritage! They really won't translate well to 12x12 prints, anyway. And if you're journaling isn't crisp, it may not scan well and be readable on a new page.

[rochelle789]

Originally Posted by Darcy Baldwin

To me, part of that precious memory of the early books will be your style and how you put the pages together.

I was going to say the same thing. I'm a little OCD about my pages and albums too, but I refuse to rescrap old photos or change existing albums because I figure they're part of MY story. People who look at them will see how my hobby has evolved over time and that's interesting too. So I'd leave them.

[Paula]

I think I'm the only one that voted yes. Since I converted over 100% to digi, I started re-scrapping all my old photos too. The main reason is that I used those decorative scissors and cropped photos very weirdly when I paper scrapped and I put stickers all over the place. If these albums are going to be for my posterity, I want them to look nice and have some class and my paper albums just don't fit the bill.

JMHO

[MamaBee]

Personally, I like to look back and show how I've evolved as a scraper... hopefully for the better... LOL!

I, too, have a few years in paper form... and I was considering (since there are so many cute baby kits in the SSD store) that I'd take a few of my favorite photos of my son and scrap them digitally and make a highlights book.

[mnm_y2]

I think it depends too on how much you are going to have to re-do if you do in fact redo the pages.

My first "real" scrapbook was in 2003 when I had my oldest son. it's in 8.5x11 format. It has a combination of pregnancy layouts, family layouts, and some of my son's "firsts". I also have a big fat 12x12 "family" book that is truly the only complete scrapbook that I have.

I plan on redoing the 8.5x11 one because I would like to have a Baby's First Year book like I did for my 2nd and am currently doing for my 3rd baby. If I have time I will probably go back and do a family book as well, but my main goal is the baby book of my oldest.

The 12x12 completed scrapbook. Nope! That's done!

[rachaelsscraps]

I scanned my old paper pages and burned them onto a DVD disc that I keep in a safe-deposit book, along with my photo files and digital-layout files. I like to keep them in the safe deposit box so (Heaven forbid) there was ever a fire or if one of my kids spilled a drink into the album or something, there will be safe copies.

I hate my paper-pages and would never print them into books because my digital pages look so much better! lol. (I've also been scrapbooking since I was 12 years old so I have about 20 scrapbooks! It'd be way tooo expensive to get them all printed! Come to think of it, I wouldn't want to print them all anyway because I have a lot of photos of old exes that I don't want to think about ever again! lol!)

If you want to print them so all the books are a uniform size and look to them, then do it! I wish mine all looked the same and were as thin and compact as my printed photo books are, but it'll never happen! Good luck figuring out what you're gonna do!

[Chels85]

i would just leave them alone

[scrap2day]

If it is always going to be something that bugs you then just go ahead and do it. After all, it is only the birth and first year books. I can totally understand wanting a uniform look when you put them on the shelf. Just don't spend too much time recreating what you've already done. Maybe make the digital books the "highlights" of the birth and first year. This time is too precious. Enjoy the memories you are making right now.

I would say you might want to think about packing away at least the birth album you did by hand. Someday your child might be grateful to be able to touch the pages that you spent so many hours touching. And there is probably some of your handwriting in those.

My BFF has a small note written by her mother. I know that became a treasured item when her mother passed. Your handwriting is uniquely you. I sometimes write a little note in my digital photo books because I know that it is important to leave that handwriting even though my writing is usually crooked and not uniform. Just a thought.

Whatever you decide will be the right decision for you.

[Sarah8914]

this is a tricky thing. I defintely wouldn't scan those pages and print them, I don't think the quality would be very good.

For me, I have the whole first year of my first daughter paper scrapped and I have gradually been redoing those digitally. I scrapped way more pictures then, then I would now... so it won't be quite as much. I want them to be uniform and look nice together. Of course I'll never get rid of that one, but I want them all the same. I just fit in scrapping those pages when I have time here and there.

[RatherBScrappin]

I think you put a lot of love into the albums that you did in the traditional format...they should be left alone. I got out old scrapbooks with my son's girlfriend last week and looking at how my style has changed over the years was actually kind of fun. And to someone who isn't a die hard scrapbooker, they are all just beautiful pages, no matter if they are done paper or digital.

I agree with what has already been said - save your money for new digi kits and stuff

[thisisfunstuff]

yall are the BEST!! I think I've decided to keep on going.. I'm finishing up her 3rd year right now.. She just turned 4 in July, so I don't want to get behind..

My style has changed too, as far as the number of pics I used to put on each page vs. what I do now! So it probably wouldn't take TOO terribly long to recreate a short version of materinity/birth & 1st year books! Just to have on the shelf next to the others!

I was so excited when my daughter's 2nd year book came in the mail.. but as soon as I shared it with friends & family they were like, "well.. where's the 1st year? I don't think i ever saw that one" They had seen it.. but obviously, the paper book didn't make as big of an impression on them as the digi book!! & then I had to go dig out the HUGE, THICK, paper album... which made me think..hmm..maybe I should redo these to match!

thanks a miiiilllion, ladies!!!!!

I'm keeping my old books & during my free time (ha) I may rescrap & try to make short versions of very special memories so I will have books from birth & 1st year!!- all uniform.

[ColleenSwerb]

Sounds like a good plan Natalie Have fun!!