It tickles my heart to hand make a valentine for my sweetie. But it also stickies my fingers! In this busy world of no-time-for-anything, let alone lugging out craft supplies, the world of digital scrapbooking is luring. There is no better opportunity than this romantic holiday to test the waters.

The look of papers, ribbons, stickers and buttons can be recreated on your computer, to very realistic results. And lucky for you, there are many tips and tricks to help you get started. One super-trick I’d like to share is the fantastic Web site Scrapblog. This site allows you to create digital “pages” without the need for any software or supplies. It’s just BYOP – bring your own photos!

Scrapblog is just perfect for making that digital valentine. You can quickly pull together elements from their HUGE archives and add your own photo or two. Use drop shadows to define the layers and add realism. Save and then choose the option to download as a JPEG. To finish off your project, send the photo off to your local Walgreens for printing as a 4×6 photo. Pick up a frame while you’re there and you’ve got a true keepsake with no mess to clean up!

– Jennifer S. Wilson (aka StarXLR8) writes daily at simplescrapper.com, where she shares no-fuss digital scrapbooking tips for busy memory keepers.