Tips & Suggestions for Digital Scrapbook Freebies

I am an avid digital scrapper, but finances make it impossible for me to purchase supplies at this time. Does this mean I am doomed to my current stash only? Really? I spend most of my day scrapping on my computer working on a variety of projects:

1. Scrapping photos my husband has taken on his telephone;

2. Scrapping heritage photos my cousins and other family members have posted to our online group, and I later make the completed pages available to all of them;

3. Scrapping online recipes I discover and want to use in the future;

4. Scrapping craft projects (sewing, crocheting, embroidery, jewelry, paper, etc.) I have found online and want to make later;

5. Scrapping my personal journal because journaling is more fun when I scrap it;

6. Scrapping my prayers because I have learned that scrapping at least some of my prayers gives me a written record of the ways the Lord has responded to my prayers which also reminds me the Lord has three ways to answer my prayers -- yes, no and wait until later.

I am sure as time passes I will think of even more ways to use my digital scrapbook stash. This means I want to increase my stash constantly. So, what is a financially challenged scrapper to do? The answer is to discover the myriad of elements, alphas, word art, papers and kits available online. I know when I first started collecting items for my stash I did not think I would find many, but I was wrong.

I should also note many stores and designers offer the largest number of freebies on Friday and/or Saturday. If you are unable to visit the sites daily, be sure to check them on these two days. However, I recommend daily checks for all freebies because often items are listed for one day or up to three days only.

Today I want to share my favorite sources for freebie supplies:

Creative Busy Hands

This is my absolute favorite place for finding freebies. This lovely woman publishes a list of freebies EVERY single day, seven days per week, fifty-two weeks per year. I am in absolute awe over her ability to find freebies. She has also introduced me to several designers (which you find listed later in this blog) from around the world who are now favorites. I highly recommend signing up for her mailing list. She will list about 85 - 100 freebies on a BAD day and over 300 on a GREAT day. Not every freebie fits my particular style, but I doubt there is a day when I have downloaded fewer than fifty freebies from her list. She has recently changed locations for her blog, so if you have lost her location, use this URL to find her new site:

http://cbhscrapbookfreebiessearch.blogspot.com/

My favorite stores who offer freebies in no particular order include:

My Memories

https://www.mymemories.com
Not only can you find a long list of supplies, but at the moment you can get free photo book and a free program for digital scrapping by visiting here:

https://www.mymemories.com/lifetime

Also be sure to sign up for their newsletters because it announces the addition of new freebies.

Digital Scrapbook Experts
Sign up for the daily newsletter to receive a daily download which by the end of the month makes a complete kit. Often an extra mini-kit will be added during the month, too. It is also possible to purchase a membership which allows the complete kit download at one time along with additional kits. The URL for this site is:

http://www.digitalscrapbookexperts.com

Scrapbooks Gone Digital

This store offers freebies constantly. When visiting the site look to the left column on the homepage. Close to the bottom of the first list of categories are links for free scrapbook items and fonts. This is another site in which it is well worth subscribing to their newsletter because they provide additional freebies in it. The URL for this site is:

http://www.scrapbooksgonedigital.com

Digitals

Digitals is another store which includes a wonderful supply of freebies, including a daily freebie. Like Digital Scrapbook Experts, downloading the daily freebie results in a complete kit. However, they frequently offer additional freebies. Their "Free Downloads" currently offers the daily download and another mini-kit; however, they have three pages of "Free Samplers." The first two items listed on the left under "Categories" are these two links for freebies. The URL for this website is:

http://www.digitalscrapbookpages.com

Scrap Girls

This is another site in which signing up for their daily newsletter provides a link to each day's freebie. Occasionally, more than one freebie will be offered. To see all of the freebies available today, use this URL:

http://store.scrapgirls.com/category/21/Freebies

Note:
There are two free eBooks to teach digital scrapbooking, plus a large kit, and all of them are free.

Digi Design Resort

Subscribing to their newsletter will provide you with regular freebies which are often samplers or full size kits. The URL for this site is:

http://www.digidesignresort.com/shop/

Design House Digital

Visiting this site and clicking the second item under categories on the left of the homepage will result in three pages of freebies currently available. The URL for this website is:

https://www.designhousedigital.com/kit-types/freebies

I have more favorite sites offering freebies, but I will provide them on another day. Right now I want to list some of my favorite designers who provide freebies. When it comes to individual designers, sometimes their freebies are on the site only, but some also offer freebies on their Facebook page as well. Their Facebook freebies will only download after the "Like" button is clicked. Below is my list of favorite designers who offer freebies:

Connie Prince

Connie Prince is a prolific designer who makes amazing kits. She offers freebies constantly, and frequently she will add freebies designed by her creative team. Often when she has a new kit appearing in stores, she will offer free embossed cardstock. If your quantity of solid cardstock is low, Connie Prince can quickly provide you will beautiful cardstock in a variety of colors and always beautifully embossed. Her freebie list yesterday (Friday) had several freebies from her team, plus two different sets of embossed cardstock papers. The URL for her site is:

http://scrapinfusions.blogspot.com/

Cajoline-Scrap

If beautiful, delicate patterns are desired, Cajoline's site is a must. I highly recommend subscribing to her newsletter. She is a French designer who has an incredibly long list of freebie kits offered at her site. By the way, I would never have discovered her site if I had not subscribed first to Creative Busy Hands' daily newsletter and "Liked" her Facebook page. The URL for her website is:

http://cajoline-scrap.blogspot.com/

With a Russian Dutch Heart

This is another prolific designer who loves to offer high quality digital items for free. I love her use of color and the beautiful, whimsical quality to her kits. I have seen many weeks when she has offered two free kits per day, and during her "slower" weeks she will offer two or three kits. Also, her kits are always overflowing with goodies, so it is well-worth visiting her website. The URL for her site is:

http://smiekeltje.blogspot.com

Scrappiness Downunder

In March alone this designer offered 27 freebies which were almost entire kits. She is currently on vacation, so temporarily there are no new freebies; however, this is an excellent opportunity to collect her older kits. The URL for her site is:

http://scrappiness-sylviaesther.blogspot.com/

Far Far Hill
Those who love vintage items or do heritage pages will especially love this site, although her items will work beautifully with other genres of scrapping, too. I am in love with her beautiful vintage papers. The URL for her site is:

http://farfarhill.blogspot.com/

I am going to stop my list of favorite sites for digital scrapbook freebies. This is by no means all of my favorites, but I want to be able to offer new places on a regular basis. Besides, anyone who visits all of the sites I've listed today will be busy all week just catching up on the freebies available. Have fun downloading!

Onto Today's Blessings

1. I want to begin by offering my gratitude to the Lord for the life of Franklin Norment "Rusty" McKellar, Jr. This is the dear friend who passed this week. His memorial service was held earlier today, and while my health did not allow me to attend it, I am still very grateful to have known this wonderful man and his incredible family. He spent thirty years of his life volunteering with the Boy Scouts of America. He was a recipient of the Silver Beaver Award which is the highest award given to adult volunteers by the Boy Scouts. Both of his sons became Eagle Scouts under his tutelage as well. After a severe fall down the stairs in his home in the summer of 1997 when he was expected to die or become permanently paralyzed from the neck down, he became "a walking miracle." In spring 1998 when I almost died, he and his wife came to see me because he said I "needed to be reminded by a walking miracle of how the Lord is still doing miracles for his children." Thank you, Lord, for the eighty-one years of earthly life granted to this wonderful man who was used to bring positive change in character to so many individuals.

2. The second opinion neurologist told my husband after viewing another MRI and CT Scan, he, too, had no idea why he continues to suffer from seizures. Once again he was told 95% of those suffering from seizures never learn the cause for them. He also increased my husband's medication which seems to be the only remedy any of the doctors are able to provide. (Question: At what point will the doctors decide the medicines cannot be increased any further?) While he did not receive an explanation for his seizures, I am grateful to the Lord for showing us in multiple tests and scans that my husband does not have a brain or spinal tumor causing his seizures. In my understanding, this is a huge blessing. Thank you, Lord, for the knowledge there is no tumor causing my husband's tumors.

3. Thank you, Lord, for Dr. Oz. I have discovered I am able to deal with my pain with less medication when I am scrapping. However, thanks to Dr. Oz, I learned the amount of ice tea I have been drinking may be another reason I am handling pain better. It turns out there are ingredients in tea which works on brain receptors to decrease the amount of pain people feel. Who knew ice tea would become such a wonderful blessing when it comes to my MS pain. So, now I want to thank the Lord for the blessing of ice tea. Not only is it wonderfully refreshing, but it is decreasing my pain. Know of others who suffer from chronic pain? Tell them to increase their intake of tea to see if they, too, find their pain decreasing. Thank you, Lord, for allowing something as simple, inexpensive and easily accessible as ice tea to be a pain decreaser.

4. I received my regular online newsletter from the National MS Society. Currently, there is a pill being offered for MS, and another one has just been approved by the FDA, plus there are a few more which are being fast-tracked by the FDA. This is huge, positive news for those of us who suffer from MS because in the past to treat the MS itself required regular injections which many of us could not take for a large variety of reasons. In my case, I must take medications to treat individual symptoms as opposed to treating the MS itself. With all of these new pills I may finally be able to treat my MS, and hopefully, one day soon there will be a cure for this disease. Another blessing in MS research is the discovery of five genes which when muted allow an individual to develop MS. This does not mean these five mutated genes cause MS; rather it means if a person has MS, they will also have mutations on these five genes. This is huge in the fight for a cure. Thank you, Lord, for the new medications and the new discovery.

I look forward to my next post, and I hope anyone reading today's will also look forward to it as well. I am grateful also for being able to say, "Thank you" when I just came to talk to you, Lord! No grocery list of needs for today. The Lord has been so good to me.