Product Review: My Memories Suite Digital Scrapbooking Software

The Lil Diva (10) and the Lil Princess (8) are at a scrapbooking workshop right now. Thanks to a friend, they discovered scrapbooking two years ago and never miss a chance to feed their habit.

Scrapbooking isn't a new thing. In my hope chest I have a scrapbook I put together when I was a pre-teen. The girls get a kick out of browsing through my various report cards, awards, and photos. I don't have the time these days to sit down and cut, tape, etc. So, when Liz from My Memories asked me to try out the My Memories Suite™ digital scrapbooking software, I hopped at the chance.

Now, you have to keep in mind that I am technology dummy when I tell you this digital scrapbooking software is easy to use. I'm not big on tutorials or using online help--which this has. I prefer to learn as I go. So, I went to MyMemories.com and downloaded the My Memories Suite Version 3. Installation ran smoothly and soon I was browsing around. I decided to create some basic scrapbook pages so I could get a feel for what I was doing. All I had to do was click and add photos from my PC. Then I added the journal entry next to the photos. Even with a few embellishments, the whole process took under two minutes. I was thrilled to see it has spell check.

The right side of the dashboard contains your control panel. Here you can change the color of your background, select paper, and view your purchased backgrounds. There is a healthy variety of selections, so the only thing that will limit your digital scrapbooking experience is your imagination. The choices don't stop there. You can select your album shape and even create a customized size for your album. Fonts in a variety of styles and sizes allow you to customize titles and journal entries, and a WordArt Designer allows you to create your own look and style. There are tons of embellishments you can add to the pages. Buttons, ribbons, Ric-Rac, flowers, flourishes and more add special touches to your digital scrapbook pages.

The My Memories Suite scrapbook software allows you to add music, narration, video and audio. Imagine sharing this scrapbook with a relative far away. You can print your album at home or export the pages into high-quality JPEG files, transparency-capable PNG image files, or a portable PDF file with a couple of clicks. Professional printing options also allow you to change your album into a calendar. For those technology lovers, multimedia options include being able to burn your album onto CD-R or DVD-R discs. My Memories Suite users can download the free Media Export Tools package and then create a movie or DVD-video of their album, or create an iPod ready file.

The left side of the dashboard has a Resource Gallery that includes featured designs. With one click, you are able to visit the My Memories website and purchase additional options, so the creativity never ends.

Here's something original I created. I choose everything from the size, to the background, to the photo placement, to the text, to the embellishments. It's nothing glorious, but as I get more familiar with the software I'm sure I'll be expanding my horizons and feel free to try more adventurous things.

I've enjoyed "playing around" with this digital scrapbooking software. For under $40, I was able to create special memories I can now easily share with family and friends. I'm hooked, and I think you will be too.

Free for All Friday is coming a bit early this week, because My Memories is offering one of our loyal readers a chance to win a free download of the My Memories Suite digital scrapbooking software. Please fill out the Rafflecopter form for your chance to win. Good luck!



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