True confession: I suffer from a technology phobia.

Blame it on being old—I did go to school in the days of big perms and “typing” class. Blame it on being country—I do live at the end of a dirt road with no cell phone service. Blame it on being organic—I do live for sensory experiences and getting down and dirty in the smells, tastes, and touches of life.

I’m not really comfortable with the idea of being a “techie”.

Honestly, I’m more than just a little bit scared to leave my firm and stable desktop for the intangible world of digital downloads. But I’m no shrinking violet! Time to stare the cyberworld right in the face and download a digikit.

Everybody who digi scraps has to have a first download sometime. Here’s mine. And if it’s your first time too, hold my virtual hand, we can do this together.

Let’s go shopping. This is something I’m not new at, especially in the Design House Digital shop. I always check out what’s new first, but then I love to browse by designer. You can also browse by category or price.

But Remember, we’re not window shopping anymore! This is what I’ve picked out… those vintage typewriters are calling to me. So I’ll click on the “add to cart” button. I can keep adding whatever I want, until I’m finished shopping, or out of money.

It’s time to click on the “checkout” button. Checking out is easy. I agreed to the terms of use, confirmed my order, and then paid for my purchase. With a PayPal account I can use a credit card, a checking account, or my PayPal balance. It couldn’t be safer or easier!

Hooray! My purchase was successful and I’m now looking at a page with my download. Since I want to start scrapping right away, I’ll click on the “Download Now” button at the bottom of the page.

Now I need to choose a destination file. This may be the hardest part—deciding how to organize my digital files. Some people organize by store, some by product type, some by designer. Since I’m just getting started, I know I can change my mind once I find a system that works for me. But after talking to my favorite digiscrappers and getting their advice, I’ve decided to start organizing by designer. In “My Documents” I create a “Digital” folder. Inside that folder I create a folder called “Audrey Neal.” Then I click “Save.”

After about a millisecond my download is complete! But remember, these files are still zipped. To use my new kit, I have to unzip it. Your operating system may have file extraction software built in, but if not, you can download Unzip Them All for free. I open my “Unzip Them All” software, click on my “Digital” folder where my zipped file is located, make sure all the zipped files are selected, then click on “Start”.

That’s it! I’m done! And I didn’t even get sucked into some black hole vortex in cyberspace. My bank account is safe, my identity is secure, and my computer isn’t melting into a puddle of sparks and smoke. Here we all sit—my firm and stable desktop, my computer, my new playthings, and me—feeling brave, smart, and just a little more technologically savvy.

No, I’m not ready to set up the airport for your wireless network (I don’t even know what that means). But I can start using these papers and elements right away in my photo editing software. And thanks to all the great tutorials here at Design House Digital, I know just what to do next.

Now, if I could just figure out how to take my cell phone off of speaker.

Related posts

• Tutorial: Blending Photos into a Background
• Tutorial – Warping Shadows
• Tutorial – Type Tips
• Top in the Shop
• Top in the Shop

Tags: Digital Scrapbooking, Glorilyn Lee, Photoshop, Photoshop Elements