Welcome to the site, and welcome to computer scrapping! Sorry to hear of your daughter's illness. I think it is wonderful that you want to capture as much of her life as you can, on paper.
I am a Photoshop user, too, and there is SO MUCH to learn! It can be very overwhelming, but the more you play with it, the more you will learn. Try your local library to see if they have any books on your version of the program - I know my local library has a "Photoshop Elements for Dummies" type book, and other Photoshop books as well.
You will get better at following the directions over time. I just started computer scrapping in January of last year. I knew how to use Photoshop for scanning and to manipulate the colors in my photos. But there is so much more that can be done!
It makes me really
and
that someone told you scrapping was tacky. Did they feel that way about all scrapping, or just computer scrapping? Either way, it makes me go
to hear that. They must not know much about it. They certainly haven't seen the SBB members' pages if they say that!
I print at home. I figure if I get rich, someday I can take all my pages on CD and get them printed. It's only about $2 a page for an 8x10 LO at Costco or Kinko's, and prices are copming down all the time. Maybe soon it will be even more affordable.
One thing to keep in mind as you get started, is that you want to work in 300 dpi. 72 dpi is good for web graphics, but if you want to print them out, start with your canvas at 300 dpi. I learned that the hard way - it was a very time consuming and frustrating lesson to learn!
I print on Kodak Photo Paper, which I get at Costco - 100 sheets for $24.95 - sometimes on sale for $20. I refill my ink cartridges with the $16.99 kit at Costco. You can probably find these items for similar prices on eBay or at your local office supply store.
As long as your print outs are in an album (Don't use those "magnetic sheet" albums, use a scarpbooking album - I find Pioneer 8.5x11" albums on sale at my local AC Moore craft store for $8.99 and I like them alot so far - top loading, post bound) or behind gl*** (if you want to frame some) they will not fade dramatically. Home printing ink has come a long way, technologically speaking, in the past decade.
As far as making realistic scrapbooking style embellishments, check out the Elements section here - there are so many wonderful things you can use again and again for free!
PLEASE, do not let someone's comments stop you from preserving those precious memories of your daughter. You will cherish your pages forever!