HOW do I organize????

I am LOVING digital! I am 100% caught up with my scrapbooking and have LOTS of time to work on my clients stuff. I think part of what makes it so appealing to me is that I don't have to get out all the STUFF to work. I can just sit down and open up a few files and make a page. It used to take me more time to get everything out and get organized than it was worth. I can now get a page finished in that same amount of time.

One of the hardest things for me was keeping my stuff organized. I have come up with a system that works GREAT for me and thought I would share it with you.

FIRST - When I download a new kit, file or printable I leave it in my DOWNLOADS file until I have time to put it "away". Then I know that everything in this file needs to be "finished".


NEXT - I use the cool little unzippy tool to UNZIP ALL my files at one time. You can get it HERE.

Now, I combine all the files for a kit together. I put all of the elements, paper, etc together in one folder and then leave the alphabet in a separate folder inside of the folder named for the kit. So, lets take this STAY THIS WAY kit and I would put all the paper and elements into one folder and leave the alpha in a folder inside of the main folder... and I will name it: 5 GIRLS Stay this Way {I'll explain the 5 in a minute}. I put it under girls because of the flowers and the words. It can go either way, but I think it's a little more girly.



Then you can just move this folder into your DIGITAL LIBRARY {or under another folder named SCRAPBOOK STUFF} or whatever you want to STORE it.

{If you are using Creative Memories Storybook Creator you will now import everything into your software, still using the numbering system} This way your folders are still numbered if you need to access them through another program {i.e. Photoshop}.

I use both Creative Memories Storybook Creator and Photoshop Elements so I keep my files organized under the CM Program and access it through Photoshop when I need to.


So WHAT is the number and how does it work???? Let me explain.

I identify with the months of the year. It's how my brain works. January is cold and winter. February is all about love.....so I made up an identification system using the months of the year. I put the corresponding number in FRONT of the kit name/folder name so they stay in the order I want them too. For example, Halloween kits are in October, which is 10.

Let me show you how my numbers work:

0 - Calendars, Date tags, anything to do with dates
1 - New Years, Winter and Snow
2 - Valentines Day, Love, Wedding, Vintage
3 - St. Patricks and Misc Kits {I use this for scout stuff, church stuff and missionary stuff} You can use it for whatever works for you.}
4 - Easter, Spring and Flowers
5 - Mother's Day, moms, about me and GIRLS {anything girly}. {I also but Birthday's here because it's the first birthday in our family and it makes sense for me, you might want to put birthdays in another place or make a whole category for birthdays}
6 - Father's Day, Baby and all things BOY.
7 - America and 4th of July
8 - Travel, Beach, Camping and the Zoo
9 - School, Graduation and Sports
10- Halloween
11 - Thanksgiving and Fall
12 - Christmas

Then I decided I needed a few more categories, so I added:

13 - Elements {not from all the kits, just random ones that don't go with anything else}
14 - Alphabets {again, not the ones that go in kits, just misc ones that I've purchased separately}
15 - JUST Paper {no elements}
16 - FREEBIES {sorted by company or website}




Next, I named my kits so that like things would stay together, for example, all the BABY kits are called 6 BABY {name of kit, or designer}, all the TRAVEL ones are called 8 TRAVEL {name of kit}, etc. This helps keep like kits together in your folder view.



Is it all clear as MUD????

I love how easy it is to find a kit...if I am looking for Christmas, I just go to the 12 section and I don't have to remember what each kit is named. I can still keep them organized by designer, or theme or however I want BUT with the number they all stay together.

Hope this is helpful. Let me know what you think! I love to hear if you use my ideas!