Here are some of my tips:
- First of all, I’m a photographer, so the photos ALWAYS come first for me. ALWAYS. I have been known to find a complete new kit that matches my photos just so it’s easier to scrapbook them. And telling my family to wear specific colors to an event is a normal part of getting ready! ;) But they might not come first for you, decide what comes first. Kit, Colors, Photos, Journaling space, number of photos?
- DON’T OVERTHINK IT!!!! This is my number one, most common reason why I don’t get my pages done. Let me share a little analogy. I scrapbook for several clients, I can whip out their pages by the dozens. I just take their pictures, match the kits, include what tells the story, add a title and the details and I’m done…..BUT, take one of my own pages and I stress over what kit to use, I worry about showing it in the right way, I stress about the colors and kit, I worry WAY TOO much about telling the story that sometimes it takes me WAY Longer than it should to make one of my own pages. Why? Because I have an emotional connection to my own pages. They are part of my history and it’s important to tell my story the way I want it told….BUT, most people don’t care. I care and it’s important to tell the story the way I want to portray it, but I’ve learned that DONE is better than NEVER STARTED!!
- Make a System, and a Backup System and try to keep up with it. EVEN if I don’t get my pages scrapbooked, I ALWAYS organize my photos and back them up each month!!
- Figure out what works FOR YOU!!! It doesn’t have to be the same as your friend or family, or any other person. Make sure your system works for you!!
- APP Scrapping is GREAT
- I use the Project Life App
- Hybrid Scrapping is GREAT
- Digital Scrapping is GREAT
- I use Photoshop Elements for my digital pages
- I use Lightroom to edit my photos
- I use Google Photos to backup my cell phone photos (I pay $20/year for 100 GB)
- I also use Smug Mug for online photo organization and have ALL of my digital photos from 2004 to today organized by year (I pay $43/yr for Unlimited Space) This is my FAVORITE online photo storage solution, if you want to try it out, here is my REFERRAL CODE (there is a slight learning curve, please let me know if you have any questions, once you figure it out, it's SO EASY to access all of your photos from any device!!)
- I also backup my entire computer with Backblaze EVERY SINGLE DAY!! (I mostly use this for my business, but it backs up my entire digital collection also) Use THIS CODE to get a FREE month!!
- Traditional Scrapping is ALSO GREAT! If digital is not for you, no worries, I resisted it for a very long time because I didn’t want to lose the paper and picture feel!
OK NOW WHERE TO START
Some of my favorite places to get digital content are:Sweet Shoppe Designs
Pickleberry Pop
Designer Digitals
Ali Edwards
Pixels2Pages
Jessica Sprague
Cathy Zielske
The Digital Press
Yin Designs - this is where I get almost ALL my templates!!
FIRST - When I download a new kit, file or printable I leave it in my DOWNLOADS file until I have time to put them "away". This way I know that everything that is left in this file needs to be "finished" and I don’t miss as much. I download everything as soon as I purchase it. If I’m not on my personal laptop at home, I upload it to my Google Drive account or email it to myself so that I don’t forget to add it to my digistash.
NEXT - I use the cool unzippy tool to UNZIP ALL my files at one time. You can get it HERE.
Now, I move all the files to combine them in ONE folder, all together for each kit. 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. I always make sure to keep the folder JPG file so that you can look back on it and remember where you purchased it from, and who the designer was. I tend to delete everything extra and anything that I know I will never use. {Be careful about this, sometimes your style will change and you will wish you had some of the things that you once thought you would never use!!}
Before we go any further, let me show you my digital library on my computer so you understand HOW I organize my files:
On my C drive I created a Library called DIGITAL STUFF, in that library I have the following files:
Current Digital Projects
Digital Scrapbook Stuff
Digital Templates
Under each of these folders, I have the following sub-folders: (Sorry they are so blurry, I tried everything I could think of to get clearer photos of my folders)
Blog Stuff
Ettes Projects
Extra Pages-Projects
Family Stuff 2018
Family Stuff 2019
Family Stuff 2020
LC Photography
Liberty Childhood Album
This is where I store my finished projects until they are printed and backed up online.
Under my digital scrapbook stuff, I have ALL of my digital scrapbook papers, embellishments, alphabets, etc. I’ll show you in just a minute how I set up my files.
In the Digital Templates, I have the following Sub-categories:
12x12 templates
24x12 templates
Fayette Templates
IG Templates for Photos
Project Life Templates
Shutterfly Templates
NOW FOR YOUR SCRAPBOOK SUPPLIES
FIRST - When I download a new kit, file or printable I leave it in my DOWNLOADS file until I have time to put them "away". This way I know that everything that is left in this file needs to be "finished" and I don’t miss as much. I download everything as soon as I purchase it. If I’m not on my personal laptop at home, I upload it to my Google Drive account or email it to myself so that I don’t forget to add it to my digistash.
NEXT - I use the cool unzippy tool to UNZIP ALL my files at one time. You can get it HERE.
Now, I move all the files to combine them in ONE folder, all together for each kit. 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. I always make sure to keep the folder JPG file so that you can look back on it and remember where you purchased it from, and who the designer was. I tend to delete everything extra and anything that I know I will never use. {Be careful about this, sometimes your style will change and you will wish you had some of the things that you once thought you would never use!!}
Digital Scrapbook Stuff
Digital Templates
Under each of these folders, I have the following sub-folders: (Sorry they are so blurry, I tried everything I could think of to get clearer photos of my folders)
Blog Stuff
Ettes Projects
Extra Pages-Projects
Family Stuff 2018
Family Stuff 2019
Family Stuff 2020
LC Photography
Liberty Childhood Album
This is where I store my finished projects until they are printed and backed up online.
Under my digital scrapbook stuff, I have ALL of my digital scrapbook papers, embellishments, alphabets, etc. I’ll show you in just a minute how I set up my files.
In the Digital Templates, I have the following Sub-categories:
12x12 templates
24x12 templates
Fayette Templates
IG Templates for Photos
Project Life Templates
Shutterfly Templates
NOW FOR YOUR SCRAPBOOK SUPPLIES
FIRST - When I download a new kit, file or printable I leave it in my DOWNLOADS file until I have time to put them "away". This way I know that everything that is left in this file needs to be "finished" and I don’t miss as much. I download everything as soon as I purchase it. If I’m not on my personal laptop at home, I upload it to my Google Drive account or email it to myself so that I don’t forget to add it to my digistash.
NEXT - I use the cool unzippy tool to UNZIP ALL my files at one time. You can get it HERE.
Now, I move all the files to combine them in ONE folder, all together for each kit. 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. I always make sure to keep the folder JPG file so that you can look back on it and remember where you purchased it from, and who the designer was. I tend to delete everything extra and anything that I know I will never use. {Be careful about this, sometimes your style will change and you will wish you had some of the things that you once thought you would never use!!}
Then, I name the file. I use a number system {I’ll show you that next} and then I add the theme or designer and name of the kit. I don’t rename or change any of the files inside the kit, just the folder name.
Then it’s time to name your file. This is how I keep my stash organized and how I can find what I’m looking for. Let me show you what it looks like: (again, sorry they are so blurry)
Once I’ve named the file, I move it into my DIGITAL LIBRARY {or under another folder named SCRAPBOOK STUFF} or whatever you want to STORE it.
{If you are using Forever Artisan Software 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}.
So WHAT is the number and how does it work???? Let me explain.
I categorize my scrapbook supplies with the months of the year, it works better in my brain. January is cold and winter so all of my winter kits have a #1. February is all about love, so love, wedding and Valentine's Day are #2, etc. I made up this identification system using the months of the year, and picked some of the months that work best for my family (feel free to change those months to work for you). 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 (I’ve added new subcategories as I’ve gone along and needed more categories):
0 - Calendars, Date tags, anything to do with dates and my Creative Teams
1 - New Years, Winter and Snow
2 - Valentines Day, Love, Wedding, Vintage
3 - St. Patricks and Misc Kits {I use this for church, scouts, exercize, missionary, photography, etc}
3a - Freebie kits from the digiscrap parade.
4 - Easter, Gardening, Spring and Flowers
5 - Mother's Day, moms, about me, birthdays and GIRLS {anything girly}. {I also put Birthdays 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 - FREEBIES (but not whole kits, just elements)
Is that 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.
TIP: In your windows explorer tab on the far right hand side there is a search box. It’s called “Search Quick Access”, I like to search for ALL Kinds of things in that box. If I’m looking for a red heart, I just search red or heart or both together and see what I can find. I also use it for stitches, staples, and specific colored items.
Hope this is helpful. Let me know what you think! I love to hear if you use my ideas!
Then it’s time to name your file. This is how I keep my stash organized and how I can find what I’m looking for. Let me show you what it looks like: (again, sorry they are so blurry)
Once I’ve named the file, I move it into my DIGITAL LIBRARY {or under another folder named SCRAPBOOK STUFF} or whatever you want to STORE it.
{If you are using Forever Artisan Software 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}.
So WHAT is the number and how does it work???? Let me explain.
I categorize my scrapbook supplies with the months of the year, it works better in my brain. January is cold and winter so all of my winter kits have a #1. February is all about love, so love, wedding and Valentine's Day are #2, etc. I made up this identification system using the months of the year, and picked some of the months that work best for my family (feel free to change those months to work for you). 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 (I’ve added new subcategories as I’ve gone along and needed more categories):
0 - Calendars, Date tags, anything to do with dates and my Creative Teams
1 - New Years, Winter and Snow
2 - Valentines Day, Love, Wedding, Vintage
3 - St. Patricks and Misc Kits {I use this for church, scouts, exercize, missionary, photography, etc}
3a - Freebie kits from the digiscrap parade.
4 - Easter, Gardening, Spring and Flowers
5 - Mother's Day, moms, about me, birthdays and GIRLS {anything girly}. {I also put Birthdays 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 - FREEBIES (but not whole kits, just elements)
Is that 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.
TIP: In your windows explorer tab on the far right hand side there is a search box. It’s called “Search Quick Access”, I like to search for ALL Kinds of things in that box. If I’m looking for a red heart, I just search red or heart or both together and see what I can find. I also use it for stitches, staples, and specific colored items.
Hope this is helpful. Let me know what you think! I love to hear if you use my ideas!
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