Organizing Embellishments, Papers, Etc.

[ChristineG]

Now that I have downloaded so many cool freebies, I am finding it harder and harder to find things in my sbm program. How do you guys organize your goodies to streamline things so that there aren't as many folders and things are easier to find and use?

[daisydilly]

I keep a written notebook with all my goodies listed and all those goodies are stored on disc or flash. I have to go thru the list now and then to see what all I have!!!

[ncsaylor]

I also have Photoshop Elements. So, for example, if it is a full kit with paper,elements and alpha...I load the preview image into PSE and can print out a contact sheet with the preview image of several kits onto one sheet of paper. Then I organize them in a three ring binder. I can thumb through them to see which kit I want to use and then look on my hard drive to see the specific element or paper to choose from. For me, I found this as a way to see what I had, but didn't have to use a lot of ink and print out a sheet with every single item in that kit. Hope this is helpful. Even if you don't have PSE, I'm sure you could still print out the kits preview image and put in a binder.

[MrsPeel]

even if you dont have PSE, you can create folders in your pictures (assuming you are using Windows) and make the thumbnails visible, then the *cover* of your folder can be the preview of the kit...
I am on iMac, and I keep the kits in spearet folders in iPhoto, whch works almost like Windows My Pictures...
What I do is put the name of the kit and designer, and the most memoravble element on the *cover* or make the preview a *cover* for the folder....
I still need to surf through because of so much stuff, but I find it works well...

Hope this helps!

[MaggieMae]

You have asked the $64,000 question!! The longer you digi-scrap the more organizing you need to do. I mostly organize by designer as the main files - then their kits inside the file. I also use the preview picture as the picture on the file, so at least I can see the colors and general idea of the kit. If you haven't done this before: right click on the file, go to properties, choose picture, apply. Hope you have as much fun with this hobby as we all do!!!

[ChristineG]

You have asked the $64,000 question!! The longer you digi-scrap the more organizing you need to do.

Oh sheesh...I am just starting to realize this. Only in the last few weeks did I decide to free myself from conventional scrapbooking. It was a wonderful moment when I realized I would not longer be lugging around all those bags of things and collecting papers and stickers and heavy albums. However, I am seeing that I can definitely 'collect' lots of digi-scrapbooking stuff and I will need to manage it somehow. At least it isn't heavy.

Thanks for the suggestions so far, everyone. They are great and I'm eager to hear more. MaggieMae - thanks for the help on selecting the pic for the file. That will be very helpful.

[ncsaylor]

I too use a picture on the file folder to see what is in there. However, that only seems visible in Windows. When I want to select from a kit through the "add an embelishment" or "add a paper scrap", the preview doesn't show up on the folder cover in Scrapbook Max. Is there a special setting somewhere that needs to be changed, or is it just not an option?

[tanni]

if you change the file name of the picture you want to show as your folder cover to _sbmax you will see it in the program.

[ChristineG]

tanni,
Do you mean change the file to add _smbmax to the end of the name or change the entire name?

[tanni]

change the entire name. I usually use the preview pic that most creators put in, for example if the file name is Winter Wonderland Preview I change the file name to _sbmax