I'm soooo disorganized it is driving me crazy!!!

[KariQ]

Ok.......I've read the article on organizing my kits. I've read all the threads I can find on it.....but I still am having issues!!!

I organize by kit and by designer....but my mind doesn't work that way! I'll use a background from one kit and an element from another....as I'm sure a lot of you do too. But 5 minutes after I open an image, I'll decide I don't like it in the layout I'm working on so I close it. Then I decide maybe I do like it and I can't find it AGAIN!!!!

Same goes when I'm trying to find the designer to give credit when posting a layout to my gallery. For instance, I just got done posting the one below and I absolutely can not find the CHERISH image again to give proper credit to the designer........argh! Not only that but I'd like to use it again sometime.......LOL! I'm a newbie - only been at this maybe a month. I've dowloaded an embarrassing amount of kits and my hard drive starts sounding like it is going to blow up (it better not - it is brand new!!!) everytime I open up My Scrapbooking folder where all my kits are stored.....

Anyway - does anyone else have this problem or am I alone in my disorganization???

Anyone know who did this CHERISH image? And I'd love any feedback on this layout too.....or any in my newbie gallery. :)

http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=119016&cat=500&ppuser=62120

[Vallie]

I am not the greatest organiser. What I do is have one area called DSP. In that area I have 10 files at the moment. In these 10 files are the downloads I get from here. I just download new stuff into the file that is newest and has room. I restrict the size of the file to under 700mb, enough to burn on 1 cd. When it is full I create another file. That's why I am up to DSP10. Lost yet? After a while you get to know what is in the files by memory. It can be a bit time consuming getting stuff out from different areas but that is all part of the fun to me. I do take too long to do one layout though (I checked out your gallery and you said 15 minutes in the I Love you layout!) I wish!! Anyway those 10 files are just the downloads. When I make layouts they go in a different series of files, I am up to 15 in that series! Anyway it works for me. I think with so much stuff it is always going to be a bit hard to be super organised although some people here are!! I believe you can itemise everything if you want to but sounds too much effort now for me, maybe if just starting out it would be easier. Probably havent helped you at all!! :)

[Kristen]

Maybe try keeping a notepad by the computer and write down the designer and kit each time you add something? You can then cross off the ones you remove and still be able to find them again when you change your mind. I find paper and pencil easier for this than opening a text file on the computer.

How do you think about the files? Are you thinking "red background" rather than "background from designer A's last kit"? You might want to try Picasa - it's free, and while it's not a perfect solution for dealing with png files it allows you to tag everything with the sorts of info your mind sorts by.

[untmom2003]

I am fairly new too, and I have to do the paper thing by the computer. BUT, I also started to make 4 x 6 photo prints from WM of each of the kits (the "index" one that comes with) the name of the designer and kit name. I took over 100 of these to WM and got them printed on 4 x 6 paper and it was $18. I put them into a photo album so I can just flip thru to find the item in the kit. I also use DIS 2006 and use the labels, but don't have a label for each designer. Guess I might want to add that. I label by color, site, background, element, flowers, etc.... Hope this helps

[Mashi]

I have one folder called DSP.

In there, I have seperate folders -- Page Kits, Ploppers, Quick Clicks, Backgrounds, Embellishments, and Alphas.

In each of these subfolders, I have a folder for each seperate download.

For instance, in my Page Kits folder I have ones called "Annikas Dress", "Welcome Kit", "Sweet Page Kit" etc.
I keep every file that was included in there, and the "notepad" file in there as well, because that has the designer name and credit information.

I do find it hard in PSP to track down what I am looking for, so when I am scrapping, I keep my computer browser open as well, and search through them from there. When I see a brad or ribbon or something, then I go back to PSP and open it up. If I start using a lot of different things from different folders, I jot it down on a sticky ... and there are many stickys stuck up on the living room wall above my computer area!!!!

I NEVER save my layouts in this DSP folder, it is solely for "materials." I have a seperate folder called LAYOUTS that I save my works-in-progress in. In that layouts folder there are some that are 'loose' and some that are in their own folders. IE/ when I was making a few pages of my sister and I, I made a subfolder called "SISTERS" and saved what I was working on, as well as all of the attempts-gone-bad, in there (yes, even save your LOs that you DON'T like, you may go back to them someday!) and little elements that I have made, such as a torn paper or something.

If I "tear" a paper or recolour an element from a DSP page kit, I save it in 2 places -- one in the folder for the layout it goes with, and one in the page kit I took it from and name it "recoloured" or "torn" etc.

It works for me!

[BethyNixon]

I have one folder on my computer called Contact Sheets. In there I put each kits contact or sample. Then I can quickly flip through them if I forget where I get something!

I also have each folder organized by kit name.
It includes kit name, designer name, and DSP store number.

That way when I give credit it's all part of the folder title for that kit and I don't have to search!

It does take a bit of thinking and you have to find what works for you and then just make sure you stick with it!

[Lauren]

I have to say thats one of the reasons I love picasa - I have things catalogued by keyword - so if Im lookign for a background I can type in BG into the search bar and because DSP backgrounds are all prefixed with BG - ti will bring up all my bgs - then I can easily find the one Im looking for and just drag it right into my layout -

[tape]

Thank goodness DSP designers are good with naming their files - I just use the search feature in Windows Explorer to search in my Scrap folder for filenames containing *brad*, *stitch*, or whatever I'm looking for. :) I use the thumbnail view for the results to make it easy to choose what I want.