[hippiemom]

Hi all~

This may be my very first post in a message board ever! I tend to lurk cause the learning curve for how to do it seems a tad daunting. I have so little time for stuff like this that I would rather spend it making stuff--I'm sure you understand the compulsion. However, I've noticed that you all
are quite friendly so I'll venture my newbie question.

I've been messing with what is now called digital scrapbooking for at least 6 years to create the annual "Claire (DD) Calendar" for my mother in law and Father. When all things digi scraping emerged I felt as though I'd died and gone to heaven. It's even pulled me slowly away from my even greater passion--quilting. But when I quilt I can lay all my fabric out that I think I want to use and wait for it to speak to me before I jump in. The attraction of scrapping for me is a much more immediate priduct...I tend towards the artsy fartsy journal type stuff but really respect and admire all the memory capturing going on here too. My problem is that I don't have anywhere to lay all my cool materials out. Is there a better way than using my search tool which at least shows me folders with tiny thumbnails on them?....I sometimes fantasize about yanking all the files out of their folders and making one giant pile but I worry that should I ever get brave enough to post something, that I'd loose the reference material from the files to acknowlegde the designers.

I use PSE 5 and so far I really dislike the organizer thingy that came with it (I think it's organizer 3.0?) Maybe I don't take enough pictures to want to (once again) "spend time" tagging them and sort them.

Any suggestions?

Thanks for your help--

[ManiakMama]

Welcome to ScrapGirls! I have over 20,000 items in my organizer in PSE 5 and have them all tagged based on Ro's organization system. I use the Collections feature to label them by kit. It works GREAT!

[sunnie2004]

I have mine organized alphabetized & in my EHD by easy technique the 1st 3 letters of each designer that created the "stuff" & the files on the top so i can see it.

caren

[PBarnes]

I use the Organizer in PSE 5 and like it for the most part. It gets a little balky sometimes. An alternative for you might be ACDSee.

Oh, and hi and welcome!

[Kara]

Picasa is another good organizational tool. I've tried getting organized with it but really need to buckle down and start tagging!

[CRS]

Welcome to Scrap Girls! I just got Bridge, so I'm slowly organizing my supplies in that. I tend to spend a lot of time looking through my supplies for inspiration. I do have all my photos tagged in PSE5's organizer, so at least I can find my photos quickly. Some people save copies of the collection from the boutique so that they can see everything at a glance.

I'm glad you decided to join in here!

[PatBowman]

I'm a big fan of ACDSee myself! Their software seems to be evolving to make it easy for us digital scrappers to be organized.

[CreativeSparkle]

I have had a hard time with similar issues (not being able to lay it all out and look at it). I just recently divided everything into folders by type (ie: paper, tools, embellishments, etc. and in those folders I have categories. Like in the embellishments folder I have sub folders like tags, buttons, ribbons, etc.) I put the printable sheet in the main embellishment folder and then divide up all the embellishments into the sub folders. I'm still trying to take the time to tag everything, but that is taking me some time. For now just having them in categorized folders is a big help!

After doing a search I found these topics that might have some good ideas you could glean from:

Ro's system for organizing
http://www.scrapgirls.com/managing_digital...ng_supplies.htm

Jo's organizing system
http://scrapgirls.com.ipbhost.com/index.ph...p;hl=organizing

Good luck organizing and welcome to Scrap Girls!

ttfn

[alg35536]

I'm in the process of re doing my pse6. I moved my things to an ehd & had to start over. It's going to be some work but because I'm new to digi scrapping I don't have a ton of kits yet. lol
Good luck in what ever system that you decide to use and Welcome

[A-dab-adu]

Hippiemom,
It sounds like you may be a more "tactile person", I know justpattyanne is the same way and she discussed a way
where she prints out the embellishments sheets and organizes them and how she really likes to see her different papers
in front of her.

Possibly justPattyAnne will come along and tell you more, I seem to have lost track of that thread.

*you are one step closer by recognizing how you like to do things, Good Luck

P.s. Welcome to the Boards

[MaryJo]

I use Ro's way and I have all my SG stuff on my EHD . Everything is right there when I open my 0_Scrapbooking folder, each product has a subfolder then the subfolder is org. by color or what ever you choose. I would love to use my PSE5 Organizer but everytime I add items it slows my computer way down. So, for right now its all on my EHD. HTH

[hippiemom]

Wow thanks every one!

I've alread got my stuff on the EHD so that's a start but mostly I do that for security (for whatever that's worth). I like the idea of printing out stuff that might work well for me. I'll also check out Ro's organizing system--thanks for the link....and the warm welcome.

Hippiemom.