Question: Sorting your supplies

[HReilly]

As I collect more and more digital supplies, I am beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed when looking for the "perfect" paper/embellishment. I have PS CC & Bridge and organize my supplies into basic categories: Paper, word art, alphabets, masks, embellishments, etc. The embellishments then have sub folders of things like ribbons, fasteners, flora, etc. but still group by the kit. 

How does everyone else keep track of and organize their supplies? 

[Mikelle]

It's an on-going challenge... or struggle, however you look at it!  From the beginning, I've organized my supplies first by the site (most of my supplies come from Scrap Girls, but I've got collections from other sites as well), then by type (papers, embellishments, word art, etc), then by designer.  There are some things that don't quite fit into that system, though, and I have separate folders for certain things, like Nano/Mini collections, photo masks and background blenders.  For Scrap Girls, I also have most of my Scrap Simple supplies organized into a SS folder, again by paper templates, embellishment templates, etc.  My own organization system has evolved over the 10 years I've been digiscrapping, but I still make changes here and there, to make searching easier.  Oh, styles and brushes are also in their own folders.

[HReilly]

I have my styles and brushes in separate folders as well. And while I keep my downloaded files in site folders then by designer, I take the "supplies" out of there and put them into a Digital Scrapbooking folder, otherwise, I feel like I would be opening a hundred folders look for that "one" thing that I know I have but can't remember who/where I got it from. The zipped files stay in the site/designer folders.

I am starting to think I need to organize by feel (vintage, bright, manly, girlie) or color scheme.

And don't get me started on the vast number of hearts, stars, keys, gears, ephemera, buttons, and brads I have, but I am not sure I want to remove them from their kit organization. 

[MariJ]

I never separate collections or I would never find anything and I like the things that go together to stay together.  I file everything by “purchase” in folders and I make a printed book of the marketing images.  On my Mac a Finder search lets me find most everything.   Since I have mostly SG items and most of them are named by the designers, it’s easy!   So, if I want a “ribbon” I search and most SG products will come up - especially the older ones.

[Mikelle]

Past separating collections by embellishments, papers, etc, I don't break them up, either.  I think I'd go nuts trying to separate out all ribbons, all buttons separately, and so on.  As Marilyn said, my Mac allows me to search my Scrapping Supplies folder very easily - I just search "button" and up come all the buttons regardless of folder.  That works with Scrap Girls for sure because of how SG designers name their files, but not necessarily for some of the supplies from other sites that don't name their embellishments by type (like if they're just named Emb1, Emb2, Emb3...)  For other sites, I've just kept the collections completely together.  I get too frustrated otherwise.

[HReilly]

I can search in Bridge as well. 

Thanks ladies. At least I'm not alone in my frustration. 

[lorac]

I sort my stash as follows:

Collection Name

I file Embellishments under their type:

butterflies

frames

ribbons

flowers

alphas

etc.

 

[Smiles]

I still depend on Picasa. 

[mimes1]

On 2/8/2018 at 8:12 PM, Smiles said:

I still depend on Picasa. 

Me too Gayle! One day though I fear it's going to fail me, and then I'll be totally lost!