So
continuing on with how using your computer to organize your craft room to save
you both time and money, not to mention making your room more of a creative
space and less of a cluttered mess.
How do I use
the computer? Let me count the ways.
1. I am constantly cruising various
sites like facebook, pintrest, ebay, blogs, utube and numerous other ones for
ideas on everything from organization, to how to videos. At first I use to simply bookmark these
sites into my favorites, but soon it became clear I needed to be a wee bit more
organized on that aspect. After all I
research constantly on information I post in my blogs, how to do something I
previously didn’t know how to do, homesteading info, travel info and much more.
That meant I needed to be organized about my book marks. It’s simple enough to do, just create
subfolders and when you save a bookmark or a favorite you save it to the
correct subfolder. Here’s an example:
a. Main favorite folder-crafts
i.
Subfolder-cards
1. Pop-up Cards
2. Subfolder-techniques
a. Distressing
3. Subfolder-ideas
a. Subfolder-holidays
i.
Subfolder-Christmas
By doing the folders in my favorites/bookmarks this way
should I want to watch a utube video on how to distress cards I can go to just
those websites on that subject. Or if I
want to look at ideas for Christmas cards, they are all grouped together. This can save hours of searching for a video
you watched back in June in the month of November.
2. As mentioned in the previous post,
warranty files and other important data on my equipment are readily accessible.
3. I create a lot of greeting cards and
I use the various fonts on my computer to put the verses in them by using Word
to do so. Once I create a card I create
a file for that card that includes a photo of it, any construction notes such
as which cartridge, die or embossing folder I used, a saved copy of the word
file I made, sometimes even a scanned image of the paper or cardstock I used if
I want to duplicate identically, so when I got to make another copy of the card
all I need to do is print it. Time saved
for certain.
Because we are working again on our small card business this file also
includes the stock number, what papers were used and any other valuable
notes. Including sales records on it.
4. What do you have and where is it
stored? Many people find they feel they
don’t need this file, but I do. The what
more than anything. It’s easy to say you
know exactly what embossing folders you have when you only have a few and are
using those few constantly. But what
about when your inventory of folders grows?
Are you really going to remember all 100 folders, what they look like,
what brand and what size they are? If so
your memory is far better than mine. I
keep this file not only on my computer, but also on phone, because I never
leave home without my phone and you never know when you will stumble upon a
sale.
5. Photos of completed projects, items
you would like to create, etc. This one is self explanatory. Far easier to scan or take a photo from a
craft book or magazine and store that rather than a whole magazine for one
item. Many magazines are now sold in
digital form as well. I’d much rather
have a digital file I could electronically search in a matter of seconds for a
specific project than spend an entire afternoon looking for a project I need
the how to’s in a hurry for. Don’t get
me wrong, I love looking through hard print books and magazines on a leisurely
afternoon, but not when I am looking for a specific idea I saw somewhere in a hurry.
6. Recipes for homemade supplies, like
glimmer spray, alcohol inks, modgepodge, paper etc. Create a folder for them,
put the info there titled exactly what it is and you never have to dig through
paper files again looking for that note you jotted down when you saw the how to
on it. I often include the website or utube video address when applicable in
that note as well.
7. I also keep a list of consumables
that I use the most on both my computer and my phone so when I find a sale, I
can take advantage of it. In that file I
keep records of what it costs normally and what I generally get it for on sale.
I’ve actually created this file in my Grocery Tracker ap on my phone.
8. An I want list. Ever get to the craft store and think “there
was something I really needed to pick up the next time I was out but now I
can’t remember what it was?” Well keep a
list, on your phone and on your computer, use the ap GroceryTracker if need be. I do I have the store labeled “Craft Store” and then
can keep a running “needs” list in it
9. Inventory is essential to keep a
record of on the computer if you sell what you produce in your craft room.
10.
Tax
records if you are running a home based business with your crafts.
11.
Photos,
we all have tons and tons of them. They
take up a lot of space, get lost, torn, fade or otherwise become unusable in
our various projects.
These I scan into various folders, based on who or what they
are of, family tree, family vacations, completed craft projects, holidays, the
list goes on.
Once they are scanned and
copied to a back-up or two then I disperse the photos to other people. I start by offering them to the people in the
photos, and other family genealogists.
If they are of historical landmarks and are really good photos I will
send them to a historical society. Some
will get used immediately in craft work, but immediate means immediate. After I have covered all my possible sources
to give them to then I disperse them to the trash. I know that sounds harsh, but like any other
excess paper they are taking up valuable space and are a fire hazard. Not to mention they fade over time.
12.
If you use certain die cutting machines they
use svg or digital files,of course you want to store them on your computer
for easy access.
13.
I
recently read on one of the facebook groups I’m on that more and more
scrapbookers are printing their own cardstock and paper. I can see definite advantages to this.
For example: if you were doing a two page layout on your trip
to the Grand Canyon and had a beautiful panoramic photo of the canyon you could
water color print your cardstock with that photo for a one of a kind
background.
Another example: was if you were creating for an income and a
particular paper or cardstock needed to be used for numerous items there is
always a chance you would not be able to find that particular paper product,
then what do you do? Enter your computer
and printer to save the day.
Yes, they do sell printers that will print 12 x 12, we have
an HP 7610 that does exactly that, and it will handle cardstock easily. So after reading that helpful hint I foresee
me using that printer more and more instead of strictly using my all in one
like I normally do.
14.
On an organizational group I am on for
scrapbooking I recently saw a notebook a woman had put together that had all
the images from her various Cricut cartridges in it. I decided to take this one step further.
Again because I have so few cartridges at this point this little project
didn’t take me long at all and now I can look to see what images are available
in my library without having to pull every single cartridge off the shelf.
I scanned the front and back of each cartridge box, including the ones I
made into a file labeled Cricut cartridges.
I titled the scans by their cartridge names with frt and bk on the end
of the name meaning front and back. This
put all the images into one general file that I could simply scroll through.
However, I also copied the scan a second time with the name of each cartridge in a subfolder
with 1 and 2 as the end of the name so there would be no problem with duplicate
files alerts popping up. Ie: Damask Decor 1, Damask Decor 2
The computer automatically puts the cartridges in alphabetical order. That way if I want to look at what is on
Damask Décor and compare it to Winter Lace I can do so easily without having to
scroll through all the other cartridges.
A third thing I did with this folder was I made notation of the following
website address: http://mycutsearch.com/
at this website if you are wanting to know what cartridge you would find
a certain image on you can put in a search term like “rose” and it will bring
up all roses on the various cartridges, along with any phrase or word cartridges
with the word rose from the Cricut library.
That way you can instantly see if you have a cartridge with a rose on
it, or if you were to purchase a cartridge which ones would have roses on them.
A note here about scanning your cartridge boxes. Most scanners do not have a lid that will
adjust for scanning things as thick as a cartridge box and you may have trouble
getting a clear scan. That problem can
be remedied easily by placing something flexible and light colored over the box
as you scan it. A white bath towel works
great.
Another plus about scanning these images is the ability to enlarge the
size on the screen to see if the detail of the particular image is what you
want for your project.
15.
Designing
your layouts, whether it is with the Cricut Craftroom, Design Space, Autocad or
simply the design software of your die cutting machines you can design on the
computer and save instantly when Aunt Jane calls on the phone without fear of
something being spilled on your design while you are away from it.
Those are
but a few of the uses, but I bet once you start thinking you will be able to
come up with more ways to cut the clutter in your craft room/home office.
Jan who will
next do a short post on how doing this project will save you money.
