Whether you're just starting to collect digital freebies or have amassed a solid collection of digital product, you could probaly use some ideas for organizing your stash. In this month's Techo Tuesday, Michelle Coleman of Little Dreamer Designs shares her tips and advice.

Organize Your Digital Product Files

I found that the best (and quickest!) way to organize is to use a program created specifically for digital organization. Depending on how much time or money you’re able to devote to organization, here are some great options:

ACDsee 10 Photo Manager
(This program is not Mac compatible.)
This program lets you attach keywords and categories to your files and search within those keywords. You also can make minor corrections to your photos, such as red-eye removal and erasing blemishes.

iPhoto
(This program is not PC compatible.)
iPhoto (included in iLife) organizes your entire photo library by event, and you can attach a rating or keyword to your digital files to make finding them a snap. You also can quickly create calendars, cards and photo books.

Adobe Bridge
Available in all six editions of Adobe Creative Suite 3, Adobe Bridge allows you to categorize your files using groups and keywords. With the latest version, you can preview multiple files at once (perfect for coordinating patterned papers) and make corrections to your photos.

My Take:
I like using Bridge because it’s already on my computer, it’s easy to use and it was created specifically for Photoshop.

Categorization
Once you’ve settled on a program, the next decision is whether to keep your digital kits together and categorize them by designer, or separate the elements into groups, such as buttons, ribbons, metal, etc.

Michelle’s Categorization System:
I have a main download folder where I unzip my files, and subfolders organized by designer. I like leaving each kit intact. I don’t separate my elements or papers because it makes it easier for me to find the correct credit information after I’ve completed a layout. I do, however, delete any paper or element that doesn’t fit my personal taste.

In Bridge, I add keywords to all products in a kit. The paper gets coded with the pattern/style, the color and the designer’s name. Elements are coded this way, too. If a kit is themed, such as Christmas or birthday, the entire collection gets coded with that keyword. (Helpful hint: In Bridge, to add keywords to more than one item at a time, hold down Control as you select the items.)

Keyword suggestions: color, pattern, designer, element type, shape, kit name, store name, theme

You also might find it helpful to make a special folder or category for favorite items you use again and again, such as your favorite solid papers, or those cluster frames you just can’t get enough of.

Organizing your digital kits and elements lets you spend less time searching for the perfect embellishment and more time actually creating with it. You might even save money because knowing what you have means fewer duplicate purchases.


Freshen Up: Layout Prompt



supplies: Patterned papers and embellishments (Michelle Coleman, littledreamerdesigns.com)

____________

(You can see more layout ideas in the original article here. This article originally appeared in the May/June 2008 issue of Memory Makers magazine. Visit our online store to order a copy of the May/June 2008 issue.)

For digital techniques for scrappers, featuring both Photoshop Elements and Word, check out Paper + Pixels here.

~Kristin

(Please note that if you're on a Mac, you'll want to hit the Apple key instead of the Control key for the steps below.)

1. Open your photos. Adjust your exposure/settings, if needed.
2. Select your photo with the Marquee tool. Hit Control+C to copy your photo.
3. Drag your frame onto your layout.
4. Use the marquee tool to draw a selection for your photo. Keep your selection inside the edges of the frame.



5. Create a new layer under your frame layer.



6. Go to Edit>Paste Into. (This will paste your photo into your frame.)

7. You must then re-size your photo to fit. Use keyboard shortcut, Control+T to transform/re-size your photo. Hold down the shift button while you drag your photo from one of the four corners. Holding down the shift button keeps your photo from distorting while you re-size.



8. Repeat these steps to fill your frame with photos. When you’re finished, merge your photos and the frame together into one layer by using keyboard shortcut Control+E. This will allow you to move the finished element around your page.




(This digital frame technique, by Michelle Coleman, appeared in the March/April 2008 issue of Memory Makers magazine. Visit our online store to order a copy of the March/April 2008 issue.)

For lots more digital techniques for scrappers, featuring both Photoshop Elements and Word, check out Paper + Pixels here.

My first ever hybrid card. I must say that I am pretty excited about how it
turned out. I have been experimenting more with digital and paint lately, and
this project was a great way to bring the two together.





You can create something similar by following these simple steps:

1. Cut out a template from a neutral piece of cardstock. (My
template is a 5x10-inch rectangle. When it's folded, the final size is
a 5x5 inch square.)

2. Find a digital piece of paper that you love and print it. (I printed
a design by Tiff Brady at We Are StoryTellers.) If you
don't have any digital elements, find a piece of patterned paper and use that
instead.



3. Cut out your paper design and glue it on your template.

4. Find embellishments that complement the paper’s design and adhere
them to the card. (I used felt and paper flowers, a brad and white ribbon.)

5. Choose paint colors that complement your card’s colors. Take a small
paint brush or sponge, and paint around the sides of your card, or around
the main design on your card. (I used red acrylic paint and several shades of green to
paint around the flowers to draw attention to them.)

6. I cut a strip off the front of the card with scalloped shears to add a
decorative edge to the card and to reveal a portion of the inside of the
card (a great place to hand write something!).

7. Let the paint dry before you decorate the inside of the card.

8. Finally, add any photos, embellishments and paint to the inside of the card.
(I used a little card that I got from Moo.com, painted around its edges with
the same paint colors I used on the front of the card, and then added little
Pearls.)

Add your sentiment and a stamp and mail it to someone you really care about.
Trust me, they will never throw this card away :)

Oh, and here are some fun photos from my bridal shower. I have to tell you that my fabulous sister made the cupcakes. Aren't they gorgeous and so professional looking?) I can't wait to add all my photos to the album I made.




Have a great day!
christy

As promised, here's my finished hybrid layout. It was a snap to put together.

Here's how it came together:

* I printed the 10x10 digital portion on our R1900 Epson printer.
* I adhered the digital page to the center of a piece of kraft cardstock.
* Using a foam make-up applicator, I applied blue and white paint to the edges of the kraft cardstock. (Almost every page I create lately incorporates paint in some way.)
*I then added a few embellishments to give the page a bit of dimension and texture.

supplies:

(Digital)
Tutti Frutti kit by Emily Powers and Paislee Press
Sticky strips by Amy Hutchinson
Date stamp: Mark That Date by Two Sisters Designs

(Traditional)
kraft cardstock
paint: Making Memories
acrylic accents and flowers: Making Memories
staples

And before signing off, I leave you with this creative prompt: Create a layout that showcases the similarities you share with a sibling or close friend (in appearance, personality, etc.). **And bonus if the layout is hybrid and incorporates paint in some way.**

—Katie

I went home this weekend eager to see my fiance and my family, but I wasn't counting on this delightful surprise. After dinner, my dad went into the bedroom and came out with a Nikon box. My heart kind of fluttered inside.

My dad had just upgraded his camera and bought the Nikon D300 and he knew I was looking into a digital SLR of my own, but with the wedding approaching, I figured I'd wait and buy something later. Much to my surprise, he handed his Nikon D100 over to me and began to explain some of the different functions. It was completely over my head and I loved it! I created this layout about the new camera, and I included one of the first pictures I took of Zach with it. I love the look on his face as he was talking to my mom, and I'm loving the results from this new camera.

I can't wait to learn more about the art of photography. If you're interested in learning a few photography hints, check out, our Art Director, Christy's blog for some fabulous tips.




Supplies:
Patterned paper, polaroid, arrow embellishment, staples: Emily Powers (Free Digital Art Nation Kit)
Calendar, doodle, word SAT, acrylic circle: Emily Powers
Buttons, Cloud patterned paper: Michelle Coleman

Create something. Inspire everyone.
GinaMarie

Being snowed in on Saturday meant lots of creative time. I got this CD from Glitz Design that has 6 digital scrapbook collections on it. All the collections are very different and include paper, accents, doodles, flourishes, frames, brushes, journaling cards, overlays, ribbon, and word art (i know, a lot on one CD)! The journaling cards are SO cute! The possibilities were endless. It was so convenient having everything on one CD and I didn't even have to make a mess, which I tend to do when I get out the paper, scissors and glue. I love paper scrapping, but this was a lot of fun to play around with. Oh, and I made a card too. I'll post that later this week after I finish it.

Do you have any favorite digital kits?

Christy

The Black-&-White Challenge will be coming to an end Tues, Dec. 11 at midnight so don't miss your opportunity to win a cool black and white KI Memories prize package! Post your layout in the forum for a chance to win. I know that life might be a bit busy with Christmas just around the corner, but who can pass up an opportunity to win amazing scrapbooking supplies?

The layout I created for this challenge was also a tribute to one of my favorite stores: Ikea. For those of you that have experienced Ikea ... isn't it fun? And if you never have you should hunt down the nearest store :) While I was at home for Thanksgiving my family and I took a trip to the nearest Ikea in Canton, Michigan to celebrate my sister's birthday (since we both absolutely love the store). We spent a few hours just wandering around and pointing out all of the things we liked. There were not any big purchases made, but we all had such a great time together! I'm counting down the days when Ikea will soon be only minutes away from me here in Cincy...ahh inspirational bliss at my fingertips!

Post your Black-&-White challenges here, and show us your true colors!

Create something. Inspire everyone.
GinaMarie

Supplies and Techniques:
I created the black and white background by scanning one of the pages from Ikea's 2008 magazine. I changed it into grayscale, and added the difference layer to give it that reverse x-ray effect. The pic was taken by my sister and I saturated the color a bit to make it pop.
Brads: Michelle Coleman's Free Digital Kit Frosted (I changed the hue/saturation.)
Journaling circle: Sande Kreiger's Free Digital Kit Embrace Life

I have wanted to test the digi-waters for quite some time, so when I found Picnik.com, I was excited to try my hand at digital or hybrid scrapbooking. This free online site allows you to download pics from flickr, picasa, facebook, photobucket or your computer. All of the basic tools are free, but if you want something a little more advanced, it’s only $24.95 for the year.

I had to download the latest flash player, but it was painless and quick, and I was able to begin editing in minutes. At Picnik.com you can edit, crop, resize, sharpen, delete red eye and use other basic tools. The real fun comes in when you add effects, text and shapes to your photos. There are really a lot of possibilities, and I had such a fun time exploring the different effects. Once you’ve created the effect you want, you can save the image to your computer, share them on your blog or print them whenever you get a chance.

If you have drooled over layouts like the one in Master ’08 Tracie Radtke’s last blog, now is your chance to experiment with hybrid scrapbooking and all-digital layouts. I think Picnik is a great option if you want to experiment without investing a lot of money into a photo-editing program. I really liked the results, given the fact that I was able to do everything online without downloading or investing any money. If you decide to test the waters and want to talk about it, check out the Testing the Digi-waters thread in the forum. Let me know what you think about picnik.com, or share information about other photo sites you love.

Top Left:
Eating one of my favorite pasta dishes while I was home visiting my family.
Left: A picture of my dad who is a photo-journalist and constantly taking pics, but rarely in front of the camera.

Create something, Inspire everyone.
GinaMarie