Getting Scrap-anized

Since December, 2006, I’ve had a subscription to Scrapper’s Guide, an online digital scrapbooking group headed by Linda Sattgast, from Portland, Oregon. Each month, as a member, I receive a new digital scrapbooking kit, as well as training videos and a newsletter. I’ve been careful to keep the kits in one place on my computer, each kit in its own folder; and, inside each folder, subfolders for such things as background papers, embellishments, alphabets, frames, etc. But recently, locating any specific element I needed from those 58 main folders and three-or-four-times-that-many subfolders, had become an impossible task.

Last week I began an effort to re-organize my kits, using iPhoto. I finished this project last night, after many, many hours of work. My iPhoto image count shows that I have 5,842 different graphical elements in my collection. No wonder I was struggling to find what I wanted! But NOW I can enter a key word or a combination of key words to hone in on what I need when I'm designing a page.

Do I need a green marble? Just select keywords “toys or games” and “green” – up pops the green marble, along with a few other green toys or games.


Do I need to find a blue jeans pocket? Just select keywords “clothing”, “blue”, and “denim.” Up pop a couple of images from which to pick - one, the pocket; and the other a denim belt loop.


Or, perhaps, I want a red and white background paper with snowflakes. I choose "paper", "snowflakes", "red" and "white" and up pops this pretty paper.


My scrapbooking sessions are definitely going to be less frustrating, less time-consuming and more fun!