Hey all- it’s Kari Ann. How do you keep track of your layout and project ideas? Are they floating around in your head or do you write them down? Do you have Post-It notes scattered on your walls and chicken scratched scrap paper to sift through? How do you organize your ideas or is organize not a word in your scrapcabulary?

You might already have a system that works for you. Today I’m going to share my system. Now don’t laugh. It seems really over complicated but it works for me. Trust me- the rest of my life is not this organized.

I have an Excel spreadsheet that I keep updated. I use it daily and it really helps me remember what I want layouts I want to create. Plus- it really comes in handy when preparing for a crop.

These are the following tabs.

Tab 1- PLANNING
Within that tab I have two groups. The TODAY group and the SOMEDAY group. The TODAY tab is for those layouts that I want to create sooner than later. If the TODAY group gets too big I rearrange and move. I have 3 Columns.

• Column 1- WHAT- Lists the photos/event I want to scrap. EX: Bennet’s First Dentist
• Column 2- PHOTOS- I like to resize/edit my photos and then order them out of house so I like to remind myself whether I’ve edited and ordered them yet.  I learned that if I plan out a page a little in advance I’ll get the right size/color of photo. It saves me money!
• Column 3- THE GOODS- I will list a title, sketch I want to use, reference a magazine page, make notes about what paper/embellishment I’m thinking of using on the page.

Tab 2- 2009 BY MONTH
I list what layouts I complete each month. It helps me keep a tally. I try to balance out pages I create for each of my daughters as well as our family book and Book of Me.
This has 4 columns.

• Column 1- LAYOUT
• Column 2- WHO – what album is it for? Family, Bennet, Scout, BOM. This helps me even things out a bit. If I find I’m doing alot of Bennet pages I work on some Scout pages.
• Column 3- FOR- if I did the layout for a challenge or Design Team work.
• Column 4- QTY- 1 or 2 pager

Tab 3- TITLES/PHRASES

• I list titles, phrases and quotes that I think would make great additions to my pages. I also list those funny little things the kids say so I won’t forget.

Tab 4- SUBMIT

I list what layouts I submit to which magazines and the date. 

 
I also have an INSPIRATION folder on my computer. I save sketches/layouts/ideas from all of my fellow scrappers. It is divided into:

• 1 photo LO
• 2 photo LO
• 3 photo LO
• Multiple photos
• Cards/projects

How do you organize? I’d love to hear any tips you have for keeping our scrapbooking To-Do list manageable. If anyone would like to use my system just leave a note in the comment section and I’ll send it over.