How do you do it?

[Ohsofun]

Just a random question. How do you keep track of who got what card?

For example...if you give cards out at Christmas time, how do you keep track of who got what card so you do not give a repeat the following year?

Do you...1. just stick with a couple layouts per year and change them up year after year...2. do you take pictures and text add their name to the photo you took...3. not worry about giving the same card to same person each year.

[JBgreendawn]

Hi Welcome here,

well I make one of a kind cards for the most part, once in a great while I may do say 4 similar colors stamps etc. but, no I more try to match the sentiment with the person.
(some people I would never send a funny card to kind of a thing)
and I don't worry about it.

[Firework]

I agree, don't worry too much about it. I'm sure some folks have gotten the same card for their bday or Christmas more than once. Even thank you cards. I just use what I have and don't worry about it. Never had any complaints.

[Cook22]

I have a Google spreadsheet for birthday and random cards throughout the year. I've been running it for about 6 years now, I just archive the older rows a couple of times a year. I like knowing what I've sent people, especially if they reply and say thank you and maybe ask a question about a technique or a stamp. I have a column for name, one for address, one for date of birthday (if relevant) and in the last column I note a few details about the card. I also highlight in green any people who respond, because after a few years of no response I tend to drop people off ;-).

My Christmas list is separate because it's quite a different demographic. It's a Google document, with the names in an order that makes sense to me: international, European, UK, Irish and SCS - so in the order I need to post them, with SCS friends grouped seperately. I just put a brief description after each name, then when I've mailed them I use strikethrough to mark them done. So I can easily see what any person has received over the last few years.


I would get bored making more than 2 or 3 cards the same, and I wouldn't like to send cards that were too similar to the same people another year.

[Ellibelle]

I don't usually do duplicates either but since I sometimes print sentiments for inside the card from the computer, I do save those with the name of the recipient so I don't print the same sentiment twice for the same person.

My sister did manage to send me the same postcard from vacation two years in a row (they like to go to the same place) and I've also received the same Easter card twice, also from her, store bought but not from a set of cards. She just happened to like the same card again and didn't remember what she sent the previous year. We just laughed about it when I told her because we both thought it was funny. I wouldn't worry about it too much!

[August29]

I like making assembly fashion card and make mine all the same plus one
for me. On the back of the card for me I place a sticker that says what date
it was sent and who got one. Then I have record of what I made but then
I can also display a card for me. I don’t usually receive many cards and it
makes me happy to “get” one too.

[cjzim]

I do the same as Sabrina described above, but I keep track in a low- tech way. I keep a pretty file box and use index cards to jot down the occasion, year and a brief description of the card. If the sentiment is not too generic, I make note of that so I won't repeat it for the same recipient. If the card has been uploaded here, I sometimes make note of that. I rarely make duplicates of cards but I try not to send cards with the same images to people.
I keep a separate notebook for Christmas cards, as well.

[arlenevita]

I don't worry about it.

[UnderstandBlue]

I don't worry about it. A card sent is a gift. Bless and release.

[howdyheidi]

I don’t usually make multiples, but when I do, I am sure to send them all out in a short period of time so that I don’t accidentally send the same card to a second person. This year, I did make multiple variations of the same design for a masculine design, and every boy is getting that card for their birthday this year.

However, I do have a sense of when I have used the stamp set enough that it is time to move on. For example, this year I used my Valentine stamp sets for the second year in a row (of course, in different ways than before.). However, since so many of the sayings are puns, I realized that next year I will need new Valentine stamps.

However, if I did send a similar card to someone, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Very few people would notice, and also very few people send me a card, so I can’t feel badly about it.

[lutheran]

I don't worry about it, either. My friends may get birthday cards done with the same flowers or cakes every year, some may receive the same or similar Christmas card again. They don't save them and probably don't remember the card from last year.
Mary Beth

[ttemby]

I write in my daily planner when I send a card. I just put their first name and a short title like "mermaid" to tell me that I sent that person a mermaid birthday card. I'm a little OCD on keeping track of stuff! That way next year I know what I sent that person the year before.

[Ohsofun]

There's some great info in all your responses.

I like the don't worry response. The cards are a gift on their own so it shouldn't matter.

I like the idea if you make multiple cards of same layout then to make an extra for self with date.

I also like the idea of spreadsheet sort of tracking.

Keeping track of the sentiment and description of the card so you can change up the sentiment is real good.

Thank you so much. I think I will be falling more into ...don't worry and make an extra self and change up sentiments. Perhaps I can incorporate that into a journal by it's self. With description of the cards date and person.
Now that I think on it I can easily fall into all your ideas 😄

[smhtwin]

Here's a cute "same card" story....

I have an identical twin sister and we both live here in San Diego.

One year, DH and I went to Florida to visit his mom and while there, I bought my daddy a birthday card.

When Twin and I gave our daddy his birthday cards, yes, you guessed it....we both had bought the same card!


She bought hers here in San Diego and I bought mine clear on the other side of the country in Florida. We bought them at completely different stores also.

Must be a twin thing.....;)

Regarding the original topic of this thread, I love to make cards assembly line style and for Christmas, everyone gets the same card. As far as birthdays and other occasions go, I send out cards I get from swaps and random single cards that I make once in awhile.

I like what Lydia said: "Don't worry about it. A card is a gift. Bless and release". :p

[BashfulStamper]

While I totally agree with the "don't worry about it" thoughts, I still like to keep track. (I'm a little OCD, and I like lists.) As a Chemo Angel, I often have to send lots and lots of cards to the same person, and I don't want them to look all the same. I've tried a few different things, and I'm still trying to "tweak" this a bit, but at the moment...

First, I take a digital photo of every card I make. I save it as a new note in Evernote, and I number each design. (Des1, Des2, etc.) I also keep a list of favorite quotes, for putting inside cards. These are numbered, too (Q1, Q2, etc.) If I want to remember what I sent someone, I can just make a quick note of the date, design and number. Or, if it's someone that I send TONS of cards to (like a chemo patient), then I can run off a quick chart for designs and sentiments (just a large chart of numbers), and cross off each one as I use it.


The more I use Evernote, the better it gets. (Sorry... I've raved about it before, LOL.) I can quickly take a photo and save it direct to Evernote. It saves a copy of it to my computer, and it also stores everything in the "cloud", so my stuff is automatically "backed up".


Later, using a template to speed things up, I can add information in the design notes, all sorts of things, like items used to make the card, date I created it, who I sent it to, if I used the design for my card-making classes (and when), if I blogged about it, where my inspiration came from, etc.


Just thought I'd share a different approach. I still think that we shouldn't worry about it... but I still do. :lol:

[barbcowan]

I started scanning a copy of every card that I make a few years ago as I was making cards for my grandparents and my Dad to send out to the family & wanted to be sure nobody received the same card from any or all 4 of us. In the document properties, I apply tags for the recipient name, who it was from, card reason, and if it was part of a certain kit (such as Paper Pumpkin or even a patterned paper pad). This way I can group by various categories to make sure that the same card is not given to people in the same household. It's fun to see how my style/skills have changed through the years and how many different cards a kit can make.

[RJP111]

I generally only worry about not repeating the cards that i give to my family and very close stamping friends, and that's only 10 cards. I keep them all very similar & use the same technique or fancy fold, so it's easy for me to remember & not duplicate. For anyone else, I don't worry if they get the duplicates of the same card.

[cardmaker2]

Short answer- I don’t
I generally keep a bit of an idea in my head, who gets what, but nah, not a big deal. I sell or give away a lot of cards for others to use so sometimes the thought crosses my mind that maybe someone else gets a duplicate from whomever got them from me, but I really don’t give it any attention!

[DianeinSparks]

I make no more than 4 of each card, and usually just 2 and make copies of them and keep them in a 3 ring binder with a note on the bottom with the person's name & year. I send out cards for so many different occasions and to family and friends and this is a help to me and lets me use stamp sets, dies and papers that haven't been used before. When the binder is full, I throw out the oldest copies to make room for the current ones.

[Grammatina]

I send at least one card each week to my Senor Citizen buddy and write down each time what I'm sending her. I would like all of them to be different for her.

[wavejumper]

I usually make all the same card for the holidays for just this reason. Then I just make a note in the address list of the design. I don't have a problem with making a lot of one design. This year is going to be different bc I am playing with a pre-print pad of Christmas designs for some of them. But then again I wont ever duplicate that as it isn't a stamp.

[harvestmoon]

I make about 30 Christmas cards all the same...partly because I don't want to go through the struggle of creating another design, but mostly because I really like the design.

For Birthday cards I take a photo with my phone of the front and the inside. The date on it tells me who it was for. I rarely repeat designs for birthday cards....only if several recipients would like the same design and sentiment. I may send the same design to 5 teen grandsons, but they all live in different places, so they don't see the other's.

[Ohsofun]

Wow some more wonderful ideas. I never thought of scanning them in. That is really great idea.
Where I want to give cards out to nursing homes down the road ( when I get better or should I say more confident), I don't want to take a chance of giving the same person the same layout year after year.
I think for Christmas time I will stick with just a couple layouts and either make an extra or scan them in and take notes on date and nursing home even mention the floor they went to.
For secret sister cards, I will use a photo and transfer it over to computer with : who, date in the file name.
Family and friends not going to worry too much as they will be individualized yo the person.
Wonderful ideas. Thanks ever so much

[fl_beachbum]

This is my main reason/excuse for giving away or selling most stamp sets once I've used them for a while. Then I get to acquire new images to use and not become a hoarder

[Paula in GA]

I make all different cards all the time. I don't keep a box of finished cards cause they all go somewhere after I make them. I don't take pictures of them either. I really don't worry much about sending duplicates. If I do make a similar card, I don't worry about it.

[SuzyS1104]

The only cards I make note of are the Christmas cards. I have a recipe box with each person's name and address. Below that I write on each line...the year...S (I sent to them), R( received from them) note which card I sent them. I sometimes do a different design each month....4 cards. Or if I'm behind....do 12 of one design. Namely when I'm behind on making Christmas cards.

[Boss]

My notebook system is reliable,low-tech and verges on being a journal of sorts. I make a photocopy of each card I send out, with handwritten info on who it was sent to, the date and the reason/occasion. I use this sheet to pre-write the inside sentiment so I don’t screw it up...this serves as a reminder of what I sent. This is not something that would work for the young, techies out there - no spreadsheets or anything like that. Each 3-ring binder has a label on the spine for the date span of the cards in question. As stupid as it sounds, this has been a wonderful, touching reminder of all the important people in my life and the Occasions we shared with them. As I said, not for everyone, but for me it is a treasure.

I do have one idea to share that WILL make it a no-brainer when you need/want to know if you have sent someone a card that you have made multiples of. Simply place a post a note on the the front or back of the remaining cards. On the post a note, write the date, the name of the person you sent it to, and if you want, what the occasion was. Simple - takes less than one minute to accomplish and it will be an instant reminder when you grab the stack of cards.

Hope you find an easy, no stress solution that works for you!

[Bridgewater]

I take pictures of every card I make then transfer them to folders on my computer. I don't like sending cards to the same people that are similar to those I've sent them before if there's a way I can avoid it. Taking pics of each card and storing them for easy access on my computer seems to work for me. I can quickly look at what I sent to someone previously and make them something different. I usually don't make duplicates.

[ejluyk]

I make individual cards during the year and multiple of Christmas cards. During the year I take photos of all my cards and file on my computer with who it was for and the occasion . I don't keep track of the messages, I usually make those up at the time I send the card out, I hand write those. I take photos the Christmas cards but don't keep track of who might get them. I usually make 5-8 different styles in groups of 4-6. I usually send out approx. 60 each year and sometimes make individual ones for those that are special on my list. When someone's birthday comes around, I just check my computer file for the last couple of years to see what I sent them before I make a new card...I probably would never duplicate one as they all are made up with what I have on hand for materials, using same stamps/dies but in different ways. I like the idea of scanning them, but I also photograph them to try and improve those skills also.

[RetiredPJ]

I take pictures of the cards and file them in folders 'Cards Sent 2019' with the recipient's name. Christmas cards are usually all the same and I use my e-address book - I just put the year next to the persons name and an 'x' if I receive one back.

[smadson]

Too many times in the past people have commented on the cards I sent them, or even asked about how I made them, and I couldn’t remember which card I sent them. So , since I photograph each card anyway to upload it to SCS, As I send them I just move it to a file titled cards sent 2018, or Christmas cards sent 2018, (because they are usually all different), and then title the card 01 01/01/08 Mary Jones. Another perk of this is I can track how many cards I sent or give. I was really surprised by how many! I got this idea from Annaforte

[Jo Ann F.]

I use an excel file for birthdays & anniversaries of family, friends and work colleagues. Each year is one column. I make a quick note about the card - just a couple of words - for example OSW lavender, candles, eat cake. Every month I print out the dates, namesand the card history, and I keep the printout on my desk and use it to send my cards out on time.I take pictures of all my cards and keep in an Adobe Lightroom file, so I can always go back by date or topic to see what the cards were like. For Christmas I usually send all the same to family. Work colleagues get ones I make in VSN or DTGD and I don't worry if there is a duplicate.

[angelladcrockett]

Since I photograph every card, I rename the photos as I send the cards out....then just search the gallery for their name to see what I sent last year. It's not a big deal except with children......I wouldn't want to give a similar card to one of my nieces or nephews which was already created for their sibling. I usually try to personalize each card but sometimes, I have to dig into my stash. I used to send out 120 Thanksgiving cards every year....they were all alike, so no worries there!

[CardgirlJo]

Several of my grandchildren actually keep the cards I make, so keeping track of who received which card is important to me. I snap a photo with either my iPhone or iPad and add text with tha person’s name and the year. Often I will also snap a photo of the inside as well. This works well for me!

[Bridgewater]

Re: Cardgirl - My children and grandchildren do the same thing! They all save my cards, so do extended family and some of my friends. So, if I sent them a similar card, they'd know it ... and ... I'd probably hear about it. (Sigh) One of my daughters uses the Halloween cards I've sent over the years to decorate an artificial tree in her family room for Halloween and at Christmas my Christmas cards to her family are strung in garlands along the window valances. Boy! Would THEY ever know if I sent a duplicate! The pictures I take of each my cards are critical - at least to me.

[dotty01]

So far I've not kept track of who got what..... but I was thinking about doing this last Christmas...but decided not to because it would be such a process and cut into my card making time.....I do post on my blog what cards I make and use that as a guide. I've never made the same Christmas card from one year to the next. I usually make 3 or 4 different ones each year. And as far as the sayings, will there's just so many ways to say "Merry Christmas & Happy New Years"... so I don't worry about that.

Everyone that gets my cards LOVE them, and may save them and display them each year, and I always wright something personal to them on the inside...

[CardgirlJo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bridgewater

Re: Cardgirl - My children and grandchildren do the same thing! They all save my cards, so do extended family and some of my friends. So, if I sent them a similar card, they'd know it ... and ... I'd probably hear about it. (Sigh) One of my daughters uses the Halloween cards I've sent over the years to decorate an artificial tree in her family room for Halloween and at Christmas my Christmas cards to her family are strung in garlands along the window valances. Boy! Would THEY ever know if I sent a duplicate! The pictures I take of each my cards are critical - at least to me.

It’s flattering to know they keep them, isn’t it!

[sylviad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BashfulStamper

While I totally agree with the "don't worry about it" thoughts, I still like to keep track. (I'm a little OCD, and I like lists.) As a Chemo Angel, I often have to send lots and lots of cards to the same person, and I don't want them to look all the same. I've tried a few different things, and I'm still trying to "tweak" this a bit, but at the moment...

First, I take a digital photo of every card I make. I save it as a new note in Evernote, and I number each design. (Des1, Des2, etc.) I also keep a list of favorite quotes, for putting inside cards. These are numbered, too (Q1, Q2, etc.) If I want to remember what I sent someone, I can just make a quick note of the date, design and number. Or, if it's someone that I send TONS of cards to (like a chemo patient), then I can run off a quick chart for designs and sentiments (just a large chart of numbers), and cross off each one as I use it.


The more I use Evernote, the better it gets. (Sorry... I've raved about it before, LOL.) I can quickly take a photo and save it direct to Evernote. It saves a copy of it to my computer, and it also stores everything in the "cloud", so my stuff is automatically "backed up".


Later, using a template to speed things up, I can add information in the design notes, all sorts of things, like items used to make the card, date I created it, who I sent it to, if I used the design for my card-making classes (and when), if I blogged about it, where my inspiration came from, etc.


Just thought I'd share a different approach. I still think that we shouldn't worry about it... but I still do. :lol:

I looove Evernote! All my stamps are listed there. It took me a long time to get to that point, but it is done! I know I have over 500 stamp sets and I can search and find what I am looking for pretty easily.

Any chance you would share your template? I have been keeping a written list of cards sent and it sure would work better in Evernote! Now why didn't I think of that? 🥴

[Kathleen Mc]

My system is highly complicated. I have a book where I give each card design a number and write down all the supplies I used for that card. Then I have a table in word where I make a note of who I sent each card to.
I scan in all my cards before I send them, so I also have a record of the actual card.
What I might start doing is create a doc that shows pictures of the cards next to the name of the person they were sent to.
But it's a lot of work!!!

[susanbri]

I have an "album" of photos of all the cards I make in my iPhoto - it's really quick and easy to add the name of the recipient, and then you can search that person's name if you want to be sure you're sending a different card the next year.