Splitcoaststampers.com - the world's #1 papercrafting community
You're currently viewing Splitcoaststampers as a GUEST. We pride ourselves on being great hosts, but guests have limited access to some of our incredible artwork, our lively forums and other super cool features of the site! You can join our incredible papercrafting community at NO COST. So what are you waiting for?
How do you keep track of cards you've sent? Or do you?
Okay, this probably sounds crazy but I seem to be suffering from CRS disease (Can't remember **it; a term my FIL says often ;)).
Anyway, I'm a bit anal, I know, but I'm trying to come up with a good and effective way to keep track of who I'm sending cards to and at least what type of card it is. I started an excel spreadsheet writing down who, when I sent it, and what type but that just doesn't seem to be the best place for me to keep up with it.
Here's the problem... I send someone a card (like a thinking of you), a few days pass (or more) and I run into that person, she says "I love that card you sent me" <PANIC... Can't remember what it looked like> and then she says... "How did you do that?" <ACK!!!>
I really don't send that many cards but I'm trying to do more and more.
Anyone have a good organization tip for me?
Sorry for the rant... feeling extra old today (and I'm only 36).
Hmmm...I don't track what I've sent to whom, but I have had a few people do that - ask me how I did something. I just ask them to either describe or show me the card. Far too often, I'm creating at the last minute so don't even have a chance to scan the card. No way would I have a chance to record it in a database!
If you're feeling old at 36, what must I be feeling at 61???? Actually, pretty darn good.
Anyway, I keep the names and dates of those I send RAKs and BRAKs to but don't try to keep track of which card. I do wish I had done something like that when I began making Christmas cards a few years ago because I send some of the same ones a couple of years in a row and, I don't want to send the same card to the same people. I didn't so I just hope they don't get the same one.
I, too, have people tell me how they like the card I send, and I just admit that I send so many I just don't remember. Usually they can describe to me what it's like. Then the brain cells will take over and I can come up with the right one.
I also keep track using Excel, I don't want to be embarrassed sending the same card to the same person! I also use Excel to keep track of RAK's, and the monthly theme group I belong to. I add a descriptions of the card and I make a note if it's in the SCS Gallery or in my home gallery.
As far as trying to remember when someone asks you.....no suggestions !
I use a program called Page Sage. It has all my supplies and cards I've made and I can even make note of any publications I've sent work to. (Not that I have, but hey that day may come!) It's pretty cool. You can save a picture of your card and then print out the supply list and instructions, just like you were reading it in a magazine. You can also print a list of everyone you've sent that particular card to. It's also a good way to make a catalog of the stamps I have, not only so I don't buy duplicates, but also for insurance purposes (you can record the retail value and how much you actually paid for something).
Pretty cool.
I'm a bit behind in updating my records, but it's a new year's goal, so I'd better get moving! Thanks for the reminder!
I take a picture or scan my cards for future reference in case i want to make one again but I don't keep track of who they go to at all. I send out alot of cards.
I have a much more casual way, and I've been doing it this way for years.
I keep a regular notebook, and write the month at the top of a page. I write the dates of birthdays, anniversaries, etc. When I send a card, I write a brief description, butterfly, IFB, etc. Then as the need arises, I can write in get well, sympathy, etc, as I send them. For Christmas, everyone gets the same card, which is different each year.
I can always look back at previous months and years, and not send the same type card to the a person. It's not fancy, but it works for me.
I don't know how to do Excel.
Eileen
__________________ The best things in life aren't things.
How do you keep track of cards you've sent, or do you?
It wasn't too long after I started stamping that we got a digital camera so I took a picture of my card and stored it on the computer along with the name of the person to whom it was sent and the date it was sent. But now that I have a scanner, I copy the card and keep the pages in a three ring binder. I sometimes make several of the same card and use them as birthday, thank you etc. and wouldn't want to send the same person the same card in different catagories. I never keep a sample. If I want to duplicate a card, I just check the picture in my computer or the notebook. The nice thing about this hobby is that you send out the things you make and you don't have a lot of stuff hanging around. (I have enough with all of my papers, stamps. etc.) LOL If you do keep a sample, you could write lightly on the back the person's name, etc. I make the same Christmas card (about 50) to send out. Everyone on my list gets the same card so I don't write names down, just Christmas, 2004. I use the Excel in my computer to keep a master list of the people I send cards to for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. and these are listed in chronological order.
When creating a card, I make three or four cardfronts to make sure that my design works, I get the feel for the card, etc. I keep the cardfront that I feel is the best or the closest to the finished card, and I place it in a century photo pocket. Behind that cardfront I keep a 3x5 index card and I write the name of the person, the date and the reason I sent the card. I get the 4 1/2 x 6 photo pages at century. I think I ordered 100 for about $30. I keep this in a binder and it is a quick reference for me. My biggest problem is remembering to log it down. I have gotten better by writing it down when I make the card.
Thanks everyone for your responses. I'm a little interested in seeing that software but it says it's not available right now (PageSage).
I mainly wanted a quick way to keep track of things. I do have a dig. camera and scanner but that just more work (IMHO) for me to do. I need something quick!
I scan each new card I make and number them. If there are variations of the same card such as different colors I assign them a number..such as 10, then 10A etc. When I send a card I just write the number of the card sent next to their name in a notebook. you could do the same in Excel also. Works for me.
I make 5 extra cards whenever I make one to send someone. One card I put in a notebook in a plastic protector sheet, the 4 others I put in cello bags. The ones in the notebook, I have a strip, which I make on the computer that says Card 1, Card 2, and so on, that I also put in the protector sheet on the left of the cards. That way, each card is numbered. The ones in the cello bags are put into boxes (from Ikea), with each set behind a numbered card. Those numbers correspond with the ones in the book.
Hope this isn't too confusing, but it really works! I have a birthday book and I have a post-it (or 2) from each year that says, like Bob, Card 17. I also have most of my sayings, especially birthday, stamped on paper, and put in protector sheets. These are numbered also. So it will say, Bob, Card 17, i (for inside)=10 and o(for outside)=5 or whatever numbers they are.
Whew, does this all make sense? The reason I also do the sayings, is that I don't have too many and hate to send a person a birthday card year after year with the same saying!
Here's the problem... I send someone a card (like a thinking of you), a few days pass (or more) and I run into that person, she says "I love that card you sent me" <PANIC... Can't remember what it looked like> and then she says... "How did you do that?" <ACK!!!>
I generally don't keep track of the cards I send. I've been trying to scan them before I send them off, but I don't always get a chance- or remember which one I sent (I suffer from baby induced CRS).
If they really want to know about a card, I just ask to see it and explain that I had made a bunch of cards and I don't remember which specific one I sent. Hasn't caused a problem yet
What I am thinking about doing is keeping a binder. I had already been working on this idea and I will just implement what you are wanting to accomplish.
When I make a card, I will make a recipe for it. I make the recipe in Word. Pretty much all my cards are the same size so I have a template. I just enter the new supplies and instructions for each card. I do this for two reasons, one so that if a customer asks for directions when they are looking through my samples, I can just make a copy for them. secondly because my upline does it. And if I want to make something, I too can just get a copy. That way WHEN I have a downline, I too can supply them with this sort of thing. My downline does not scan the photo, she just makes a cardfront and puts it and the directions in a sheet protector. Also if she has any variations or extra precut paper she adds those in as well.
I guess what I will do about adding peoples names is just print off lines on the back of each of these sheets. Then as I send one, I will simply put their name, date and why. For example - "Shonica 1/10/05 Just because"
Byt he way, in the scan, the flowers looks yellow, but they are green galore and gable green.
__________________ Angie
Mother of three wonderful children (Brayton-17 months, Brianna- 5 & Kyle-eight) and one grown man (my DH).
For Christmas my DD gave me a journal. Today I had the to use it for logging "sent" cards. (you see, I study the art, make a few, teach the art, but DON'T get around to SENDING cards!) You guessed my new year's resolution! Name, Type of Card or Greeting, & the date is all I have recorded so far. Baby steps, baby steps to organization! I sent two today!
Wow! I'm lucky if I even get the card out in the mail, let alone keep track of what they look like! Right now I have a couple of cards I made in Oct. (yes, that says October!) waiting to be put in envelopes and mailed! Organization is not my strong point. Oh, well, its the thought that counts, right?
OH! After reading some of the other replies, I forgot to say that I also keep a book of "card recipes" where I list the number of the card, the paper colors , the inks, the sets, and any other items used to make the cards. It took a long time to make originally, but now when I make a new card, I just make a post-it describing the above, then enter them into the computer when I have time, print the page out, and put in plastic covers in a notebook. If I need to make the card again, all the info is right there and I don't have to guess what colors, etc. I used.
Reading all the ideas was neat, and gave me some new ones, too!
I have a sneaking suspicion that this will be a feature that will be added to Stamper's Sidekick eventually. (Since my husband is the programmer who designed this software, I have a special "in" and can give suggestions as to what I would like to see added!)
Right now, I just upload my cards to the Projects section and label them accordingly. In the future, there will be a different way to do this ... and you will even be able to run a report that tells you who you sent what!
Check it out at www.stamperssidekick.com. (To check out the Projects section, click on Features, then on Projects. There is even a screen shot you can check out.)
I have a card portfolio that I started in 2003. When I make a card for someone I make 1 extra and include it in the portfolio. Next to the card I write down the stamp set I used and the name of the person who the card was for and why. This allows me to check back to make sure that I don't make the same card for the same individual time after time. It also provides me with ideas to look back at and a nice portfolio bring to scrapbooking and creative card making events.
I have a sneaking suspicion that this will be a feature that will be added to Stamper's Sidekick eventually. (Since my husband is the programmer who designed this software, I have a special "in" and can give suggestions as to what I would like to see added!)
Right now, I just upload my cards to the Projects section and label them accordingly. In the future, there will be a different way to do this ... and you will even be able to run a report that tells you who you sent what!
Check it out at www.stamperssidekick.com. (To check out the Projects section, click on Features, then on Projects. There is even a screen shot you can check out.)
HTH!
Sarah
Sarah, I have the demo for this program and have been emailing your husband back and forth. I love the program. It is exactly what I was looking for. Still just playing with other aspects of it and I've only entered one project, but I liked it. It would be a great feature to be able to add somewhere who you sent it to. Tell your hubby "GREAT JOB"
__________________ Angie
Mother of three wonderful children (Brayton-17 months, Brianna- 5 & Kyle-eight) and one grown man (my DH).
I number my cards. So, I write in my notebook who I sent it to, a brief description and the number. Then I have a book of pictures of all my numbered cards. That way i can look it up quickly and know what I have or have not sent to that particular person.
~Jodie
Angie,
Glad to hear that you are enjoying the program ... I will definitely pass on your kind words to my husband! He has been working on this project for months and months ... so the encouragement is so nice!
Again, I'd have to say that using the stampers sidekick will be sooo much easier to track cards. Even without the added feature that Sarah was talking about you could still just add a list of names at the end of your recipe.
By the way, this feature in the program allows you to enter the recipe and then choose from the list of products which supplies you used. And, you can track your inventory to see if you have enough supplies on hand to make it at your next event plus you can also add the cost in case you are trying to stay in a certain range. Finally, this option also lets you enter the source. So if you are an habitual CASEr like I am, you can note who you CASEd it from.
__________________ Angie
Mother of three wonderful children (Brayton-17 months, Brianna- 5 & Kyle-eight) and one grown man (my DH).
I scan each card and put it in a binder with the name of who I sent it to and when, along with the colors, supplies, etc. since scanning/printing doesn't come out to the exact colors. Then when I have a creative block (or am just in a hurry), I can use a previous idea and I'll be sure that it doesn't get sent to the same person twice. Plus I can use it to "show off" my creativity when some asks about the cards I make !
__________________ "Live Like You Were Dying"
- Sung by Tim McGraw
I use a very low-tech but quick and efficient way to keep track of what cards I have sent to people. I keep a file box with index cards on my desk. I have a card for each person that I regularly send cards to. When I make that person a card I make a quick notation with the date, the reason I sent the card (ie. B-day, Thanks, etc.) and a brief description of what the card looks like; just the image used, any particular technique used and a notation of the verse used if it is not something generic (so I don't send the same verse two birthdays in a row to the same person). The file box is always at arm's length and I don't have to turn the computer on.
For Christmas cards, I use a special address book - under each name I put a two or three word description of the card with the year so I don't send anyone a very similar card two years in a row - I don't make just one card for a given year, I get too bored, so I keep track this way. Very simple and quick.
I remember almost every card I have sent & to whom, but I can hardly remember to go to the bathroom, even while I'm on my way there! :oops:
I scan each card right after I make it and name it after the person I sent it to. Then I eventually put that on an external Zip so in case my puter goes caput, I have the samples.
If you don't have the time to scan, try getting an inexpensive Polaroid?? Those are quick & then you can write the name & date on the bottom. Then when you have the time, you can either scan them in your puter, or file them in a binder.
__________________ When Satan is knocking at your door, simply say,
"Jesus, could you get that for me?"
I remember almost every card I have sent & to whom, but I can hardly remember to go to the bathroom, even while I'm on my way there! :oops:
LOL!
I love your siggy StampAddict!
I also scan them - some I upload them to SCS and the ones I do in demos and the ones that are just not "great" - I keep a copy of in a file on my computer.
I can look at a card and tell you the recipe instantly -
Ok, a couple non-demos asked if it would be worth it for them to buy stampers sidekick. The early bird special is $45. If you think that is worth it, by all means. I'm sure they won't hold that against you. Go to the website and download the 15 day trial version and see if it is something you could benefit from. There are 6 modules (customers, events, products, projects, orders and expenses. Now for sure you wouldn't use the customers, and expenses. Maybe not even the events. But you could track your own orders, products and the projects you make.
My suggestion is to try the trial version and decide for yourself if 45 is worth it. I know I am a demo and will definitely be purchasing it.
__________________ Angie
Mother of three wonderful children (Brayton-17 months, Brianna- 5 & Kyle-eight) and one grown man (my DH).
How do you keep track of cards you've sent? Or do you?
