2/17/12

Maintaining Supply Lists

When I first started 'modern' scrapbooking, I couldn't have named a paper manufacturer to save my life.  I knew about Fiskars tools and Mrs. Grossman's stickers, but that was about it.  When I joined the Design Team for my local scrapbook store in 2008, it was suddenly very important that I know exactly who manufactured what.

My very first Design Team assignment was to create a one-page layout about ice cream for a scrapbooking summer day camp for kids.  It needed to be low cost and easy for the young girls to finish during camp.  Here's what I made: 


The store owner gave me a notebook to record information about all my projects.  I listed everything I pulled from the shelves, then scratched things out if I didn't end up using it on the project.  Here's the first page of that notebook.  You can see the ice cream project in the upper left hand corner.   


Unfortunately, the owner decided to close the store just a few months after I started on the Design Team.  It was devastating.  Not only did I lose my beloved local scrapbook store, but I lost what I had grown to consider a dream job.  Being paid to scrapbook was amazing.  I loved every minute of it.  And, more than anything else has, it changed me as a scrapbooker.

One example: Once the store closed, I no longer needed to maintain detailed supply lists for the projects I made.  But I continued to do so.  Over the years, I have been incredibly grateful that I developed this habit.  I can't tell you how many times I've checked my notebooks to see what supplies I used for a particular project.

Here's a look at the notebooks I use.  They're simple lined Memo books.  I put a big number on the front and the starting and ending date on the back.  I used to hang them on my pegboard, but as you can see, my current notebook doesn't have a hole.  Apparently they don't sell them with holes anymore, which is annoying.  I'm sure I have a tool around here to create a hole, but I haven't tried yet.


Here is the information for two recent layouts.   As you can see, I list all my supplies and attach a piece of the paper strip if I have it.  I try to be as detailed as I can.


Do you maintain supply lists?  What is your system?

8 comments:

  1. Cindy!! You are just incredible!!!! I don't think I could ever be that organized! You have created a wonderful tool for your crafting!

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  2. You ate so organized. What a great habit to develop. I sometimes write the complete list of supplies and attach that to the back of my page. Sometimes I write the complete product list under my project on my blog. And sometimes I type the product list in a Word document. I like the notebook method though especially including a wee strip of paper.

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  3. This is AN AWESOME idea!!! I need to start doing this!!! Thanks for the inspo!

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  4. Wow! You are so organised! I write my supplies on my blog posts.

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  5. Oh my gosh! I am not organized at all and do not keep a supply list! LOL! I giggle just thinking about it! You are amazing, Cindy!!! Yes, our local scrapbook store closed, too. So sad!!! And I also want to thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers for my mom. She is home recuperating now!

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  6. I need to be more organized about it. Since I haven't done a layout yet this year (yikes!) I think now is the perfect time to start - so glad you shared this. Thank you!!! :)

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  7. New follower here! :)

    I have done this the last couple of years. I keep an on-going Word document, but I also convert each page's list to a label sticker that goes on the back of my LO. I think it's a wonderful habit!!! :)

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