Kicking off the New Year...

ORGANIZED!

I spent ten days after Christmas FINALLY making serious progress in making the studio useable. I'm almost there. LOL

I'm hostessing the AOCC17 Challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers.. That is All Occasion Card Challenge. The object is to not just make cards for people we love but to pop them in the mail, or hand them off in a timely fashion. Doing that requires some organization.

In the past I've had a monthly list of people I want to send cards to... in my planner. Yet the cards seldom got made, let alone mailed. Sometimes I'd even remember to wish them Happy Birthday or Happy Anniversary. I decided that this year, along with the rest of my organization, this would be one of the changes I wanted to make.

So here's what I came up with:

I'm using a photo box from Hobby Lobby (did you know they are approx 1/8" narrower than the Recollections boxes from Michaels?)

Since this wasn't an SU project and needed to be more functional than pretty, I chose to use Recollections cardstock:

I selected six colors that kind of coordinated with the month and cut two from each color.

4.5"

7"

Scraps - I'll use these to make cards

Then I used the File Tabs dies (Retired SU):

The tabs are shorter than the paper but once they were die cut, trimming them the rest of the way with scissors only took a second.

For now, I'm leaving them 'raw'. If this works out as I hope, then I'll laminate the dividers - thanks to the trusty laminate machine Bob got me for Christmas :-D

The most time consuming part of this project was typing up the Birthdays and Anniversaries onto cards that would fit behind each tab. I used the Avery print program  and the Note Card layout:

I used one note card for family/ friends and one for group members/ crafters. So I have two 'tickler' cards behind each monthly tab.

Here's a close- up:

Now I have the list right in the card box. As I make cards for various challenges, I can keep future recipients in mind and file the card in the appropriate month as I go. When the time comes, the cards will be there ready to mail. 

How do you coordinate your Card list with the cards you make? I'd love to hear your ideas!

Creative Blessings!

Kel