Giving Credit and Posting Links Made Easier

[Simply Hx]

You all sound so knowledgeable... I'm such a computer dummy, and definitely an Excel dummy LOL... but I'm going to give this a try! Thanks Kathleen!

I'll be back in a year to let you know how I've got on with it!!!

Hx

[LadyCarolyn]

KATHLEEN, what a wonderful creation. NOW, I have to go and sort the hundreds of kits that I have . . ...a good rainy day project that might take quite awhile. Maybe I will start by designer as I do have everything filed in subfolders by designer name and number.

Fantastic.

Originally Posted by kathleen08

Do you links look like this:

http://store.digitalscrapbookplace.c...oducts_id=6913

... but you want them to look like this:

Swirl Box Embellishment Stamp Set by Suzanne C. Walker

I can be really goofy and very particular about things sometimes! It took me a while to figure out how people were creating neat and clean links in posts, and once I did, it took me a bit longer to figure out a way I was happy with to keep track of information and easily have the information at the ready.

I use Excel way too much in my day job, so it seemed like a natural fit to create a spreadsheet to do the work of creating the link for me. By entering three bits of information (kit name, designer, and store number) when I purchase a kit, Excel then creates the "code" for me to copy and paste into a post and create a "pretty" link. I can sort in Excel by kit name or designer, and if I am really curious check out the pivot table to see which designers top my list.

The Excel sheet has more instruction information included.

If I have done this correctly, you should be able to get the ZIP file in this post and unzip the Excel file.

I hope you find this useful, feel free to PM me if you have questions, or post in this thread.

~ Kathleen

[Kathleen]

I'm so glad someone bumped this thread and it is helpful!

A note that might help ... carlalee posted this earlier in this thread:

"you can generate a text file listing of ALL of your digiscrapping supplies using ACDSee? Then you can open the text file with Excel, then using your spreadsheet get maybe 90% of the work done in just a few minutes."

I haven't tried this (already had all my stuff in Excel), so not sure exactly how it works or what you have to have in ACDSee to start with.

I find upkeep is pretty easy, and just do some copying and pasting when I buy new stuff.

Good luck!

~ Kathleen

[nachtstern]

now if someone would fine an easy way to do all this with Picasa there would be muchos loving from my side!

also, how would I go about adding freebies from DSp to the list?
each of them has a different link

[Kathleen]

I can't help with Picasa, but for freebies and posting bonuses, I add the name and designer, I put a 0 in the store number column (so I know its not missing), and in column F (formula for store link), I replace it with a link to some information. If it was a freebie, I put the link to where I downloaded it, if it was a posting bonus I but a link to the preview image in the gallery or link to thread in the forums about the challenge. If none of these is available, I link to the designers store. So for your posting link then you have a link to something.

~ Kathleen

[Kaer]

I use Picasa and this is how I do it:
I create manually the pretty link and put it in the albumdescription. When I want to use it for credits I only need to copy and paste it.

Originally Posted by nachtstern

now if someone would fine an easy way to do all this with Picasa there would be muchos loving from my side!

[tora]

this is just what I´ve been thinking about for some time now, but my lack of turning my Icelandic thoughts to English words is VERY POOR , I only envy those who have been doing this neat link stuff, now I´m so going to try making this work for me. Thank you for sharing your idea.

[omio]

I'm going to bump this up in the posts because I use this Excel sheet ALL the time. It's a great, easy way to post links with your LOs. Thanks, Kathleen!

[idtwinmom]

Wow! I am so impressed! I can't wait to get to a machine that has a program on it that can open your spreadsheet. (DH still has not given me the office disk to load on the laptop, even though I keep asking!)

[tora]

Originally Posted by idtwinmom

Wow! I am so impressed! I can't wait to get to a machine that has a program on it that can open your spreadsheet. (DH still has not given me the office disk to load on the laptop, even though I keep asking!)

You do not need a disk; go to www.openoffice.org and there you can download the free wersion of a good office pack (sorry need more words once again) but take a look at the website and you´ll see what I´m talking about.

[sandygb]

AWESOME info Tara!!!!! Thanks so much. I don't have MS Office and didn't have a spreadsheet program, so was only able to use the free Excel Viewer. I just downloaded the Open Office application from Sun and it is wonderful!

Thanks for the spreadsheet setup Kathleen!!! I currently use a text file to keep track of my kits and pretty links, but this looks so much easier to find the info easily!

[diturpin]

I just want to thank Kathleen again for her work on this file. I use it every day now that I'm on DET. I had an old system but this one is much better.

Open office is great for those of you that don't have Excel. I've heard rave reviews about it from my friends.

[Kathleen]

Glad someone uncovered this thread for a new bunch of people!

I'm glad so many find it helpful, I know I would be lost without mine, and probably couldn't count the number of times I purchased something I already had!

If someone tries it in Open Office and it doesn't work, let me know and I will see if I can fix it up. I use Excel, but there is a computer here at home that has Open Office on it.

[Kathleen]

I've updated my spreadsheet to make it a little easier to get information into the spreadsheet. You can now copy your order information from the download page in the store (either right at time of purchase, or going to your history by navigating My Account > Show All Orders > View Button on each order) and paste it right into the spreadsheet, and you will get the name of the item you purchased, designer name and the appropriate "pretty links" code all done for you.

If you have been using the spreadsheet already, and want to simplify the input of information, you can download the new spreadsheet, and then copy the data you have in columns A, B & C in your existing spreadsheet into the new one (hope that makes sense).

I also made two brief videos that help show you how to use the spreadsheet. You can find the here.

For this updated spreadsheet, you can download: DSP Links to Share v2.zip

I also update my first post in this thread.

Let me know if you have any questions!

[sandygb]

Thanks Kathleen! I'm gonna give the new version a try!!!