Effective Downloading Part 1 - Links

I titled this "effective downloading" because I believe that how you download and what you do with the download WHEN you download it can make a world of difference in saving you lots of time and effort later on. You could literally spend all day searching the internet for freebies and all day downloading them. But most of us have "real life" that consumes most of our time and won't really allow us to spend all day on the computer, so here are my tips on how to make your download time be most effective by knowing where to search and incorporating your organizing into your downloading to save you time later.

PART 1 - WHERE TO DOWNLOAD:

My first suggestion is to put your internet browser to work for you. You can create different folders in your bookmarks and use that to help you download. In my bookmarks I have folders for Daily Downloads, Digi-Blogs Daily Check, Digi-Blogs Periodic Check, Digi-Stores, Digi-Tutorials & Helps, and Digi-Forums. I have them separated into folders because I ended up having so many booksmarks that I would have to scroll down them all to find where I wanted to go. This way I can just go straight to the Daily Downloads folder and start the daily ones, etc. and only look at other ones when I specifically need them.

If you're short on time and can't search out freebies, the best thing to do is check out people's blogs who find the freebies for you. There are some very generous people to give of their time to help us save time. Here's some of the blogs that post links to freebies for you:

Blogs with daily freebie links:
Ikeagoddess - my fav! She finds awesome freebies and I appreciate her previews!
AmyW
Selana
Miss Vivi - she posts link every couple days

Digishoptalk - This is the other place I check most days because it is one of the best places to find the freebies that are being given away each day. It is a forum and the two places here that I check are the Digital Site & Designer Announcements (where designers post their sales and freebies) and the Member Giveaways section (there are tons of freebies here!)

Download-A-Days - these sites usually offer a kit each month that you download a piece each day:
3scrapateers
Digital Divas Designs
Divine Digital - scroll down to the DAD
Digitals - 2 weeks downloads instead of a month
goDigitalScrapbooking - not a kit, but a different download each day
ArtsVariety
Digiscrapboutique - supposedly they have one but it hasn't worked lately

Blogs With Weekly (or more) Freebies:
Misty Cato
Ruby Q
Traci Sims
Andrea Gold
Maryse Vincent
Bren T Boone
Paper Moons
Shandy Voygt
ksharonk
KimB
Scrappy Pony Designs


Sites With Tons of Freebies:
Shabby Princess
freedigitalscrapbooking.com - be sure to click the links for papers, embellies, etc.
jennysscrapplace
Ilona Hamp
Nana's attic
Paper Moons - she has a freebies link on the right side
Scrapbook-bytes forum
A Cherry on Top
Oscraps
RAKscraps newsletters - freebies are on the last page of the newsletters
2Peas - scroll down to Free Kits!
Cia dos Scraps - links on top for individual designers
Digital Scrapbook Place


Free Fonts:
Fonts 500 - really cool, you can preview the font with your own text
Momscorner4kids
Freedigitalscrapbooking

Free Brushes: (links from my SIL, Sarah)
Seishido
Obsidion Dawn
Photoshop support
deviantART
easyelements.com
celestial-star