Hi Dodoxo,
I used to compose my own flashcards with example sentences as well, but now, with the great dictionaries that are available, I mostly just study using the dictionary definitions. (with Defn + Exes + Links all enabled in the Display setting, Filter head in defns enabled)
I like to study batches of < 100 cards, where I switch between
Test type: Fill-in-the-blanks, Show: Definition, Prompt for: Characters
and
Self-graded, Show: Characters,
with Reveal parts separately enabled in Test Settings, back and forth a couple of times. When I have a piece of checkered paper next to Pleco, I prefer to do Self-graded, Show: Definition instead of the Fill-in-the-blanks test. Comparing what I've written on paper to Pleco's answer is faster and more fault-tolerant.
I think it's also a great idea to construct a "semantic tree" or "tree of meanings" in a mind mapping application. There, you can collect all the Chinese words you've learned and order them hierarchically by meaning, along with a short translation in your language. Since it's often hard to find an exact translation in English or another language, it's better to contrast it with other words in the semantic tree by their usages/fine differences. Such a tree comes closer to the structure of a foreign language than translations for each word.
Hope this helps for a start,
Shun