I love to mix kits! I scrap A LOT of Disney and the Project Mouse kits from @sahlink are so easy to mix. Often my Disney pages have elements from three or four kits. I will also start creating a page and have an idea of that exact element I want to use, so I do a search in my digiscrap folder to see all the options- and it is usually in some other kit.
I tend to use one kit if I'm doing a theme. But if I'm going off the color scheme I tend to mix and match more. I just started a folder with my "essentials" that are the basic paper packs or stitch packs etc that could go with anything if I'm looking for something particular. Thanks for sharing that! I just started a spreadsheet for my stash and knew there must be a way to do that but hadn't Googled to find out yet.
I'm mostly a one kit scrapper. I've yet to figure out how to organize my stash and I never want to forget anything in my credits.
I don't think that I have ever used one kit for a page. I always mix and match which takes so much time. Now using just one kit for a page would be a real challenge for me.
I have been toying with an idea of keeping a separate folder of previews, just for the extras that are outside of a kit. I currently have a previews folder, but what I mean would be to have a subfolder for previews of things that were meant to be by themselves.... a pack of buttons, flowers, stitching, tabs, stamps, styles, etc. Then, I could pick my kit to scrap with, then go check out my extras that may boost my page. Make the act of checking that folder part of my page scrapping routine. Another reason I wanted that separate folder was for app scrapping. I wanted a small subset of general use elements and papers to use on my app scrapping/have available on my mobile devices. Obviously, my smart phone can't hold 500GB+ of scrap supplies.
Working from one kit does save time. As for how to organize yourself. Think about, if you were filling in a template, and need a little extra... how would you think about it? Would it be by colour scheme? Would you go looking for something from the same designer? I keep my kits organized by season, and theme. (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, Hallow'en, Valentine's Day, Aquatic (fish, boats and beaches), Girly Stuff, Astronomy & Space). I have some universal items in basics folders like "masks and overlays, frames, alphas..." And a basics elements folio with items that would really match almost any kit, stuff like stitching & fasteners, or generic black and white day of the week flairs, etc..)
I like to mix it up. I do have a few sets that I go back to all the time. Threads Staples ...... If those are thing you like to add to your layout that might not be in a kit. Do a folder call Must Haves because you Must Haves these on all your layouts lol
A lot of times I am a one kit wonder, but lately I've really started trying to get myself to break out and kit bash.
I'm a one kit scrapper by choice. LOL I chose my kits based on color and usefulness of elements, just so that I don't have to spend any extra time searching for things while I'm scrapping; I make do with whatever is in the kit.
Most times I end up sticking to the one kit but when I need a certain element to help tell the story I will use from other kits.
Exactly what I have done. I have all my kits by designers first. Then I have a section of folders for every different item in my kits. A folder for ribbons, one for buttons, paint splats, scatters, etc etc. I just put a preview of the kit in the folder to tell me that this kit has what I am looking for. Then the third section has my kits broken down be theme. Baby, teens, seasons, masculine, feminine, etc . It has really saved me a lot of time; and I really am trying to get away from being a one kit person!!!
I know I've posted before in this thread about being a one kit scrapper but I thought I would share this as well. I have been working on photos from a trip to FL in 1974. I have 2 pages for Busch Gardens done with 2 kits from Kristin Aagard (Jungle Boogie and Zoo Day). Then I worked on 4 other pages, 3 of which I used the same kit... a retired Bella Gypsy kit (Oh So Happy). The 4th one is another Bella Gypsy kit (Summer Adventures: Sandy Toes). The last page I did was done entirely with Bella Gypsy's Heres To the Ears and Fab Five (a Disney layout). I still need to do the rest of the Disney pics and another page or 2 of general pictures. I plan on sticking with the Oh So Happy kit for the general pics and the Disney will be done with some of the Bella Gypsy Magic Moments kits... whichever one fits the pics. This is how I tend to scrap. When doing an event, I will use the same kit to carry a continuity throughout the event. I did this with a cruise album 7 years ago. Each port of call was done with the same kit and I love how it turned out. Flows quite nicely when looking at the album.
I'm impressed with all the spread sheets, etc... I simply have a folder named "Scrap Kits". Then inside they are seperated by where they were bought, then inside the designer name. I dont' categorize them at all past that.
I am a search for element page making person. I have been known to toss 30 things on the page and then rearranging to my liking. I love to search flower...or alpha or lollipop (note to self, sucker is also used) and just see what pops up! envelope, stamp, oh how I love to search and find new things!
I primarily use one kit but then pull in a few elements from other kits if I feel like my page is missing something. I've also been known to mix and match two kits on occasion, but I rarely use items from more than two or three kits on one page. One exception is BYOC stuff. I keep BYOC products together and treat them as one huge kit.
I do both....I will often use one kit but then often I will use 2-3 kits together. I tend to stick to 1-2 designers for one page. One thing I do sometimes to challenge myself is to just open up a designer, click on a few kits and challenge myself to use it. It's funny how I can open up a kit that I've had for awhile and then all of a sudden I see something in it that just screams "use me". Yet, I didn't really notice that product at the time of purchase. Its kind of fun to re-visit some kits and see what catches your eye.