How do you decide what kits to buy?

[bbymks5]

That is a great idea!!! Currently I have a Digital Scrapbooking folder as the main one, inside that I have a folder for each store I've purchased at, inside those the kits are alpha order with the exception of the Lilypad, which I now have folders by designers, one for the collab kits and one for M3; but I really like the idea of having the extra folders by subject and just the preview pics that come with all of the kits inside!

Oh my! I couldn't work with my kits unless they were by designers. Always kept them that way. Problem is----I don't remember what I bought. So I made up folders by subject, also. Such as; Feminine; Masculine; Baby: School, Vintage etc etc etc. and then just put the preview of the kit in these folders. That way if I want to do a school layout and I don't remember which designers made school kits that I purchased, I can go to the school folder.

 

[dancingJaye]

Colors, designers, usually whatever moves me. I have to admit, I have to be careful...there are some that I LOVE that catch my eye, so I've bought them, but I have a REALLY hard time scrapping with them....and sometimes that challenge is good, but sometimes they just sit there and I never am successful in making a page that I like.

 

[janedee]

Colors, designers, usually whatever moves me. I have to admit, I have to be careful...there are some that I LOVE that catch my eye, so I've bought them, but I have a REALLY hard time scrapping with them....and sometimes that challenge is good, but sometimes they just sit there and I never am successful in making a page that I like.

Me too!!!

 

[Dalis]

Buy kits that you like the colors because that means you can mix and match them with other kits that you like the colors.

 

[cookingmylife]

I rename my word art with the words on the strip. Some designers include the words in the name, but others use wa1, wa2, etc. Then I can do a search for whatever word I want and find them across kits.

Oh I wish all designers put the words in the name!!!

I go for 1. Designers 2. Colors 3. then interesting elements I can't easily make myself. I also usually get a bunch of the calendars etc at the beginning of each year. What I easily buy (when they're on a SOSN sale!) are papers. I love having really colorful ones which are the only way I usually go crazy with color via my PL pages.

I keep swearing I'll ditch all the many flowers and buttons that I've accumulated over the years - but I've yet to do that. I never use either of those unless they are called for in a challenge or unless the flower is really pretty and seems to make sense in a layout. Word art I can usually make myself with fonts and the VW's sticker maker. But when there's a really unique element I like I'll often buy the element pack just for that one element. But I'll buy it with the 30% off coupon.

 

[Tree City]

Colors, designers, usually whatever moves me. I have to admit, I have to be careful...there are some that I LOVE that catch my eye, so I've bought them, but I have a REALLY hard time scrapping with them....and sometimes that challenge is good, but sometimes they just sit there and I never am successful in making a page that I like.

A kit with colors I love but can't make work: That's when I make my pic(s) black and white. That way the colors I love get to shine but not compete with my photos. It's not the only time I do b/w, of course, but it does help!

 

[Serena]

I'm like a majority of the responses.. I don't do chronological and just work with whatever photo/s strike me. Or an occasion like Gizmo's loving words or Haeley's funny texts or Peanuts random habits.. most of the colors I choose are soft and can go with anything just about.

I need a kit to really speak to me. I don't care what it has in it as long as its unique, interesting, or manipulatable enough for me to make it work. I hoard neutrals and base colors to throw in when I have pops of colors to throw in.

I never limit myself to the designer, even my faves have thrown some kits out that I wouldn't want, and that's fine! I still love and support them. Case in point, I was perusing for the designers I know and love here, then decided to just hit look at all. It really surprised me how much I really liked kits from the designers I didn't know well. So by not limiting myself, I find treasures.


That being said, my main (makes me knees wobbly!) weakness is unique elements. Realistic pieces like Allison's glitter hearts from summer catch, or Sweet Thing by Etc by Danyale, her kit had these AMAZING flower petals that just sold me, the metal wood angel wing sealed the deal and I got the page you've commented on, Minnie! (I figure since we are the mouse twins, I'll be Mikki!)

And, anyone who looks in my gallery can see I'm a chaotic mess. Sticking to only one kit would be hard for me unless someone made me a custom kit... I use too many kits just for one page.

When I'm looking at paper, I want to see something different. The same pattern over and over again gets boring but if they make minor changes, or tweaks it here and there it makes my day. I think this is a reason I'm addicted to Allison Pennington because she creates huge packs with neutrals and soft bases and then springs color in there with patterns I hadn't seen in about eight other kits. Uniqueness is a key factor for me. Realistic elements to help me tell the story do as well and anything fun that I can make my own for. Brads brass brass!!! Old times elements, etc.

 

[bbymks5]

I've had that happen before...makes me sad!

Colors, designers, usually whatever moves me. I have to admit, I have to be careful...there are some that I LOVE that catch my eye, so I've bought them, but I have a REALLY hard time scrapping with them....and sometimes that challenge is good, but sometimes they just sit there and I never am successful in making a page that I like.

I've tried doing this, but sometimes I still can't get things to look right LOL! Well, at least to me...whomp

A kit with colors I love but can't make work: That's when I make my pic(s) black and white. That way the colors I love get to shine but not compete with my photos. It's not the only time I do b/w, of course, but it does help!

 

[bbymks5]

Oh totally!! I do definitely have colors I love more than others LOL! Grey is my jam...

Buy kits that you like the colors because that means you can mix and match them with other kits that you like the colors.

 

[bbymks5]

I would love if all the designers added the elements name in the file name...oh my heart would sing!!

I love buttons!!! I do need to pick up some kits with all solid colors...I've noticed I'm lacking in those.

Oh I wish all designers put the words in the name!!!

I go for 1. Designers 2. Colors 3. then interesting elements I can't easily make myself. I also usually get a bunch of the calendars etc at the beginning of each year. What I easily buy (when they're on a SOSN sale!) are papers. I love having really colorful ones which are the only way I usually go crazy with color via my PL pages.

I keep swearing I'll ditch all the many flowers and buttons that I've accumulated over the years - but I've yet to do that. I never use either of those unless they are called for in a challenge or unless the flower is really pretty and seems to make sense in a layout. Word art I can usually make myself with fonts and the VW's sticker maker. But when there's a really unique element I like I'll often buy the element pack just for that one element. But I'll buy it with the 30% off coupon.

 

[bbymks5]

hehehehe Minnie and Mikki!! My taste in styles leaves me looking like Sybil!

I love brads and flairs!!! I love staples and the upside down brads a lot too!! I love wood pieces and cork pieces too!

I love papers that have been inked and stained with tea/coffee to change them up a bit; one with and one without kinda thing.

I tried to do MOC5 with all of the January Storyteller Kit but that didn't last long LOL!! Ohh something shiny!! Bad bad bad bad!!

I'm like a majority of the responses.. I don't do chronological and just work with whatever photo/s strike me. Or an occasion like Gizmo's loving words or Haeley's funny texts or Peanuts random habits.. most of the colors I choose are soft and can go with anything just about.

I need a kit to really speak to me. I don't care what it has in it as long as its unique, interesting, or manipulatable enough for me to make it work. I hoard neutrals and base colors to throw in when I have pops of colors to throw in.

I never limit myself to the designer, even my faves have thrown some kits out that I wouldn't want, and that's fine! I still love and support them. Case in point, I was perusing for the designers I know and love here, then decided to just hit look at all. It really surprised me how much I really liked kits from the designers I didn't know well. So by not limiting myself, I find treasures.


That being said, my main (makes me knees wobbly!) weakness is unique elements. Realistic pieces like Allison's glitter hearts from summer catch, or Sweet Thing by Etc by Danyale, her kit had these AMAZING flower petals that just sold me, the metal wood angel wing sealed the deal and I got the page you've commented on, Minnie! (I figure since we are the mouse twins, I'll be Mikki!)

And, anyone who looks in my gallery can see I'm a chaotic mess. Sticking to only one kit would be hard for me unless someone made me a custom kit... I use too many kits just for one page.

When I'm looking at paper, I want to see something different. The same pattern over and over again gets boring but if they make minor changes, or tweaks it here and there it makes my day. I think this is a reason I'm addicted to Allison Pennington because she creates huge packs with neutrals and soft bases and then springs color in there with patterns I hadn't seen in about eight other kits. Uniqueness is a key factor for me. Realistic elements to help me tell the story do as well and anything fun that I can make my own for. Brads brass brass!!! Old times elements, etc.

 

[Dalis]

I love all that you mentioned above! LOL!!!

 

[Serena]

I love brads and flairs!!! I love staples and the upside down brads a lot too!! I love wood pieces and cork pieces too!

I love papers that have been inked and stained with tea/coffee to change them up a bit; one with and one without kinda thing.

I have a THING for backwards staples!! OMG, YES. They make my heart sing! One of the designers (and I have GOT to find my stash on this..) had a complete set of staples in like 8 variations. I wanna say Kate something.. she had thin staples, medium staples, thick staples and then backwards in the various widths and colors, some pure silver, some rusty and then eight different styles. Perfectly stapled, haphazardly stapled, one prong so skewed you weren't sure how it wouldn't tear the paper.. it was heaven!

My scrap stuff is so disorganized right now because of all the transferring of computers. I usually have them labeled into Store and then free range chicken style because I have my view as "large icons" so that I can see a pick of the insides and know which kits I can match. I hate going into a bunch of folders and viewing each one, slows my scrapping down. And when I had it more micro managed, I'd get frustrated with a layout and think I just couldn't get what I want, post it and inevitably as soon as I started working on another page, I'd go looking for something and find the PERFECT kit for the last layout that would have given that OOMPH. Anyway, with all the moves, I have THREE Lilypad folders and three of each of them. I was upset because I wanted to use the black tile alpha I had and it wasn't in two of the folders it was supposed to be in. Looked in the third and there it was! -.- Fractured too, only XYZ was left, so I'm infinitely grateful that I'm psychotic and HAVE to keep the zip files. I was able to find it and restore the alpha.

And I'm totally with you on the inked/stained thing. I love it when the papers have crinkles or rips, or ragged edges too. Subtle to be sure, but when done right, it's awesome. I also don't like papers that are flat and don't have that canvas like texture to it. Which is weird because if you look in real life, not all papers do. But it's important to me.

I know, I'm a snob..

 

[cookingmylife]

@Serena I keep the zip files too and believe me they have come in handy esp in my early days when things would go missing (no organization then!) or saved over because I really wasn't sure how to save! I'm not psychotic but I may be anal. LOL

 

[bbymks5]

OMG If you find the staples kit please tell me what it's called!! Lurve!!!

I'm horrible at keeping zip files...horrible!!!!! I know I really should, but GAH!!! I can't have a ton of extra folders, I don't know why, it just drives me BSC LOL!!

I so prefer a textured colored cardstock, in real life and on the PC...I'm not not a smooth paper girl at all! In real life I prefer a textured patterned cardstock, but not many make them...but Autentique...swoon, textured, vintage...my heat skips a beat! So yep...another paper snob!

I have a THING for backwards staples!! OMG, YES. They make my heart sing! One of the designers (and I have GOT to find my stash on this..) had a complete set of staples in like 8 variations. I wanna say Kate something.. she had thin staples, medium staples, thick staples and then backwards in the various widths and colors, some pure silver, some rusty and then eight different styles. Perfectly stapled, haphazardly stapled, one prong so skewed you weren't sure how it wouldn't tear the paper.. it was heaven!

My scrap stuff is so disorganized right now because of all the transferring of computers. I usually have them labeled into Store and then free range chicken style because I have my view as "large icons" so that I can see a pick of the insides and know which kits I can match. I hate going into a bunch of folders and viewing each one, slows my scrapping down. And when I had it more micro managed, I'd get frustrated with a layout and think I just couldn't get what I want, post it and inevitably as soon as I started working on another page, I'd go looking for something and find the PERFECT kit for the last layout that would have given that OOMPH. Anyway, with all the moves, I have THREE Lilypad folders and three of each of them. I was upset because I wanted to use the black tile alpha I had and it wasn't in two of the folders it was supposed to be in. Looked in the third and there it was! -.- Fractured too, only XYZ was left, so I'm infinitely grateful that I'm psychotic and HAVE to keep the zip files. I was able to find it and restore the alpha.

And I'm totally with you on the inked/stained thing. I love it when the papers have crinkles or rips, or ragged edges too. Subtle to be sure, but when done right, it's awesome. I also don't like papers that are flat and don't have that canvas like texture to it. Which is weird because if you look in real life, not all papers do. But it's important to me.

I know, I'm a snob..

 

[bbymks5]

I guess I should start saving my zip files but having all of the extra folders makes me batty...ugh! We really need to get an external hard drive...like as of a decade ago.

@Serena I keep the zip files too and believe me they have come in handy esp in my early days when things would go missing (no organization then!) or saved over because I really wasn't sure how to save! I'm not psychotic but I may be anal. LOL

 

[Serena]

I guess I should start saving my zip files but having all of the extra folders makes me batty...ugh! We really need to get an external hard drive...like as of a decade ago.

Definitely with an external if you can! What I do is I have like say "The LilyPad" folder and then it's all just put into the folders because the designers are good about labeling them so all my Allison Pennington is up top with her stuff, all my Etc by Danyale is labeled and together.. and then I view by large icons so I can see a quick preview and know what colors approx I'm dealing with.

The zips are actually kept on an external in my scrapping folder. I wish I'd started it earlier because I have actually lost one of my very favorite acrylic alphas and she's no longer selling so I can't even try and get it back. But it DID help for that one alpha.

I also loooooove kits that have flexibility. If there's one that I love the colors and I notice they have a looot of neutral elements that can fit along with a bunch of other kits, it goes in my cart!

How do YOU decide?

 

[bbymks5]

I'm so afraid if we don't get an external hard drive soon our PC is gonna die and we'll lose everything!

I'm so all over the place LOL!! And then I get into these predicaments where it takes me hours to pick a kit, because I start to over analyze my decisions, which then can take the fun out of what I need it for!! It took me 3 hours to pick a kit with an anchor in it...THREE!!! That's totally absurd (and I'm sure not normal)!! Other times I'll just be looky looing through the store and something will catch my eye, and then I say to myself "hey, you could totally used that kit IF we ever do XYZ" or "that kit would go perfectly with those photos" before I even verify I kept said photos, because at times I go through a cell phone purge. I can't tell you how many XYZ events never happen, or how many pictures I didn't keep for whatever reason LOL

Definitely with an external if you can! What I do is I have like say "The LilyPad" folder and then it's all just put into the folders because the designers are good about labeling them so all my Allison Pennington is up top with her stuff, all my Etc by Danyale is labeled and together.. and then I view by large icons so I can see a quick preview and know what colors approx I'm dealing with.

The zips are actually kept on an external in my scrapping folder. I wish I'd started it earlier because I have actually lost one of my very favorite acrylic alphas and she's no longer selling so I can't even try and get it back. But it DID help for that one alpha.

I also loooooove kits that have flexibility. If there's one that I love the colors and I notice they have a looot of neutral elements that can fit along with a bunch of other kits, it goes in my cart!

How do YOU decide?

 

[Serena]

I've actually done the SAME thing (the three hours thing..) so we're 'not normal' together! ^.^ I've also done the for xyz and ended up just having the kit forever. x.x

 

[HeatherB]

I have a THING for backwards staples!! OMG, YES. They make my heart sing! One of the designers (and I have GOT to find my stash on this..) had a complete set of staples in like 8 variations. I wanna say Kate something.. she had thin staples, medium staples, thick staples and then backwards in the various widths and colors, some pure silver, some rusty and then eight different styles. Perfectly stapled, haphazardly stapled, one prong so skewed you weren't sure how it wouldn't tear the paper.. it was heaven!

About 10 years ago Kate Hadfield had the most amazing staples in the store. They were one of my first purchases from the Lilypad. I don't think they are there anymore.