Today I wanted to write a little about the page kits I use in my scrapping. Many of the questions I get about my videos have to deal with either page kits or my scrap process, and the two are somewhat interrelated.
I have prepared a little video of myself making a new kit which is available to view below or over on my YouTube channel.
At this point, I am scrapbooking almost exclusively from page kits I make myself. Now, I didn't wake up one morning and say to myself, "I think I'll make page kits!" Like everything else in this hobby, it has been a process for me.
My evolution into scrapping from page kits started with my first purchase of a monthly kit. I liked how easy it was to create projects when all the papers and cardstock and embellishments were coordinated, but I didn't really want to keep buying kits since I liked my supplies.
So I got the idea to create my own kits to incorporate my newer supplies with my older supplies. I started by getting some Cropper Hopper Page Planners and keeping just new things in them. Over time I started adding stuff from my stash to the new products and eventually I got in the habit of creating page kits from a combination of new and old product every time I made a new purchase.
When I find that I always skip a particular page kit and never reach for it anymore I take it apart ~ that means I'm sick of what's in there. Anything left in the kit gets returned to my stash and I now have an empty sleeve for a new kit.
I keep all my kits in one of these Large Rhombus Strage Totes from the Container Store:
It's the perfect size for the Cropper Hopper Page Planners. It holds a ton of them & they stay upright so I can easily flip through them to find the one I want.
Packing for a crop now is also a breeze. I justgrab some page kits and some photos and drop them in my storage tote. Then I add some stamps, some inks and a few other generic embellishments like my big punches and I'm ready to go!
Since I started scrapping almost exclusively from these kits, my scrap process has changed quite a bit. In the next three posts, I'm going to go over my scrapbook process for layouts, mini albums and cards. In these posts I'll go over how I find inspiration, how I utilize the kits, and what I do when I'm finished with a project. I hope you find the information helpful! Or, at the very least, not boring!
~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.
Girl this is awesome. Especially for someone like me who doesn't have a lot of space to store things out in the open. It's great to keep everything tucked away and only have to pull out my page kit to work from.
ReplyDeleteSuper idea.
Thanks so much, Angela! That is so true ~ the kits do enable me to have more supplies tucked away in the closet since I don't need to access them as often. The other thing I really like about them is it cuts way down on the amount of time I spend scrapping since I don't have to plan each project from scratch!
ReplyDeleteKathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.
Kathryn - another great TIP!! thanks for sharing:) its super helpful and inspiring to see how you plan your projects. Thanks! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Stephanie! I'm so glad you thought it was helpful & I hope you keep enjoying the videos!
ReplyDeleteKathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.
Kathryn, Great video! I love the organization. Thank you for sharing, this is something I would like to try in the near future. I appreciate the ideas and inspiration to get organized.
ReplyDeleteBrandy, thanks so much ~ you're so very welcome for the ideas & inspiration :D Have fun crafting, whatever process you use!
ReplyDeleteKathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.
Thanks as always, I do however have a couple of questions...
ReplyDeleteFlowers? do you just have the option of pulling out of your stash? Is this where the post it notes comes into play with a crop?
The same for lace? Or are these items that you incorporate beyond your page kit?
I can see where too many choices would become overwhelming, but I don't want to overlook items I do have...
Thanks,
~Jill
more?
ReplyDeleteBrads, Bling, Pearls?????
Sorry,
~Jill
Hi, Jill, don't apologize!
ReplyDeleteThere are certain types of embellishments that I deliberately leave out of my page kits because they are so versatile that I use them all the time on a variety of layouts and projects. Rather than try to divide them up between the kits, I leave them in storage. They include {among other things} pretty much everything you mentioned: ribbons, buttons, bling, pearls, grungeboard, brads, embossing powders & glitter, stamps & inks.
When I scrap from home, these are all right behind me in the closet, which is organized so that I know where everything is. They're easy to just grab really quickly if I need something to finish off a page that isn't in the kit.
When I pack for a crop, I usually take an assortment of these items with me. For example, I always bring a box of cat's eye queue inks and some generic stamps {like flourishes & journaling spots} with me. I also have a plastic tray of brads that holds a small assortment. All my bling/pearls I keep together in a ziploc bag {labeled "bling" ~ aren't I clever? :P} which comes with me as well.
However, it is always possible that there is something in my stash that I'll want for a layout while I'm at a crop & won't have with me. Let's say I end up using some pictures & a kit I brought with me to do a Valentine layout. I may have eart charms or stamps or chip piece at home that I want to use, or maybe somepink pom-pom trim, so I leave a space for them & make a note on the layout with the post-it of what to include when I get home.
What a scrapper chooses to include/exclude from a page kit is totally personal & depends a lot on their style. I use a ton of bling and a ton of brads, so I need them where I can have access to them regardless of what I am working on. For someone else, they might use brads so rarely ththey include a special pack in a page kit.
Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.
Cool, cool, cool idea, Kathryn! I'm adopting this in my scrapping process right away, well, at least until I get home tonight. I don't have those Cropper Hoppers (?) but I'm thinking my super huge ziplocks ought to do. I've got my embellies on a Renee clip-it-up where I can see everything right on top of my scrapping table and I just pull whatever I like. I mix and match a lot of stuff & I have more fun that way. I really like your method and I'll go further by slipping in the scraps I've collected. That way I'll end up using them instead of collecting them!
ReplyDeleteBTW, I just watched your Time video. Love it! Especially the button tip. I have loads of beautiful buttons from when I was doing other crafts and I've always wanted to incorporate them into my LOs if it weren't for the darn shanks. Now I know how to do it! And that copper embossing powder appealed to me straight away. Was that AC Zing brand that you used? Great job as always, K...many thanks!
-Liz
Ooops...forgot to mention. Got my Binderie and boy, it punches like buttah, including acetates of various thicknesses which I like to use! Right now, I have 4(!!) mini books in various stages of creation and my scrap area looks like it's been hit by a tornado. Anyway, that Binderie is worth the $39. Some said, "What do you need it for, it just punches holes?" Well, I DID try to punch holes into chipboard covers & acetates with my heavy-duty office punch and they didn't turn out well (came out all raggedy, if at all) and, although not a big deal, I had to do careful measurements each way, making sure the gap between each hole was even. No more of that--the Binderie is my arthritic hand's new best friend!
Hi, Liz!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the compliments on my "Time" album. I'm glad you were able to get some ideas on how to use buttons with shanks! That copper embossing powder is by Ranger, actually, and I also have silver and gold. They're all fabulous! It's the regular embossing powder, not the distress embossing powder.
Yes, those big ziplocs will work just fine for kits, as will page protectors. I had planned on using the big ziplocs for my kits in the beginning ~ I was going to put the paper & oversized embellies straight into the bag & then all the little embellies into a smaller ziploc bag inside the larger bag ~ but I could never find them anywhere. In the end, I went with the Cropper Hopper Page Planners instead. I just stocked up when they were on sale until I had enough to fill the basket. They're very sturdy and I like that they have the two compartments.
That's a very good idea to include scraps. I actually don't put scraps into the kits, but I do leave all scraps created by using the kits in them so they stay with the coordinating items & get used along the way so there are less scraps left over at the end of the day to go back into my stash.
I am so pleased to hear your positive review of the Binderie {especially since I recommended it & would have felt really bad if you hated it}. I have thought about just getting a heavy duty office punch instead, but now I know that it is a poor substitute, so I am adding the Binderie to my ever growing birthday wish list!
Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.
I just made a kit the other day for a car mini album for my nephew and now I have more ideas to help make it awesome. Thank you so much. I do like this idea alot especially since I have limited space. I also wanted to thank you for checking out my blog! I was so happy you liked my pages! For me, that was a huge compliment because I admire your talent. My kitty does cause trouble but he keeps me company while I work and LOVES Scrapbooking.
ReplyDeleteAnd Jill, if you read this, thank you for checking out my blog too! It has only been a day and it is already so my fun! Thanks!
What is the difference betweena Binderie and a Bind-it-all??
ReplyDeleteAmy, thanks so much for posting. I'm so glad that the video gave you some useful tips! I got a kick out of seeing your kitty "helping" you scrapbook, especially when he was sneaking your brads! :D
ReplyDeleteThe biggest difference between the Zutter Bind-It-All and the 7Gypsies Binderie is that the Zutter BIA is an o-wire binding machine and the 7Gypsies Binderie is an electronic drill/hole punch & not, technically, a binding machine.
If you are tring to choose between the Zutter BIA and the 7Gypsies Binderie for binding your mini books, I would probably recommend the Binderie, even though I don't have one myself.
I do have the Zutter BIA, and while I love it and think it is exceedingly well crafted, it does not give you as much flexibiliy as the 7Gypsies Binderie. With the BIA, you have no choice but to cut all those holes, every time. Sometimes I want a mini book to have just two rings & so it is no good for that.
Also, the o-wires only go up to 1.25" in diameter, so it limits how many pages you can put into your book as well {the total height of your stack of pages needs to be 0.25" less than the size o-wire you use, making 1" the maximum thickness of any book bound with the BIA}. This is not such a big deal if you are using chipboard covers and cardstock pages, but becomes problematic if you are using chipboard pages. I just finished a mini book {Seaquarium, videos coming next week} that needed 3" rings in the end to bind it properly.
Also, binder rings are much easier to get than o-wires and are available in a wider varety of sizes. You can get all sizes of rings at pretty much any office supply store {cheap!}. Whereas most office supply stores do not sell o-wires {checked at our Office Max and they only had comb bindings}.
I do have a Zutter BIA and I love it for certain projects. However, if I did not have a Zutter BIA already, I would definitely choose a Binderie over a BIA now.
Just my $2.00! {Adjusted for inflation, of course :D}
Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.
If I may respectfuly add another aspect to the BIA and Binderie issue: If you're anything like me who loves adding thicker embellies to pages, your mini books become thick quite rapidly.
ReplyDeleteI just finished a gardening mini book which was really a kit (Chatterbox's Botanico, I think). I had fabric flowers with brads, thick chipboard elements, scrolls I added glossy accents to, etc., and reinforced each cardstock page with additional cardstock. Anyway, by the time I got done with it, it was over 2" thick. Although it came already punched, there was no way I could have held it together except with bigger rings (I couldn't even use the rings that came with the kit because they were only 1" in diameter), definitely not an "O" wire project. I like all the texture and interest thicker or layered embellies provide, inviting lookers to touch and feel and have visual and tactile fun with the book so, for me, the Binderie would suit my scrapping style very well.
However, the BIA is nice, too, and I can see how lovely some mini books would turn out bound with "O" rings (honestly, I'd love to have one, but the family seems to be ignoring some pointed hints). However, like Kathryn said, you can't find fatter "O" rings. I know, I've tried and if there are any, I haven't found them yet.
-Liz
Like a (Pennsylvania) Dutch Uncle, I add that Process is very important.
ReplyDeleteRegards — Cliff
Yes! We. Must. Have. A. System.
ReplyDeleteKatheryn!
ReplyDeleteThis is so helpful! i have just started my scrapbooking album and this is a very good idea to start being organized!
I was wondering, do you always make your page kit out of a collection packet? or do you think you can make a kit out of single papers. My album theme is Beach, so I ended up just buying single sheets that match (I hope they do match).. Do you think that's another way to make a page Kit? Sorry If I ask you silly questions, I just started learning about these things... :) Thanks!!!
You don't really need a collection pack to make a page kit. Most of my page kits don't start with one. When I don't start with a collection pack, I start with patterned paper. So, in your case, you would gather all your beach papers together, and then maybe gather some non-beach-themed patterned papers that have beach-y colors {like sand, aqua, etc.} and then follow the rest of the steps as I outlined in the video!
ReplyDelete