Keep collections together or organize by type of supply?

I tend to keep my supplies by theme, except for paper which is by color or design (dot, stripes, etc). I don't do my scraping for a blog or for profit so I don't really need to know who the manufacturer is.

I struggle with this, too. I finally grouped stuff by my process. I usually look for color first, then theme, then texture, so that's how I sort. I have color bins/drawers for paper and embellishments, themed bins/drawers, and then smaller drawers by texture (epoxy dots, puffy, glitter, fabric, clear, etc.).

I really only keep collection papers together in their plastic wrap by theme.  12x12 sticker sheets are in a stack, and the other embellishments in their respective drawers.

I keep collections with their embellishments (I treat kit club kits the same way...scrapbook ones anyway...I pull apart PL ones for ease of storage, but if I find myself struggling to find embellishments, I just pull up the kit from the seller's site so I know what items were originally paired with it and fish the items out of my stash). I have enough loose embellishments that I'm not hurting for choices. Sometimes it's duplicates from things with collection packs while other things are collection specific, but I don't own much from the collection to warrant keeping it all together. I don't think I'd get much used from my stash at all if I kept everything separate because it would just be overwhelming to me. I also don't really have a good scraps storage system and keeping collections together means scraps are kept with collections and I'm more likely to use them that way.

I've tried many different ways of organizing my supplies and paper-  here's a few I've tried in the past:

--  by color.  Paper, embellishments, etc. 

--  by manufacturer (paper, mainly)

--  by 'feel' (vintage, modern / bright, etc.)

--  by pattern (again, mainly for paper:  allover print, plaid, polka dot, etc.)

eta:  I do NOT scrap by 'theme' or manufacturer, nor do I think everything on a layout needs to match.  So the following works for me.  I finally decided that the only way I will ever use my supplies is to disregard manufacturer, 'feel,' color, etc. and organize by type of item, getting rid of all the product packaging.  (other than paper stacks such as DCWV, which by default, stay together.)

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Now, I do the following:

--  12x12 Iris boxes only sorted by pairs of papers together

--  a 12x12 Iris box for cardstock

--  a shoebox for ribbon / twine

--  a cigar box for buttons

--  a shoebox for washi tape

--  a 12x12 box for stickers / label stickers

--  a 12x12 box for 3x4 and 4x6 cards, tags, etc.

--   a larger 16-case Iris photo keeper box for bling (rhinestones, enamel dots, sequins, paper clips, wood veneers, etc.)  I just switched to this box from a 12x12 Iris case.  Before, I would have to rummage thru the 12x12 box and empty it out to find what I wanted; now, each individual 4x6 case holds a different type of embellishment.  

I have a much easier time now pulling together different supplies and combinations of embellishments, colors, and patterns that I never would have used together before.  This also works for me because I build my layouts in stages:  1) choose papers, 2) photos / page design, 3) add embellishments and journaling.  When I design my layouts, I leave *spaces* for the embellishments to go, but I don't make a layout start to finish in one setting so I will add all the embellishments when I'm almost done with the pages. 

For the most part I keep collections together.

I sort by collection since I buy the embellishments specifically to go with the papers. I usually add other embellishments as well and those are stored by type, then color. Once I've used up most of a collection the paper and embellishments are moved to the general population.

I keep mine by manufacture and collection with any embellishments that came with it all together. I'm not a mix and match type of scrapbooker, I buy entire collections to use them like that. When I scrapbook my time is limited so I like just grabbing a collection and getting started. No thinking involved cause everything is already perfectly matched!

I think I scrap a lot like you do. I rarely buy anything that matches anything else. My embellishments tend to be pretty generic (stars, dots, etc.), or else I buy them with a particular set of photos in mind. Except for a handful of themed papers, I have all my patterned paper in two categories: I have 1 sheet of it or 2 sheets. I flip through all of it when I'm choosing my papers, but that's part of the process I enjoy most!

Paper is organized seventeen different ways... The good stuff is sorted by brand/collection, the cheap thinner stuff is by color, 12 by 12 paper pads are mostly stored in their original form, 6 by 6 pads are either organized by color or in pads (separate from 12 by 12 paper) and themed paper is in bins that latch by theme/holiday (Christmas, Halloween, school, October Afternoon (yeah not a theme), birthday etc). Scraps (anything I've cut into) are together.

Embellishments are sorted by type, unless they are theme related, then they go in the latched containers with the themed paper/stamps.

I don't scrap using only one collection at a time, so my supplies are stored by type.

I don't buy a lot of full collections. I usually buy the paper and maybe coordinating stickers/chipboard. So I keep that all together.

Otherwise my paper and PL cards are stored by color.
Generic embellishments like die cuts, labels and brads are stored by color.
Specific embellishments are by type - acrylic shapes, flair, veneer, acrylic dots as well stars/hearts because I use those a lot.

If a collection is very specific, I keep it together. If it could be used across other lines or is partially used, I separate it.