tduby1
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,979 
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Post by tduby1 on Oct 12, 2014 13:51:10 GMT
It was neat to see how many people make page kits and how many people are interested in doing so. I thought an interesting thread would be one designated to sharing processes and answering questions on the subject. I hope others share their process and help answer any questions.
Some questions I have been asked:
1) why make a kit rather than just put the page together? Let me explain. I started scrapbooking 8 years ago when my oldest was 7. At that time I converted my basement into an area that 10 women could crop and held a 6 hour crop one weekend a month. About 2 years in I bagan pre making kits and since I was scrapping my kids from birth on, I found this method to be the best way to complete the most pages in one evening.
About 4 years ago, those crops ended due to our busy schedules. In the ensuing time my schedule got busier and I also lost 2/3 of my scrap room. Instead of monthly crops we started doing twice a year weekends and that is the only time I scrapbook for the most part. Page kitting really meshed well with that.
Here is why, once I get on a roll I can kit about 25 pages in an hour. That's 4 hours over the course of six months, to kit 100 pages, which is what I like to take to a weekend crop. This also fills my creative desires in between crops within the parameters of my time and space. Then once at the crop I can focus on the next stop, assembling the pages.
2) do you build kits with pictures? Yes, I find it easier to build a kit around a pic or set of pics but you certainly don't have to.
3) how many pages are in kit? Generally, 1-2 depending on whether it is a 1-2 page layouts. I count my page count by pages not layouts, so when I kit I do the same, for continuity sake. So if I kit a 2 page layout, I have kitted two pages.
I maintain a set of books for each of my 3 kids, so I will kit together birthdays, holidays and shared events in one kit for all three. Those kits will hold 6 pages (3 2 page layouts).
4) do you duplicate in that case? Yes, I do and I am not ashamed to admit it. I am currently caught up to date on all 3 kids books, with each kid having 4 categories and currently 4 books per category, so yeah, I have to have some tricks to stay caught up. Some of the layouts are duplicated exactly, if I have the supplies, while some I use the first layout and scraplift from that.
5) isn't this cheating? Inflating your page count? I don't think so. However, I was once accused by a gal of cheating by making page kits and inflating my page count by doing the occasional duplicates. This was four years ago, as I was getting my system down. Ironically enough, she no longer scrapbooks because it is too overwhelming for her and I am.... Well caught up. Lol.
6) how long does it take to assemble a pre kitted page? I am sure that varies but for me, it takes about 20 mins. I dump my pack, ink any ages then start layering with very little thought. My goal is to stick with the first thing I set out and generally I do. Sometimes, I tweak when gluing stuff down... Okay,its not tweaking, most of the time I don't remember *exactly what I had but I get it close.
7) does this system work best with one page/single photo layouts or multi page/ multi photo layouts? It works great with both!
8)what is your process? I will share that in the next post.
j
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tduby1
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,979
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Post by tduby1 on Oct 12, 2014 14:02:09 GMT
I work in phases... Lay out a round of pics, if I have themed embellishments (holidays, bday, school,, sports) I pull those. Next I pull base papers. Then I pull scraps, 6x6, 8x8 and mat size papers for layering... In that order so as to use scraps first. If a kit doesn't have enough paper after that I would throw in a double sides full sheet with the intent of incorporating both sides.
Now I would go through my general embellishments and add those to the kits without embellishments. Then i go through the following categories and add as needed:
1) trims
2) gems
3) chipboard
My final step is to go through my titles and add. This is hit or miss. If I don't have something that works I jot down ideas and add that. I take all my letters to crops and will put the the title together at the crop if I have no title that works.
My title box is all those die cuts, cut a parts, one word embellishments you get here, there And everywhere.
I pack about 20-25 kits in under an hour this way. It helps to do everything in phases, all the papers at once, all the embellishments at once. That way as I am rifling through stuff, I might be looking for something for a particular set of pics but I will also pull things for the other sets laid out as I come across stuff that works.
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Post by woodysbetty on Oct 12, 2014 23:27:11 GMT
Tduby1
WOW!!!! One question...do you use sketches for layouts or is the design more organic....
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Post by crystalb on Oct 13, 2014 0:09:25 GMT
Awesome information filled post. Thank you for sharing! I love it!
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tduby1
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,979
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Post by tduby1 on Oct 13, 2014 0:28:44 GMT
Tduby1 WOW!!!! One question...do you use sketches for layouts or is the design more organic.... Oh! I meant to answer that... I kept telling my husband there was one more thing I was going to address but I can't remember and that was it! Sometimes, (maybe 1/3 of the kits) I throw a sketch or photo inspiration in. More often than not, I don't even end up using it, lol. In fact at the last crop I think I used 3 photo inspirations out of 63 pages completed. For that reason, I totally bypassed that in the kits I just made up. If I get stuck, I'll have my ipad. I have become so comfortable and happy with my own style and where it's at right now that I just prefer to follow that. |
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Post by judyc on Oct 13, 2014 1:14:58 GMT
I guess I am too particular about my pages. I could never put together 50 - 100 kits, and complete so many pages in a weekend crop.
My process (one I'm sure you won't want to follow):
1. Select photos for a single or double page layout. Decide the theme/topic for the page.
2. Find 2 or 3 sketches that would work with the photos. (I frequently do hybrid scraplifting where I copy features from 2 or more layouts to make mine.)
3. Select papers to go with the photos. (I usually forget the background paper and wind up having to buy or borrow something for the background at the crop/retreat.)
4. Select mists/paints/watercolors for the page. (I do misting/splattering/painting of some type on about 1/2 my pages.) Select stamps and stamp pads if needed.
5. Cut any titles or shapes I plan to use on the page or select punches to take if I am going to use them; select premade diecuts/shapes (this usually means just adding a few packages to the kit, I don't select the exact ones at this point, just a couple of pages or packages that go with the page.
6. Find buttons, ribbons, brads, enamel dots, flair for the page.
7. Decide what I am going to journal on (sometimes).
8. Select 2 or more options for the title (usually Thickers, but occasionally flat stickers or a die cut title.)
Depending on bulk, I put all of this in either a plastic box or large baggie or snap folder with the exception of the paints/ink pads/stamps which go in a tool tote.
In addition to my kits and tool tote with paints, I also take the following to crops: an empty cardboard box for misting/splattering; scrap paper in an accordion folder; extra letter stickers/thickers; tool caddy with basic supplies - scissors, cutters, adhesive, rulers, needle/thread, stapler, markers, distressing tools.
It takes about an hour to assemble the supplies for each page.
At the crop/retreat - although I am usually working from a layout or sketches, I change things as I go, for instance, to incorporate ideas from multiple sketches or inspiration pages. Sometimes I just CASE, but even that takes awhile. Assembling a layout takes a couple of hours. Frequently I will do the journaling after the crop if I decided while doing the page that I prefer to type it. I also sew on about 1/2 my pages, so sewing is done after the crop as well.
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Post by 950nancy on Oct 13, 2014 1:19:00 GMT
I have been working for the last two days and have put together 9 kits. I have made each title on my Silhouette and shopped for extra paper I still needed. My kits are usually so well planned (and often sketched) that I can get quite a few pages completed at a weekend crop.
I help a friend make kits for her business. We will create 8-10 kits in one day. She buys all of the product and makes all of the money, but as an exchange she always give me two of every kit we create together. I love it.
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tduby1
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,979
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Post by tduby1 on Oct 13, 2014 10:40:24 GMT
I guess I am too particular about my pages. I could never put together 50 - 100 kits, and complete so many pages in a weekend crop. My process (one I'm sure you won't want to follow): thanks for sharing your process, it sounds great! I don't think you are too particular about your pages  your method works for you. I am a decisive person. I know very quickly what will work for me and am able to build my kits quickly and pretty much everything I pack will go on the page and I will love it (with the exception of multi piece embellishment packs- those I just use a few pieces out of and re file) I am fairly certain people looking at my pages aren't walking away feeling like I just threw them together and didn't really care about them. At least I hope not  but the truth is, I have strangers rifling through my finished pages at crops (they seem to find my method and ever growing stack of finished pages fascinating) and in turn calling others over to "check out" my pages and oohing and ahhing followed by a ton of questions. Perhaps another difference in the length of our process is that I don't do any misting or painting. I've tried it and just did not care for it. Don't get me wrong, I love it when I see it done on other pages but it must not go well with my particular style  I also bought a huge pack of gelatos and haven't been able to do anything with them. That stuff isn't my strong point. But give me a mixed bag of scraps and within seconds I can pull out several pieces that just work together. I add ink and start layering and I'm in love. In fact, I always start my kit making with all the scraps I've saved and collected (from others) at my last crop. I also make homemade embellishments with scraps. |
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Post by pelirroja on Oct 13, 2014 11:23:20 GMT
Making 25 kits at a time is amazing! I run about 30 minutes to an hour per kit construction. My stash supplies are sorted by color but my hoard is still huge so it takes awhile to look thru. I haven't bought much product over the past year other than adhesive: I've been relying on the old school way I scrapped in the 90's with lettering templates, doodling, hidden journaling and lots of storytelling on the page. My kits are the basic pint/quart/ounce of three colors, a rough draft of the journaling and details, and the photos. When I figure out the number of pix I'll be using, I usually know how I want to lay them out so I'll do a quick sketch.
I really like cutting titles by hand and making embellishments while I watch TV at night. With my kits I can make nearly a dozen LOs at a time with minimal effort. Best of all, the LOs all look very different from each other in color and subject but they are homogenous in that it's clearly my style. Kitting is well worth the effort.
And thanks for sharing your process: your post is very informative and helpful!
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Post by judyc on Oct 13, 2014 18:00:48 GMT
tduby1 - I found some of the pages you did at the recent crop in another post and thought they were great. Definitely agree that I do struggle with decisiveness. Also struggle with having too much stuff and wanting to look through all of it every time I'm not sure I like what I previously picked out for a layout -- that's where I spend a lot of time - rethinking my first choice - and frequently wind up going back with that first choice. I need to learn to just go with it ! Sounds like that's part of your recipe for success - and you may need to be teaching lessons in speedy scrapping to us scrappers that get bogged down in decision making. (I even told my best friend that I scrap with about your posts here as I was so amazed at how much you get done at crops and the quality. (My friend scraps at about the same rate as me, maybe a little slower.)
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Nov 25, 2024 13:31:02 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2014 18:12:41 GMT
I am impressed you are so organized -- and that you stick with your kits once you've made them!!
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tduby1
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,979
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Post by tduby1 on Oct 13, 2014 18:16:19 GMT
tduby1 - I found some of the pages you did at the recent crop in another post and thought they were great. Definitely agree that I do struggle with decisiveness. Also struggle with having too much stuff and wanting to look through all of it every time I'm not sure I like what I previously picked out for a layout -- that's where I spend a lot of time - rethinking my first choice - and frequently wind up going back with that first choice. I need to learn to just go with it ! Sounds like that's part of your recipe for success - and you may need to be teaching lessons in speedy scrapping to us scrappers that get bogged down in decision making. (I even told my best friend that I scrap with about your posts here as I was so amazed at how much you get done at crops and the quality. (My friend scraps at about the same rate as me, maybe a little slower.) Thank you. My sister in law scraps like you and I adore her pages. I love hearing how everyone scraps and their processes. |
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gramma
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,121
Location: Sacramento, Ca
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Post by gramma on Oct 14, 2014 4:32:11 GMT
I put together kits all the time. Sometimes in preparation for a crop, sometimes because I have one of the grandkids coming over and they want to scrap and sometimes just because. I start with pictures then pull a sketch or design then background papers and finally embellishments. When I sit down to a actually scrap I can whip through them.
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Post by jameynz on Oct 14, 2014 5:16:09 GMT
I posted in another thread way back in July about this - and I have copied/pasted my post from then:
When I make a kit-to-go, I use a big 12x12 ziplock baggie and store in it:
the photos I want to scrap
matching plain card stock - 2x sheets of main colour, and 1x sheet each of another 2-3 colours
the PP I want to use - a couple of 12x12 (and if I have them, the whole pad of 6x6 so I can have a choice), or 3-4 x pieces of co-coordinating PP from the same range (I will try to choose the PP first before the card stock)
any embellies that I want to use - from the same range OR brads/ribbon/buttons/chipboard etc
If I am going to use ink - I will grab a sheet of paper and write down the shade of ink - along with a quick sketch of how I want the page to look - along with the date etc.
I will also pop in any stamps or die I want to use or have a running list going if I am going to double up on using the die/stamp
and that is ONE kit-to-go for me.
I will try to make up 6 or so for a ordinary crop night -6pm to midnight.
If I am going to a weekend crop - Friday to Sunday - I will start weeks in advance to make up enough or more than enough to last.
I am currently packing as I am going to a weekend crop this Friday - I don't know how many kits I have made, I just kept on making them.
I have found however, that the layouts I make from a kit actually are better, than the ones I do with NO kit - I obviously put more thought into them when making a kit. I tend to think about it more.
I am not a fussy, heavily embellished scrapper, some of my layouts are quite basic.
I don't work from sketches - although I do print off the odd layout from Pinterest if there is something that has caught my eye - the same paper I have and going to use, a title that is cool, a particular element that is fun (a flip-flop banner for a summer page, although we call them jandels here in NZ) - and that printout goes into the kit.
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tduby1
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,979
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Post by tduby1 on Oct 14, 2014 10:52:54 GMT
Thank you jameynz for sharing. Your layouts sound wonderful! |
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Post by woodysbetty on Oct 14, 2014 12:18:09 GMT
Everyone's process is inspiring me to pull out photos and give kit making a whirl.....thanks!!!!
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your method works for you. 
but the truth is, I have strangers rifling through my finished pages at crops (they seem to find my method and ever growing stack of finished pages fascinating) and in turn calling others over to "check out" my pages and oohing and ahhing followed by a ton of questions.
I also bought a huge pack of gelatos and haven't been able to do anything with them. That stuff isn't my strong point.
