New Beginnings

A few weeks ago I decided to rummage through my embellishment storage space and see what the heck was in there. I keep a large amount of stickers available in Cropper Hopper pocketed plastic files, and those are housed in an even bigger clear plastic box. I think it used to be a drawer!
Well, behind the files full of stickers is where I keep my ready made kits. It's also where I store the kits I've received in the mail from EmbellishKits.com So the box is a store-all, which generally speaking in the world of craft storage means I had no idea what all was in there, hence the clean up and refresh for my mind.
There were a lot of partially used kits that I'm no longer needing. I sorted a lot of small and medium sized scraps into their respective drawers and then stared at the mountains of paper piled all around me. I got up to put them away and then sat right back down to create some new combinations. Cause why put it away when I can store it differently!?
One of the fun parts of this project was remembering how Rainie would play with my scrap papers as a toddler. She would come up with these amazing color or pattern combos, and I always marveled at that ability because I was not as experienced with pattern mixing as I've let myself become since. I channeled her enthusiasm for just playing with the papers, but I also kept in mind some of the styles I'll be creating cards for in the next few months.
That led me to creating small kits of tiny bits and pieces that I can use at my next crop. Now there are roughly six little cards waiting to be made; I'll just need some card stock backs and, when you are surrounded by women who don't know how to leave the paper at home, I'm sure I will have a solution for that figured out even if I forget somehow to bring it myself.
Speaking of forgetting, don't ask me where these kits are today... between then and now I've taught three classes and attended a different crop as well, so my things are pretty willy-nilly right now, even though things look tidy. It's a good thing I regularly clean up my desk or I may not have found the laptop!

So tell me friends, do you prefer to sit down with a kit, or a pre planned project? Or is it more your style to just grab and go at random in the midst of a creative whirlwind... there is definitely a happy crafty feeling that comes with both. I do enjoy using a prepared kit because it means I'm traveling with less product. (Translates: room for more, but different products to be brought!) It can feel a bit constrictive though, depending on the materials in the kit. Sometimes I can't figure out what the heck I was thinking when I added such-and-such to the bag. But that same constrictive feeling can stem from an overabundance of choices as well, so like I said, there are pros and cons to both.
I guess as long as we are making something, even if it is just a kit, there's a good reason to play with paper huh? Happy crafting!