10 secrets of stash-busting magic

As digital scrappers, we accumulate scrapbooking supplies we purchase, download as freebies or receive as a CT member. There are so many beautiful new products each week, that its hard to scrap outside the moment. We forget the fabulous kit that was just downloaded or that perfect alpha you had to have (6 months ago). These 10 secrets of stash-busting pros will help you get more life from your digital scrapbooking kits.

1. Identify the basics – Locate the best solids, fasteners and alphas in your stash. Tag them or find your own way of knowing their location. Keep this in your mind when you want to freshen up a themed kit.

2. Use papers only – Is is often the embellishments that give a kit a particular personality. Take that kit out of its element (literally) but just using the papers with some of your go-to basics or even by themselves!

3. Use a very themed kit for a non-themed layout – Even the most specific of products can have its horizons expanded. It shouldn’t be tough to find more generic papers and embellishments amidst the more themed-items. Choose an item with colors you love and go fishing for something new!

4. Color coordinate – There are only so many color schemes, so you can easily find two kits that work well together. Mix and match from two or more similarly-colored kits to extend the life of your products.

5. Recolor as needed – Use this nifty quick change trick to recolor a particular element you love, but that doesn’t quite go. If you’re mixing and matching using the step above, this technique can help you get two color-clashing products closer together.

6. Use for unintended purposes – Use journaling strips as photo mats and word art as journaling. Turn a frame into a clustered element and a sea of buttons into a background. Turn tradition on its head and use your supplies in different ways.

7. Use designer tools – Do you glaze over the CU overlays in the shops? Next step one catches your eye, check it out. Use an overlay to give basic papers a new lease on life.

8. Extract shapes from backgrounds – Have you been adoring a flower or paisley patterned paper? It’s super easy to turn that shape into a sticker-type embellishment with this simple tutorial.

9. Add a stroke for a new look – Fonts, alphas and even many embellishments can sometimes look like they need some extra sparkle. Add a stroke or use this outline expansion technique to give more dimension to extra flat items.

10. Be OK with deletion – It’s hard to think about deleting something you spent hard-earning dollars purchasing. But ask yourself, will I ever use this? If the coordinating alpha isn’t your thing, feel confident in deleting it!

What strategies do you use to get more out of your kits and other purchased products? Share your own tips and tricks in the comments.