Individual vs. sets

Since joining I've been working pretty steadily on my wedding pages so I haven't branch too far out on the color scheme - however, I've been thinking about taking a break and working on some Halloween pages but I'm not sure if I should shop for individual pages or for a packet or set.

Which is the best way to go?

It all depends.

For me, I normally buy according to what project I am working on. If I can find a matching set/pad/pack of papers and embellishments to go with my project then I go that route. When selecting a paper pack, I make sure I like at least 90% of the paper included to make sure there wont be any wasted/left unused. The ones I don't like for scrapbook pages, I use on cards and that typically works because cards use much less of a paper which makes some of the less desirable patterns easier to deal with.

HL & M's always have sales on paper and things on alternating weeks it seems and both offer coupons! Typically I use the coupons on tools that can be used over and over. I don't see the sense in using a coupon on paper or embellishments when those things are on sale often enough anyway. I'd rather use the coupon on tools, like rubber stamps, dies for my cuttlebug, blades for my trimmer, etc...

Often times, I will wait til after a holiday or season and buy the papers once they've been marked down (when they are trying to get rid of the old stuff to make room for the new stuff). Last year after Christmas, I picked up christmas stuff that was marked way low. So, it's last years christmas stuff... in future years will anyone care what year it was from?

If I can't find a matched set that I like, then I will buy separately.

If I buy separately, then I wait til things go on sale. HL and M's will run paper by the sheet specials or sales on rub-ons, stickers, stamps, etc... I find it harder to buy by the piece than buying in matching sets, but thats just me.

My general rule of thumb is: I will only buy when things are on sale and I only buy things that I know I will use either on pages or cards. I don't buy things just because they are popular at the time or the latest and greatest thing on the market.

What Shutterbugg suggests is sound advice.

I agree with what Shutterbug said. And, buying the items AFTER the holiday is going to cost you a lot less. I do like sets, but I also like mixing and matching things and making my own things. One thing I'm currently crazy about is paper piecing, and you can find TONS of piecing patterns for free just by doing a serch for them. And if you're into piecing, don't over look quilting and sewing patterns either. I was once a very active quilter and I've found scrapping ideas and inspiration from my quilting books. Once I buy a new sewing machine(tornado took my heirloom one ), I'll probably resume that hobby as well.

• flhomeschoolmom Said:

Paper piecing? Is that taking patterns and putting them together to make a page? I'm still learning and some of the lingo is still new to me.

Paper Piecing...Well, it's like this. Imagine a flower, butterfly, etc. A pattern is made from the pieces of the item. Each piece is then traced out and assembled on your LO. A creative BG pattern is a quilting pattern known as a Log Cabin Block. I'm wanting to do a Log Cabin and put a picture as the center block, and color cordinating paper and journing around the photo to finish with an 8.5x11 log cabin block. These blocks could be done smaller or larger too. I'd love to share some places where you could get pieces, but I don't think that's allowed.

A simple paper piecing that you could do for Halloween is to draw out a shape of a pumpkin on orange card stock and cut it out. Using black cardstock, draw the jackolantern face pieces and cut them out. To add texture to your pumpkin, use stitching to make the lines in the pumpkin. Glue down your pumpkin, then glue down the face pieces. You could stitch the face on as well if you desired.

Another easy, freehand kind of pattern would be a scarecrow. Cut out a hat, a shirt, some pants, and a face. Draw the face pieces on and give detail to the shirt and pants either with pens, paints, buttons, snaps,or stitching. Begin putting your scarecrow together. Use wheat colored fibers such as yarn, embrordery thread, etc. to make the hair and straw in the scarecrow.

I hope this gives you some ideas. Most of the paper piecings I do make my emblies.

I was thinking about some ideas for a Halloween LO, and there are some other things you could easily make yourself.

1) Put small photos in a filmstrip layout. This is so easy to make. Cut a strip of black cardstock, cut frames in the cardstock using a square pattern. Do not cut the frames apart to make them individual, you should have 3-4 frames in your cardstock strip. Now, on each side near the edge use a ribbon punch to punch tiny squares all the way down the sides. It should look like a strip of film from a 35mm camera. Photos could be in color, sepia tone, or black and white.

2) Make a haunted house! This can be freehanded, or you could use clipart. It could be small or large, that's up to you. Cut out the door from seperate card stock, you could even hinge the door and hide journaling behind it. The same with windows and shutters. Make widow panes out of something clear like transparancy film, make the window frame out of cardstock. Let little ghosts or people from your Halloween event peek through the windows. Cut shutters for windows from cardstock, let some of them dangle a bit like they are falling off their hinges.

3) Make little white ghosts out of white cardstock. Just freehand them for a unique look. Use a regular hole punch and punch out some eyes for them.

4) Make some tombstones and create a graveyard. You can purchase grey cardstock, or just color white cardstock with a grey coloring pencil. Write funny epitaphs on the stones like Frank N. Stein, Mr. Funny Bones, etc.

5) Make a dead spooky tree, you won't need any leaves. But if you wanted leaves on your LO use a leaf punch.

Hope these ideas can help get your creative juices going. With the majority of my LO's I just brainstorm and see what I can come up with. However, Halloween is a holiday that my family does not celebrate.

I like the idea of only buying on sale and picking up holiday stuff after the holiday is over. So far the majority of what I've bought has been sale items. Sometimes I have to get full price if I need something for a swap and can't wait for a sale, then I get only what I absolutely have to have. I like it when my DD goes with because she tends to spot stuff
I either don't see or think I wont like until she tells me how I can use it. LOL

Thank you so much for all the ideas! That sounds like a technique that I've tried to put together before but it didn't turn out very well. But I've been piecing together quite a few pages since then so maybe it's time to try it again!

Thanks again!!

Thats a hard question for me. Becuase I make cards AND scrapbook, I usually buy sets. It seems like I can buy in bulk and save money- so with my leftovers, I can do a lot of projects. I like to post lots of projects on my blogs too so having that sources is always nice.

If you just scrapbook though, It probably would be ok to just buy a few sheets- Especially since it is halloween and it only comes once and isnt HUGE then you may not need all of that paper!

I really don't want to give away my secret but I buy Scrapbook Lots on ebay from people who are cleaning out their stash. The lots I look for are around $20-30 (half of that is usually shipping) and include a variety of things like stickers, paper, a few tools and embellishments (maybe 30+ items).
Usually one or two items in the lot will grab my attention and the retail costs for just those items is the cost for the entire lot.

Sure everything may not be exactly my style, some things may be used, and once in a while a few will have a musty smell but when you are paying pennies! who cares. I have gotten several lots SO CHEAP I actually feel bad about it. I am truely amazed each time I spread out a couple hundred items that I paid just a few dollars for.
So when I need something say "brads" I look for a lot that includes "brads" and usually I get a lot for the retail cost of the brads and everything else in the lot (which can be several dozen more items) feels like it was free to me.

I have never regretted any of the several lots I have purchased even when I ended up with a few duplicates or things I would never use in a million years. I can not stress how CHEAP these lots go for and it is a great way to build your supplies.

But if you are a person that MUST always have prestine, brand new stuff buying lots for e-bay (even though most items are "never opened" in their original packaging) would not be for you.

PS I forgot to mention I bought a lot just so I could get around 10 Halloween die cuts. so like I mentioned earlier, for what I would have paid for the die cuts I got an entire lot that had like 50+ other items.

If I really LOVE the kit, then i buy it. For example, I feel in love with a K&Co kit and made a scrapbook for my mom using the kit. But, I also buy lots of individual papers and use them. I guess it all depends.

I usually buy individual papers, but sometimes I will buy a whole set if its a brand and a kit I LOVE. Here is what I do to decide:

-How many LOs do I really want this paper for? 1-2 or say 5+...how usuable are the items in it?
-Are there pieces I would NEVER use...if so can I swap them with a friend, or make a gift for someone else?
-Add up the cost of all the individual pieces from a set that you MUST have, if you can get everything you want for much less, I buy it separately. If its only a bit more and/or I can only get must haves from the set then I usually buy it.

I am a huge fan of mixing and matching brands on my projects. I swear half the fun for me is co-ordinating my own "kits" lol.

I buy individual papers - have only bought a few sets, and that's Basic Grey..just because I love it!
Like to mix different brands on my pages - and besides there are often only a few papers in the sets that I really like, so for me it works better to buy individually.

I buy both - usually packs on sale and individual papers if I don't already have what I need