Make the Most of Your Case Kit {by Sylvia Mellander Ekman}

Sylvia is one of the most creative scrappers I know. She is a true visionary, and I'm so grateful to have her on the CSI team. Sylvia wanted to share with our members how she creates a kit to go with the CSI Case Files, and how to make multiple layouts from this kit. Here's how she does it, in her words...

(The layouts she created with her "kit" go with Case File No. 224.)

Hi all!

I thought I would share with you today a little tip to use your stash and save time.

When I have a new case at hand and I absolutely love the colours, the scene, etc.,  I always start by selecting the evidence I most likely will use and the testimony that appeals to me. I browse my photos to find some that will work with the case. In doing that I work from the colours, the theme, or the testimony. If I already have an idea for my journalling and my pics are the “wrong” colour I just convert them to b/w.

After that comes the fun part of shopping: my stash! I pull out a lot of things that will correspond to the case and my idea. And this results in potential material for my page. This is much like putting together a kit. I choose cardstock, patterned papers that vary--some are large prints, some are small. I like to use text prints and woodgrain. 

I pull out decorations, alphas, washi, my gelli prints, or other pre-painted papers that I have in my stash. Tags, scraps, etc. This is a process where I carefully consider how these papers and decorations contribute to the idea of the case at hand. This is where I check the list of evidence to see what I can add. Now, of course, this could result in a huge pile of stuff. The things that make it to the pile are all sought out, work together and work with my photos and the case. I do however restrain the amount of things that I pull out. And sometimes I do need to find another set of alphas or something in the end. 

Ok, so this is my tip for you today: After your page is done and you sit by your desk that now is a huge mess and you still have lots and lots of things left in that kit you made, this is when you make another page from this kit. You probably have more shots that you pulled out in the beginning and everything you need to get those scrapped now sits on your desk. 

You could explore another angle of the case, see if you get inspired by something in the scene, or choose another testimony prompt. 

An idea might be to make it a habit to always create something that is a bit more personal, something about your thoughts or a page for your “Book of Me” or your faith.



Another idea is to use this opportunity to try a new technique or something that you don´t often do.

If you like, you can do this page or these pages just for your own sake, or you could share these pages too on CSI. [Debbi says, "Definitely share them on CSI-- we want to see how you can interpret a Case File in many different ways, not to mention, it increases your chance of winning a prize from our sponsors!"]

For me, making the kit is great fun, scrapping my CSI layout is the main part and the other layouts are another matter. These are just play time, they are not meant for sharing, and still sometimes I like them the best.

It may be that you already use this technique, but if you don´t I hope you will give it a go!

In short:

1. Choose your evidence (and testimony)
2. Pull out photos that work
3. Put together a kit based on the case
4. Make a page
5. Make another page
6. Make one more...etc
7. Choose a layout to submit to CSI, or submit them all!
8. Put back the left overs where they belong

Happy scrapping!

xoxo
Sylvia