When my Cocoa Daisy kit comes

Earlier this year we started a new series on the Cocoa Daisy blog called When My Kit Comes... all about (wait for it... wait for it...) what we do with our new kits when they arrive. I posted about my kit unpacking process and organization  on the CD blog in April. Not much has changed since then... I still go through pretty much the exact same process, so today I thought I'd share what I do when my new kit arrives as I start to get scrapping with it!

The first thing I do is to cut some of the exclusive cut files that I design for each kit -- these are included in your Cocoa Daisy subscription. I usually go through my stash and grab any papers I already had that were also in the kits, plus some neutral cardstock and get cutting. I cut out a couple of backgrounds, some cards, and embellishments. This way they are ready to go and I don't have to drag my Cameo out or stop and load a file and figure out what I think *might* work on a page. I often end up cutting out more because I want additional pieces or decide I want something in a different pattern or colour.

Then, I make a huge mess all over my desk! OK, I'm kidding, this is actually a very small mess. :)

I really like to spread my kit out over my desk so I can see what I have. If I can't see it, I don't use it.

I take out photos that I think will work with the kits. This past year I've been scrapping photos from LAST YEAR, to correspond to each month's kit.... so for the January 2014 kits, I pulled out all of my winter and January 2013 photos... right through the whole year. Now I'm working with the September 2014 kit so I grabbed all of my September 2013 photos. I've scrapped almost all of 2013 using this method!

Then I just start pairing up backgrounds with photos and adding anything else that seems like a good match... a few embellishments or some of the cuts I'd made already. Sometimes I paint some cardstock to start out a mixed media page, too. As I work with the kit, I just shuffle through these layouts one at a time... adding stuff to each one until I think it's done. 

For more photos... of kids, cats, coffee cups and scraps...  and daily peeks at my desk and my life... follow me on Instagram.