What's your favorite Element?

[Tracy King]

Every once in a while I ask this question. What is your favorite element to use in a digital layout? I think it helps to keep me a more focused designer and lets me know what I need to start creating if I don't already. So please enlighten us PDW Designers and let us know. What is your favorite element?

Thanks!!! And happy scrapping from Tracy K.

[Vicki]

Actually, there are several that I use on almost every LO. I love strings, ribbons (not bows) and vine type greenery (but it doesn't have to be green, KWIM?). Makes for great clusters :)

[Roxy]

I love string and 'natural' looking elements (like they're realistic, but homemade - does that make sense lol? Fanette Designs has a lot of the kind of things I'm talking about if I don't make sense lol!)

[Tracy King]

Thanks ladies! I don't use many strings or vines so that is definitely something I can work on :)

[Vicki]

Oops, I want to add a staple my list. You need something to attach the string and ribbons, and it is just so much easier to be able to scrap within the kit and not go looking through everything you have for that darned staple.

[Tracy King]

Well I can do that. Staples are good. I just always wonder if I bore my customers when I include little things like that, which they probably already have 50 of. Know what I mean? I will keep it in mind and try to remember to add one!!!

[mscrafts8]

Well I can do that. Staples are good. I just always wonder if I bore my customers when I include little things like that, which they probably already have 50 of. Know what I mean? I will keep it in mind and try to remember to add one!!!

I know what you mean about having a ton of them but when you are trying to scrap with one kit, it is frustrating to not have a staple or a basic brad. Maybe having just one of something in there...

I like different and unique elements that can work with a variety of layouts. I can't figure out what to do with bows so they are at the bottom of my list of elements. I like strings and leaves and leaves on branches.

[jenjenjasp]

I absolutely agree, you guys. It is sooooooooo frustrating when there aren't "attaching" elements in a kit. staples, brads, pins, clips --- something! When i digi scrap, i often want to do it "realistically" - basically almost the same way and order as I would paper. So it is hard when there isn't something adhesive to work with.

So i agree - stitching, staples, pins, clips, etc.

And I am a paper gal...sorry. l ol

[ColdFire]

Julie can tell you .... I am always looking for a staple. I personally want one in every kit. I don't care if I have 100 LOL When I started CTing it kind of turned me into a kit scrapper. It's very rare that I mix and match anymore just because I don't want to spend 45 minutes searching for stuff...when I have time to scrap then that's what I want to do.

So for me...the most important things in a kit are staples (or similar hardware to "attach" things to the paper), frames ( I just LOVE frames), and ribbons and or strings. Those are the basic things I always need.

[Tracy King]

He he, well I will be sure not to spill my coffee on you then Jen :) Wouldn't want you dissolving on us!!

[crazsquaw]

I agree with the girls above-I am always lookin' for a darn staple or something to 'attach' my stuff with and it IS frustrating when you have to leave your kit...(I am pretty much a kit-scrapper now too) and go looking for one of the 1000 you have. So Designers, always feel free to bore us with your hardware! :)

I like frames, not bulky ones (I end up erasing some of the thickness sometimes, depending on what I am doing...) and ribbons; glitter or bead splashes; I love realistic looking elements so that my pages look like they were made from paper and not digital. I also like torn edges, items to cluster with and even borders sometimes.

Heck, what am I talking about? I LOVE IT ALL!!! {clicking on post reply with a wicked laugh and snicker! :) }

[Tracy King]

Lol ladies, so staples or some sort of fastener in each kit is a must, got it :) I am not the best at realistic style elements though. I love my digital and don't like extracting. Personal preference I guess but I will try to work on it.

[ESNQueen]

Tracy, I'm the same way. I like digital stuff! But I'm trying to make more realistic things to. I ditto their staple/fastener comments, by the way. It is kind of silly to see strings or whatever that are just floating on the paper not anchored down somehow. Not that you asked me. ;)

[Tracy King]

I was asking EVERYONE so any input is appreciated :)

[kanga]

You know what - Ithink I've been teaching too much and not scrapping - I read the title of "what's your favourite element?" and started trying to decide which element on the periodic table I liked best!!! (I think Frankium :) )
As for digital elements - flowers and curly bits (string, ribbons, doodles...) are probably my favourite

[Linda Alexis]

Wicked thread - thanks for starting it Tracy! I LOVE feedback (both negative/positive!)

I am a clustering bandit but I have to agree with everyone... I MUST have an attachment such as a staple or pin/needle. LOVE stitching and natural looking foliage/flowers best of all for elements. A mix of papers is good too. I can't work with all patterned paper. I like it clean but LOVE to use pattered paper in the background or for blocking...

I don't think we can have too many staples because it only makes one go looking in another kit. KWIM?

Hope this helps. I design my kits based on things that I use. If there's anything you would love to see, let me know!

Hugs, Lexy

[Julie.Itis.]

LOL, this is a fun thread :) I'm terrible about including staples; I think it's because my mind has a powerful imaginary glue gun, and many of my elements are fastened that way in my layouts :) Did I mention I'm not always grounded in reality? My other go-to item is the versatile brad, which I overwork to death sometimes. It's good to be reminded about using other fasteners from time to time :)

[Tracy King]

Linda, glad it helps, I know I always love feedback too. Julie, I have a glue style that I use to attach buttons sometimes. You could try that :) I don't know if that interests any of the scrappers out there? The glue for elements I mean? What I usually do is make the glue a bit bigger than the element itself and make it look sloppy like glue squeezing out from under the element.

And Kanga, ROFL!!! at least you know your periodic table :) That one left my brain shortly after college.

[Linda Alexis]

Glue guns.............hehe I LOVE 'em Julie and they fix EVERYTHING!!! I have a few with different sizes/temps. Not just for traditional scrapping! LMBO! I'm not grounded either - I'm blame my creative nature :P

Tracy - I'm totally with you on everything!

Hey, buttons are good fasteners too... with stitching of course! LOL

Waving hello Kanga! Awesome to see you! periodic table. hmmm... I lost that a very long time ago... hehe

[Julie.Itis.]

Alas, the only glue gun I truly get along with is my make-believe one; the rest burn me :) Of course, so does my curling iron, the toaster, the oven... It's a miracle they let me use electricity, truly.

I think the one in my head is one of those cool-melt types. I should find one in real life...

[Kater07]

Do shadows count?

My favorite element is glitter spray, right now, or really anything small with a clump and cast off.

[Sami Brown]

My favorite elements are also the glitter spray. I think it sparkles up they layout. I also love the doodles they are so awesome. And I agree that there needs to be a staple or something in each kit. I have always been a kit scrapper cause I have a hard time remembering were I got each different item from. And I never think to wright it down. LOL

[AnneofAlamo]

love me some spills, masks or things that will go behind the whole cluster to give some oomph

[Catlady]

Um I am no help I am sure lol. I like so many elements. Don't have a fave because I like so many lol. But now if you asked on a color rofl. That question is easy. Purple of course.

Mary

[kelly1]

Carbon. But helium would be a close second. :)

[Julie.Itis.]

kinda fond of molybdenum, myself.

[AnneofAlamo]

I believe that is a compound?

[Julie.Itis.]

See. I'm a complex kinda gal!

ETA: NOpe! I looked it up! I'm a simpleton after all!

[AnneofAlamo]

dang, I throw stuff out at my highschooler who is in chemistry...and he rolls his eyes and goes back to discovering new cures to the common cold or what ever he does with that darn periodic table

[Julie.Itis.]

My older daughter LOVED chemistry - she knew most of the PT by heart. My younger daughter's idea of chemistry was getting the mixture of soda pop flavors just right at the restaurant. (I played nice, and didn't bring up boys).

[Linda Alexis]

ROFL at this thread...Wicked, wicked fun.

Shadows. Hmm. They count on an element of course but I have to say that I dislike kits that come with them. I stopped buying from those designers because they boast about their kits being so wonderFULL and exploding with elements only to find out the 70 elements I thought I was getting - half are with shadows that go in the wrong direction. lol

Now what might be useful is including an instruction sheet to use with these kits. hmmm... maybe I will write one up.

As for keeping track of kits I use. Most of the time if I'm doing a CT layout, I do my best to use the entire kit. If I'm making one using multiple items, I just keep a note pad in front of my puter and right it down as I go along. I do it designing too. Dang Virgos... LOL

Julie - your sense of humor is so much fun! I just love you gurl.