These days I keep all the zip files for kits that I buy from the digital stores. I know many people unzip their purchases and delete the zip files. Not me! I will admit that I don’t have the zip files for my earliest purchases since at the time I didn’t see the need to keep them. But in the last several years, I had several times that I was scrapping other photos from events that I had scrapped just one page when I was on a creative team in 2012. I wanted to coordinate the additional pages and didn’t have the kits on my computer but I had the zip files on an EHD! So now I have coordinating layouts that you would never know I didn’t scrap them at the same time.
I just make sure those zip files are on 2 separate external hard drives (in case one fails). Never know when you might need them!
I have a couple of folders for my digital kits. One is called “DSKMU” (digital scrapping kits most used) and the other is “Other Dig Scrap Kits”. All my current stuff is in DSKMU. Stuff from designers that have retired or stores that closed down are in the other folder. In my DSKMU folder, I have a folder for the store, for example _The Lily Pad, Disney Type Kits and Sweet Shoppe Designs are the main ones I use. Putting the underline before “The” has it sort first. That is the main store I shop at. In that folder, I have a folder for each designer and within that folder are folders for each kit. I am what is known as a “one kit scrapper” in that I don’t mix things from various designers so keeping all the kits together works for me. I know people that actually separate the stuff out by the type of item such as buttons, flowers, papers etc. They mix and match on their layouts so that works for them.
Another little trick that I use is that when a designer retires a kit, I rename the folder with a “z-” in front of the kit name. It then sorts to the bottom of the folder. Some places require the use of current products in their challenges so this makes it easy for me to know not to use that kit. And, if the designer actually retires, I put the “z-” on their folder and move it to my Retired Designers folder. Another advantage to not separating kits is the ability to move it to a different folder when needed. I’ve had to do that several times when designers have moved to a new store.
