#2, maybe #3, depends on how you look at it I guess.
Initially had an item written up that I liked but didn't love - kinda 'spell in a box'y. I wanted to try to innovate, not repackage.
Then, a second bubbled up, which I massaged until I almost submitted it - almost; finger hovering kind of almost. :)
I took that one, flipped it around, looked at it creatively from other less obvious angles, and finalized something that I think a PC would love to use for multiple purposes and have in his/her pack, as well as, an item that made life for the DM who drops it easier and more flavorful without compromising balance.