Storage for Ink Pads

One of my favorite inks to work with for backgrounds, these little DewDrop pads can be tricky to store. This idea popped into my head the other day when I realized I had too many sets to store the way I had been. I love keeping them in their 4-in-a-family sets, and they were getting all jumbled.

I actually store the pads upside down (don't know if it makes any difference) but for the sake of prettier pictures I have flipped them over LOL

This case is from a Stampin' Up! bkgd stamp.

I cut a piece of white cardstock to the same width as the inside of the plastic case and then did mountain folds as shown above to seperate the color families.


I used black marker to write the color family on the folded area that stands up, and the individual pad names on the flat surface so I can't possibly mix them up (which would be the end of the world >;o)


I think this system would work really well for Cat's Eye pads and mini square pads too.

Ribbon Storage

Last week I decided I couldn't live with dropping one more ribbon spool and having to wind it all back up LOL So in case it would help anyone else I'm posting a few photos of what I did with my decorative ribbon, and how I'm storing my specialty trim.

As you can probably tell I didn't take the time to iron any of the ribbon after taking it off cards and spools because I had quite a mess and just wanted to get everything hanging up. I pulled some white plastic hangers out of my closet and looped each ribbon on to them, seperating the ribbons into color families.






I can't even tell you how much easier it is to access the ribbons this way - just takes a split second to see what's there and it's so much simpler to hold individual ribbons up to my project to check color and size. Then I just cut off the length I need, not worrying about relooping to even out the ends unless I REALLY cut a lot off! I pull the hangers in and out of the closet and most of the loops actually stay tight. The problem ones are the really wide stiff ribbons but for some of those I brought one end over the hanger and used a safety pin to tack the two sides together right under the hanger rod. If you're really concerned about the ribbons sliding off eventually you could always put a piece of double-sided tape along the top ridge of the hanger rod.



I have the hangers on an over-the-door hanger to photograph but I store them in a regular clothes closet in my stamping area because they don't take up much room.



I use a plastic Iris cart for things like twill, raffia, and all sheer ribbons. Crochet thread is seperated in small baggies, one for each color, with a hole punch in the corner, and then these are strung on a hinged O ring.



Fancy style knitting fibers, etc. are on their original cards in the Iris card, and I keep all solid grosgrain ribbons on their own hanger because I bought a ridiculous amount at a close-out sale last spring (hi Laurie! ;o)

Hope this helps if you too have out-of-control ribbons in your stamp area!

TJ Newsletter organization

No artwork of a visual nature for you today, but I think organization can be a form of art if it makes your life easier and frees up time and effort. :o)

You know by now how I love Technique Junkies for the constant influx of stamping ideas, but I don't think I've ever mentioned how much I like having the paper issues as well as the online access. Sometimes I find it easier to create without my computer on and I love being able to flip to the technique page and read thru the steps as I'm whipping up a card. The only downside - I use them so much I have a fear of wearing them out!! Or worse - gasp - blotting out a key word with an ink splotch!! LOL Here's the answer I came up with for myself and wanted to share:

This is a softsided booklet I picked up at Office Max for just over $5 (no sale on at the moment :'o( Wah, and LOL as I "need 6 more!) Each holds one year's worth of newsletters with extras (more on that below...) Inside are 24 permanantly affixed sheet protectors, and both the spine and cover can be filled with any paper (think hand decorated! Mine isn't there yet...) to customize the outside.

Inside the front cover pocket I have a listing of what I call Go-to techniques for the newsletters in the book and the month of the issue they can be found in. These are my pet-favorites - either quick and easy, low mess, or so stunning I can't resist!

Now here's the real beauty - each year of newsletters (with the exception of the first which I think is a couple months worth, and this year, which will be an extra page or two in the last two issues) contains 18 double sided pages, and there are 24 pages in the booklet, which means: you can either skip a page after each newsletter and file your technique extras from that issue in it, or leave all the blanks at the end like I did above and insert an index (the one in mine is the Index by Supplies for 2007 which can be found in the TJ File section of the group site). I actually pasted two columns on each piece of paper as it prints out in a single column and that just made it too many pages. As shown it just fills the extra pages! Woohoo!! Another option would be to just continue on with newsletter pages for the next year, but I personally like each year seperate.

The only drawback I can see to this method, if you are compulsive like I MIGHT be >;o), it's hard to cut that first newsletter down the middle to get single pages out of it. BUT, hang in there - the finished product feels great to handle and will be easy to store or carry along anywhere because it is flexible but seems well made. The spine measures 6/8" so it's narrower than most three-ring binders. I figure if it should get tired years down the road I can always move the newsletter pages to a ring binder with sheet protectors.


Here's a photo of the center, where you can see that the pages are in there pretty good. Sorry I don't have a full photo open to the pages with the newsletter in - I didn't want to infringe on copyright laws by duplicating Pat's material online, but you get the idea how awesome it looks!

Hope this helps as it hasn't been too beautiful to look at :o) For more organizational tips for your stamping area, go to the section labeled Index of Posts (on the sidebar) and click on Organizational Tutorials...

Stampin' Organization 101 - Ink Storage

Hi :o) I have a few minutes to share some tips and ideas with you on storing inkpads, etc. and have included some hastily snapped photos to go along.

I have an interesting mish-mash of older and newer pads! I use an antique divided wood tray that I've hung on the wall so the pads stack on one another.

*tip*

With the exception of the new style Stampin' Up! pads, most dye ink pads should be stored upside down to keep the ink near the surface.

I like to see what I have at a glance, so I have labeled each case. Nothing fancy, I just Googled the particular brand, printed the page from a site that sells the entire line, cut the ink pad names apart and taped them to the edge of the cases. If it's easier, you can just swipe some of the ink on a scrap paper, writing the ink name over the top of it when it's dry, and tape this to the case.

I'm showing examples of the Distress line here:

Another thing I do so I can see what I have easily is to stamp a sample of each color on a page that slips into a page protector, and then that goes into a three-ring binder.



I've measured my page into sections - the open space running along the top edge measures 1/2" wide, and then the title blocks along the lefthand edge measure 1" x 2", with the other blocks all being 1" square. I like to use a sample stamping image that has some fine lines and thicker ones too so I can see how much the inks spread. This will also give you an idea how they fade, or don't, over time.

One other thing I do that has been really helpful is to stamp the same color families in verical lines, no matter what the brand is. Again, just easier when deciding what colors to use in a project.



I stamped my samples of Kaleidocolor rainbow pads using a tall enough stamp to see the whole range in one image. These pads get stacked upside down in plastic divider containers on a shelf.



*tip*
On those days where you want to be with your stamps but have no creative juices to work with, grab your reinkers and re-wet your ink pads. I like to do a thin line back and forth across it, then turn the pad a quarter and do this again. I'm very conscious to get the edges as wet as the center because I am forever edging things with ink directly from the pad, and using the outside edges to apply ink to stamps.

*tip*
Keep a bottle of Staz-On stamp cleaner near your stamping surface for quick clean-ups when you accidentally drop the pads ink side down on your desk/table/hardwood floor! LOL


I keep a color wheel in the pocket of my ink index binder to give me ideas for mixing colors when I'm feeling blah. I particularly find myself using one with lots of shade options like the one below: (I probably should use this more often - most times I find myself doing whatever strikes me at the moment! LOL)




Hope this gives some fresh ideas and inspiration to keep organizing for a more user-friendly space :o)

Stampin' Organization 101 - Stamp Storage

Today's topic - Storing various forms of stamps.

I have a smallish room, about 9' x 10', to keep my stamp and computer stuff in, and after almost 10 years of collecting stamping stuff, I'm afraid I've maxed out my space and then some. I've resorted to storing TAC and Stampin' Up! sets stacked in their cases by category on a bookshelf in the basement, and the Holiday/Special Occasion in totes.

I'm grateful that I have a room of my own to work in - sometimes I can't finish projects in the time I have available and need to leave stuff scattered everywhere. That said, if you have kids at home, and no decent workspace, treasure what you've got - children really are a blessing from the Lord and replacing your valuable time with them with too much stamping would be a poor substitute. Every parent I've ever met has said the time they are young goes by so quickly.

Okay - I got to thinking that I better throw in the typical disclaimer right away. The following is how I store my assorted stamps, not necessarily the "perfect" way!! LOL

And just so you don't worry that I'm too neat, here's proof:

This pile has been here since I attended a used stamp sale about three weeks ago. I have run out of stamp storage room, don't like to unmount wood-mounted and have absolutely no idea what to do with them at the moment... And of course after I use a stamp that's kind of hard to put away, I throw it on this pile!

I'll start with how I store my unmounted stamps.

The system I use for stamping with them is acrylic blocks with Tack n' Peel applied. So I don't have anything on the backs of 98% of my um's - they are just plain rubber. I keep them in Manilla file folders, stacked in drawers as shown:

I label each folder on the tabs with the company whose stamps are inside, and I only keep one company in each folder, no matter how few stamps I have from them. I keep some folders of Unknowns for when I get used stamps that aren't marked with a company name.



Here's the actual folder for some of my Eureka! unmounted stamps, as an example. After I stamp each stamp into my image index binders (see previous post) under the image category, I stamp them all on the front of the folder as shown above. Or if it's a full sheet of rubber that came with the images preprinted on an 8 1/2" x 11" piece of paper, I will just adhere that to the front of the folder instead of stamping each image.




Then I apply Scotch double-stick permanant tape to the inside of the folder in the corresponding area to the cover image, and stick the rubber to it. I've moved the pumpkin square so you can see that you definitely don't have to cover the whole area to get the rubber to stick. And my folders lay flat so they don't see a lot of shaking up, or anything that would cause the rubber to become loose.

The companies I design for are a little different set-up. I wanted to keep them totally seperate and had run out of drawer space for folders so I put them into binders as shown, slipping the original artwork sheet in a sheet protector, and then a piece of posterboard with the same taped-on rubber as above. They have all stayed stuck on which amazes me!

My mounted stamps I like to keep in categories, but honestly, I store them however I can these days! I have this ugly but efficient tall drawered cabinet that works the best because even tho the stamps are one layer high, the drawers are long, front to back:

And then I keep some in those cheap acrylic photo frames which I can stack on shelves and label:

And one of the ways that tickles me the most and is actually pretty user-friendly, is this coated wire pantry rack the hangs along the length on the back of the door:

I love it because I can stack background stamps four deep and the shelves are far enough apart to easily lift a stamp out without removing the rest.

I have some Hero Arts boxes stacked higher up, and it holds the large boxes perfectly front to back.

Stampin' Up! background stamps just get lined up on a nearby shelf on end, and then stacked on LOL where I can reach them easily.

I bought a TON of See-D's when they were clearanced at a big discount store, and just stack them in alphabetical order as shown:

I don't have so many clear stamps and oddballs that I have to worry about how to store them yet, so they are just kind of stacked in a falling down mess on one shelf, which I'm guessing you'd rather not see LOL My Judi-kins, etc. cubes are stored in a plastic frame tray on a shelf.

So that's it - hope you were able to get a good idea for yourself somewhere in there :o)

Stampin' Organization 101 - Indexing Stamps

I'm a person who doesn't create well in chaos, so I thought I'd share some of my personal storage and organizing methods for anyone else wondering how to keep all that "stuff" contained and still user-friendly.

Today's topic - indexing the stamps!

Not a single stamp comes into my collection without getting logged into my image index. If I didn't have it I would completely lose track of what stamps I have. And it's invaluable for figuring out what images will work with others, size and style wise. Here are the binders:

Each stamped image on the spine insert is representitive of the topics contained in each binder (the last binder is for my inks - we'll go there later ;o). These are the current categories in the order shown on the binders:

Food * Flowers * Garden * Trees/Foliage * People * Landscape Buildings * Objects - Modern * Objects - Antique * Containers

Frames * Music * Design Elements * Faux Postage * Hearts/Love

Birds * Animals * Transportation * Cultural/Ethnic * Occasions

Children's Images * Handstamped by's/Envelope words/images

Holidays * Alphabets * Words/Phrases

I seperate the sections listed above using tabbed pages shown below:

Each category is broken down further wherever needed - for instance - People contains Men, Women, Children, Body Parts, Fanciful Creatures. I keep them organized by stamping each sub-category on a different page. I like to use Cougar Opaque 80 lb Smooth White cardstock - it's bright white and heavy enough that the punched holes don't need to be reinforced. The binders can get heavy using this cardstock, so I use more and they're lighter that way.

So here's what I do when I get a new stamp. If it's a mounted stamp, I just find the category, and sub-page if there is one, ink the stamp in Marvy black (it's easy to wash off and doesn't stain) and then try to find a place to put the actual stamp! LOL

Stampin' Up! and TAC stamps have their own binders, which are about 9" x 6" and subdivided into categories like the binders are for the single stamps. I stamp each set on a seperate half sheet of cardstock, and label the top of the page with the title and date of the set. When I get rid of a set I just rip the page out and toss it. I like to stamp all the SU words/phrases in the words section of my regular binder for easy reference and I label each with the title and date of the set it's from.

I keep a page at the back of each section for all unmounted images. I stamp the image under the right category, writing the company name under the image. I store all the unmounted stamps by company but I index them in my binders by image categories.

This is a sampling from the birds section:

I try to leave plenty of space in between images so I can easily find what I'm looking for. I add some smaller images in the open spaces as they come along.

If you've never indexed your stamps in this way, seriously consider doing it (in steps so your wrist doesn't cramp up!) - you will be so glad you did. I seriously use mine EVERY time I stamp!!

Up next? Storing Stamps!

till then...

Acetate & Tissue Tall Autumn

I'm going backwards! Christmas yesterday, Autumn today - try to keep up LOL ;o)

Finished card measures 8 1/2" x 3 7/8" and fits in a business size envelope.

The main image panel is done using the acetate and tissue technique (see last week's posting for detailed instructions). The image is a large background leaf stamp by Northwoods Rubber Stamps. This panel is mounted to an orange cs for a thin border of color.

The brown panel under this was stamped using the same stamp and black ink, and then each side was edged with a sponge and black ink. The half circle punch used to make the tabs that the copper brads are on is by Stampin' Up!.

The orange panel under this has the phrase by Serendipity Stamps stamped in black, and then it's edged in Brilliance Cosmic Copper and then black ink. The base layer was stamped in Cosmic Copper using the same background stamp, and then edged with black.
When I had the card all put together I decided I needed to add the copper colored cording so here's my tip for the day:

*tip*
If you've finished gluing all your cs panels together and then decide to add floss, cording, etc. grab a large-bore needle and angle it under the top layer slightly so the hole doesn't show when looking straight at the card. Use a bead threader to thread the cord. These can be had cheaply at a Joann's/Michael's, and look like a very thin wire twisted around itself with a loop at the end. I couldn't work without mine!

It still looked too stark, so I grabbed some loose leaf embellishments I picked up at Joann's on a lark a few days back because they looked handy and were so cheap. I kid you not, you get about 200 of these AT LEAST I didn't count for $1.99! My two packs had maple and oak leaves. Once I had placed them on the card with Mini Glue Dots (would have a hard time making cards without these too) they looked too dull, so I touched the high points with Cosmic Copper right from the foam pad, and I think it was just the right amount of glimmer.

Here's a photo of how I store my loose leaves and flowers - it works so well for me! The metal rings have a hinge and open and shut easily. They are 2" rings, and I think I picked them up at Office Max not too long ago. Just hole punch one corner of a ziploc baggie and add when needed.

Thanks for looking!