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)
