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I am looking for ideas on how to organize my 300+ stamp sets. Those are just my wood mounted sets. I now purchase the clear mount if available. So much easier to store. I have been reading threads for the last 2 hours but becoming very overwhelmed. What is the best way to create an inventory for this many sets? We are talking a couple thousand individual stamps if all broken up.
My "Grand Plan" was to unmount all mine first, but I have changed my mind! It may never get done that way, and I really need an inventory!!
I plan to use a 3-ring notebook to inventory them by set. If you bought them from a catalog, then you could use the catalog page to just copy/scan in your printer and slip that into your notebook. That's my plan!! For ones you can't find a good image of, though, you'd need to stamp the images into the page.
I will also detail every category it could go into with each page. Might as well do it while the pages go into the notebook, right? For instance, the stamp set "Love and Sympathy" from Stampin Up (p. 54 if you've got a catalog) I would index under Sympathy, but also under "Solid Image." That way when I want to use my watercolor crayons, I can go straight to the solid images and see what I want to use - no matter what greeting goes along with the card.
It seems that doing it set by set and building my inventory and index one by one would be easier than trying to alpabetize them first, then get the image, then put them in order, then indexing....etc.
I hope you find something that works well for you!
__________________ "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works," Hebrews 10:24
Location: I live in North Texas, but my heart remains in New Mexico.
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I use iPhoto. I get an image, usually the index from here and add it to the library. I can have keywords for filtering and can store ideas with the stamp set as well as my own cards. I can filter by occasion, by company, just the indexes or just my cards. I love it!!! I also store images of my punches,embossing folders, etc. I think that what I like best about it is that I can give a set as many keywords as I want and then search/filter. It also helps me keep track of who got what card.
__________________ Erin (aka: "Chipchick") My Card Blog
I have gotten a little more serious about organizing all these stamps I have. I have sets that I never even mounted! During Sale A Bration I bought a ton of the SU! clear mount cases. Larger sets I'm putting in these. And I just ordered 20 packs of the Tim Holtz stamp storage sleeves (100 sleeves). As I go through my stamps, I am scanning them and trying to go digital with my indexes. It's also giving me a chance to see what I have. Good Luck to you!
__________________ Jac-ee Former FSJ Founding Coach and SU! Demonstrator, now crafting for myself. "There is a fine line between 'HOBBY' and 'MENTAL ILLNESS'"
__________________ Jac-ee Former FSJ Founding Coach and SU! Demonstrator, now crafting for myself. "There is a fine line between 'HOBBY' and 'MENTAL ILLNESS'"
Thank you ladies. I like so many of these ideas. I love the iPhoto idea but also like the idea of having something I can flip through as well. I have a Mac but the computer in my craft room is a PC. I know I have to unmount all my wood mounted sets. That is a years worth of work right there. I did purchase a bunch of the items from Stampin Up to do that. PinkKitty, I love how you have everything in sleeves but just a little nervous about separating everything. Sometimes I like to have a whole set in front of me when scrapbooking so I can use them all on 2 pages side by side and they coordinate with each other. Does that make sense? I have changed many of my other storage ideas/ways and I guess this is one that I want to get right the first time. Definitely have to make a move and soon. Running out of room with all the shell cases I have and would love to free that space up for other crafting supplies
So apparently I have a program that is just as good as iPhoto already installed on my PC. I also recently purchased 5x8 binders that were on sale at Staples last week. Going to get started on something. Any ideas on unmounting 300+ wood mounted stamp sets? :/
I am looking for ideas on how to organize my 300+ stamp sets. Those are just my wood mounted sets. I now purchase the clear mount if available. So much easier to store. I have been reading threads for the last 2 hours but becoming very overwhelmed. What is the best way to create an inventory for this many sets? We are talking a couple thousand individual stamps if all broken up.
Thanks
Lisa
Oh Lisa, I so feel your pain!!! I was a SU demo at one time & have a ton of sets. For the most part I have un-mounted mine from the wood blocks. I'm also in the process of making an index because I have duplicate bought on more then 1 occasion!!! I also have a lot of single wood mount stamps that I still have to un-mount. What I have been doing is printing the index from the SU gallery or making a copy from the stamped image that I did when I unmounted. (KWIM?) Then I have put the index in a clear page protector. I have categories in my binder, ex: Alphas, baby, animals, friendship, sentiments, & sentiments, with flowers, or different images. ( One thing that I'm not doing and probably should but just don't have the time and that is to also make an index for the sets that can fit into more then 1 category.) I have my binder and can flip through the pages I think much quicker then being able to flip through each stamp set.
As far as my un-mounting I stamped each image on card stock (cut down to 6X6) then laminated it. On the back side I have put Scoth 3M poster tape to hold the stamp on. I then put them into the CTMH envelopes. (paper/stamp envelopes) They are the same ones they use for their stamp sets. I also have A LOT of CTMH sets. When I purchase stamps anymore I really try to get the clear/acrylic ones. Now what do I store all the envelopes in?? I purchased awhile back large fabric bins from Target. I put them in 2 rows but they do overlap a bit! Oh well what are you going to do?? Nothing ever seems to fit perfectly!! I have 3 or 4 filled!! Plus a large bin full of my single stamps that have yet to be un-mounted!!!
Anyways, I just thought I would give you an idea on how I have done it. Good luck and I hope you find a way that will suit your needs. The people here on SCS are terrific and have some great ideas!! ;)
You can check over at my blog for Organization tips! BE SURE to read the comments! One of my followers left a SUPER answer to your question! (I think it would work if you have TONS of stamps! )
...I also recently purchased 5x8 binders that were on sale at Staples last week. Going to get started on something. Any ideas on unmounting 300+ wood mounted stamp sets? :/
So many great ideas in this thread! I'm subbing because I love it! :-)
Lisa, I have been there, not so much in numbers, but it was still quite overwhelming for me. I want to encourage you to start working toward your goal, even if you just do a little bit at a time. In hindsight, I wish I had gone through my stamp sets first, sorting and grouping them into categories, and then working with the categories as I unmounted them. I felt it would have been easier to index and categorize them into my new storage system.
But before you start unmounting, make your index sheets by copying, stamping, or whatever you choose to do for that. And by the way, if you want to keep them in sets that is what you should do! Half the battle of organizing is finding a system that makes sense to you and utilizing it. But my point is, if after you categorized them, you then unmounted 10 sets a day for 30 days you would be finished. I'm sure you cannot go at it at that pace, but whatever time you have available, work a little bit and go from there. You will eventually get done if you work at it steady.
I know how overwhelming it can be to be staring at those wood mounted stamps, wanting them unmounted so badly but knowing how much work it is. I don't have near the number of sets you do, but it was definitely a daunting task to get them all unmounted and organized into categories. I just kept plugging away at it until the task was complete. I encourage you not to see it as a huge pile of stamps, but rather as smaller, more manageable, daily or weekly goals.
I use iPhoto. I get an image, usually the index from here and add it to the library. I can have keywords for filtering and can store ideas with the stamp set as well as my own cards. I can filter by occasion, by company, just the indexes or just my cards. I love it!!! I also store images of my punches,embossing folders, etc. I think that what I like best about it is that I can give a set as many keywords as I want and then search/filter. It also helps me keep track of who got what card.
That's pretty genius. If I hadn't created a stamp index, I would so do that.
The bottom pictures shows you some of the categories.
I just labeled things as they were - Christmas, holidays, sentiments, thank you, birthday, animals, baby, kids, patterns, winter, parties, etc. Basically I picked a stamp set to start with and made a category for it. If the next one didn't fit, I started a new category.
I also have a "miscellaneous" category for stuff that doesn't really fit within one specific place. That's just because I was too lazy to make a category for one stamp
I got a rubbermaid tub and put all Christmas stamps in it, and found a shelf to stash it away on. That opened up quite bit of shelf space, and made a little bit easier to organize what was left.
__________________ Patrice. Organized people are just too lazy to look for things.
I am looking for ideas on how to organize my 300+ stamp sets. Those are just my wood mounted sets. I now purchase the clear mount if available. So much easier to store. I have been reading threads for the last 2 hours but becoming very overwhelmed. What is the best way to create an inventory for this many sets? We are talking a couple thousand individual stamps if all broken up.
Just to keep track of what you have, this is golden. Organization after that...I think consistency is the key. And what is logical to you. All in the same shape box so you can file easily....good luck! it is a daunting task!!
So apparently I have a program that is just as good as iPhoto already installed on my PC. I also recently purchased 5x8 binders that were on sale at Staples last week. Going to get started on something. Any ideas on unmounting 300+ wood mounted stamp sets? :/
Hi Lisa,
Can you tell me what program that is? I have access to a Mac, but otherwise everything is on PC and I'm hesitant to split it all up...
I use iPhoto. I get an image, usually the index from here and add it to the library. I can have keywords for filtering and can store ideas with the stamp set as well as my own cards. I can filter by occasion, by company, just the indexes or just my cards. I love it!!! I also store images of my punches,embossing folders, etc. I think that what I like best about it is that I can give a set as many keywords as I want and then search/filter. It also helps me keep track of who got what card.
I've seen reference to iPhoto but just assumed it was the photo app on my phone. didnt' realize it was a separate app. Just DL'd it and am going to play with it but wanted to ask what you meant by "usually the index from here."
I may throw out more questions once i get it DL'd (got message that ihave to connect via wi-fi due to size of file). Thanks!!! Amy
Need help organizing 300+ stamp sets
