how do you keep track of your ink and paper?

[Rnruns60]

Sorry for all the questions but my goal this year is organization. I wish I had started stamping and stuck with one company but I didn't. I now have a lot of ink and a lot of Cardstock from various companies. I do think I may eventually give some of it away or try and sell but for now I just want to keep track of what I have. I don't have a lot of space for organization so knowing what I have would help. I thought about stamping all my inks on Cardstock and keeping them in coin protectors. I thought then if I had matching Cardstock I could either note that or include a swatch of it by the ink. Part of me thinks this is a waste of time especially since, like many crafters, I have tried so many organization methods. But then again I'm an empty nester with a lot of time on my hands so I kind of enjoy it. What do you think? Do you feel the need to keep track of all your supplies. Does it help or encouraged you to craft more? Thanks for sharing your ideas.

[SkyNacho]

I don't really keep track of my inks. For various reasons I just don't feel the need to.

But I did start organizing my cardstock a little better. I purchased big clear "envelopes" that I think are 9x12-- a little longer and taller than my cardstock, so that there's enough give if I am putting a whole 25-pack in there. When I open a pack of cardstock, instead of keeping the loose wrapper around (which I did for a while), I put it into one of the clear envies and write the name and manufacturer on the bag with a sharpie.

One of the reasons I did this is I sometime pack a small bag to work on a project on the weekends. I used to take just single sheets of CS with me but I am kind of lazy and ended up with a big stack of single sheets of CS that I couldn't for the life of me match to its mates. So now I just grab the entire pack of two or three colors, depending. It works out a lot better for me. And it's organized. And it's a lot better than loose cardstock in my bag. And once I sorted into the clear bags, I was able to match a lot of the singles back to their home, but some are still a mystery!

I was going to try to ROYGBIV all the colors, but decided I didn't want to do that yet. I have them mostly separated-- SU, PTI, Amuse, and "others." Oh, and they store in magazine holders on my shelves.

[arlenevita]

I do swatch my inks and markers (COPICS, Zigs, Tombows) so I can use the swatches when I'm matching cardstock, DP, markers.

[Hyde and Seek]

Keep track? How do you do that? The DP is always a source of amazement to me when I looking. I never know what I'll find...

[gregzgurl]

I keep track of my inks in a little pre-bound booklet of page protectors (5 1/2" x 8 1/2") like this:



and my cardstock and papers in a binder with coin and trading card pages like this:






There's more information about the paper indexing project on my blog here: random.on purpose.: On to the next thing..., if you're interested...

[Rachelrose]

I did a tag ring for all my cardstock and one for all my inks. I punched out a piece of each color of cardstock and stuck it to a tag that I labeled with color name and put on a ring. I used a simple small stamp to stamp out all my inks onto tags and put them on a ring, also labeled.

Here's the cardstock one:



The cardstock one I use ALL the time. It's an easy way to figure out what would go with what instead of having to go grab pieces of paper out of file drawers. And I am very set on the colors I like to keep in. If I buy a new color and decide it's a keeper, I add a tag for it. But it doesn't happen that often. Well, you can see - those are all my colors right there on the tag.

The ink one I hardly ever use. I actually think it fell behind my worktable and I haven't fished it out yet. So some things you need to catalog and some you don't. It's very personal.

[dini]

I don't keep track of cardstock, but I do have color charts for all my markers, pencils, and paints...

My ink index is a mixture of Sue's two systems - I have a color swatch for each inkpad on a 2" square of cardstock, and those are kept in a coin pocket page.

[stamphappy1650]

I also don't track cardstock but I do have it organized so I can easily find type or color. I have a swatches I keep for ink colors but it's only so I don't buy duplicates. the way I store my inks lets me easily find what I want.

[Kathleen Mc]

I cut out little tags and stamped a solid image onto them for each of my inks. I sorted them into colour families and put each colour family onto a book ring and then a few onto a bigger book ring. Then when I want to match up an ink colour to a patterned paper, I can see which matches best.

As for cardstock, I cut a small square from each sheet as I cut into it and stuck it in a book with its name next to it. In retrospect, I think I should have cut small tag shapes and put them on book ring ings too.

[susie718]

I have all of my inks swatched in solid rectangles on several 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of printer paper in page protectors in a binder. I find it very useful when I'm trying to pick up the colors in a sheet of patterned paper or match other various embellishments that I've collected. My cardstock is organized by color in three large racks which I acquired from stamping stores that were selling them. I have it separated into the Stampin Up colors I have, and then I have mixed stacks of each of the other colors (a stack of mixed reds from many companies, mixed blues, mixed metallics, etc.) which I can shuffle through if one of my SU colors doesn't work. Because I have so many different shades of a color and I might only have one or two sheets of each, I don't want to cut into them to take a swatch. I also make my storage from stuff I've recycled over the years. It's a hodgepodge and doesn't look like all of the nice built in storage that professional crafters have, but it works for me.

[Rachelrose]

I don't think I could ever design one of those beautiful, perfect craft rooms where everything is built in and there's a place for everything. Or rather, I could design it, but two minutes after the last piece was installed, I'd decide I now wanted it another way.

Maybe beautiful units that all matched but could be rolled around or restacked? ;)!

[stamphappy1650]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rachelrose

I don't think I could ever design one of those beautiful, perfect craft rooms where everything is built in and there's a place for everything. Or rather, I could design it, but two minutes after the last piece was installed, I'd decide I now wanted it another way.

Maybe beautiful units that all matched but could be rolled around or restacked? ;)!

I agree. I've lusted after built-ins but never really wanted them. Everything I have matches but they are all adjustable so I change to meet my current whim.

[wavejumper]

I have a stamp I use to do ink pad samples. I started on xerox paper and then re-did it on cardstock to have a truer color.

I have them two ways:
Type of ink-Dye, pigment, etc ...by company and by color.

So I have "All dye inks" then it's by color in a row. So all greens (I put name and company under) etc This one I would refer to when choosing colors to use.

Then another set by company-that'll be only one page. So say all my Distress is on a page, by color. This one I use to prevent me from duplicating when buying. I may reference the other too to see what shades of pink I have.

It sounds like a lot of work but really isnt. It's just stamp, stamp and I am done. It makes it easy to reference.

I did make color boards for pens and WC paints and colored pencils. Sometimes a company will give you a complete color board and then a blank one for you to keep track of what you have. Spectrum Noir did this for example.

If I made it, I just draw lines and makes boxes on WC paper for example and then I swatch with some water. Fun while watching tv.

Paper-I have not done anything to date about solids b/c I didnt have enough to matter. I am thinking I may do swatches of the SU paper I am about to get b/c that I know I can get more of. My other solids are random. What I want to focus on though is cardstock vs vellum vs WC paper, etc. which I have not figured out yet.

From the crazy file, I do keep an excel of all my pattern paper. So I dont buy one that is too big a pattern again, or I just dont like, or make a point to get more I do like...b/c I get most of it online.

[ejluyk]

I created swatches of all my pads, watercolor paints, markers, mixed media paints, sprays. None for paper. I store my paper in plastic storage holders, works for me.I store all my swatches in 5 x 7 notebook; makes it handy to take with me if I am shopping for something (prevents duplication also). I also have additional notebooks with stamps, dies, punches, embossing folders, embossing powders listed. Four books in all. I use them for planning projects, checking colors, and looking for combinations to use before digging into drawers to see what I might want to use.
Works best for me..everyone will have other options that suit their needs.

[jeanne3579]

I keep all my cardstock ROYGBIV in a file drawer, with the name on the tab. My inks are in separate drawers by the same system, with different types of inks in a different section of drawers as are markers. I keep track of them in a book I made from 3x5 cardstock that has a swatch of cardstock, a stamping of the matching ink and a line of the marker that goes with it. The binding system is made of disks that allow the slit-holed pages to be slipped in and out which makes it easy to match/coordinate colors, which is the only reason for me to keep track of the colors. Each kind of ink has it's own section in the book like the inks in the drawers, but since the pages slip in and out, I can match between dye inks and pigment or alcohol inks.

[Rebecca Ednie]

I keep track f most things using My Stuff Pro. It's like a souped up version. Of Evernote.

[bjeans]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeanne3579

I keep all my cardstock ROYGBIV in a file drawer, with the name on the tab. My inks are in separate drawers by the same system, with different types of inks in a different section of drawers as are markers. I keep track of them in a book I made from 3x5 cardstock that has a swatch of cardstock, a stamping of the matching ink and a line of the marker that goes with it. The binding system is made of disks that allow the slit-holed pages to be slipped in and out which makes it easy to match/coordinate colors, which is the only reason for me to keep track of the colors. Each kind of ink has it's own section in the book like the inks in the drawers, but since the pages slip in and out, I can match between dye inks and pigment or alcohol inks.

Just curious if your cardstock is GBIVROY because the ones that are your fave colors you made most accessible?

I noticed because my cardstock is basically ROYGBIV but I've modified it too. Some colors aren't sorted - like if they're in a sample pack of many colors, or putting a couple colors at the front that I grab a lot.

Back to the OP: My colored CS mostly lives in job ticket holders in magazine holders on a book case near my table.

Inks except for Distress are in an Organize More ink pad holder set up by type and then color. So pigment inks are together, dye inks are together, hybrids, Versamark at the bottom right. I have inks from quite a few companies and would not want to keep companies separate since when stamping I think I want a dye ink that's blue, not a Studio Calico blue. : )

I'd started stamping them on 2"x2" cardstock so I can pull out samples to look at them on white paper to easily see how colors look together.

Distress inks are 90% mini cubes and are in two shallow stacking boxes in the order of Tim's Distress ink chart. I haven't swatches them but each is marked onto Tim's chart, lightly and then heavily, using finger dauber.

Distress Oxide inks don't have a permanent home yet are in a Container Store clear accessory box which is roughly half the size of their women's clear shoe box.

[jeanne3579]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjeans

Just curious if your cardstock is GBIVROY because the ones that are your fave colors you made most accessible?

I noticed because my cardstock is basically ROYGBIV but I've modified it too. Some colors aren't sorted - like if they're in a sample pack of many colors, or putting a couple colors at the front that I grab a lot.

Back to the OP: My colored CS mostly lives in job ticket holders in magazine holders on a book case near my table.

Inks except for Distress are in an Organize More ink pad holder set up by type and then color. So pigment inks are together, dye inks are together, hybrids, Versamark at the bottom right. I have inks from quite a few companies and would not want to keep companies separate since when stamping I think I want a dye ink that's blue, not a Studio Calico blue. : )

I'd started stamping them on 2"x2" cardstock so I can pull out samples to look at them on white paper to easily see how colors look together.

Distress inks are 90% mini cubes and are in two shallow stacking boxes in the order of Tim's Distress ink chart. I haven't swatches them but each is marked onto Tim's chart, lightly and then heavily, using finger dauber.

Distress Oxide inks don't have a permanent home yet are in a Container Store clear accessory box which is roughly half the size of their women's clear shoe box.

How sharp of you to notice that I don't put them in the exact ROYGBIV order, but I can't tell you why. I actually have my neutrals first (on the right as you look into the open drawer), as they are the most used so are closest to where I sit/stand to craft, starting with blacks, grey, whites, creams, tans, browns. Then come the yellows, oranges, pinks, reds, purples, blues then greens. I guess I just started with the yellow on the color wheel and went around from there. So my system for colors is actually YORVIBG---not a very good mnemonic! Unless you say it Your vibe, gee!

[bjeans]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeanne3579

How sharp of you to notice that I don't put them in the exact ROYGBIV order, but I can't tell you why. I actually have my neutrals first (on the right as you look into the open drawer), as they are the most used so are closest to where I sit/stand to craft, starting with blacks, grey, whites, creams, tans, browns. Then come the yellows, oranges, pinks, reds, purples, blues then greens. I guess I just started with the yellow on the color wheel and went around from there. So my system for colors is actually YORVIBG---not a very good mnemonic! Unless you say it Your vibe, gee!

Thanks for explaining. Not sharp, just the red not being on one end jumped out.

I thought "your vibe, gee" just before I finished reading your sentence, haha! Much more fun than that boring guy Roy G. Biv. I mean who includes their middle initial these days? ; )

Beth

[harvestmoon]

I have plastic drawer-cabinets under all my work tables. I still have the most of SU cardstock, even tho I don't like the weight. I have 2 cabinets with 'letter sized' drawers, hanging files which hold packages of cardstock. The left one has neutrals in front and warm colors. The right one has cool colors and In-Color packs. Lower drawers have other brands of neutrals and cheap colors; other cabinet lower is specialty in front (watercolor paper, vellum, etc) then hanging files with card-sized scraps organized by color groups.
My inks are in another wide drawer-cabinet with 2 shallow drawers & deeper one on bottom. Color inks are just in Warm & Cool groups; each has it's color stamped swatch on the bottom, which is Up. Neutral inks are in a separate drawer. (Deep bottom drawer is for stamps).
For 12 x 12 decorative and solids I found a super-sale at Joann one time for plastic 'file' buckets made for this paper, then I bought hanging files that were also made for 12 x 12. I have 4 of these. Paper pads are on a shelf in my walk-in closet; 6 x 6 pads have their own cute cardboard boxes, each holds about 25 pads.
Since I order 85% online I don't worry about duplicates. My computer is in my craft room.

[jeanne3579]

Hi harvestmoon, your system sounds quite organized and easy to use. I think that would work for me if I had as much paper as you seem to have. Always good to hear how people work out storing their stashes. Am interested to know what you don't like about the SU cardstock, as I've always found it the perfect weight, except for the regular Whisper White and Very Vanilla.

[harvestmoon]

I started out using the paper packs from Michaels. Fun colors, but 65 lb weight is just too wimpy for a card base. Then I graduated to SU because of their wonderful colors. But at 80 lb weight, it seems to make a weak card base. I always have to add a front panel and an interior panel for the message, and have recently started using 110 lb weight white for those panels, just for strength.
I have started buying MFT and Papertrey cardstock for heavy weight and lovely colors.