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Over the years I have looked though my stamps or dies for some thing when I am making a card, but I have never looked at all of them over a period of a couple of days
A couple of weeks ago I finished a new stamp storage/organization system. I looked at each stamp set as I put it on EZ-Mount storage panels and put each one in a plastic pocket .
Now I just finished a new die storage system and again I looked at each one as I put them on the magnetic sheets and into the plastic pockets .
I feel richly blessed to have such a beautiful selection of stamps and dies . :cool: I saw a few I forgot I had and will use those soon .
My fingers are a tad sore because I had to pull all the magnetic sheets from the hard plastic CD case . The magnetic sheets were attached to the CD cases with double sided tape . The space this new die storage occupies is only about 25% of the space used when the dies were in CD cases .
Have you ever spent a couple days looking at all of your stamps and /or dies ?
__________________ "I have not failed . I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" --Thomas A. Edison
I just did this, Barbara. I had to literally re-stamp every single one of my stamps for new panel indexes as I reorganized.
There were some that made me wonder what I'd been thinking when I'd bought them, but I also rediscovered many beauties that I had forgotten I had.
Congrats on your new system. May it serve you as well as mine promises to serve me! !
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
Barbara, I cannot tell you how it pleases me to see you sort, reorganize and continue to enjoy your papercrafting tools. I know that you set it aside for some time as you dabbled in your other hobbies. You have long been one of my favorite SCS peeps. It's really, really nice to have you back and active on the boards--but especially nice knowing that you are back and enjoying this hobby again.
And yes, like Rachelrose, I spent a couple days last summer stamping every image I own for my index. It was fun to pull out those stamps, touch them, use them and be reminded of why we thought they were so special when we first bought them. In November and December, I bought several more that need to be stamped, indexed and stored away. I have been putting off that chore until I decide how I want to store my stamps.
I did this over a course of a year. Stamped each stamp on one or more 3x5 index card and filed them by theme catagory. Not only did I see what I have. I jotted down ideas on the card back as organized them. It has made creative life so much easier. Everything has its place and I havent "lost" a stamp or die since I did this. I have about 25% of my dies sampled and filed and all of my stencils with the stamps. A color system determines what each is. I started with words and sentiments because I could never find the right one and continued through my collection. Hours well spent. Now waiting for some down time to complete the dies. It keeps things so much handier and the time is spent on creating;not hunting for the right thing or cleaning up a mess of non choices. Good for you. Enjoy all your goodies.
Barbara, I cannot tell you how it pleases me to see you sort, reorganize and continue to enjoy your papercrafting tools. I know that you set it aside for some time as you dabbled in your other hobbies. You have long been one of my favorite SCS peeps. It's really, really nice to have you back and active on the boards--but especially nice knowing that you are back and enjoying this hobby again.
And yes, like Rachelrose, I spent a couple days last summer stamping every image I own for my index. It was fun to pull out those stamps, touch them, use them and be reminded of why we thought they were so special when we first bought them. In November and December, I bought several more that need to be stamped, indexed and stored away. I have been putting off that chore until I decide how I want to store my stamps.
Thanks Melissa
Before it did the mass reorganization I had some stamps in a shoe box, some in a photo box several sets in Unikeep no ring binders and a few sets here and there . My goal was to have ALL of my stamps in one place . I removed all of the clear stamps from the acetate and put those and the rubber cling mount stamps on EZ Mount storage panels and then in a comic book plastic bag. I filed all of them in a black plastic letter size file tote that fits in my closet . It is great to have everything in one place.
By taking the dies out of the CD cases and putting them on magnetic sheets on bristol board in plastic pockets all of my dies fit in two "Really Useful Boxes", with plenty of space to spare for new purchases and they are ALL in one place !!
Rachelrose: I found 5 die sets that didn't meet my expectations or usefulness so those are in the GoodWill box.
__________________ "I have not failed . I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" --Thomas A. Edison
Hi Barbara...I am in the process of unmounting all my wood mount SU sets...I have been seeing so many stamps in my personal stash I cant wait to use! I too feel beyond blessed to have all that I do.
I just did this a little over a month ago when I packed up my craft room to move. And I'll be doing it again over the next couple weekends to get it all organized again in my new house. I really like my organization system for my stamps, but i really need to figure out what to do with all the embellishments so i don't have to search through bins and boxes everytime I want to craft. I have too much stuff!!! But I love it all (and my husband hates it because he has to lug the boxes upstairs ).
I too feel very, very blessed to have all of the wonderful things that I can play with and admire, but also ashamed that there is so much more admiring than playing...
I too feel very, very blessed to have all of the wonderful things that I can play with and admire, but also ashamed that there is so much more admiring than playing...
If you get pleasure from admiring your goodies, then there is no reason to be ashamed. It's like admiring a statue in your living room. You enjoy it, but you don't necessarily have to play with it.
The only time you should be ashamed is if you don't use something and when you look at it the item causes you displeasure. That's when it's time to get rid and find something that makes you smile.
And I am grateful to you-I went ahead and bought those pockets-they just arrived today and I am thrilled! They are just you said, very close to the Avery elles. I foresee a major upgrade in my storage system in the future. Thank you!
I've been doing this too, and it has been fun to reconnect with my stamps and the memories attached to them... I've had my unmounted stamps in about 4 different systems, and I'm uniting them in one system and cataloging them in Evernote as I go... I had to hire my daughter to help with the stamping! As I go, too, I remember cards I've made for special friends, or think of new friends who would love this image or that one, come up with a new idea, etc. It is a blessing - thanks for sharing your thoughts!
As part of my reorganization I think I have put my hands on everything in "the room"....some are leaving for new homes and the rest will be getting new friends. I'll do it again in a year or two hopefully.
I just did this a little over a month ago when I packed up my craft room to move. And I'll be doing it again over the next couple weekends to get it all organized again in my new house. I really like my organization system for my stamps, but i really need to figure out what to do with all the embellishments so i don't have to search through bins and boxes everytime I want to craft. I have too much stuff!!! But I love it all (and my husband hates it because he has to lug the boxes upstairs ).
Put them together by color, and holidays. You can then look in one place for your bling. I used small zip lock bags in pocketed binder sheets in 3" binders. The pages have two, four, six, nine or eight pockets to a to a page. When I need bling, I flip pages if my binders. I have a separate binder for my metalilics.
Good luck. I found this took so much less space and I actually use the stuff.
I was recently re-labeling my totes of wood mounted stamps. I paused with each one and took a look at what was inside. I found things I loved and, like Rachelrose, I found some that made me scratch my head as to why I own them. The nice thing is, it has inspired me and I can't wait to make my next card.
I have finally bitten the bullett and am reorganizing my art studio with the same system that Jennifer McGuire (and so many of the rest of you!) use.
It is a slow process because I am entering everything into EverNote at the same time; I started with my dies and I am still working on them. Yes, I have found several that I forgot I had, and I found a couple so far that I bought more than one. I must really like those dies!
I feel very blessed that I have these tools to use in order to make pieces of art.
I feel richly blessed
