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My mini inks are making a mess of the wooden bin they are in and I can never find the color I want. I am thinking about these tins.......but I was wondering are they flimsy? Is it worth the money? Is it annoying to always have to open the lid to get your ink pad. Does the ink pad come out easily or is it a pain to remove ink pad from tin?
Also any other suggestions for storing mini ink pads?
I love the mini tins. I currently have 5 arranged by color family. They'll fit any cube ink--not just Distress. You'll want to be careful not to put anything too heavy on top of them, but I wouldn't call them flimsy. I try to order from JoAnn when they have a sale because Amazon seems awfully pricey.
I love my mini Distress inks and don't find them difficult to get out of the tins. I use them for other mini inks too.
My Distress inks are organized in the tins in order of the Tim Holtz chart, and the tins labeled on the side (1, 2, 3...) with color dots, so it's easy to grab the tin I want. (They're stacked on top of an Organize More ink pad storage unit.)
But I may end up following Jennifer McGuire's lead, at least with my minis from other companies: remove the tin lids and put the tins in a top Alex drawer that's next to me, or put them in a larger shallow box.
When I go to a class where we bring inks, I generally put some inks in a tin with a band around it and toss it into my tote. They rattle a bit, which is fine, but are secure.
I love the mini tins. I currently have 5 arranged by color family. They'll fit any cube ink--not just Distress. You'll want to be careful not to put anything too heavy on top of them, but I wouldn't call them flimsy. I try to order from JoAnn when they have a sale because Amazon seems awfully pricey.
Ooh, enabling in progress... we live between two Container Stores. Do the drawers slide out easily?
When I bought them, I thought the drawers would come out all the way, so I could take a whole drawer wherever I needed, but if they are able to come completely out, I haven't found the way yet. They do slide well, though.
I found a solution that will work great for me and maybe will work for others.
I store my cubes in a drawer and I was using Sufftainers inserts but they were all smooshed together and the tops of the cubes would pop off when I tried to get them out. My requirements for drawer dividers were:
Be able to cut to fit my drawer
Can be stackable
Black so ink stains won't show
Inexpensive
My solution - jewelry drawer inserts. They are cheap, I can cut with scissors, enough room in each section to pull out the cubes, and they are black. There are other options that are cheaper but for some the shipping was too high and others took too long and I wanted them now.
The pics show what I had and what I have now. I ordered another set so I can finish. but I thought I'd share. Also, I had to cut the feet off the dew drop style pad so they would fit.
Great idea, Stamphappy. Glad you bumped the thread. : )
I finally decided I wanted a box or tray larger than Tim tins that could easily be taken out of a drawer when working, even though drawers are next to me, and wanted them to stack.
They don't have dividers, but that doesn't matter to me. (I just got used to dividers because of Tim tins.) Large holds 35 minis; small 15. They're stackable - large on large or two smalls on large. 2-3 high in shorter Alex drawers, and 3-4 in the taller ones. It depends on the drawer. One of my shorter drawers holds 3 stacked but the other 2. Even Alex isn't perfect.
These can also live on a table or desk and because they're stackable, don't take up much space. They slide into each other about an inch deep. And they have a narrow one too. Many types of supplies could fit into them. Not a flimsy plastic and not hard/brittle.
Last edited by bjeans; 02-08-2017 at 03:33 AM..
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Great idea, Stamphappy. Glad you bumped the thread. : )
I finally decided I wanted a box or tray larger than Tim tins that could easily be taken out of a drawer when working, even though drawers are next to me, and wanted them to stack.
They don't have dividers, but that doesn't matter to me. (I just got used to dividers because of Tim tins.) Large holds 35 minis; small 15. They're stackable - large on large or two smalls on large. 2-3 high in shorter Alex drawers, and 3-4 in the taller ones. It depends on the drawer. One of my shorter drawers holds 3 stacked but the other 2. Even Alex isn't perfect.
These can also live on a table or desk and because they're stackable, don't take up much space. They slide into each other about an inch deep. And they have a narrow one too. Many types of supplies could fit into them. Not a flimsy plastic and not hard/brittle.
I bought a project case at Michaels a few years back, added some cardstock to the bottom to raise the pads up, and scored cardstock for the rows. There are 60 pads in it, and it is easy to see what is available. I can't guarantee that the project case they sell now is the same one (the case is 1 1/2" in height.). It is finally out of any space for more mini pads.
Very nice. And pretty colors! I love that this thread has multiple solutions for our multiple brains. (Though just one brain per person.)
Part of the reason I had trouble finding something I liked is that hinged boxes give me agida, since they double the size of the box. Not Tim's tins, since they're small, but I wanted something bigger since the non-Distress mini stash is growing. (I'm not sure if I'll keep Distress inks in the tins - they're sorted by his color chart order.)
I have the Tim Holtz and they are fine but I like this larger tray too. I guess I would pry the lid off and put it in one of my 12X12 cubby drawer. I actually have four of these larger trays. I never thought about putting bumpers inside them and storing ink. Great idea.
Odd thing. I went to Joann's today and they have taken all the Tim Holtz stuff including the Distress inks, Distress glitter, paint daubers, all his ephemera etc. and dumped it into bins and marked it as clearance. I was so surprised. They had Ranger ink and other Ranger branded products but all the the TH stuff was on clearance far away from the stamping stuff. I asked the stocker and he said they are not going to be carrying much of his stuff anymore. I called a friend out of state and she said she had heard from one of her LSS customers that it was happening at their Joann's also. Seems odd. No more TH tins with a coupon there. Oh and they have started carrying a bunch of color layering Hero Arts stuff. It's the first time I've seen anything new in our store for quite some time.
Now that I've used them for a little while, part of the reason I like the Container Store ones (post #14) is real estate: these smaller boxes can be put in front or to the side of me. Plus they're secure with a low profile, nestling an inch into the one below.
If drawers aren't available, because they stack as high as needed, they can sit on a shelf or workspace taking up minimal room. I'm still undecided about whether to move the Distress inks from Tim tins. They're handy and in order, but far fewer inks can fit in a drawer because they stack higher than the Container Store boxes. Right now they're stacked on top of my Organize More 48-ink holder. They fit up there okay but aren't quite as convenient.
I have used chocolate candy boxes and lids as shallow trays for my ink cubes to slip in my drawers. Keeps my inks from sliding around in the drawer and I can lift them out to select an ink pad easily.
I have also used the SU clam shells too.
Currently I have my Tim Holtz distress inks in the Iris brand 4x6" photo cases. I got them at Michaels/Joanns. (about $1 a piece). They are a little deep for the distress ink cubes and they were sliding around a bit with the lids popping open so I used rainbow loom bands to hold the inks closed. They work pretty well. Hold 12 per case. (link is just for illustration - price on Amazon is $$$).
Currently I have my Tim Holtz distress inks in the Iris brand 4x6" photo cases. I got them at Michaels/Joanns. (about $1 a piece). They are a little deep for the distress ink cubes and they were sliding around a bit with the lids popping open so I used rainbow loom bands to hold the inks closed. They work pretty well. Hold 12 per case. (link is just for illustration - price on Amazon is $$$).
I may yet get the Tim Holtz brand cases. They look very good. I like that the inks don't slide around in them.
Thank you for sharing these. I've been looking for a way to store my regular size gelatos and I have a couple of these containers. They work great for the gelatos.
I tried to buy a new Tim Holtz tin for my small ink spots and I couldn't find any at Hobby Lobby or even see a spot where they were housed. Anyone know if they still carry them?
I tried to buy a new Tim Holtz tin for my small ink spots and I couldn't find any at Hobby Lobby or even see a spot where they were housed. Anyone know if they still carry them?
That looks cool - do you think it would be hard to get the cubes out of the drawers? I took my dividers out of my TH tins so I could get them out easier.
Thank you for the heads up on these drawers. I have so many small cubes other than the distress. I found them on Amazon and placed my order.
Great! Please let us know how you like it and how well the ink fits. Like stamphappy1650 asked, we would like to know how difficult it is to get inks in/out. From the Instagram photo, it looks like it could be a tight fit.
Great! Please let us know how you like it and how well the ink fits. Like stamphappy1650 asked, we would like to know how difficult it is to get inks in/out. From the Instagram photo, it looks like it could be a tight fit.
The drawer unit arrived yesterday. I put my Altenew cubes in one of the drawers. There is space left in each row so I can slide the cubes to get them out that does not allow for another cube. 28 Altenew cubes fit in one drawer. I put my Memento dew drops in and of course easy to get them out. I think I will be very happy with this.
__________________ Mary Jo
prairiepapercrafter.blogspot.com
The drawer unit arrived yesterday. I put my Altenew cubes in one of the drawers. There is space left in each row so I can slide the cubes to get them out that does not allow for another cube. 28 Altenew cubes fit in one drawer. I put my Memento dew drops in and of course easy to get them out. I think I will be very happy with this.
It may not matter for the drawers being discussed, but Distress minis are the barest bit wider than other minis. I didn't notice until fitting them into one of my containers (not the drawer unit). Hero Arts Shadow and Altenew minis fit one more across than Distress minis. There's almost but not quite enough room for another Distress mini. Of course that means plenty of space between them.
The drawer unit arrived yesterday. I put my Altenew cubes in one of the drawers. There is space left in each row so I can slide the cubes to get them out that does not allow for another cube. 28 Altenew cubes fit in one drawer. I put my Memento dew drops in and of course easy to get them out. I think I will be very happy with this.
Awesome... one more thing, can you link to the one you purchased? Amazon has several different kinds. Thanks!
I love the Tim Holtz Mini Distress Inks. HOWEVER, I've also noticed that some of the lids don't fit tightly. So when I took them out of their original packaging, I opened each one. If the lid was loose when I put it back on, I put a tiny piece of blue painter's tape on 2 sides to hold it closed. That way I can loosen one side, use it, and then refasten the tape, and no leakage. I keep mine in the Iris Keeper Series. It's a large clear plastic container which holds 16 4x6 Iris Cases. Each 4x6 case holds 12 1x1 stamp pads. I LOVE this system.
I'm going to buck the tide here and say I bought one of the tins to try out and found that in grabbing the pad, I often ended up pulling off the lid and leaving the pad behind. It annoyed me enough that I don't use the insert in the tin.
It's much better than having them loose in something, rattling around, but I wasn't as in love as I wanted to be. Just my two cents. And maybe it's me. Maybe I'm too much of a klutz. ;)
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
I'm going to buck the tide here and say I bought one of the tins to try out and found that in grabbing the pad, I often ended up pulling off the lid and leaving the pad behind. It annoyed me enough that I don't use the insert in the tin.
It's much better than having them loose in something, rattling around, but I wasn't as in love as I wanted to be. Just my two cents. And maybe it's me. Maybe I'm too much of a klutz. ;)
I also took out the insert so I could easily remove the pads. I still like the tins because they fit in the space I want to use but I do think they are a little pricey.
OT Newer mini cube lids will fit tighter. I'm loosely paraphrasing, but Tim mentioned in a video at a demo how he liked the looser fit since he could grab a cube and use it one-handed without having to pry a lid off with his other hand, but that since people complained it was changed. People at the demo laughed - he might have said something like "since you guys complained," in his normal humorous style.
I like them loose. Other than the time I dropped an large open box of them and cubes flew all over the room, that is. That was months ago and I found a cube - with lid on, luckily - in my large stamp bin. I had been so sure I had that color and wondered where it went.
Lids don't pop off when stored, though I don't stack them, and if taking some with me, they're just banded with small sized, narrow, flat Plastibands - thinner than rubber bands, or I put them in a Tim tin.
Tim Holtz Mini Distress ink Tin
