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I am really considering unmounting all of my stamps to use on acrylic blocks. I have a few unmounted and find them really convenient...plus I have heard about all the space saving...sounds great! What is the best way to store them once unmounted? I have heard people using cd/dvd cases and also the binder inserts. I was wondering if the stamps would fall off of the binder inserts. Please weigh in on the issue if you are experienced.
I had the same concern about the binder inserts - wondered if they would fall off/get lost. So I'm with CD cases all the way. Get the Jewel cases, not Slimline. The insides pop out and are perfect! I write the name of the set, item #, and set of ? on a label and stick it on the outter edge of the CD case. So I can see at a glance what's in each case.
I have about eight 3-ring binders because it's easy to make one index book to search for pictures of stamps instead of labeling all those tiny CD cases.
I purchased a book filled with stamps once. The lady had used some kind of sticky cardboard pages to adhere the stamps. A few of the stamps did not stick as well as the others so I put them all into my own "peculiar" system. Like this:
1... put page protecters into the binder.
2... put a sheet of paper with the stamped images into the page protector
3... put the rubber stamps onto a stiffer sheet of plastic
4... put sheet with stamps inside of the protector, in front of the paper
I also make a copy of the stamped sheet - or just stamp everything twice. Then I put the second copy (just the paper) into an "Index Book."
P.S. I recently bought a large order from SU and decided to cut the lids off most of the boxes and use that lid for my plastic insert. Before that I had purchased a box of the clear document covers -- they come with a slide on edge. I threw the edges out and cut all the covers down to 8.5 by 11.
I put a couple of the pages into my scanner awhile back so I could share what they look like.
I have mine on the hard plastic sheets in a three ring binder. I do not have enough yet to fill up a bunch of CD's. Just three pages front and back of hard plastic sheets. I have not got brave enough to unmount all my 100 SU! sets.
__________________ Admit to nothing...even if they have pictures! My Blog: Pam's Pride
I use glossy cardstock (I bought a pack from SU) cut into fourths, and use one for each stamp set (or cut in half for the larger stamp sets).
I put mine in the now-discontinued CM Accessory Binders -- each set in a sticker protector pocket. I can hold about 50-60 sets (depending on size of set) in each binder. I love this way because the binders have zippers al the way around plus a handle ... and the protectors each have flaps so even if a stamp comes off the sheet it stays in the pocket.
Since these are discontinued items, and CMCs used to carry their stickers in them (for sale to their customers) I'll bet you could find some used ones real cheap.
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Question: If you put the rubber images in a binder is there spacers of some sort between pages? I worry about to much pressure on the rubber and distorting the image even if they are stored upright?
For now what I have in unmounted images are in CD cases and I do like the extra space.
I store my UM's in 9x5 (1/2 sheet) envelopes. I stamp the images and write the name of the company on the outside and store the envelopes in plastic storage bins. I have moved several times and everything makes it through in good shape.
I had been doing the CD case method, but found for me it got more complicated to organise after I got two big grab bags of miscellaneous unmounted rubber dies. I picked up a very inexpensive UM stamp filing box made by My Sentiments Exactly. I have some MSE UM sets and this box is sized to store them. I stored my UM stamps in this box on stiffer plastic and laminated cardboard I had lying around. I tried this storage method out for about a month and decided I liked it and that it worked well for me. Just last week, I finished putting all my dies on EZ Mount and have them all stored on partial sheets of pages from a magnetic photo album, in two boxes. I originally was going to try out storing my UM stamps in binders but after loading up a few pages with my stamps I knew that wouldn't work for me.
I feel lucky because I had an empty storage box from IKEA and it is perfectly sized to fit a magnetic photo album page cut in half. So, I have my UM stamps stored on these sheets in my boxes, in general categories like Animals, Insects, People, Floral/Nature, Christmas/Winter, Design Elements, etc. Card sentiments are grouped together (bday, thanks, etc.) with the exception of those sentiments I felt like putting with their broader category -- all my Christmas text stamps are stored with my Christmas images, all the baby text is with the baby images, etc. I have some stamp sets and I decided on a set-by-set basis as to where it would go. Frex, I put the four stamps from "All I Have Seen" under Floral/Nature, rather than putting the text with the other text stamps, or the dragonfly with the other insects.
I guess it all sounds really complicated, but it honestly isn't. For the way my brain works and how I craft, this method is very simply and intuitive.
I don't have much of a system for indexing my images. For the time being I am quite happy to sit down and say, "I feel like making an animal card!" and browsing through that section of my filing box.
I buy CD cases w/o the insert and DVD cases for larger sets from sleevetown.com, super fast shipping! I've only had maybe one or two sets so far not fit onto the DVD case.
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I am doing this with my bellas. I mounted them onto cling foam. Then stamped the images onto cardstock. Then scanned it and printed it in reverse. I am currently coloring them all in right now. But when I am finished coloring I will laminate my cardstock so my girls can cling to there image. Then I will put them in a 3 ring binder.
I've just converted to CD cases after trying the binder storage method. I found the binder pages were too heavy and flopped about too much, plus some of my stamps were getting loose from the clear plastic backing and floating around in the binder pages and getting stuck on each other! Maybe I wasn't careful enough when setting it all up. I like the CD cases better - stored and cataloged like most of the suggestions above. My 2c worth anyway ...
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I've unmounted my sets and store them on the SU case lids. Then I put the lids in boxes (yes that are all by catagory in Alpha order-I think it's a OCD thing). Take a look in my gallery to see. I've got a few hundred sets in just 6 boxes. And the SU case lids are perfect with the little tab to flip thru...
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I use CD cases. I finally found the right storage for the cases... Here's a link to Amazon's page that has them for $6.99 (each holds 30 CDs). Free shipping applies for orders over $25.
I actually ordered mine from J & R because at the time you could get $10 off your order if you signed up to use Google's checkout. I don't know if that is still available.
What I like about this is that there's a slot for each CD. I had been using the wood crates from Michael's but when I pulled out a CD, it was a pain to put it back in the right place (alphabetically). Now when I pull out a set, I know where it goes because there's an open spot. I bought six. I like that they are stackable. I have three stacks side by side on my desk.
Kimberly
__________________ "There is a very fine line between hobby and mental illness." -- Dave Barry
I am putting mine into the envelopes that the stamps from CTMH come in. You can buy the envelopes separately...they are called 6x6 Paper Holders. These fit perfectly into the little white/clear plastic baskets that Wal Mart sells for $ .99.
Works for me.
I keep mine in albums. 10 albums, to be exact. It works best for me. I keep page protectors with the stamped images on it, as well. Helps to recall where everything goes.
__________________ He set His STAMP of ownership on us, and put His spirit in our hearts as a deposit 2 Cor 1:22Jan
I was thinking...as an idexing/labeling method for unmounted stamps...what if you used transparencies and staz on ink. You can flip the transparency back and forth to display the true stamped image and the mirror image...just a thought....you can weigh in on this also if you would like. I just ripped my first set off the wood blocks to see how I will like unmounted stamps.
I also remembered that about two months ago, I sold a bunch of empty CD cases because I thought...what on earth could these possibly be good for...they are only taking up space. I am so bitter!
I store mine in CD cases also. I am a bargain hunter and yard saler, and I found a spinning CD tower that holds 90+ CD cases which I use for my TAC stamps! I have a separate smaller CD tower that holds my SU and misc. stamps
__________________ Sally Taylor, Fun Stampers Journey Coach #1118
I use the EZ Mount stiff sheets in Binders with the EZ Mount dividers, too -
Love it and have all my unmounteds at hand. 200 stamps fit in 2 binders...
Individual CD cases for each set would drive me batty, I like to mix up what stamps I use and rarely just use one set at a time...
I have not unmounted my SU sets, though
__________________ Fight for your opinions, but do not believe that they contain the whole truth or the only truth. -Charles Anderson Dana
I have my sets mounted on one or two cards (depending on size of set). I cut cardstock to a wierd size (based on the size of the envelope I planned to use), attached the label from the set, and stamped the images on it. Then I laminate them. My rubber (with EZMount or foam and vinyl cling) is mounted on the back. (looks like kphorse method above)
I originally planned on making envelopes to put my cards in, but am considering the large flat cello bags in our catty. Would be lots easier!
Robyn - I bow down to you and your stamps...I wanna come play at your house
Sally - I want to come garage saling with you...what a smokin deal you got for CD cases.
I store mine in CD cases and keep them in plastic CD cases I bought from London Drugs that look like little plastic milk crates. I keep an assortment of fave CD's in a plastic carrying case with handle that I bought at M's awhile back and this comes to crops with me. I keep another big plastic carrying case filled with flower stamps in CD cases to bring to crops too. So when I want to go out, I just grab these two big cases and away I go.
I am thinking about the zippered binder system tho for my alphas b/c the big alphas don't really fit well into the CD case.
I use the EZ Mount stiff sheets in Binders with the EZ Mount dividers, too -
Love it and have all my unmounteds at hand. 200 stamps fit in 2 binders... Individual CD cases for each set would drive me batty, I like to mix up what stamps I use and rarely just use one set at a time...
I have not unmounted my SU sets, though
You and me both, Sister! I couldn't possibly deal with CD or DVD cases; I have 10 albums! That's aprox. 1000 stamps!
__________________ He set His STAMP of ownership on us, and put His spirit in our hearts as a deposit 2 Cor 1:22Jan
I posted some pix of my UM stamp storage to my gallery yesterday. I use cut sheets of magnetic photo album pages stored on end in two boxes. My stamps stick to the sheets and I can flip through them very easily.
I use CD cases too. I have them indexed on plain copy paper in a binder. When I want to stamp, I flip through the pages and find the image I like, and then just grab that set/cd case. I also stamp the back of my EZ mount so I can clearly see the image through the CD case. But the binder keeps me from having to pull out every set and flip through what all I have.
Unmounted storage...What's the best option?
