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My goal for the new year is to organize my "crap room". I've been working away a little each night. I am trying to come up with a way to inventory my supplies. In particular tonight I'm struggeling with my Sizzix dies. I have them organized into a bureau I inherited, but I'd like to create an inventory of them so I don't duplicate purchase again. Do any of you have an inventory log for supplies that you'd be willing to share?
My goal for the new year is to organize my "crap room". I've been working away a little each night. I am trying to come up with a way to inventory my supplies. In particular tonight I'm struggeling with my Sizzix dies. I have them organized into a bureau I inherited, but I'd like to create an inventory of them so I don't duplicate purchase again. Do any of you have an inventory log for supplies that you'd be willing to share?
You have a "crap" room too? My DH says I have one of those.
Funny that's what the real "craft room" turned into downstairs. Now there's so much crap (not mine) in it, I took all of my craft supplies out so I can use them.
I'm not sure about organizing supplies. I have to remember where I put them in the first place. But, I usually have a pretty good memory that I know what I have and don't buy dupes.
I use Excel spreadsheets, with a differant worksheets for each item
ie: 1 for my marker, 1 for diecuts ect. which I update everytime I make a purchase. Then I have some small photo books, where I keep samples of everything. ie: color sample&# of marker, diecuts, punches. ect These books
go with me everytime I go shopping. It is amazing how easy it is to forget what you have. I learn these methods from my friend I scrapbook with.
My friend and I use 3-ring binders to keep track of our Sizzix dies. I haven't quite put mine all together yet but the idea is great. We printed on 8 1/2 x 11 white cardstock (non-SU) and have sections for all the different dies - ie. Embosslits, Originals dies, Bigz Dies, etc. Then for each section the names of all the dies are on the pages but with enough room to put a sample of the die cut. Adhere the sample die cut then place in a sheet protection and put in the binder.
What is great about this idea is that your customers can see the dies as they are cut out - not just a picture in a catalogue. She had a friend that had some of the dies that we didn't have so she was able to get almost all of the dies in the catalogue for us. You can mark "retired" for any dies or embossing folders, etc. that do retire but you still have. That way your inventory is complete but any customers looking through your book will know they can no longer purchase that die. When new dies are added you can just add more pages to that section.
I can't thank you enough for that link to Kat's Scrappy Bloggy Life. Those inventory sheets are exactly what I've been looking for! I have a wonderful little black book with all my stamps, scanned and shrunk down to fit the pocket size pages. But I've never been able to figure out how to inventory the rest of the stuff. Thank you so much for taking the time to share that great site!
-c
I can't thank you enough for that link to Kat's Scrappy Bloggy Life. Those inventory sheets are exactly what I've been looking for! I have a wonderful little black book with all my stamps, scanned and shrunk down to fit the pocket size pages. But I've never been able to figure out how to inventory the rest of the stuff. Thank you so much for taking the time to share that great site!
-c
Ages ago I used to keep an inventory of my stamp supplies and made some inventory pages. Since I no longer use them I haven't made any updates but you might find them useful. They are in this thread:
I have been looking for a better solution as well, rather than carrying a little notepad in my purse with all my supply lists. Check out ]iTrackmine - The Ultimate Collection Manager ladies, it totally ROCKS!
It is an online website that you can set up a free account to catalogue collections of whatever you want - movies, cd's, books, papercrafting supplies... :p You can enter items by searching with the name or more quickly with the product upc code either by typing it in or scanning the barcode if you have an ipad or android tablet app. (and you can upload pictures if there isn't one already)
Now I don't have a tablet, so just to test it out last night to see if it would work for my needs, I started entering in my Tim Holtz distress ink pads as a test. It was relatively easy and I think only 1 didn't come up so I just entered it as a custom item (then it is in their database for anyone to find in the future) I also added a few packs of my stamps and spellbinders dies. Granted it will take me some time to initially set up, but now when I am out shopping I can pull up the website on my Blackberry and just search by name or product UPC code to see if it is in my stash already or when I buy new stuff I just add it before I throw away the packaging.
Another great use for it is when I am doing craft fairs if a customer wants to order a customized item I can bring up the website and show them stamps I have available or products I have to use that they can choose from.
If you have the patience to enter in what you already have, it is the perfect solution for cataloguing your papercraft stash!
I have adapted my inventory sheets (I don't remember where I got the originals - sorry). I'd be glad to share with you, but I don't know how to share them here. They are all excell files so if someone tells me how to include them in a post I'll be glad to share.
I've been meaning to make a book with both the positive and negative (where appropriate) cuts from both dies and punches. Id keep the negative portions so I can place them over stamps to see if they will fit. But I'm not sure how to go about it. Any ideas? I'd like both pieces to be easy to remove and place on my project and one system for all sizes of cuts.
__________________ RebeccaEdnie Mixed Media Artist, Paper Crafter, Jewelry Designer SCSDirtyDozenAlumni Www.Boxofchocolatescrafts.Com YouNeverKnowWhatI’mGoingtoMake
My friend and I use 3-ring binders to keep track of our Sizzix dies. I haven't quite put mine all together yet but the idea is great. We printed on 8 1/2 x 11 white cardstock (non-SU) and have sections for all the different dies - ie. Embosslits, Originals dies, Bigz Dies, etc. Then for each section the names of all the dies are on the pages but with enough room to put a sample of the die cut. Adhere the sample die cut then place in a sheet protection and put in the binder.
What is great about this idea is that your customers can see the dies as they are cut out - not just a picture in a catalogue. She had a friend that had some of the dies that we didn't have so she was able to get almost all of the dies in the catalogue for us. You can mark "retired" for any dies or embossing folders, etc. that do retire but you still have. That way your inventory is complete but any customers looking through your book will know they can no longer purchase that die. When new dies are added you can just add more pages to that section.
Great discussion. I've subscribed to it and been following it.
I began doing these worksheets and lists years ago, and have now expanded to scanning in each filled out sheet and list and storing by category in folders on my hard drive.
That website intrigued me, until I realized that I could accomplish the same thing, just by uploading scans of all my sheets to my google documents, which can be private or publicly shared. Saves the re-keying and getting used to a different format.
I would urge anyone wanting to do this type of inventorying to go the additional step and scan in those worksheets. With my rubber stamps stored in cd cases, it has made ALL the difference in my finding them more quickly and using them more. And, if you back up your files and have a fire or disaster, you have at least some of your inventory catalogued for claims.
I used this method to catalog my punches: I punched each one out of white paper leaving room between for a positive punch from colored cardstock and info about the punch. I stuck the positive next to the negative and slipped it into a plastic sleeve. I kept the pages kind of in catagories - oval, circles, flowers, edgers etc. Whenever you need to see if a punch will "fit", just slide the page over your item and it will show thru the negative. If I am looking to purchase a specific size of, say, an oval, I keep a copy of that page in my purse so I do not buy double. Not that I would ever do that. LOL I then keep all the pages in a three ring binder. You can get a lot of pages of punches in a 1" binder.
Sue
I have been looking for a better solution as well, rather than carrying a little notepad in my purse with all my supply lists. Check out ]iTrackmine - The Ultimate Collection Manager ladies, it totally ROCKS!
It is an online website that you can set up a free account to catalogue collections of whatever you want - movies, cd's, books, papercrafting supplies... :p You can enter items by searching with the name or more quickly with the product upc code either by typing it in or scanning the barcode if you have an ipad or android tablet app. (and you can upload pictures if there isn't one already)
Now I don't have a tablet, so just to test it out last night to see if it would work for my needs, I started entering in my Tim Holtz distress ink pads as a test. It was relatively easy and I think only 1 didn't come up so I just entered it as a custom item (then it is in their database for anyone to find in the future) I also added a few packs of my stamps and spellbinders dies. Granted it will take me some time to initially set up, but now when I am out shopping I can pull up the website on my Blackberry and just search by name or product UPC code to see if it is in my stash already or when I buy new stuff I just add it before I throw away the packaging.
Another great use for it is when I am doing craft fairs if a customer wants to order a customized item I can bring up the website and show them stamps I have available or products I have to use that they can choose from.
If you have the patience to enter in what you already have, it is the perfect solution for cataloguing your papercraft stash!
Cheers, Tetcha
Sounds like a great plan! I'll be looking into this myself!
Great ideas here on this thread!
My old 3-ring binder of stamped images seems rather outdated these days!
I have a sample binder of all my items (except paper and embellies). I also maintain an excell spreadsheet that is strictly for CTMH items so I can track everything of theirs, incl embellies and paper packs. I know this is really going overboard, but I also keep every catalogue and go back thorough them highlighting every item I own.
I don't think that's over overboard at all. I've got so much money wrapped up in these supplies and I want to use them, not store them forever. At the CK Convention 2 years ago I spent $20 on Spellbinders and came home to discover I already had them. Can't return them when the Convention is over, right? I swore that would not happen to me again, and that's when I started making my Little Black Book. Now I don't buy things twice, and I use what I have. I think going through your CTMH catalogs and highlighting what you have is a great idea. That's why they call them IDEA BOOKS.
I have been looking for a better solution as well, rather than carrying a little notepad in my purse with all my supply lists. Check out ]iTrackmine - The Ultimate Collection Manager ladies, it totally ROCKS!
It is an online website that you can set up a free account to catalogue collections of whatever you want - movies, cd's, books, papercrafting supplies... :p You can enter items by searching with the name or more quickly with the product upc code either by typing it in or scanning the barcode if you have an ipad or android tablet app. (and you can upload pictures if there isn't one already)
Now I don't have a tablet, so just to test it out last night to see if it would work for my needs, I started entering in my Tim Holtz distress ink pads as a test. It was relatively easy and I think only 1 didn't come up so I just entered it as a custom item (then it is in their database for anyone to find in the future) I also added a few packs of my stamps and spellbinders dies. Granted it will take me some time to initially set up, but now when I am out shopping I can pull up the website on my Blackberry and just search by name or product UPC code to see if it is in my stash already or when I buy new stuff I just add it before I throw away the packaging.
Another great use for it is when I am doing craft fairs if a customer wants to order a customized item I can bring up the website and show them stamps I have available or products I have to use that they can choose from.
If you have the patience to enter in what you already have, it is the perfect solution for cataloguing your papercraft stash!
Cheers, Tetcha
Thank you very much for turning me on to itrakmine!!! I am loving it.
You don't know how many times I've tried to inventory my craft stuff and the different ways that I have tried!!! I think this time it's going to work.