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Hello. How do you store your completed cards? I had mine wrapped individually in the clear celophane envelope, then all of them stacked in a cardboard carton. After the basement flood, I moved completed cards into a large plastic box, so maybe they would survive if another basement flood were to happen. It seems a shame to put so much work into them and then only have them stacked in a box, waiting to be mailed or given to the VA or whatever their destination is. How do you store your completed cards?
I have few completed cards, since I tend to make them as the occasion arises. I do have a bunch of backgrounds and pre-folded blanks. Since I like vertical flipping, they're upright in a plastic bin.
I use two different Container Store boxes for different types of storage, and don't remember if the "almost cards" are in one of their Pure boxes or the other type. In any case, I like them because they're very sturdy, inexpensive, and very light weight.
I have several of these photo cases: Large Photo Keeper KP-LPHO - SHOP IRIS USA. Most of them are used for their intended purpose, but I have one that I stole all the boxes from for things like small wood pieces, dimensional stickers, metal nameplates and frames, small tools, etc., and so the case itself is empty. I have A2 cards, upright, on one side; larger cards on their sides on the other side. I slide it underneath my work table so it's not in my way. I need to mail the cards, sell them or donate them so I won't need the case... ;)
I use this storage box: http://amzn.to/2vtELxr. It works really well for me. I can organize them by category and then just grab one when I need it. I make a lot of cards as I need them, but I always keep some thank-you and birthday cards on hand, as well as blank ones that I can use for any occasion.
I have a plastic shoebox and I have my cards stored in that in clear sleeves. I wish I could say I have a problem finding places to store all my completed cards, but one shoebox more than does it. I'm such a meditative crafter ("meditative" being how I have reframed what I used to say, which was that I was slow), that I don't have much backlog. ;)!
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
I purchased two decorative wooden boxes with hinged lids at Hobby Lobby a few years back, and keep them as decorative elements on two shelves in my wall entertainment unit. They look great and cards are easy to find. Plus they don't take up valuable craftroom space.
I originally found this bin and kept all my cards in it (note - I bought it on sale for under 10$ at my local Michaels).
I liked it because I could keep the cards organized by theme and it's large enough to store quite a few cards. However, I came across two problems:
1) I quickly outgrew it and had more cards than the bin could hold. By that point, though, the bin wasn't on sale anymore and I didn't want to invest $25+ for another set I would also outgrow before long.
2) More importantly, I rarely ventured into the bin. I would either forget about it and make a new card when the need arose or I'd feel like I'd improved since I made those cards and I should make something better instead.
So, I build a different system for myself to help me both keep track of cards and encourage using the cards I've made.
First, I have a cute little cloth bin just like this one sitting on my desk.
I got it from the baby section at Target, and it has little whales and dolphins swimming through clouds and stars. It's a collapsible box, and when it's not in use, I can quickly fold it flat and stick it in a gap between my shelf and my desk. In this bin, I put my finished cards. When the basket gets fuller, I go through the cards and pair them with an envelope. I photograph any cards I want to feature on my blog/gallery to and then seal them all individually in a clear envelope bag.
After that, all cards go in a cute pink basket. The basket is on my office desk and I can easily reach in to grab a card or a bunch of cards to use. Next to the pink basket is a thin white basket that holds some washi tape, stamps, address labels and pens for easy mailing. Having the cards and mailing essentials in a visible and accessible place has really helped me remember to use them more often. I try to tidy my office desk every Friday, and I always rummage through the bin to find a card to mail to someone.
At the end of every month, I go through the basket and divide the cards that are left over into sets I can give away or cards I can donate to a cause. The gift sets and donate piles go into boxes. If I don't have enough to make a complete gift set or too few cards in the priority box for donation, I use that as an extra motivator to keep creating in the weeks to come. When a gift set is full, it goes in the "gifts" box (it's a small box with interesting bits and pieces I buy on sale just in case I need a last-minute gift) next to my gift-wrap shelf, so I can wrap and address it next time I need a gift.
I like this system because I never feel like my cards are just sitting there, gathering dust while I wait for the perfect occasion to give them out.
I have a card box for storing cards I bought from Oriental Trading years ago!But after reading this am looking into plastic...I store mine in the basement, too.
Better safe then sorry!
I use some bins intended for parts storage at a retail store that I found at Menards. I purchased some clear school rulers and cut them to the correct length to make dividers across the middle of the bin from front to back (slots for dividers are molded in but Menards didn't carry them). I have well over 100 cards in one and it is only about 3/4 full. They have envelopes ready with them as well. I made sorting dividers from old pad back cardboard and red file folders so I can file by categories. I don't use the clear envelopes as I try to move the cards out before they become dusty. I like being able to quickly find categories and so far at least I am happy with the bins. I have all A2 cards in the above but am using another for oversized,square and office envelope type cards. Since I purchased three I am currently using the other to hold all my 6x6, 8x8 and assorted smaller pads of DSP. I also found some mental mesh bins at Menards that are now being used to hold all my ribbon spools. I must confess that the 4 I purchased were not enough to hold all of the ribbon so my goal now is to use up some almost gone and off the spool pieces so the shelf looks neater.
__________________ c-mouse-If you can't say nuttin nice--don't say nuttin at all. Thumper. Pansy
Card Sketch Challenge 1-227 done only 396+ to go to be caught up!!!!!
I store my cards in a tall, slim, rotating card rack that takes up 14 inches of floor space. There are 24 slots, and each slot accommodates between 8-10 cards. I like being able to see my work. Once it is full, or very close to it, I donate the cards and begin again. Currently, it is filling up with autumn/winter/holiday cards.
Since I have been making cards for 18 years now, I have kept a few cards that I can't give away. LOL I liked the technique or style of the card so much that I made an extra just to keep. So with that said, I have lots of boxes of cards stored in my room. I use cardboard photo boxes, put a divider at the halfway mark and store two rows of cards. Caution though, not all photo boxes measure the same, so take your measuring tape. I buy mine at Michael's. I have also used some of the decorator boxes that are in several sizes, I just measure them to see if they will work for rows of the A2 size.
I'm with LindaF409. I use the Michaels cardboard photo boxes to store my cards. I have six or seven of them as I like to keep the cards I have made at classes for inspiration in a future card. The photo boxes have little name plates on the front so my cards are sorted by Heartfelt, Stampin' Up!, Christmas etc. My old samples have come in handy for me on several occasions, especially when I want to use an older product and need some inspiration. I have mine in the basement as well but am lucky that they sit high up on shelves. HTH!!!:grin:
Rachelrose, I love your description of yourself as a meditative crafter ; )
I think I'll start describing myself that way rather than "slow", haha! I enjoy the process; it's my restorative time. Thus, I don't have tons of cards to store and I try to mail out several every week. The completed cards that aren't mailed out right away are stored in pretty, covered photo boxes which are always on sale somewhere.
I store my cards in photo boxes, too. When I want to keep a card for ideas, I scan it into my computer. When I have 4 like cards (birthday, sympathy, thinking of you, etc..), I copy them to a Word document and print it. Then I keep the printed copy in a binder divided by category. I am now free to send the card.
When I get stuck for ideas, the copies come in handy!
I have a cloth covered box that has a separate lid. The box measures 19" wide x 14.25" long x 6" high.
I have tabbed dividers I made, using my WRMK 123 Punchboard. The cardstock is black 6.25" tall x 4.5" wide. I use my P-Touch label maker to attach labels to each divider. The names are:
Blank
Birthday
Congrats
Friend
Get Well
Hello
Holidays
Love
Male
Thanks
Thinking of You
I attached a picture of the box that holds my cards, & a picture of the tabbed dividers.
Tabbed Divider BOX
There is a divider I made from scrapbook paper that puts the cards into 2 columns. I took a sheet of 12x12" cardstock, and scored it at 3, 6, & 9 inches top to bottom. Then I glued the 2nd and 3rd part of the folds together to create one piece. The other 2 parts which are on the outside, are folded the opposite way, so it has the one divider sticking up and the 2 outer pieces folded flat. I glued that to the center of a 12x9.5" paper and placed it in the box before adding my cards.
Last edited by Jannarama; 08-16-2017 at 02:50 PM..
I have hundreds of cards which were in a multitude of boxes all over the place. I recently got three large boxes (13x5.5x10") from IKEA in which I managed to corral most of my cards. I have a special box just for ones with dimensional layers like flowers so they don't get damaged. These are lightly packed. The other two boxes have tabs for categories and they are packed tight.
If I'm concerned that delicate parts of a card may get torn or damaged I put them in plastic envelopes like stamps and dies come in (without the hang tab part).
FINALLY I can look through them in a decent amount of time!! And if I'm mailing, I skip the dimensional ones. It sure was fun to look back on all the cards I've made. How my techniques have changed, how I've improved especially in my colouring!
And now when hubby remembers he needs a card before he leaves for work at 5:15 he can get out his own dang card!!
I'd love to leave mine out to see them all but I have a lot of windows, a blessing and a curse!
I don't have a ton of cards, so I'm able to corral all mine in a mesh basket drawer. I got this one at Bed Bath & Beyond, with a coupon. It comes with 2 metal mesh dividers already, and slides in and out on its frame. You can secure the frame to a shelf, but I just have mine sitting loose. I made tabbed dividers from cardstock, using my 1-2-3 Punch Board, and laminated them. I printed labels with my label maker. Mostly, I have Christmas, Our Miscellaneous, & Send a Smile 4 Kids (for cards I send to them). I usually make cards for our personal use on an as-needed basis, so I don't really have any sub-categories for those. I have my unit stored on a high-ish shelf--about my eye-level--so our cats can't get into it! When I need to access it, it's really easy, though. :cool:
Since I love to go to thrift stores, I have many of my supplies and completed cards in containers I find there.
I have wicker baskets, plastic containers with tops, even an unusual vintage bowl or two that holds things on my desk.
It's amazing what people donate and what I pay for these "lovelies". When I tire of them, I just turn around and redonate (is that a word?) and then buy different ones.
__________________ We can't all be stars but we can all twinkle.
Just like papercrafter40. Mine are a stacking mesh basket that slides out-made cardboard dividers for subject, and LOVE it! My A2 cards (only size I make) are all placed in a re-sealable plastic sleeve for protection, and then sorted by subject. I currently have over 200 cards in these, getting ready for a show in October. I use the second one for my dies. Made 4 x 6 magnetic cards, and divided by subject as well. Even with the weight of the dies, the drawer slides so easy. The bigger die sets are in a separate section on the top shelf. These were more of the shapes, Stitched, and classic dies, not so much the hearts, branches and such. Am definitely buying two more-they don't take up a lot of "real estate", and are so sturdy. Best solution to my card and die storage I have found.
Last edited by auntiof8; 08-19-2017 at 12:26 PM..
Reason: added another stamper's id.
@ascrapofkindess -- where did you get that rack? I would love one! That is a small footprint!
Dorie I have a number of thrift treasures around the room including some small silver plate pieces on my desk-I finally had to let go of some. I had a baby's SP handled cup a little beat up so I used it for water for painting for example.
I am probably the least fancy here. I put them in gallon zip locks-the bulk holidays, etc.
The ones I *should* have for myself to pull from for get wells, sympathy, etc...I have a cloth box I got a long time ago to store store bought cards. I still have some of those too...been years. That's how many I had!
I have a 4 drawer rack in which i keep my art supplies. I place some of my completed cards in envelopes (which has some embellishments or delicate die cuts) and keep those along with other cards that I have received in ziplock bags. I place them in the last drawer where I also keep other paper supplies.
I also write a little description of the card with pencil on the envelope so that I can know what's inside without opening each envelope and before sending the cards I erase the pencils marks.
It has been working really well for me especially as I don't need to purchase any new storage supplies plus it saves alot of space.
Check out the "really useful boxes" at Office Max/Depot. Locking lids, stackable with each other--use the one for CDs for my A2 cards: completed or sketches. Many other sizes are used for my CM border-maker cartridges; 3"x3" cards in-process; traveling case for small embellishments; etc, etc!!
My entire Photography materials(DH called it junk) is kept organized in everysize you can find. A huge one with lights and extension cords, smaller ones hold items needed to do drip splash photos, wheat, glow sticks, balls of many sizes, marbles, you name it I probably have it and in a Really Useful box to boot ( this has saved replacing items when a pipe burst in the laundry room cum storage room as nothing became wet except the floor.) Then turn the corner into my Room of Chaos ( crafting) and you see even more....envelope storage, origami papers and patterns, labeler, bling, brads, you name it goes in those loverly boxes...and they stack so nicely and are sturdy as well. Couldn't exist without them.
__________________ c-mouse-If you can't say nuttin nice--don't say nuttin at all. Thumper. Pansy
Card Sketch Challenge 1-227 done only 396+ to go to be caught up!!!!!
We have a Container Store in Omaha, so I will run out there and take a look at what they have. Thank you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bjeans
I have few completed cards, since I tend to make them as the occasion arises. I do have a bunch of backgrounds and pre-folded blanks. Since I like vertical flipping, they're upright in a plastic bin.
I use two different Container Store boxes for different types of storage, and don't remember if the "almost cards" are in one of their Pure boxes or the other type. In any case, I like them because they're very sturdy, inexpensive, and very light weight.
Thank you! This also looks like it would work for what I need it to do.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scrapjanny
I use this storage box: Bitly. It works really well for me. I can organize them by category and then just grab one when I need it. I make a lot of cards as I need them, but I always keep some thank-you and birthday cards on hand, as well as blank ones that I can use for any occasion.
Thank you ALL for responding to my question. This website and the people who post, are so terrific. Where else can you ask a specific question and receive options? So many great ideas here are shared. I never thought to look at Bed Bath and Beyond or the Container Store for card storage! I'm making good progress putting the basement back together. The water restoration work is complete. Now, I'm trying to replace storage items that were damaged and unpack the boxes and put away 'stuff'. Not yet sure what I will use for completed card storage, but there are several options here that will work for me. Maybe I will count how many I currently have completed and that will help me decide. Have a super Saturday.
depending on the size of cards you make ( I do a variety) sometimes the one size fits all storage approach does not work... so, I have my cards with a paper mailing envelope inside clear storage envelopes on their sides so I can flip through them, So 5X7 cards are laying sideways inside vintage suitcases that stack in a pile in my space.
but, I make a ton of cards that get donated and or sold besides one's I make for specific people to mail to personally, so, I have a few hundred at any given time on hand.
the cases also do double duty at a craft bazaar fundraiser at a school in my neighborhood once a year I then display them on vintage luggage racks.
I have 4 plastic containers with a hinged lid and plastic dividers for the few cards that I make to keep on hand for emergencies. Usually I make needed cards by the month for the specific person/occasion and send them off.
Hi. This looks promising. Can you tell me about how many cards you store in each pocket? Thank you!
So sorry I missed your question. I don't look online often. Anyway, I can store up to 10 cards in each pocket. If there is quite a bit of dimension, such as with a shaker card, then about 6 cards.
Storage of completed cards
Card storage
