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I have been stamping, die cutting (and embossing) new stamp sets several times, particularly ones that I am coloring. Also, doing the same thing with word dies that I think I will use on many different cards--large Thank you's, Hugs, etc. I haven't figured out a good way to store them so that I can get to them easily. I had a similar problem with pieces that I made using various techniques, such as alcohol ink backgrounds, distress ink backgrounds but I got an extra interdesign bin that is the right size for A2 cards, then created dividers for various catagories. Do other people only cut what you are using for one project? Any suggestions welcome.
I keep my leftover scraps by color in 3 ring binder page protectors on top of colored cardstock. When I punch extra die cuts, I put them in a little clear envelope and slide that into the page protector. Not a perfect method, but works for me.
In the U.K. i reuse the plastic boxes that the Chinese take away comes in and label them round,square,oval etc,with my cut dies in them. I also cannibalise birthday and Christmas cards with small dies like butterflies and they have their own box.It's not perfect but works for me.
I keep mine in an accordion folder but I have found that when I make a bunch of extra die cuts and file them away I completely forget about them. Then when I look through them a year later I have moved on and am not interested in using many of them. I stopped cutting extras for that reason. Just my experience but I just threw out a dozen die cut rabbits. I think I had already given the die away. Great if you use them but not great if they end up in the trash. I’ve had a little better luck with storing extra mostly white sentiments right in the CD envelope the die is stored in.
I use the SU clamshell boxes...label the end and long side with what is there and file them in ABC order on a metal shelf purchased from HL. I also have some for labels sets ( think Tim Holtz and other notables) and periodically I go through my scrap boxfile and cut up pieces of every color and keep them all together. When I need a label or am thinking about using a certain set of word dies I go to the clamshells first to see if I already have a color needed cut. Find it saves me from cutting one at a time during card construction. I cut ahead on the word dies when I am stuck for an idea for a project to work on. It works for me.
__________________ 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 rarely cut for one project. I have a lot of die cut, papers, stamp pieces too.
I organize mine in categories like fantasy, words, animals. I do put my stamp and die cut images in the same system. I have a journaling mindset that this is all my ephemera. I will store colored stamp pieces separately from my other items. Like for example if I have a sandwich bag full of dog die cuts. I will store my dog colored stamp pieces behind it in another sandwich bag. That way I know I have two of the same categories together. I store everything in sandwich bags or envelopes. They are all in a photo boxes.
Papers I have made I keep in large sandwich bags by colors or type. I keep those in an Iris case.
I also keep one box that I throw in all my random pieces I cut through the month. Once every month or two I set down and put the items I haven't used in my categories. I love to do this because I always find something new when I am putting away something old.
I use the currency/trading card/postcard sleeves for storing mine, kept in a 3 ring binder. As you can get the currency sleeves in a wide selection of types- coin/banknote etc, you can have plenty of pocket size choice.
I do not keep the dies that come in those thick heavy sizzix plastic envelopes in those envelopes. so, I tend to put the die cut sentiments and some shapes in those envelopes and into a drawer. ( not everything fits in them) so, other things I sort by die or theme or what ever and put them in the same kind of clear envelopes that I put finished cards into. so these are all in a drawer and I can just flip through the envelopes.
I tend to stamp extra sentiments on skinny scraps and die cut them to have them as "ready to use" on nearly finished cards quickly so, I do not have huge scrap bins of plain cardstock. I do try to cut it up into things that I will use later.
I used to save die-cuts for years. I never found a great system for filing them. I never retrieved them. Same as the previous poster, when I do come across them they are no longer in style or something I want to use.
I just threw most of them away, and I have a new policy not to save them. Sorry to be so candid and direct.
1) I really never bulk cut die-cut pieces in advance but sometimes have extras from a project, or just make a few more. Those went into a clear SU! envelope either with the stamp set usually if the die-cut is already stamped, so its right there when I open the case, have found it handy with pre-stamped and cut flowers or Birthday greeting when doing a project. And if the image wasn't stamped, quite often the die cut piece used to go into a clear envelope into plastic sleeve (SU! SIZZIX) that my dies come in, with the dies.
I probably tend to use the ones that are stored with the stamp set more, but that does mean taking out the stamp set which I normally would and I find its a bonus when there is extra pieces already stamped and cut that work for my project.
2) If you bulk stamped and die-cut images wonder if just using a photo box that has precut and stamped images and just categorizing them labelled into clear envelopes or sleeves would be handy. Like having all the butterflies or Happy Birthdays (no matter what set it came from) together then you could flip through (think this was mentioned earlier) This thread does have me rethinking how I do stuff, I usually pull out a particular stamp set but this may be a convenient way too.
3)Just recently, since I bought a Stamparatus, I make a Template of dies that coordinate with stamp images.
Write the name of die set on template and Insert with coordinating stamp set.
so now I have been cutting some extra pre-cut dies with set to stamp on using the template and SAR.
I keep those die-cut pieces in the clear envelopes stampin' Up ! sells inside the stamp case. Then I can stamp them in whatever colour I want for the project. I think I will find this particularly handy when bringing my stamps with in the RV since I don't bring the dies and big shot along.
If I have extra's that I think my granddaughters would like to use, I save those for them. I also include a few in swaps; I save some for future use in cellophane bags and/or plastic photo containers. Sometimes just that odd die cut inspires me to make a card with it.
Here is what I do. The dies on magnetic cards go in front of the white cardstock insert in the envelope. The extra pre-cut pieces go behind the insert.
I love these ideas. I keep it simple and put my extras in legal size envelopes and write the type of dies on the front. Example: trees, butterflys, ect. I keep them standing up in a cookie tin that is long enough for the envelopes and look there first before cutting new ones. I find I use them more often that way and cards can go faster if I already have what I need. Sometimes I cut dies and then decide they don't work and go a different direction, so I put them in the envelope for later. Works for me.
__________________ Family faces are like magic mirrors. When we look at those who belong to us we see the past, the present and the future.
I had my leftover die-cuts and other pieces all separated at one point and tucked neatly in a drawer with my embellishments. I never opened that drawer and therefore never used the leftovers. I got an idea from a youtube video to just store all of them in a container and just flip thought them. I kind of have them separated in the container with sentiments in front, colored images (critters), die-cuts themselves (like leaf cuts or hearts) then Christmas/holiday in the back. I have a few but not 100s so this works and now I use them much more frequently.
I had my leftover die-cuts and other pieces all separated at one point and tucked neatly in a drawer with my embellishments. I never opened that drawer and therefore never used the leftovers. I got an idea from a youtube video to just store all of them in a container and just flip thought them. I kind of have them separated in the container with sentiments in front, colored images (critters), die-cuts themselves (like leaf cuts or hearts) then Christmas/holiday in the back. I have a few but not 100s so this works and now I use them much more frequently.
This method was the only one thstceorked for me to use my scraps. When I need an embellishment my brain thinks of objects or words so that is how I try to organize my cuts.
I recently sorted my extra dies into ziplock bags. I then attached a clip on curtain ring and they hang from tension rod. The rod is hung between the legs of my bar height steel topped table I use for cutting and embossing.
I keep mine in the clear A2 size card protectors and then in a cheap photo storage box. I cut the tab portion of manila folders off to make dividers according to subject and stack them in the box.
I try to only cut what I'm going to use - or pre-assemble, in the case of complicated paper piece work - but inevitably you end up with a few extras. I find they get used the most when I store them with their corresponding die.
The exception are small die cuts. These I keep in a little plastic box with several compartments, roughly sorted in either specific parts (nature/plants/animals etc.), general shapes, and *really* tiny bits; think shaker sized confetti.
I also make a habit of starting all projects with 'extra' die-cuts. That way I'm always using at least something previously made.
I buy magnetic vent covers from home improvement stores that come in a packs of 3 - 8" x15" which I cut down to fit the cheap 4x6 photo album pockets that I buy at the dollar store. I open the albums up to the center and use my exacto knife to cut out the spine leaving the inner sealed seam in tact. On one side I store my dies and on the other side I store extra die cut pieces for future projects. To store the pages I stand them in food storage bins.
See examples of supplies below:Shop the dollar stores for these https://www.amazon.com/Photos-Flexib...6+photo+albumsHardware stores for these https://www.amazon.com/Accord-AMAGCO...tic+vent+coverfood storage bins found at discount stores similar to these https://www.amazon.com/mDesign-Plast...e+storage+bins
Storing extra die cuts -- any ideas?
