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OK, I did not actually do this. I decided I have so many background stamps and Christmas stamps that I wanted a clearer picture of what I have.
I made a list of my background stamps and color coded the cases. I also made a list of my Christmas sets and color coded those cases. I’m hoping this will motivate me to use more of my older stamps and to spark some creative juices when I want an extra touch. Does anyone else do this?
I cataloged some of the sentiments I have and that helps me when I want to find just the right sentiment. Still more to do but it has really helped.
Just curious as to what others do. It’s one way I “craft” when I run out of card ideas. I’m still crafting and enjoying my room!!
I have all my stamps, generally by category, in binders. I also have an index on my PC in folders both by brand, and theme. That way I can see at a glance all the stamps on a theme without having to keep getting folders out. I seem to not forget what I have so often that way.
I decided to use Evernote as my stamp catalog. The free version has a limit on how much “new information” you can add per month so I paid for the bottom tier version for a year so I could add as much as I want when I was in the mood.
I use my iPad and open the App, then use the photo taking option. I snap a picture, put in the name of the set as the Title of the new note, then add tags with words I would use for that set. ALL sets that have any sentiments at all, even just one, get the tag Sentiments....so I can use that as a search word.
This App helps me “shop my stash”. I can type in “Birthday” as a search word and all my sets that I think have anything to do with birthdays that I tagged that way will pop up in picture format and I can scroll through and see each set to decide what to use.
I plan on adding pictures of all my embossing folders soon.
It’s not a perfect system, sometimes sets show up that aren’t tagged with the word I searched. I’m not sure if it’s a compatibility issue with my iPad OS....or the fact that I run the free version now. But the way I have to store my stamps this picture “catalog” really helps me look through what I have.
I use Evernote too - I have stamps and dies cataloged, as well as foiling plates now and stencils from one company I work with - I may add more stencils and maybe embossing folders, just to know what I have and be able to link more easily in blog posts.
I made a Google spreadsheet with a photo of the stamp set, name of the set, manufacturer, and retail price. I create a new sheet for those manufacturer's of which I own more than a handful of items.
I also keep track of dies since those usually cost a bunch.
I started doing this not only to know what I have, but it will also help if something happens for insurance purposes.
I have just started using Airtable to catalogue all my stamp sets. It will prob take me a lifetime, but I need to start somewhere.
Evernote is a similar app.
When I started stamping I bought mostly single wood block stamps. I have them stored by categories, such as birthday, animals, thank you, etc., in drawer cabinets (I have 2 of these) from Stamp n Storage. I took a picture of the contents of each drawer and printed them. I have them in a loose leaf notebook in sheet protectors. Then I discovered Stampin Up stamps and other sets. I merely copy pictures of the front cover of the sets and put those in the notebook with the other categories. When I decide to stamp, I just pull out the notebook and go through it. I also have samples of my embossing folders, stencils, and dies in the notebook. I'm not sure this would work if you have a huge collection of stamps and other items, but it works for me.
I started out with paper catalogs of stamps/dies and have continued. I use 5x7 notebooks, copy the new stamp/die/embossing folder as I purchase it and insert in the indexed notebook. I then use the same index titles and store the stamps in plastic envelopes with name and vendor printed on label at the top of each envelop. Stack them up in baskets...I am a flip through kind of gal! The dies are stored similarly but , in CD cases with labels on top edge. I use heat register magnetic inserts (cut to size) to hold the dies in the cases.
I also catalog all my embossing powder colors, markers, ink pads, watercolor swatches and any specialty paints in these same notebooks. I have 5-6 notebooks stacked in my mobile cart next to my work surface for quick reference. I go through these notebooks to get inspiration and refresh my memory of what I have before I start a group of cards or for multi-media art . A system that works for me and prevents double purchases also.
__________________ Have a creative day, every day.
I too used the paper method for years…had binders set up by theme, Flower, Birds, Christmas, BD…etc… Worked great as long as I remember to stamp everything and get them in there right place….. But I wanted something I could check while out shopping and found out about Evernote from here and tried it….will I was hooked. I just used the FREE version even thou I used up my limit the first month quickly, it gave me time to think more about how I had it set up and change some things while it was small. Now I have all my stamps, dies, foil dies, embossing folders in it and LOVE it. But again you have to remember to put your new things in too…. I even have a few personal Items in there that I needed while out. I tried a lot of different methods but Evernote is the best for me by far.
I keep stamps together with the same theme in containers (I PROBABLY need a better way of storing them & have been thinking on this. Space is an issue too, so I can't really do too much about the stamps at this point), BUT the sentiments are the thing that I make sure I index, so I know what I have to choose from. As EACH ORDER comes in, I index into a file box under subjects, & add what set they are in, & company they're from & sometimes, what container I keep them in if necessary. I am not as computer literate as others on here, so I don't use the computer for things like this; I like a hard copy of everything. Showing my age here.... LOL
I love Airtable - it's totally customizable. It is incredibly useful to be able to search by a theme, a sentiment or a type of stamp, die or stencil. Attaching a screenshot of mine. I also record the price for my insurance. It also lets you link a stamp to a matching die, which you can see in my screenshot.
I have a large collection of stamps and other supplies. I currently have a paper index where I can see the actual size of stamps, and have them filed in the index by theme. I also have a scanned copy of sets index on my computer, but it is very "old school" and really only allows searching in a very limited way. I don't have it available on my phone and it is not very efficient.
I've been thinking about trying Evernote but haven't actually installed it, yet. Lydia, can you share why you chose to use Airtable and let us know some of the features you like/dislike? I know a lot of people really like Evernote but there is not as many crafters discussing Airtable. Any insight you could provide would be greatly appreciated.
If you have Microsoft Office, you also have a free program called One Note. That is very similar to Evernote, but doesn't have a search facility. I use it loading in all the images of stamps/dies, lists of inkpads etc, on my PC, then the app on your phone is automatically synced, so you have an inventory when you go shopping.
Am I the only one NOT cataloguing stamps...? I seem to know what I have- for the most part - and spend time perusing my sets to find what I want to use, not flipping through notebooks or spreadsheets. Maybe I have a more manageable stash, is that why? I DON’T mean to sound snarky, I am genuinely curious.
I would like to know your purpose for cataloging, is it so you keep track of different companies? That would make sense to me. Or if you have a large collection, that might make it easier as well.
[QUOTE=cardmaker2;21828034]Am I the only one NOT cataloguing stamps...? I seem to know what I have- for the most part - and spend time perusing my sets to find what I want to use, not flipping through notebooks or spreadsheets. Maybe I have a more manageable stash, is that why? I DON’T mean to sound snarky, I am genuinely curious.
I have catalogued just a few sets to help me remember to use them. If I’m inspired to stamp but not sure of a set to use, my catalog greases that wheel. I have a LOT of stamps so flipping through them could take some time. Grouping by theme is the best way for me. Fun to see what others are doing.
You don’t sound snarky by the way, just curious. 🤗
Am I the only one NOT cataloguing stamps...? I seem to know what I have- for the most part - and spend time perusing my sets to find what I want to use, not flipping through notebooks or spreadsheets. Maybe I have a more manageable stash, is that why? I DON’T mean to sound snarky, I am genuinely curious.
I would like to know your purpose for cataloging, is it so you keep track of different companies? That would make sense to me. Or if you have a large collection, that might make it easier as well.
I know, for myself, that for quite awhile I could keep ALL of my stamp sets in my head and know where they were. Since I've been "collecting" *ahem* for over 20 years now, not only is the collection more than my brain can wrap around, but I purge often and need visual cues to remind me what I still have and what's "missing" (I don't miss it, but since it's not still there...).
I have ATC-sized cards of each stamp set organized by manufacturer in one binder, and actual-sized stamped cards in the same sleeves as the stamps themselves, organized by category.
The "category" binders have morphed multiple times, but I like having the image with the stamp itself so I don't have to cross-reference with yet another binder. I write the manufacturer and stamp set name on the card with the stamped image so I can know that info when I post here or on my blog, or go find the whole set if I feel the need. Most sets are no longer complete, though...
Searching is one of the best features of Evernote, as is the feature that it works on all operating systems and all phones. I love that not only can I see if I have a particular set while still at the store, I can search for all sets with a certain theme, image, or sentiment to see if I have something close enough to discourage my purchase. I've been collecting almost as long as Sue, so this helps me tremendously. And like Sue, I also need to know what has been purged so I don't search for it FOREVER, and Evernote allows me to do that too. The thing I think that sets Evernote aside from Airtable, and I could be wrong, is that Evernote can be used for nearly anything you want to save, not just inventory. I have Notebooks for recipes (in sub-notebooks by type), home decor ideas, house plans, you name it. My biggest Notebook is for card inspiration ideas like cards made by others, sketches, tutorials, or just color combo images. Imagine Pinterest, but searchable based on the way YOU think, not the person who pinned an image. You create the tags, titles, and group the notebooks, all of which provide ways to search in addition to it recognizing text within each note. All Notes can link to the original source, like a blog, or in the case of an inventory item it can link back to the manufacturer or your favorite store. I keep a Notebook with a running wish list so I can comparison shop more easily and not have to have a wish list at each store. That alone keeps me from buying multiples cause who remembers to delete an item from SSS's wish list if you bought it from EH or the actual stamp maker?!? I use Evernote for every facet of my life. Work, my son's school info, college planning, financial planning, recipes, crafty inventory, house inventory, grocery shopping, etc. Pinterest on steroids with security and privacy. And with a family plan you can share Notes and Notebooks between family members... great for budgeting, event planning, Christmas shopping, and more. Not a paid advertisement, just a real fan and a power user of at least 8 years. That said, I'm too invested to even look at alternatives so I never checked into Airtable in any depth only to learn that it was a basic database with fields you control. Evernote offers more uses, but some may prefer this singular function and more formatted layout.
Am I the only one NOT cataloguing stamps...? I seem to know what I have- for the most part - and spend time perusing my sets to find what I want to use, not flipping through notebooks or spreadsheets. Maybe I have a more manageable stash, is that why? I DON’T mean to sound snarky, I am genuinely curious.
Like Sue, I've been stamping- read stamp collecting, lol- for 20+ years, and buy from many, many different brands. The majority of my stamps are on laminated sheets in A4 binders, I only have a few still woodmounted. For me, being able to have a quick look on my pc reminds me what I have, especially as I cross index on there- for instance, stored by brand as well as theme.Never counted them all, but must run into thousands. The Really useful box also contains stamps- my Visible Image which are in their original packets.There are also a couple of small Index file sized IKEA boxes with my sets of Card-io- (like Rubber Stamp Tapestry) -stamps in too. And you don't sound snarky!
I am truly impressed with your organizational skills! For me it would be a big effort to catalogue as you do, although I am organized in real life, it’s not electronically. I am amazed at how you keep track of what you have and do!
Doing a little research on Airtable I found that it requires at least an Iphone 8. My phone is an older version, so that limitation will take Airtable out of my options list.:(
I use and LOVE Evernote. I have almost 5,000 notes. One thing I really love about it is that I can use it on all my devices. I can sit at night while watching TV and update it on my laptop and check things while in the store on my iPhone. It has saved me several times from buying duplicates. And takes up less space than notebooks of stamped images which I had for years. The search feature is also very helpful trying to figure out what to use and what I have.
__________________ Jac-ee Former FSJ Founding Coach and SU! Demonstrator, now crafting for myself. "There is a fine line between 'HOBBY' and 'MENTAL ILLNESS'"
I use and LOVE Evernote. I have almost 5,000 notes. One thing I really love about it is that I can use it on all my devices. I can sit at night while watching TV and update it on my laptop and check things while in the store on my iPhone. It has saved me several times from buying duplicates. And takes up less space than notebooks of stamped images which I had for years. The search feature is also very helpful trying to figure out what to use and what I have.
I'm glad I'm not the only Evernote enthusiast! I got you beat at over 11,000 notes, but only 7,200 or so are crafting related. I use it for so much more than stash inventory. I'm in Evernote like some people are on Facebook
... It’s [Evernote] not a perfect system, sometimes sets show up that aren’t tagged with the word I searched. I’m not sure if it’s a compatibility issue with my iPad OS....or the fact that I run the free version now. But the way I have to store my stamps this picture “catalog” really helps me look through what I have.
I have only used the free version on my Windows 10 PC, and I also get strange search results sometimes. This only started happening recently. I have carefully examined the "rogue" records trying to figure out why they were displayed. No clue. Any other Evernote users have the same experience? Any theories as to why? Thanks.
Dea, someone can probably explain this better than me, but I'll give it a go. The Evernote search feature is looking mostly at the content IN the note and title as opposed to the tags you gave it. Evernote lists your Tags alphabetically below your Notebooks in the Windows version and I believe from the menu on the Android version, allowing you to click on the Tag itself for quick viewing. So if you saved a full page from a website that has a header, tabs, ads, menus, etc, Evernote is "reading' all of that as well as the content you intended to save, so it comes up with some "rogue" results. For instance, you saved a screenshot or page from Simon Says Stamp of a Lawn Fawn product, but under the Lawn Fawn article or product it had one of those You May Also Like ads for Mama Elephant. Now this Lawn Fawn page note will come up when you search your notes for Mama Elephant. I like to use Evernote's free add on Web Clipper to be more specific in what I pull from websites to reduce this and make it easier on my eyes too. Webclipper gives you the option to save just an image, a screenshot, a hi-lited selection, or the full page.
Rarely I find Evernote has trouble with the small or faint text of a watermark on pictures. Many sites watermark their company name over their product pics posted online to eliminate counterfeiters, and that may trip up Evernote, though it shouldn't be the norm. Those are the only 2 times I get a false result in a search. It should hi-light your search word in a yellowish orange color withing the note, so that may help you find the root of the problem and possibly delete the extraneous text.
Perhaps this will help you in your note searches: I tag my stamp sets by the type of cards they could be used for, as well as each of the images pictured in the words I would normally use for them. I make sure to apply tags for all the words I think of when I look at the set. For instance, a set with many sentiments may be tagged Birthday, Thank You, Get Well, Christmas, and sentiments. Or a set with critters will get tagged Animal, and then each animal... Fox, Raccoon, etc as well as Fall or Winter depending on the set and how I would use it. And because I'm nutty, I may tag a cup of cocoa as Mug, Cup, and Cocoa because I'm not consistent on using one word over the other in my head. If you are looking for a specific sentiment though, like a "Just Because", Evernote should be able to "read" the text on the picture of the stamp set you put in the note without having to tag every single word. Tags help refine the search. You may use a tag for Candy which includes gumdrops and lollipops, but you can search using 2 tags to narrow down a search for a candy cane or candy corn by searching with tags Candy and Halloween or Candy and Christmas. I use tags to search my inventory much more than the search bar. That said, I only use the search bar for other searches like in my Recipe notebooks or home remodeling notebooks because I don't tag them as anally as I do my stamps. :-)
Am I the only one NOT cataloguing stamps...? I seem to know what I have- for the most part - and spend time perusing my sets to find what I want to use, not flipping through notebooks or spreadsheets. Maybe I have a more manageable stash, is that why? I DON’T mean to sound snarky, I am genuinely curious.
I have catalogued just a few sets to help me remember to use them. If I’m inspired to stamp but not sure of a set to use, my catalog greases that wheel. I have a LOT of stamps so flipping through them could take some time. Grouping by theme is the best way for me. Fun to see what others are doing.
You don’t sound snarky by the way, just curious. 🤗
I haven’t catalogued my stamps. I keep thinking about it, and think I’d rather catalog with paper than on line, despite being very comfortable using computers. But I realized I don’t have trouble locating main stamps in sets. Sets are sorted by theme (except for one manufacturer), and that’s easy - and fun to flip through the bins.
However, cataloging random sentiments and tiny, unrelated stamps that are in some sets could be useful. For instance, I was looking for a tiny star or “burst” stamp, and knew a few sets had them. But it took quite a while to find one.
I have all my stamps catalogued on paper in binders and have always done this. Stamps don't get put away until they are stamped and put in binders. I have all similar stamps on a page or pages - like stars, moons, bursts, etc. I've done this will all my stamps and put the stamp name under the image. It takes me seconds to find what I'm looking for and I can see the size, shape or font to make my decision on which stamp to use. I've never been sorry that I did this starting back more than 25 years ago!
I have mine catalogued in folders on my PC, and in One Note too. One Note- an MS product like Evernote- stops me duplicating purchases, as it's available on my phone.
I have mine catalogued as I have thousands, literally. Many different companies, and different styles too. I have clear, cling, and a huge number of u/m.
Almost all, apart from a very few still on wood, are in Ring Binders, either in storage pockets, or on laminated cardstock. I have a couple of Really Useful boxes for certain brands too.
Absolutely no way I would remember what I have, or be able to find suitable stamps without some sort of cataloguing. Btw, you don't sound snarky, just curious. And it's the curiosity about how others do things that helps us find what works best for us.
I have all my stamps catalogued on paper in binders and have always done this. Stamps don't get put away until they are stamped and put in binders. I have all similar stamps on a page or pages - like stars, moons, bursts, etc. I've done this will all my stamps and put the stamp name under the image. It takes me seconds to find what I'm looking for and I can see the size, shape or font to make my decision on which stamp to use. I've never been sorry that I did this starting back more than 25 years ago!
Neat - how are your stamps connected to your binder catalog for quick locating?
bjeans, the binders are stamped images; the stamps are either in drawers [wood], Avery Elle pockets [clear] or Stufftainers [cling].
Thanks - I meant how do the binders and containers (pockets, etc.) talk to each other? In other words, what in the binder tells you where stamp such-and-such is, exactly?
bjeans, Under the stamped image in the binder I have the name of the set and either W [wood], CG [cling] or CL [clear]. My wood stamps are in 6 tier plastic Iris drawers by category - birthday/celebrations; floral; images; home; geometric; etc. The clings are in categories in the Stufftainers - birthdays together, floral, etc. The clear are kept the same way - by category, then alphabetical. It makes it so easy for me to look in the binder, find one or more stamps that I want and then go directly to where they are stored.
Am I the only one NOT cataloguing stamps...? I seem to know what I have- for the most part - and spend time perusing my sets to find what I want to use, not flipping through notebooks or spreadsheets. Maybe I have a more manageable stash, is that why? I DON’T mean to sound snarky, I am genuinely curious.
I would like to know your purpose for cataloging, is it so you keep track of different companies? That would make sense to me. Or if you have a large collection, that might make it easier as well.
I don't catalogue my stamps either. I have broken apart my sets, however, and keep all like stamps together by theme. (I do write the name of the stamp set on each stamp, so I know where it came from.) That way I go directly to my stamps to see what I have in that category. That illiminates looking in two places instead of just one. I can get to stamping more quickly and also see all my possiblilities for whatever kind of stamp I want to use.
Cataloging your stamps.
