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I have my cardstock in hanging file folders in Rubbermaid file boxes, which I *love*. Each color has it's own folder. Anyway, that's not my tip...
I was getting tired of getting up and walking over to the file box to get a piece of cardstock, then I'd have to cut it, etc, etc. So I took one of those boxes you can buy for storing your photos - they're just cardboard and come in prints or solid colors. They have a lid and they also have dividers in them. I used my Carl Cutter to cut a bunch of cardstock all at once. Since I'm a demo and use mostly card fronts instead of full cards, I wanted a good supply of 1/4 sheets of cardstock. So I cut my cardstock into 1/4 panels - several sheets of each color, including all the neutrals, vellum, glossy, etc.
Then I used those post-it flags that are a little sturdier/thicker, and wrote BB or SS or RR or EE or White or Ivory on them and put one post-it sticking up from the front of the divider and a blank post-it flag on the back, so they'd be easy to use to flip to the next section. I put my 1/4 panels in color families behind each divider. So I have 8 or so 1/4 sheets in each color. It's easy to tell which Red or Purple cardstock is if it's in the area w/ that color family.
I keep my box right on my table, and when I need a certain color for a card base, or a layer, I just grab it from the box! It has really simplified my stamping life!
Does this make sense to you all? Maybe I could post a picture sometime this weekend if you're interested.
That's a great idea!
I am challenged when it comes to organization! :oops:
But I did also get the hanging folders in a rubber maid type box for my cardstock and even made my own tabs with each color printed and used the coordinating markers to color a heart to make it easier to find the colors.
Other then the hanging folders I have NO organization
I don't have much space so organization is very important to me.
I learned this tip from here.
Buy a hanger that has 4 bars, I believe its for holding pants from walmart or where ever. The 4 metal bars have rubber on them just cut the rubber off of the bars. Then your wheels fit right on there. You can store a ton of wheels that way.
Also ribbon fits on their nicely to.
Another organizing tip. I have a small closet in my stamping space. I took 3m command hooks and put them all over the inside of the door. That way a usually wasted space gets used.
Thanks for the tip on storing the wheels! GREAT idea... my daughter has one in her closet!? She may be missing it later today. (if I can ever get off this site)
Ok, here's what one of my downline did that I thought was totally cool. She has the hanging folders for each seperate color of cardstock. Instead of printing labels she went through one of the old catalogs where they had the colors in little rectangles with the name on each one. She cut them out and glued them too the file folders for labels! I thought she had spent a bunch of time on her computer creating the right colors and typing the names on a square of that color.
I also have my 8-1/2 x 11 CS in hanging file folders, which I LOVE. But, I wanted a separate place for my scraps. Here's what I did:
I took a wide 3-ring binder and put scraps for *each* color in its own clear page protector. I keep it upright next to my ink caddy (wooden spinny thing from Sue that stores pads, markers, and ink--another awesome storage device purchased before the SU! intro-ed the color caddy). I use my scrap binder constantly. It's easy, accessible, and forces me to use scraps before I cut a new piece of paper. (Note: originally, I put 2 colors of paper in each page protector, but I found that one color per page protector helped me even more.) Hint: when I make cards to give away, I limit myself to my scraps and you'd be surprised how inspiring that can be!
__________________ Shannon Lawrence is back! my blog
Thanks, Shannon, for the tip about storing scrap paper in a binder.....color organized! WOW....that is just what I needed to learn as I have a ton of scrap paper that is in a heap in a box....and no one could find what was needed!! THANKS again.......
I also keep my cardstock in hanging files in a plastic file container. However, I bought color-coded file tab inserts on EBAY with the name of each of the 48 colors, plus extras like US White, Kraft, etc. They were only about $5.00!!!
It works really well for me since I'm fairly new to stampin and SU. Makes it really easy to find what you need. Love it Love it Love it!!!!!
__________________ Judi (mom of Jackson-19 and Hunter-15) Mom's busy stampin'.......go ask Dad.
I read about using the rubbermaid hanging file folders, but I use 12x12 paper. I can't seem to find anything to fit them!! Any ideas?? thanks
I have a freind that has 12 x 12, and she went to www.orientaltradingcompany.com and bought 12 x 12 card stock holder. They are like the magazine holders, each one is suppose to hold 250 sheets of paper. She bought 5, but its still not enough for her.
I read about using the rubbermaid hanging file folders, but I use 12x12 paper. I can't seem to find anything to fit them!! Any ideas?? thanks
Idea #1--I have a rolling file cart from Staples that has a moveable bar, I have 8 1/2 x 11 and 12 x 12 paper in this cart. There are also two small drawer baskets underneath the hanging part for Photo mats and border strips. ( I mainly scrap, but like to do cards as well)
Idea #2--I wanted to use the above organizer to organize my scraps so I baught the Cropper Hopper paper file (it looks like a magazine holder in 12 x 12 size) with dividers. You can also get Paper Pouches (same thing but it fits inside the paper file and holds less) for your patterned paper.
Okay, I am so cheap when it comes to storage(anything that takes away from stamp money) that I am almost too embarrassed to share my cheap organizational tip. I go to Walmart, Lowe's, and Home Depot(after Christmas is the best time)I walk around the store to find empty cardboard shelving boxes these stores keep on the shelves to keep items they sell contained for easy shelf stocking. Many of these boxes are low in the front and high in the back. I cover them with contact paper(black marble) I have all of my 12 X 12 and 8 1/2 X 11 vertical on their sides as well as line up my stamp sets on their sides like dominos(I can access more sets in a smaller space). I get them in varying sizes depending on what I need....and they are FREE. A roll of contact paper is minimal and goes a long way.....this way all of my containers look the same and I can pick and choose what I want to keep as my needs change. I started doing this a few years ago when I needed to store 12 X 12 paper and pages to complete. I have never had any store tell me NO to trash.
As the weeks progress, there will be lots of tips to help you solve your organizational challenges.
As for my 12x12 paper, I got the vertical cropper hopper magazine things for 12x12 - hold lots of paper, and now not only do I know what I have and where it is, but I use it more!
Shannon- Thanks for the tip on storing scraps. I have the bottom drawer of my desk STUFFED with scrap paper. I go into it occasionally but it is hard to find anything. Now with your tip I AM GOING TO HAVE A WHOLE NOTHER DRAWER TO FILL WITH GOODIES!!!! As soon as I buy a 3 ring binder and a bunch more page protectors and clean out that drawer.
Brenda
I came up with a great system for my scraps and found I use so many scraps now. I originally was just putting them all in a folder but never really looked in the pile. So I was at Sams and found in the office section a legal size divider box with handle for only $5 and change. (An accordian one but it has a hard outside and it closes with a handle) So I made a section for each color in the rainbow but the first slot is for solid color and the next slot is for pattern paper of that color. I also punched a piece of solid paper and put it at the top so I could go right to the color I wanted. It works wonderful and I use so much scraps now. I even take the box with me to crops becasue it is so easy to carry.
As a SU! demo, I find it's really worth it to be organized. First of all, I take my stamp sets out of their boxes and place them on a shelf above my work space. This way I don't forget what sets I have.
I use portable file holders for my card stock. Each family has it's own color of files and each color in it's own file. So in one holder I have 2 families of card stock and maybe vellum, ultra smooth and mullberry too. In each file, I have full, 1/2 and 1/4 sheets. Everything else goes into those plastic boxes the stamps go in. Each family of color has 2 boxes and are labeled with the colors on top of the box. Ultra smooth white and vanilla each has their own box though because it's too much to handle being together.
I went to Target and bought the black carts on wheels and took the wheels off of one and stacked it on top of the other. I labeled everything as what was inside on the front of the drawer. Hope these help and sorry it's long!
I used to have the scrap problem, too. I went to AC Moore and got their $1 craft keepers all in clear. I bought about 12. I use one for each color group and then I have one for each color group in scraps. I always check my scraps first. I also have a USW one and Vanilla and the confetti/craft colors. As I use up the colors in the group, I go to my little file box and take out some sheets and replace them in the color group. I wrote on the craft keeper both upright and running down the side, so when put them in my little craft closet, I can see what I have. I try to keep the color groups together so I can grab two keepers at one time. It's not an ideal system, but since I'm hurting for space, it works for me. Portable, too! (oh..I also keep my generic scraps in one, too)
What I did with scraps was to go to JoAnn and purchase 2 sets of the 3 drawer stackable organizing drawers that are about 2.5 in deep and about 8 x 10". On the front of each drawer I attached a square or 2 squares of paper representing the colors of scraps inside. I put this near my feet under my table. Need a yellow scrap? I just pull out the drawer with the yellow and orange squares on it. I don't throw any size scrap away any more.
What's your best organizing tip - here's mine!!!
