Question about Indexing your stamps

[meluvstampin]

I am stamping all of my stamps by sets and am putting them in a 3 ring binder. I am just wondering if you have have done this and what type of system works for you. DO you go by stamp company or not care about if the companies are mixed up and go by catagory?I just want to know what works for you and looking for suggestions about doing this. I only want to do this once as I have lots of stamps! Thanks

[ScrampShopper]

I use the same categories as the SU catalogs for my index binder. Even the non-SU sets get put into those categories.

[piscescreations]

I have done it, but on 4x6 index cards. I am unmounted, so whatever is in one particular case (usually just a whole set) goes on the index card. I am going to make a second system in a binder by category, but it's low on my to-do list.

[FiStevens]

I am like you Tina, I have started to stamp my sets on pages and file in a 3 ring binder - at the moment they are filed alphabetically, but know I need to rearrange - I thought I might wait until I had stamped all my sets, but now I am thinking rearrange now and then continue to stamp the sets as I use them. It is such a daunting task, I wish I had been more organised at the beginning.

[deipara]

Quote:

Originally Posted by meluvstampin

I am stamping all of my stamps by sets and am putting them in a 3 ring binder. I am just wondering if you have have done this and what type of system works for you. DO you go by stamp company or not care about if the companies are mixed up and go by catagory?I just want to know what works for you and looking for suggestions about doing this. I only want to do this once as I have lots of stamps! Thanks

I've done that too. Stamped on a paper in a 3 ring binder. Alphabetized - mostly SU stamps in it. I need A) a bigger binder and B) to do some major catch up. I'm missing a lot of my Papertrey stamps, all my Bellas and MFT stamps, and quite a few SU sets I bought recently.

[gaylestamps]

As a demo, I have to know what SU stamps I have and where to grab them...

However, my HUGE collection of ''stamps before I discovered SU'' are at the lake house and I did index them before they got exiled.

I took an organization class some years ago, so all supplies in storage are categorized into (1) Rainbow - sorted by color (2) Alphabets and Borders (3) Calendar - sorted by New Years, Valentines, St. Patricks and etc. (4) Theme - sorted by Animals, Arts/Crafts, Birthday, Cooking/Household, Family/Friends, School/Work, Sports, Transportation, Vacation/Travel and Weather.

I stamped a page with all relevant stamps for each category - and some stamps are shown in several catagories! I also made notes on where to find the stamps (box label).

The big advantage of this system is you think differently about your supplies. I used to have all bunny stuff with EASTER, but you can also use cute bunny stamps for BABY - if you go one place for all your animals!

This got longer than I intended - but hope it helps!

[meluvstampin]

Thank you all! Yes it does help. I also wish i started as I bought them but I did not. I am moving my sets from one cabinet to an different one and am now stamping them and putting them into their new home. I did not realize how many sets I have!! between SU, TAC and a whole drawer full of misc. stamps, it's alot!!

[Zindorf]

I use my scanner instead of stamping each stamp. When I get a new SU set I scan the sticker sheet before mounting them. If I buy other stamps that are already mounted I scan the actual wood of the stamps. All these sheets get put in a binder using page protectors. I don't put my stamps in catorgories, all my SU stamps are alphabetical. I think outside the box better that way.

[Advogirl]

I just finished mine YEAH!!! I put mine alphabetical (with the company name where possible on the card) thus all SU and TAC are alphabetized in the binder but they are stored in seperate columns of a very tall CD holder (yep unmounted!) Then there is a seperate area of the binder for those unmounted various stamps...these are divided into styles somewhat but I think there are 6 or 7 that are simply titled various LOL! You can tell what I did last! These are in a smaller holder as there are fewer of them.
Next I plan on putting year and page number of which catty the stamp sets are in for ideas later (oh I did put the prices on the pages to begin with too.

[AGMommyof2]

I do this too. I used to just copy the sheet that came with the SU sets (before I started branching out), however, I learned the hard was that I really needed to 'use' the stamp. ie, a stamp set that I 'copied' the image, I didn't cut & mount for well, long enough for the warrenty to be null, & when I finally wanted to use the set, I realized that the main image had a flaw :( , it's basically a bum set now, cause I couldn't get a new one & all the rest of the set 'goes' with the main image. So, I learned the hard way to cut, mount & USE immediately (stamping the image set at least ~ 'cause sometimes I'm just not ready to make a card with the entire set!).

That said, good luck with however way works best for ya!

Monika

[momis mama]

95% SU! here!

in a 3 ring binder alphabetically. the rest are by theme/reason/season in the back.

i also mount and stamp every set (don't have a scanner) but mostly because it makes me USE it before it goes on a shelf.

the rule here is... it has to be mounted and indexed BEFORE it can go on the shelves.

i also include the price and # of stamps in a set on the index page.

good luck!

[Busyb]

I altered a composition book then I scan the stamp set directly from the SU catalog and add it to my book in alphabetical order I leave extra pages between in order to add more. This way I have the price and all the stamps included because most of my sets are not stored in the boxes (gasp) but by animals, flower, sayings etc. I find I think out of the box (hehe) if my sets aren't together, when making a card. Yet I can look at the book and put a set together if I want.
I have yet to index all my misc. stamps maybe an after Christmas project?!

[LisaJ21]

I have a 3 ring note book & at the front I have a hand written list in numerical order. I numbered each set of stamps, for example if a set has 6 stamps in it and that set is #63, I write that number on the end of each block. Plus I have my initials written on the other end for when I stamp with friends. It's easy to get them all back. So any how, I have a list in numerical order, I number them as I get them. this page shows the number, the title & the catagory. Then I have the note book divided into catagories. When I stamp the images I also write the # of that set & the title of that set. Then when I'm looking for something, I find it & see what number it is, then go to my shelves where they are stored in numerical order.

[scrapinkuzelka]

I have a 3 ring binder that I used. I have stamps from all sorts of companies so it didn't work for me to classify them by set. I will admit that my book is very detailed, but the system is great for me. First, I decided how I stamp. Most of the time I need to make a card for a specific occasion. So, I organized my book by theme: Birthday, love, wedding, baby, fall, winter, spring, get well, sympothy, flowers, animals, borders & frames, ect. I keep my sets together in the storage case they came in. I labeled a page in my book with set name & stamped the images. This way I could find them easy. Now when I want to make a birthday card I can go straight to my birthday section, find an image I want to use, and pull it from where it is stored. I no longer look at a bookcase full of stamps and feel overwhelmed I hope this makes sense!

[peggyf]

I keep a 5 x 7 binder (easier to travel to shows with) that I have organized the stamps by catagory and even cross referenced some. Some of my catagories are birds, mail, flowers, special occasion, animals, insects, people, backgrounds, words, holidays (snowman, easter, christmas, halloween, valentine's day, etc) then misc. If a word says "kiss",I would cross reference it in the Valentine section. I store my stamps by the same catagories. I only keep SU sets together if they take up their entire box, so I make the most of all my space. Otherwise, I break the set up and put into assorted catagories. I can alway reference the entire set in my book since I also photo copy the stickers before applying and putting them in their own section. I also cross reference by a favorite Vendor (ex. Judith). I keep a section for punches, embossing powders, pens, pad colors and brass stencils. The back of my binder is for the collection of business card of favorite stores I have visited. This system has kept me from buying the same thing twice and when I get rid of an item, I make sure to cross it out the binder.

[annheidel]

I actually have TWO notebook indexes. One is by stamp company so sets are together with name and item number. Stampin' Up is the largest section! LOL For random stamps where I only have one or two of a company's stamps, there is a Misc section. Right now, I stamp a company's stamps on its own sheet. I used to stamp Misc as I purchased but when I had enough Hero Arts that it needed its own section, I redid it so each company has its own sheet in Misc. That makes it easy to change/add sections as needed. There's even a $1 stamp section now! ;)

The other notebook is by category and the images are stamped wherever they fit the category. For example, a Christmas sentiment would be in both Christmas and Words. I love being able to go to the Words section and quickly find a sentiment. I use this notebook a lot!

[K. Benko]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gaylestamps

As a demo, I have to know what SU stamps I have and where to grab them...

However, my HUGE collection of ''stamps before I discovered SU'' are at the lake house and I did index them before they got exiled.

I took an organization class some years ago, so all supplies in storage are categorized into (1) Rainbow - sorted by color (2) Alphabets and Borders (3) Calendar - sorted by New Years, Valentines, St. Patricks and etc. (4) Theme - sorted by Animals, Arts/Crafts, Birthday, Cooking/Household, Family/Friends, School/Work, Sports, Transportation, Vacation/Travel and Weather.

I stamped a page with all relevant stamps for each category - and some stamps are shown in several catagories! I also made notes on where to find the stamps (box label).

The big advantage of this system is you think differently about your supplies. I used to have all bunny stuff with EASTER, but you can also use cute bunny stamps for BABY - if you go one place for all your animals!

This got longer than I intended - but hope it helps!

I want to be this person, she sounds soooo organized and I love organization. Organization class -oh I'd sit in the front row.....
I think you have to have the stamp set scanned or stamped as is in the set in one part of your binder. Then break the set up into catagories such as borders, animals, holidays etc. If you don't, I'm not sure you would find anything. When I do - say a baby card - I just go to BABY catagory and there is all my baby related stamps. I use my index binder for every card.
Have fun doing it.
Kathy

[bobby18]

Wow, such great ideas. I am struggling with mine now too. I am unmounting my stamps and want to create a useful index as I go along. I was scanning the stickers too, but the idea of stamping them to ensure they all work properly is really good. I didn't really think of any of the stamps not stamping properly

Do most of you combine all kinds of stamps within the categories? I was wondering if I should keep SU separate from the rest. Perhaps a section with stamps by company and then another section with stamps by category? I am wondering is this would help with purchasing stamps? Sometimes I forget what stamps I own when I go to the store (this is especially a problem with amuse).

Thanks for all of the great ideas!
Suzanne

[laderme]

This is great reading ladies. I have indexed my stamps in a regular sized binder, but it is sooo big and bulky, that I am taking a previous poster's idea and using a smaller binder I take a copy of the sticker sheet, or stamp the image and put it into a category like birthday, feminine, or all occasion. Then I have a section for 'sayings and words' that I also stamp any text stamps in and the name of the set that it comes from. Looking for the right sentiment in the right size is always a pain for me.

I am currently unmounting some of my SU stamps (some just beg not to be unmounted, kwim?) so I am going to rejig my book when I put them away and make sure I capture all of the sentiments.

I currently have my sets in labelled drawers, but now I am rethinking as most will be in CD cases. I think I will store the CD cases by number/company code for my SU/TAC/Papertrey sets with a group for Misc. and leave my wood mounts in my labelled drawers.