When you need paper

[buddy'smama]

Do you automatically grab a new piece or do you automatically look through your "scrap paper" first.

I use to automatically just grab a new piece of paper. But now I am making myself look through my scrap paper first. And if I see a piece of scrap paper that I really didn't like the first time I used it, I just throw it away.

I am really up to my ears in scrap paper :(

[oma to 2]

I use a lot of my scrap card stock to punch out or die cut shapes. I also try to use scraps of my design paper that I have.

[craftinkel]

I bought several of the Reflections cubes with the hanging files. I put the paper in rainbow order however in the front of each there is a gallon ziplock bag with my scraps. Since I've done this I am using my scraps first and only cutting a new piece if I don't have a large enough scrap. Often times when I'm working I grab several bags of various colors and make my project(s) and once done, cleanup is a snap because it's just a matter of putting the bags of scraps away. It has worked perfectly

[cat_woman]

I always look at my scraps first. If I can't find what I need there, then I pull out the full size sheets.

[revmeme]

I file my cardstock in hanging files . Then I place a manila folder in the hanging file which is labeled with color sample and name of the color and then all the scraps of that color go in the manila file. I would never have the patience to look through a mixed pile of cardstock. I hope this makes sense.

[Oddesigns]

I keep my scraps with my full sheets, in manila file folders. I always check to see if I have a scrap the correct size before I cut into a new sheet.

[bb&kk]

I keep my SU! CS in it's original wrapper and half sheets go back in with the full. Smaller pieces are kept in a hanging folder in front of the full and half sheets. Works for me unless I get lazy and just start putting scraps in a bin and end up with a big mess of scraps.

[cardmaker2]

I'll tell you what I do. A few summers ago I decided my overflowing basket of scraps were less than useable in their current form. I couldn't see what I had, thus using more paper than I needed to.

I sat in the middle of my craft space on the floor with the big old basket on my lap. I made piles of general shades-white, vanilla, red, pink, blue, green... every scrap could fit in one of those general categories.

I got the big ziploc bags and put each stack of scraps in their own bag. Those bags stand up in rainbow order, in a deep enough basket to not fall over. Only scraps big enough to stamp on or punch from made the bag. Nothing larger than a full card went in the bag, they are not a scrap. They are future cards.

I have my cardstock standing up in their plastic wrap in magazine organizers. If I make one card out of a colour, the other half sheet gets slipped in the wrap in front of the full sheets. If I am going to make a card I check to see if there is a half sheet first.

When I need mat layers or layers to stamp on, I go to the zip loc and check there first. Rarely do I not find what I need.

This has worked perfectly for me and I waste a lot less paper. Oh and when I was purging/ organizing in the first place, I took all the scraps too small or too ugly to use... to the kindergarten craft table and they were all over them!

[cnsteele]

I have the paper holders from Stamp -N- Storage and I keep my scraps on the same shelf as their corresponding color of full sheets. I don't usually have many scraps because when I make a card, I always make two of the same card (I have to cut the paper in half, so I might as well make two, right?) and I like to use layers that are nice, even cuts. The true scraps get used for punching and die-cutting and for journaling in my scrapbooks. If the scraps are skinny strips I will make some cards using the herringbone technique.

[basketostamps]

Scraps first.

[Soozie4Him]

Since I haven't seen anyone that uses my system, I'll share it. I'm an SU demo, so I use SU cardstock exclusively. I have a hanging file folder for each color, and in those folders I have full sheets of each color.

Then I have folders for half sheets of each color, organized in Color Families. For example, in Brights, I'll have at least 4 half sheets of each color cut and ready to go for card fronts. When they're in color families, I don't have trouble telling colors apart. So I have 4 folders of half sheets, one for each color family, plus two more for each set of In Colors.

Then I have my wonderful photo box that I've filled with quarter sheets of cardstock. I organize these by Color Family as well, and I use the dividers that come with the photo boxes from the craft stores. I always have a LOT of White and Vanilla - those are two extra categories since I use so much white and vanilla for stamping on.

When I go to make a card, it's so it's easy for me to grab a half sheet for a card base from the right folder, then I grab quarter sheets for my layers and stamping. Those need trimming, obviously, but that's okay. I use 1/4" or 3/16" smaller layers.

Then I have scraps smaller than a quarter sheet in OneZip Quart size baggies, one for each color. Those fit easily in a fairly deep drawer in one of my Elfa carts that sits next to me when I'm stamping. If I need to punch something, or die cut something, I look at scraps first, esp if it's something small. When I have Stamp Camps and the gals need to punch things out of cardstock, I use my scraps.

I've been using my file folder system for full sheets, half sheets, and my photo box for quarter sheets for about 8 years now and it works perfectly for me. I have a big Carl cutter that cuts a LOT of cardstock at once, so when I go to make a card and my half sheet folder is out of that color, I just cut a bunch at once - half sheets and quarter sheets for my photo box. Sometimes when a bunch of colors are low, I cut a whole lot of cardstock. But it makes creating a card so simple!

Hope this helps someone!! :-)

[xx ginger xx]

I use "stufftainers" from Stampendous to hold my paper...one for each color, full sheets and scraps. I use my scraps now because it's all together in the same container...love it and it really works for me!
I posted pics in the organization thread...here are 2 links to my pics, one showing 1 container, the other shows how they look in my cabinet.
Storage that works for me...finally! by xx ginger xx - Cards and Paper Crafts at Splitcoaststampers
Paper storage by xx ginger xx - Cards and Paper Crafts at Splitcoaststampers

And they are all labelled now LOL!!!

[lylacfey]

I always go through scraps first.

[gregzgurl]

Laurene - I really, really like the way you store your scraps! I have a whole slew of DVD-style cases that SU! cling-mount stamps came in that I may convert to scrap storage! That would free up the drawer I currently have my scraps in (organized and functional, but I'd rather use it for something else)...
Susan - I really like the idea of having grab-and-go pieces/parts - I may have to think about doing some ahead, as well. I'd just put them in the front of the appropriate folder in my file drawer, though, to keep things somewhat consolidated.

[stampin stacy]

Full size sheets of paper thru quarter size cuts paper are in a manilla folder inside a hanging folder and in front of that folder is a gallon size bag with all my scrap pieces.

I used to keep my scraps by color in gallon bags but separate from larger paper, I have found I am much more likely to use the scraps now that I keep them in the same hanging file as the larger sheets of paper. I sometimes take really small pieces and put them in a sandwich size bag inside the gallon bag to make sorting thru even easier.

[SophieLaFontaine]

Scraps first. Sometimes I even get bogged down trying to find smaller and smaller pieces of scrap, because the one I have is "too big". < rolling eyes >

[klh54]

Usually when I have a brain I go to my scraps first but there are those occasions when my brain is on autopilot that I'll cut into a brand new sheet!
I absolutely love the stufftainers I idea. Right now my scraps are stored separately in a file drawer in hanging folders but I know I'd use them more if they were all together. Going to check out where to buy those stufftainers right now!

[StamperDea]

Quote:

Originally Posted by klh54

Usually when I have a brain I go to my scraps first but there are those occasions when my brain is on autopilot that I'll cut into a brand new sheet!
I absolutely love the stufftainers I idea. Right now my scraps are stored separately in a file drawer in hanging folders but I know I'd use them more if they were all together. Going to check out where to buy those stufftainers right now!

I bought my stufftainers from 123stitch Prompt service and nicely packaged to protect the goodies. Their prices were competitive. The Thicker size is deep enough to hold wood mounted stamps. I guessing that the Thick size would hold 50-75 sheets of paper depending upon its weight. I haven't bought any of the thin ones. HTH
Dea

[buggainok]

I very seldom make just one card, usually at least 4 of the same kind. Scraps are not big enough to make 4 cards alike, so I don't save many of them.

Maybe a half sheet, so I could use it for embellishments. I don't actually end up with many scraps when I make several cards at once.

[Allistamps123]

Just the opposite of you! I used to look through my scraps first. Now I tend to leave half sheets in with the regular pack (SU-wrapped). I tend to go look there first.

I need to put my scraps in a more accessible place. They are organized by color but I feel I have no place to put them except under my desk. It's too hard to get to them there.

[Hallupino]

My system is a bit lazy but it works for me. I have my cardstock organized in 12x12 folders in a couple of cube drawers from Recollections that I got at Michael's. I keep my paper in its original plastic wrap and just open up the top to take sheets out. Then, when I have scraps, I just stick them back into the front of the paper stack inside the plastic wrap. That way I can see pretty easily what size scraps I have for each colour, and I find I don't waste much paper at all this way. When the plastic wrap rips, which sometimes happens, I just replace it with a large ziplock bag.

[Allistamps123]

Alrighty then! I just took a whole 5 minutes of my time and rearranged! Now my scraps are right next to me and very easy to get to.

Thanks for this thread. I am a happy girl!

[Allistamps123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hallupino

My system is a bit lazy but it works for me. I have my cardstock organized in 12x12 folders in a couple of cube drawers from Recollections that I got at Michael's. I keep my paper in its original plastic wrap and just open up the top to take sheets out. Then, when I have scraps, I just stick them back into the front of the paper stack inside the plastic wrap. That way I can see pretty easily what size scraps I have for each colour, and I find I don't waste much paper at all this way. When the plastic wrap rips, which sometimes happens, I just replace it with a large ziplock bag.

Good idea!!! I have considered this in he past. It's just hat my paper is not within arms reach. I need the scraps next to me. This idea is great though!