Splitcoaststampers.com - the world's #1 papercrafting community
You're currently viewing Splitcoaststampers as a GUEST. We pride ourselves on being great hosts, but guests have limited access to some of our incredible artwork, our lively forums and other super cool features of the site! You can join our incredible papercrafting community at NO COST. So what are you waiting for?
I've recently (yesterday) decided to unmount all my Stampin Up words and phrases stamps from their wood blocks, and put them on EZ mount foam to be used with acrylic blocks. I just can't handle stamping one more word slanted and screwing up my whole card :mad: !
I have a good deal of words and phrases and was wondering if you have any suggestions for how I might easily store and retrieve these stamps. I don't think the CD case method is going to work for me.
LOL I was going to suggest CD cases, and then I read the rest of your post! But anyway, I am a demo for TAC and I have MANY CD cases full of unmounted stamps. For easy retrieval, I scanned the stamp or stamp set in the catalog and reduced it to fit on a "CD case size" square of paper and slid that in the lid of each case. I can see at a glance everything that is in that case. I fill up every case, so some cases have more than 1 set or even 1 and 1/2 sets or whatever. Another solution is to cut your paper to fit in the lid, and actually stamp each image on it. That is probably actually quicker than my idea, I just never did it. By scanning them, I also have an "inventory" of my stamps saved on my computer.
Another idea - being a TAC demo, we sell storage boards. They are hole-punched to fit in to a 3-ring binder, and the unmounted stamps cling to them just like they do acrylic blocks or anything else. They sell for $3.00 a board and of course you can get many more on a board than in a CD case.
I also do what Vicki does, with the CD cases, and for "loose" ones that I have unmounted, I hung one of those boards she talked of on the wall, for easy access. I like the binder idea, and have recently been tossing that idea in my head for some of the larger unmounted stamp sets that dont fit in CD cases.
Hmmm.. storage boards huh? Soounds like that might work. I was thinking of putting all my words in a binder of some sort. Vicki- how do I find out more about these boards? Is there a pic somewhere?
I use TACK-IT over and over on the back of my stamps. First I remove the foam backing from the stamps that have it. Then I stamp the image on computer paper, slip that inside a sleeve protector, put the stamp on top next to the image then put it in a three ring binder.
Before I put my stamps together I stamp the image on the back of the gray foam. Then I assemble my stamps. That way when I pull my CD cases out I can see the images and am able to see the image thru the acrylic block.
Kimzkardz - I just scanned the page out of the TAC catalog with the storage boards on it. Doesn't really give any detailed information. But my direct upline person had some and I saw hers. The stamps really did cling to it. Pretty neat! I will try to upload the .pdf file of the page I scanned. Let me know if the link doesn't work. You may have to save it to your computer and THEN open it.
Before I put my stamps together I stamp the image on the back of the gray foam. Then I assemble my stamps. That way when I pull my CD cases out I can see the images and am able to see the image thru the acrylic block.
Never thought of this before either! What type of ink do you use to stamp the "cling" side of the gray foam with? I assume it would be something that doesn't rub off.
OK Shawna, sometimes it takes me a while to catch on......
So you stamp the image on the gray foam, (which BTW is an awesome idea) but how then do you trim the stamp? Since what's on the foam is the reverse image and wouldn't line up perfectly, don't you cut some of the image off when you trim the stamp?
Vicki- Thanks for the pic. Those might work for me. I'm going to think on it a day or two (since I just decided yesterday to do this) If I want to get some of these, can I go through you?
Thanks for all the replys everyone. Most helpful :o)
I personally like to use CD cases however I have heard of a few other methods.
You can use Photo Albums. The kind that have the glossy cover you pull up and then place your pictures underneath. Just place your stamps onto the outside of the page, on top of the glossy cover. Its sturdy enough and then its all in a binder.
Also a 3 ring binder with page protectors. You can either place glossy cardstock in the page protectors and place your stamps on the glossy cardstock inside the page protector. Or I have even heard of people placing the stamps onto the outside of the page protector. As long as something sturdy is on the inside like thick cardstock or cardboard.
Again I haven't tried any of these methods but you might find them helpful since you stated CD's weren't really what you wanted to use.
I unmounted my sets in the micro and used Tack It Over and Over. Then, I laminated regular computer paper, stuck the stamps on one side and the stamped images on the other side, and slid the page into a page protector. I keep them all in a large 3 ring binder. I love this so far! I didn't like the CD cases at all, not sure why.
I store mine in CD cases as well. The regular jewel cases, the slim ones will not fit the stamps. I started with the boards but it was starting to take up some space and switched to the CD case method. I label the spine so that I can see which set it is.
__________________ Nicole L.
The Angel Company Demonstrator #1260
Team Leader of The Elegant Diva Stamp Angels! Email
I too use CD cases...stamp set names written on the "spine"...images stamped on paper and slid into the cover..... I like this so much better than when they were wood mounted-never mind that I can get alot more stamps in my storage space now ;) (shhhhhh don't tell DH ;) LOL)
I purchase UM stamps at shows. I use the binder method with the page protectors. I also bought a package of baseball card protector sheets that go into binders. I think there's 12 pockets per page. I keep my small UM stamps in those.
__________________ "I didn't have a budget; and I still went over budget." Donald Trump
I keep mine in a photo album. Same method as the page protectors basically. I use Aleens Tack It Over & Over, put the stamp on one side of the page, and on the back side I have my index pictures corresponding to the stamp on the front side. I also have some baseball card protector pages that I plan to utilize one of these days when I finish getting my full sheets of unmounteds cut apart and get the rest of my foam backed ones "defoamed" :p
How do you store your unmounteds?
