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I have a TON of die-cuts and punch outs and fussy cut items and stickers and partially stamped/fussy-cut images. I mean, a TON.
How do you store them?
I love to just sit and punch out leaves. I used to sit and fussy cut, but those days are gone. I die-cut a bunch of build-a-bear bears and clothing and accessories.
I do intend to purge as I go through all these items. I do hope to use them also. And have them available for students in my classes.
I have them stashed in baggies, in drawers, in envelopes, in little containers.
Seriously, it is out of control. All different themes. Roses, tags, leaves (lots of leaves), flowers, labels, and more.
I also have a lot of 3D embellishment type things - doilies, and little 3D flowers, and wood embellishments, and brads, and buttons.
First, my devil's advocate thing: I purposely do NOT punch out a bunch of anything specifically because I do not want to figure out storage for it. The items I do have that are left over from various projects are corralled in a DVD case...
Secondly, this storage from Harbor Freight is inexpensive and highly useful. It holds more than it looks like it would, too: 24 Container Storage Box I use the small boxes for everything from eyelets to small wood cutouts to ribbon slides. I have them in a drawer rather than in the larger box they come in. I use the larger box for other things (tools and such-like).
Photo cases also work well for everything from tags and doilies to flowers to you-name it. My flowers were getting out of control, so I impaled them in stacks with corsage pins stuck into fun foam and stuck the whole thing in a drawer:
I am currently teaching "Lean" 5S principles to workers (office and manufacturing) and the whole principle behind Lean is to NOT do batch processing. IE, Sue, what you propose - purposely do NOT cut out a lot ahead of time so it doesn't have to be stored.
I am seriously contemplating just tossing what I have and starting fresh. Within reason, of course.
I keep extra die cuts - and don't have tons - in the clear pockets my dies are in. A piece of white cardstock separates the dies from the die cuts and adds firmness. (Jennifer McGuire idea.) Magnetic sheets are only used for a very small percentage of my dies so there's a decent amount of room and less bulk.
I donated about 90% of my embellishments, but the remaining ones are in pockets in a bin, and larger ones - alphas/enamel dots/gems/etc. - are in a chipboard 3-drawer IKEA unit that's in an Expedit unit. It can stand alone. The exception is sequins, which are in two multi-section flat boxes.
Organizing stamps/dies/embellishments/etc. became easier when I figured out I was more a flipper (flipping through pockets or upright "things" in a bin) than I was a leafer (paging through notebooks/albums). And that boxes with hinged lids were not welcome because they take up double the space when open. : ). And that if I had to open a box to get out another box to get what I wanted? I wouldn't. That narrowed the universe of options a lot.
Beth, you make a very good point in that knowing your style (leafer vs flipper) can be very helpful in deciding how to organize anything. I'm a leafer, so all of the stamps on laminated cardstock in page protectors are back in binders (I took them out and put them in bins to see if I liked flipping better - I didn't.) It's also helpful to know what size of storage you're comfortable with. My binders are 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", because full-size is too big and photo size (4" x 6") turned out to be too small - too MUCH flipping/leafing! The exception is sentiments - those are on 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" laminated cards in trading card pages, because if there's too much information at once I can't process, so I had to arrange the sentiments so I was only looking at a few at a time. True, there are quite a few sentiments on the entire page, but it's broken down into smaller segments, so it's considerably more comfortable for me.
I'm like you in that I won't open a box to get another box, so all of the tiny boxes went into shallow drawers (literally only the depth of the little boxes). I can pull open the drawer and see 48 boxes at a time...
I have a garage sale file cabinet with lots of hanging files for various themes (cats, school, transportation, marine, France, keys and locks, etc.). The flat ephemera goes in there, often in zip lock pouches from an Office Depot 50 cents sale, and I find I refer to those files often.
The dimensional embellies stay in the original packaging and are filed in a clear box container (Interdesign?). Unfortunately, those don't get checked so often.
Flat flowers are in a scrap project case. Dimensional flowers are by color group in lucite tube-like containers (Are these doll display holders?). Vintage, design, word embellies are in Sterilite drawers that can easily be brought to the table. I've been tempted to put the word/phrase stuff in an old sticky page photo album but haven't tried it yet.
I also have photo boxes that have embellies by color group, the blue box, the orange box, etc. The box label is the color of the contents.
Ack, I meant to take a couple of photos today. My embellishments are in the sort of plastic trays with compartments, which slide into a "cube". I couldn't find any photos online because I didn't know what to search for. The sort of thing sold in DIY stores for nails and bolts and so on.
I'm with Sue on not bothering with keeping die-cuts...for me it's easier to cut something when I need it in the colour I need than to find space and a storage system. So most spare bits just go in the bin straight away unless they're exceptional!
I have a few extra die cut and stamped items. I usually do a practice one and really like how it turns out, or have a few for one card then decide I don't need that many. I usually don't do a bunch of one just to have extra.
So the ones I did have, I tried separating into some 3 compartment trays from Target. I had 9 areas and separated by holiday, critter, nature, words, shapes etc. After leaving them in their own drawer for about 6 months, I found that I just didn't use them. So I now have them in one pile with my extra backgrounds and colored cardstock. I like to flip through that pile and use some of it on a card when I don't have anything new to make or if my mojo is on vacation.
I feel very lucky that DH actually bought me 4 of Radio Shack's stacking parts cabinets when they went out of business here (He does NOT pay for anything for the craft room usually). I use those for embellishments, ribbon, all my punches (except the two monstrously large ones that don't fit), tools, etc.
I also have several of those Harbor Freight boxes of containers (round ones, square ones, rectangular ones) that I use for brads, eyelets, bulk embossing powder, etc.
Then I have something much like a fishing tackle box, but it was made for craft stuff- 4 boxes with sections that slip into a nylon holder, and then fold into a square- those are gems & rhinestones & charms.
I bought a motherlode of SU clamshells when they clearanced them, and I have one massive plastic storage drawer full of those with assorted and sundry bits in them (they line up perfectly in three rows to the back of the drawer). I have some clamshells with die cuts in them- mostly trying dies out when I first get them. I do try to pass those along and share with other crafters.
Hm. Perhaps I have too much stuff? Yup, but it's fun anyway.
Speaking of flipping, I found some great plastic photo storage boxes, that flip open, with multiple sections, and I store embossing folders in those. Gotta love the thrift store!
I use to never make die cuts or stamp images in advance. It would take me so long to complete a project. I do set down and batch. Love it! I make the cutest things now and I like digging through my "treasures" finding all my unique creations. I create faster and I feel more artistic. Stamping was starting to feel like a chore and job when I did not batch.
Storing them is a witch! ;) I have three boxes that I keep them all my pretties and when the boxes gets full then it is time for a purge. Three boxes is a good limit for me.
I also don't make more than I can use. I love flamingo's. I have the greatest flamingo die. I am only going to make a few flamingo's. If I had 75 flamingo's I probably would not like flamingo's any more.
Set down and purge, donate, trash and then look at storage. You can do photo cases or baggies. One lady I follow on social media has all her embellishments in notebooks with page protectors. She just adds a small bit of glue to each embellishment to put in her notebook. They pop right off with no damage. She has hers all arranged in colors. I am tired why didn't I just share her name? Peek at Sandy Hearn on YouTube. I hope that helps.
i found that for me...and for me only!!! (In other words, discard the idea if it isn't helpful for you), I had to do with this what I finally had to learn with stamp sets. If is didn't have a project in mind, it didn't come home with me, or I didn't make batches of things. So, if you have sets of thinking of you cards to make with f,lowers on them you want to design and play around with, then go for it. Or you want to make a set of 4 a 6 cards as a set for a gift for a friend and you want some sort of cohesive theme so the die cuts need to be similar, woohoo, an evening of stamp, color and cut it is. Love those new cat stamps, and there is a wonderful "hope you are pawsitively all better soon" sentiment, and you need to have get well cards on hand...well, you get the idea.
If you can begin by clearing out the backlog you have, that is the best. If not, Mother's Day is coming up for school projects, or perhaps a church class can do some cardmaking projects? Cuz tossing those puppies is really hard! I use the two year rule, for mine, although it may bleed over to three...if I haven't used it in two (three) out it goes...donated or tossed, but it is gone. And I feel better after. Same with embellishments. Just got through selling a ton of stuff at an Art Junque flea market held by a local stamp shop. Feels so good to be rid of stuff I needed to be rid of.
__________________ The future is uncertain, because love changes everything!
I too do not make things ahead...something more to store. I have put all my embellishments in various sized and shaped glass jars, labeled...mostly from houseware departments. I have metal, florals, ribbon ends, threads, Misc., buttons. washi tape, wood items, tape runner refills. They are kind of a mish-match of jars but visable and easy enough to pull off the shelf and find what I want.
I agree that it does feel good to purge and remove some of the "stuff" not being used; I am getting better at it and it is easier to do. I donate, or use in classes I might teach.
__________________ Have a creative day, every day.
Beth, you make a very good point in that knowing your style (leafer vs flipper) can be very helpful in deciding how to organize anything. I'm a leafer, so all of the stamps on laminated cardstock in page protectors are back in binders (I took them out and put them in bins to see if I liked flipping better - I didn't.) It's also helpful to know what size of storage you're comfortable with. My binders are 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", because full-size is too big and photo size (4" x 6") turned out to be too small - too MUCH flipping/leafing! The exception is sentiments - those are on 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" laminated cards in trading card pages, because if there's too much information at once I can't process, so I had to arrange the sentiments so I was only looking at a few at a time. True, there are quite a few sentiments on the entire page, but it's broken down into smaller segments, so it's considerably more comfortable for me.
I'm like you in that I won't open a box to get another box, so all of the tiny boxes went into shallow drawers (literally only the depth of the little boxes). I can pull open the drawer and see 48 boxes at a time...
Yes! My overriding suggestion for organizing is to not organize ... until asking oneself questions. Like: do I need X to be near me or can X live in a closet? Do I want to open an album or flip through a box?
And imagining doing those things, or even doing them with props if it's hard to imagine: use an old binder and turn the pages while at the desk, imagining stamps or dies in it. Think about weight. Get a little bin and flip through some stamp sets or cut some cardboard to see how it feels. Like that. : )
I use a small box with dividers to store images, sentiments, extra punched out items. I use paper clips on the tabs so they can be easily changed if needed.
If you keep it on your desk, you're reminded to use it. I purposely keep it small so I have to use items in it if I want to add more to it.
__________________ My Blog- Trusting in the Lord for Everything Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight. My Stampin' Up WebsiteMy Gallery, BRAK New Member Mentor. Grandmother to Silas Timothy and Mia Lou.
I bought a load of the currency/ATC/Postcard etc storage sheets from Amazon, and put my die cuts in them into 3 ring binders. Lots of sizes available, so easy to find ones to fit pretty much any die cut.
I do not have tons, but if I pull a stamp to use, I always stamp 3-4 images. I do the same with dies. I cut out 3-4 of them. Like Shazsilverwolf, I store these in various sizes of storage sheets. The difference is that I secure them with a large binder clip and hang them where I can see them at all times, and reach them easily.
If I am in a coloring mood, I pull an image and color. Sometimes, though, I am in more of a mood to work on backgrounds. In this case, I select an image or two to use on the card, and create the background to compliment the image(s).
Actually, the cat is not from a stamp/die set. I was Googling free noodle images for a friend's birthday card... she's a noodle freak (weird, but there are worse things!). I came across this cat eating a bowl of noodles and knew it would be a hit. I would be happy to forward the image to you. It's a PNG.
I'm afraid I don't have any great wisdom to add, but I wanted to say thanks for the ideas and pix! I used to have a few spare die-cut pieces left over from random projects that changed directions, and I just dropped them into a small box, but now...
I'm teaching card-making classes every week, and I am generating an insane amount of extra parts and pieces. Some are spares for "just in case" or various "accidents" during class, some are from "no shows", etc. They are multiplying much much faster than I can use them, but I just hate to throw them out. I must confess that "partially finished projects" are completely taking over my crafty space.
__________________ ~ Kitty ~ "If you can dream it, you can do it." - Walt Disney
I'm afraid I don't have any great wisdom to add, but I wanted to say thanks for the ideas and pix! I used to have a few spare die-cut pieces left over from random projects that changed directions, and I just dropped them into a small box, but now...
I'm teaching card-making classes every week, and I am generating an insane amount of extra parts and pieces. Some are spares for "just in case" or various "accidents" during class, some are from "no shows", etc. They are multiplying much much faster than I can use them, but I just hate to throw them out. I must confess that "partially finished projects" are completely taking over my crafty space.
Kitty, when I get an email from SCS with a post, I don't see the name of the poster unless I scroll up a bit on my tablet. Sometimes instead of doing that I tap the link to go directly to the board.
I read the most recent post in my email without looking at the name and thought, "Gee, I bet Kitty might have some ideas for this person!" But this person is... you!
Kitty, when I get an email from SCS with a post, I don't see the name of the poster unless I scroll up a bit on my tablet. Sometimes instead of doing that I tap the link to go directly to the board.
I read the most recent post in my email without looking at the name and thought, "Gee, I bet Kitty might have some ideas for this person!" But this person is... you!
Beth
:lol: Yeah, I used to be organized. ;)
__________________ ~ Kitty ~ "If you can dream it, you can do it." - Walt Disney
Hi kitty - believe me I’m no expert on card making nor card making classes - but why don’t you just leave the die cuts out for your students? (you can pick out the best die cuts for yourself beforehand) - or have “free card making time” for when people finish early - and they just use the die cuts for that. (I am an expert on over producing things and then hoarding them though.) You could even have an “organization” session with the students - have them sort the die cuts for you and show them different ways (or have them work out) different storage methods!
Stefany
Hi kitty - believe me I�m no expert on card making nor card making classes - but why don�t you just leave the die cuts out for your students? (you can pick out the best die cuts for yourself beforehand) - or have �free card making time� for when people finish early - and they just use the die cuts for that. (I am an expert on over producing things and then hoarding them though.) You could even have an �organization� session with the students - have them sort the die cuts for you and show them different ways (or have them work out) different storage methods!
Stefany
Stefany, that's actually a really great idea, but... well,I don't think my classes are quite what you'd call "normal", LOL. I live in a gated community, and I sort of inherited this class situation. I teach three classes, one right after the other, each one hour long, and we make two cards at each class. It's sort of like "speed carding" or something, LOL. But maybe I could just bring a box of misc. die-cut pieces to class and see if anyone wants them. Thanks!
__________________ ~ Kitty ~ "If you can dream it, you can do it." - Walt Disney
I wonder if a nursing home or a senior center outside of your community might like them. In our area, senior centers for people 50+ (!) have lots of activities, including crafts in one near me. Beyond card making, die cuts could be used in collages, on bookmarks, scrapbooking. Just a thought. : )
Stefany, that's actually a really great idea, but... well,I don't think my classes are quite what you'd call "normal", LOL. I live in a gated community, and I sort of inherited this class situation. I teach three classes, one right after the other, each one hour long, and we make two cards at each class. It's sort of like "speed carding" or something, LOL. But maybe I could just bring a box of misc. die-cut pieces to class and see if anyone wants them. Thanks!
Why couldn't one of the classes be a "what to do with leftovers" class...?
bjeans, I sent you the noodle-eating kitty png you were interested in. Took a bit of time because at first I could not figure out how to do it... and I also spent two days at the Stamp and Scrapbook Expo in Pomona CA.
Time for an update. I've spent quite a few hours organizing since we last met. I've considered/implemented quite a few of the ideas here. I started a dedicated "flower" box and was quite discerning about which flowers to toss and which to keep. I am not a binder person for die-cuts so I considered that and ruled it out. I am a flipper, and only drawn to flip if the items are both upright and attractive. So I took things out of flat (over stuffed drawers) and found some extra baskets I had around the house and organized for the following baskets:
Christmas ephemera
Tags/labels/banners
Words
Alphabet stickers
Stickers/rub-ons
Pre-cut layers (may be embossed)
Pre-stamped images (may include partially completed cards)
Flat collage-able items (sorted by theme)
I've also been working toward creating a "theme" library full of 12x12 boxes. I place those in Ikea shelves. I have boxes for my favorite themes - Peacocks, Hawaii, Roses, Castles, Christmas, Thanksgiving. These boxes contain dsp, ephemera, partial projects, etc.
I DO like to select from these items when I am say mass producing for Christmas or Thanksgiving. And luckily I have the room.
I like the idea to NOT over-create so hopefully I can scale back on over-producing now. I also like the idea to get rid of things after 2-3 years, so I might consider putting a yellow-sticky on things with a date and then purge once a year.
Once I get organized and am at a comfortable (full) capacity - I will institute the policy that if anything new comes in, something old has to go out.
I'll post pictures. I am still organizing. THANK YOU for all the ideas and discussion and perspective.
p.s. The die-cuts that fit into clear themes have found a natural home. I still have some that I love that haven't found a home yet. Feathers, dragonflies, etc. I might need to create a winged-things theme or something. More to come.
Lela, I'm so glad you posted your progress! It sounds like it suits you perfectly. I have shallow kit boxes on a bookshelf which hold new or unfinished projects only. But I never think to grab one, and need to start doing that.
Do your dragonflies, feathers and the like fall into a Nature theme?
I bought a load of the currency/ATC/Postcard etc storage sheets from Amazon, and put my die cuts in them into 3 ring binders. Lots of sizes available, so easy to find ones to fit pretty much any die cut.
I forgot to ask - your 3-ring binders have 2 rings? : )
I store die cuts in the SU clamshell cases. When I first started stamping, I went to a hardware store and bought a storage container with 64 tiny drawers which I labeled gold brads, heart brads, yellow eyelets, velcro, wiggly eyes, game pieces, etc. It comes in very handy for those multiple tiny embellishments. Because, of course, I needed eyelets in every color back then...
die-cut storage, embellishment storage
