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 need to find a great way to organize all of my different clear stamps and stamp sets (all still in their little plastic baggies but thrown in a shoebox together ~lol.....any ideas on that? Thanks for the thread
I have 2, 3 drawer carts and I have them somewhat divided into:
1. Christmas
2. Fall, Trees, Halloween, Valentine's, Easter, Patriotic
3. Anniversary, Love, Birthday,Thank you
4. Sayings, Get Well, Flowers, Misc.
5. Wheels, Peg, Misc. clear
6. backgrounds, CD cases with unmounted stamps
Most of my stamps are SU, but the non-SU are in SU cases.(Most of them)
I have the cases labeled on 2 sides, so depending on how I have to put them in the drawer, I can see the name at all times.
So far this works for me. Haven't decided on cataloging them yet.
__________________ Cindy Please visit my BLOG I'd love to know what you think!!
I have mine (almost all are unmounted) in cd cases or stamp keepers.
They are organized in groups such as:
Christmas
Sentiments
Birthday
Alphabets
Thank You
Flowers
Hearts
Etc.
I have a very similar system..... although the stamps aren't organized into categories... but in my binder I have the images stamped and sorted into categories with the CD Case #, so I can find the perfect stamp by flipping through the themed section of the binder, and just grab the appropriate cd case.
in the SU boxes, or for the non SU stamps, I bought some containers at the dollar store which are about 12 inches square. Am going to unmount the stamps though, ordered the CD cases and am going to a stamp show this weekend, will either buy the ezmount there,or order online (saw a great price per sheet online, here http://www.beeswaxrubberstamps.com/accessories.htm.
I have them somewhat organized now by
floral
birds
butterflies/bugs
sentiments
holidays
fall
christmas
backgrounds
Animals
celebrations
and misc
am going to expand this list though when I unmount.
I have my SU sets copied and in a notebook as well. Then organized on my shelf by type. As for my clear stamps, I made a note book, put page protector sleves in and drop them in when done. I have dividers so I can find what I am looking for, but the "notebook" is easy to keep on the shelf. Of course I decorated the outside and added a tag that says "clear stamps". HTH
Whatever you decide to do, imagine your current collection of stamps being ten times bigger than it currently is, and determine that your plan for storage/organization will be able to handle that.
I suppose I have thousands of stamps, but I'm afraid to count! My system has:
1-mounted in acrylic trays in office type mail sorter compartments (Stampin' Up sets are usually together but not in original cases)
2-UMs in envelopes inside poly shoe boxes
3-clear cling sets in page protector sleeves in looseleaf notebooks
4-antique printer brass plates in a box
5-a dozen or so CD cases and a DVD case because stamps were sold in the case
Each has a letter and number code system to identify it. Each image is stamped on pages in two notebook sets and labelled with the code location. One set is by subject: i.e. "Architectural Elements", "People-Women", etc. The other set is by stamp company.
I have mainly SU sets and they arranged by size, when I get a set of stamps I stamp them onto cardstock and label them and put the cardstock in a binder so that I can use the binder to see what stamp sets I have. I do the same thing with my unmounted stamps and I put a number beside the image and I put a cordinating number on the cling sheet that I store my unmounteds on, this way I know where they go when I am done, I also put the cling sheets in the binder with my index so they are all together. For any wood mounted stamps that I have that are misc., I put the number on the side of the wood and place them in a plastic basket and keep everything together.
I have unmounted all of mine (just finished in March). Right now are in CD cases alphabetically. I have the misc sayings (those non SU stamps) all in one row. I am going to make a binder of of all my images soon.
__________________ Did you know nearly 1 in 2 Americans live with chronic illness? chronic illness?
I have my SU sets stacked and then one box for MFT and Bellas, then another for other clear sets like Inkadinkado, gina K sets are also stacked because of the case they come in.
I used to keep my SU stamps in large rubbermaid containers, but that did not work very well. Last year, I found black "wrought iron" CD shelves. All but the largest sized case fits nicely on its side. So, I can store about 20 on a shelf, with 4 shelves, I think. I've posted a photo before. I'll see if I can find it again.
I started the binder of stamps, but never finished. Now I think I just need to xerox the labels when I get new stamps, but I haven't done that yet either.
Here it is. This photo is from when I first got them, and didn't have a stamp room. Now I have a very small room, so these shelves are nice because they don't take up much room. Also, I store one sized box per shelf, which makes them easier to pull out. I still need to alphabetize or something. Forums at Splitcoaststampers
Last edited by lynnewithane; 06-10-2008 at 09:06 AM..
Location: Virginia, where we have the beach and mountains all in one state!!
Posts: 887
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I organize mine in CD cases and have them in a number system.....but I have a binder with pictures of each stamp with the numbers on them. I browse the binder get the number and then pull the CD case. Little bit of a process in the beginning to get them in the binder but so worth it now, love the system.
I have mostly SU sets in their boxes. I store them in a large bookcase on their sides with the "hinge" side down. I label them with a folded piece of paper inside the case and place it on the side facing me. This way, I don't have to mess with anything sticky/permanent. When I sell the set, it is much cleaner for the next person.
My bookcase has those holes on the sides so the shelves are adjustable. I made the shelf spaces just slightly higher than the cases. I bought extra shelf boards at Lowes and had them cut to size. It works great because I can pull them out like books and I can store quite a few per shelf. Because the shelves are adjustable, I am also able to accomodate my 12 x 12 paper, cuttlebug, sidekick, etc. in the shelves.
Years ago my husband came across some metal blueprint file drawers for sale cheap. We bought four sections and they are perfect for my stamps. I have them somewhat organized in the drawers, House Mouse, Landscapes, Holiday, Misc/Word Stamps, etc. I also keep my paper and embellishments in these drawers. I should paint the cabinets so they look prettier (they are a gun metal gray) but they do the job!!
Some of you gave me a good idea. Right now I store all my stamps in those iris type plastic storage units with drawers which I like because they don't get dusty. I have the non-SU which are all unmounted in two of the drawers and those are organized in cd cases and by theme.
My Stampin up sets take up all the other drawers and I have those organized by size of the case because you can fit more in that way. But even though I think I will keep them first organized by size I'm going to sort then by theme too, I think it will make things easier to find.
Thanks!
I have mostly SU stamps as well. I am in the process of mounting them to ezmount and am about halfway there.
Before I chose to do this, I kept the stamps in their original sets in the cases they came in. I bought blank (unlined) 5 x 8 index cards at an office supply store. I used 1 index card for each set. I created a spreadsheet of all of my sets (I have a little over 200 and needed to keep track of what I had). Then I used the spreadsheet with Word to create a mail merge and printed the name of each set on a card. I stamped the images from each set in black or basic gray ink on the index cards. (I like variety.) I then made a box to store them in. I sorted them by size (using my round tab punch to create tabbed dividers) and then alphabetized them. I kept the same box sizes together. I had small, medium, large, x-large and jumbo for all the different case sizes. I stored them standing on end like books on several shelves. It was easier to take them out and put them back. I used to have them stacked and it was a pain when I wanted a set on the bottom of a 6 set stack. It worked very well for me.
Now that I chose to mount my stamps to ezmount I am storing them all in cd cases. My boyfriend had this cool spinning cd holder. He generously gave it to me to store my stamps. It holds 100 cd's so I should be good until I convert more of them to ezmount. I will need to find another one at that point. Since the cases are all the same size, I decided to store the ezmounted stamps in cd cases alphebetically. I pulled out the index cards I stamped for those during my previous organization project and have them sorted alphabetically as well. I really like having the index cards. It helps me to see what I have and if my niece or boyfriend wants to stamp, they can easily choose stamps they would like to use.
Great question!
I always love to hear how other folks store their stamps!
This is what I do:
My wood mounted stamps are stored in 6 8.5x11 acrylic box frames (got them super cheap at discount stores). The stamps are separated into categories, like:
floral
nature
food
coffee/tea
sports
kid-friendly
love/wedding/valentine's day
winter/winter holidays
fall/fall holidays
etc.
and I might have multiple categories in each frame. But they're clearly labeled and stacked on a shelf. (obviously my wood-mounted stamp collection is very small!)
My unmounted red rubber stamps are in CDs, which are in a CD storage box with the labeled spine facing out. My acrylic stamp sets are in the baggies they came in, in a shoe shine crate I found at an antique store forever ago... I just thumb through them when I need to find something. I still need to figure out what to do with my smaller/single acrylic stamps.
Right now, mine are all thrown into tupperware drawers (12 drawers to be exact), and i have no idea what i have..
Just wondering how do people organize their sets, is there a certain order etc.
i 'organize' my SU! sets by storing them in closet bins, grouped primarily by box size, alphabetized. there are a few exceptions: i keep all my sentiment only sets in a separate bin, and my wheels are in an SU! wheel storage trays in a separate bin. here's pictures. i also have used empty SU! boxes for my single wood-mounted stamps [from M's or A*Muse, etc.] i label the end of the box so i can tell what's in it [like 'holiday', 'changito', etc.].
now that i've started to collect, er... i mean purchase, clear sets and unmounted [ez-mounted] sets, i'm trying to incorporate them into my existing storage. if i store the sets somewhere else, i tend to forget what i have -- am i the only one this happens too
so, i've purchased some boxes just like SU! but they're only 3/4" deep. i can stick my ez-mounted singles and sets on both sides of the box [inside the cover, and in the bottom of the case] and they don't take up as much room in the bins as my SU! boxes. these stamps are sorted by manufacturer [like Bellas, or G-rated] or by theme.
i don't index my sets. for the most part, i don't think it's necessary for my inventory - and, i just don't want to have to worry about storing/organizing an index!
I keep all of my SU stamps in their boxes and arrange them by box size and put easy-to-read labels on them and they are stacked on shelves; and my clear/unmounted stamps are all in cd cases and stored in baskets underneath my card catalog. I made dividers so I know where each category is (sentiments, occasions, dogs, etc.) (My dog section took up a whole basket on its own!)
I organize mine in CD cases and have them in a number system.....but I have a binder with pictures of each stamp with the numbers on them. I browse the binder get the number and then pull the CD case. Little bit of a process in the beginning to get them in the binder but so worth it now, love the system.
ahhhhh...like the numbering system! No need to worry about alphabetizing, worrying about grouping by theme, etc.
Sometimes, the details just bog me down. Great idea!
__________________ "I drive way too fast to worry about my cholesterol".
River City Rubber Works
I have been a "stamp collector" for a number of years now and I've accumulated SO MANY stamps that often it's difficult to find something when I need it.
Not to mention buying same/similiar stamps over and over again!
I have unmounted mine to CD cases but used Aleen's Tack It Over and Over because the cost of Ez-Mount was sooooo expensive for the amount of stamps I have. A bottle of the Aleen's is only $4.99 and it lasts a long time! Also I can get the big sets into CD cases no problem when I don't use the foam!
I started umounting with my SU! sets and I'm slowly working into other stamp companies - I EVEN DID MY WHEELS!!!
I'd hate to have to go back now and make images for a hard copy catalogue and for my cases. I'm looking for something more "paperless" and faster for searching up images by theme or keyword.
Is there software out there that I can use to help me catalog and keep track of all my stamps? I'd love to be able to just scan the image set once and then print off for my cases and then for referencing when I'm looking for something.
Maybe I just need to write something up for this use and market it? Don't want to re-invent the wheel though if it's already out there.
I wasn't aware that one *could* organize their stamps! :mrgreen:
Seriously - I have all of my stamps "cataloged" on an index sheet. They aren't organized, but at least I know what I have.
I'm thinking of doing what we do at work: assigning each to a numbered drawer. That way, when I look onto the index sheet, I can find out where the darn things are. ~ kbc
__________________ Hi...My Name is Kaylyn...I'm An Alphaholic.
[B]
How do you organize your stamps
