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I store my stamps unmounted in CD Jewel cases. For older sets that I have converted, I stamped the outside with each image. For new sets I just purchased, I scan the sticker page to use in my binder, and then I put the sticker on the jewel case. I use a letter and number system, 1-A, 1-B, etc, 1's are for Alpha/Numeric sets, 2's are for holidays, 3's are for flowers, etc. I also us a pen to mark each stamp for the specific case, all of the 1-A stamps will have a 1-A on them, so I know where they go back. I also have a binder with all the images so I can look through the book and plan my stamping. It was a lot of effort to convert to unmounted, but it's easy to keep up with and makes stamping so much easier and enjoyable. I take out only the stamps I will use, even if going to a crop, I can take only 1 or 2 CD cases with the stamps I need, and not the entire sets. And, I know exactly where the stamps go back when I'm done. The CD Cases can be stored in a variety of containers. I store mine in plastic storage drawers that fit the cases in 2 rows. Take a CD case with you to shop or just grab a CD at the store where your shopping. I'm in the process of converting a spare room to a cropping room, the paint is still drying. I'll post pictures when it's done.
If you want to start storing your stamps unmounted in CD cases, you will need to adhere them to cling vinyl. I bought some on eBay.
Right now my craft room is wall to wall to wall shelves. I have my stamp sets organized on the shelf closest to my work space. I have them in last years SU catalog catagories and stacked by size. Retired sets are on the next shelf up. When I only had a few sets I used "magic drawers" from QVC. Those are so awesome!!!! but I grew out of them. I am a visual person so I have to see everything. That's why my space is always a "mess". I am going to try the color coded method from Bethatma and see how that works for my husband and kids. They are NOT visual people, nor are they creative so they just don't understand the process. They like things out of sight.
A tip for your scrapbook paper.....12X12 paper fits in record album covers. punch a small square or circle and secure to the outside right at the opening. You can store a LOT of albums in a small space and you can see what is in each cover quickly. The covers will protect the paper from bending. Get the covers at the thrift store for 50 cents to a dollar.
Site won't let me post the url..... containerstore.com, search for "scrapbook cart"
Also saw something similar at paperwishes.com - less expensive and can't vouch that it's the same quality. The one I have stands up well to the weight. sab
I recently got the idea to put the SU label sheet into the copier to make a copy of it before I cut it apart and put the stamps together. The name of the set is there also. Punch holes in the paper and into the notebook it goes. This is a lot faster than actually stamping each one to make the index.
Right now my craft room is wall to wall to wall shelves. I have my stamp sets organized on the shelf closest to my work space. I have them in last years SU catalog catagories and stacked by size. Retired sets are on the next shelf up. When I only had a few sets I used "magic drawers" from QVC. Those are so awesome!!!! but I grew out of them. I am a visual person so I have to see everything. That's why my space is always a "mess". I am going to try the color coded method from Bethatma and see how that works for my husband and kids. They are NOT visual people, nor are they creative so they just don't understand the process. They like things out of sight.
A tip for your scrapbook paper.....12X12 paper fits in record album covers. punch a small square or circle and secure to the outside right at the opening. You can store a LOT of albums in a small space and you can see what is in each cover quickly. The covers will protect the paper from bending. Get the covers at the thrift store for 50 cents to a dollar.
Leanne, Album covers are not acid or lignin free. They will damage your paper if stored for long term.
what exactly is a "project case" from office depot? like a binder or plastic file folder. Just looked in their catalog and don't see what you mean. thanks Ginny
my son is a cabinetmaker so I'm lucky. in two cabinets above my work area I made a numbered list of my SU sets.(1.lovely as a tree).etc. I put the list inside the cabinet door with tape. On the SU container for lovely as a tree I marked #1 on every side of the container and put it on the shelf. when I look at my list and want that set, I just look for set #1. It works for me!
For my SU stamps, I type up BIGGER labels and stick them inside the box so they are easily read/found and don't fall off. White for current; green and year of retirement for retired. All in bookshelves with the retired on the lower shelves (by size alpha if possible, but doesn't stay that way for long). My other stamps - omg - 3000+, are seaprated by theme and stored in acrylic picture frames (but they get too heavy), so I'm debating what I'm going to do. It's too hard to drag through them all (WHEN I GET MY HOUSE - dreamin - my brother-in-law is going to make me shallow shelves for display of the favorites/most used, and a slider cabinet so I can just pull them out liek drawers and not have to lift them up off each other and figure out what I've got).
I store mine in acrylic shadow frames I got at Micheal's (I throw out the cardboard and flip the frames upside down so they make into drawers). I sort the stamps by subject, then put the shadow frames in an old optician's cabinet I bought on Ebay for less than $200. It has 68 drawers that are about 15 inches wide and 24 inches deep...I LOVE that cabinet!
I stamped address labels the subjects for each drawer.
I also have most of my stamps set for using acrylic handles instead of woodmounted--that saves a ton of space! I can stack up about 6 layers of stamp sets in each drawer.
This is the best system for me so far...not sure what I'll do when I run out of drawers!
I try to have a relatively clean workspace. I use lingerie chests for my stamps. I have them organized by theme. I have a couple of drawers for Christmas, hearts, leaves, college/architectural, Asian, Anna Griffin, etc. If I want to I can bring the whole drawer to my work table as I work. I also have set up a couple of letter trays, the kind used for miniatures, attached to the wall. I have my word and message stamps in these, as I use them often. I enjoy reusing old things and have started a series of old sewing machine drawers also hung on my wall for stamp pads, orgainzed by type. Some of the drawers are hung up and down and some side to side. I also have a small dowl mounted on the back at the bottom to tilt the drawers slightly and keep the pads inside the drawers. Lastly I have discovered that another miniature shadow box will work well for some of my reinkers. These are working well for me right now. I'd like to say that my space is organized right now, but I am in the process of making my Christmas cards and my daughter's wedding invitations and both are spread out in progress. Good luck with your organizing adventure. I find it is a constant challenge for me but I am keeping at it.
I bought those mini clothesbaskets at Dollar General 3 for $1. I put a label on the end of each that coincides with each category in the SU catalog and sorted mine that way. I also labeled baskets for mini catalogs, hostess sets and SAB. And on my bottom shelf I have a couple labeled retired for the sets that I am keeping. After trying 4 or 5 organizing systems over the last 3 years, I have found this works best for me and who knew...it was the cheapest! When I want a set, I simply pull the basket off the shelf. HTH
__________________ PennyP
Be vewy, vewy quiet...I'm hunting for wubber stamps
I also file my stamps by case size, and then alphabetically. And, I also have built a binder containing printouts of my stamps. Only I�m not using transparencies or stamping them to make the binder sheets.
I took each of my stamp sets (one at a time) and put the stamps on my scanner, scanned them into Microsoft Word, added the set name as a title on the page, and printed it out on my printer. I then punched holes in the pages and put the printouts in a binder alphabetically. This way I can just sit and view the binder to select the stamps I want to use on a project. My SU demonstrator saw my binder a couple of years ago and has now made a binder of her own�..she thinks it�s great to just be able to view your available stamps in the binder.
As a side note, when I purchase new sets, I just scan the Stamp label sheet before I put the labels on the stamps (instead of putting all the stamps on the scanner). I also have scanned my non-SU stamps and put them in a separate section of the binder.....I used the Stamp Company name for the title on these and placed the stamps in containers marked with the company name.
My stamp room had built in shelves when we moved in, so I didn't have a choice for organizing. I store sets stacked by container size 'cause it looks nicer (I'm a neat freak). I make my own labels with a P-Touch labeler and keep the label strip w/the set name inside the box (in case I reorganize). When I can, I group like sets together in a larger SU! box (e.g. Carte Postal is with Finest Flourishes). I often get the large boxes when I buy a background stamp, but I just stack them on a shelf with the label on the wood block, so I use the box for other stuff.
I have two IKEA cabinets that are tall with lots of shallow drawers for stamps from other companies.
I also bought the plastic paper keeper boxes that were in 8 1/2 x 11 size that were used for scrapbooking and could get as many as three SU! stamp sets of like design in one case. Then, they'd all be together so I didn't have to pull out so many boxes. Now that 8 1/2 x 11 scrapping isn't as common, I don't see those boxes at the craft stores anymore, but I'm sure they have them online and if you ordered a bunch at once, it would be worth the shipping.
They also have the plastic boxes that hold 12 x12 scrapbook paper. You could stack stamps 2-deep in those.
I also scan all my label sheets before assembling my stamps and put the printouts in page protectors in a tabbed binder. Each of the 10 tabs is a different color. So, if you wanted to, as someone mentioned, you could put a small dot that matched the color of the tab in the binder on each box so when you scan your shelves, you'd at least know what color/category to look for.
With the binder, I don't have to SEE all my stamps, 'cause I can look in the binder to know what I have. This is great because I can design cards on my computer with the label images and rearrange and then not waste time and paper while stamping trying to figure out what I want to do.
I'll try to put a few pics of my stamp room in my gallery so you can see the boxes and the IKEA drawers. Since the photos, I've rearranged a lot and added lots more stamps!
Love this idea. I do not have to many sets yet. Yet being the key word in that sentence. I love to stamp and have got my own stamp room. I can not wait to get things organized. First thing I plan to do will be the stamp sets. I am also working on building my collection of stamps.
SIS
Not on a shelf, so it may not interest you, but I store mine in a dresser. The drawers are just the right depth and I store by type (though I keep one drawer or two for current--non-retired sets--since I demo.) The names of all the sets are facing up, so it's easy to find them.
Each named set or dividual stamp I get, I stamp them in a themed catalog. If a stamp has mulitiple themes, i.e. baby, get well, I stamp that one stamp in the appropriate tabs in the catalog. Sometimes the stamp may appear in several themes.
I keep the sets in their boxes with the names and the number of stamps within printed with lable maker on it's front and side. Some sets are lying on their sides on shelves, some on thier sides in boxes, some are stacked flat. My catalog tells me which closet, which shelf to find the set/stamp.
went unmounted and store in my cd tower, LOVE LOVE LOVEING it!!! All riht htere by my work space, chek my gallery for pics, I highly recommend unmounting.
Storing Stamps
Making a binder...
