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?
when you say "unmounted" do you mean that you somehow use acrylic blocks and something like that cling stuff I keep hearing about? I am looking for a way to store my growing collection in less space. The wood blocks and cases take up a lot of room in my "craft CLOSET"...LOL
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cammystamps
...For those who store them unmounted --- what do you do when you use them? Do you still use your wood block? If so, what do you use to temporarily mount it?...
Resqbarbie, unmounteds DO take up WAY less space than w/m's. That is the main reason I converted mine to u/m's.
Acrylic blocks are what I use to stamp with my unmounteds. I use a variety of methods to adhere the rubber die (the rubber portion of the stamp) to the blocks: EZ Mount foam, removeable double-sided tape, or Tack It Over and Over (or a similar 2-way glue). If I have ones that don't have a cushion attached, I put a mouse pad underneath my paper and that helps level out the image.
Quote:
Originally Posted by happystampingal
I have a question that no one has asked yet.
What do you think about SU going unmounted anytime soon??? Most of my customers us CLose to my Heart because of the unstamped and simple way to store them.
Teresa
I've wondered the same thing ever since CTMH went accrylic. I wish SU would offer their sets with options, like: with blocks (as they are now), or without blocks and w/cling foam attached, much like TAC does.
I have two wire shelving units on which I store my stamps -- in their original cases, according to the categories in the SU catalog. Like several others, I have 'enhanced' the titles on the boxes. What I did was put a white file folder label on the inside of the box behind the SU label. I have the boxes filed in 'in boxes' that I bought at Office Max. It is easier to get the bottom box when there are only two or three piled together, rather than at the bottom of a pile of six boxes!
If you thought unmounting was radical, you'll probably boo me as well.
To start, I have bought 6 clear storage drawer set that you can get at any discount store. The drawer sets are various sizes. They sit on a ledge in my basement craft room. A table would work as well.
My drawers are labeled: Xmas, Bday, Flowers, Bugs, Animals, Birds, Trees & Leaves, Other Holidays, Halloween, Thank You, etc. Here is the radical part--I take my sets out of their clear containers and place them in their appropriate drawer. I started marking on the wood the name of the set, my initials, and how many stamps in the set (1/7, 2/7, 6/7, etc)
When I go to make a card or what not, I take out the whole drawer and riffle through it and pull out stamps. This has allowed me to use various set and companies that coordinate. If left in their boxes, they would be used together.
In certain cases when I have a unusual subject I use the largest clear containers I have and put them all together. For example: in one of my boxes I have Furnished with Love, the stamp with all the chairs from Simply Sweet, and a small chair stamp from Little Loves ( I consider this my "furniture" box.
I have kept one catalog/idea book extra since I started and use it ONLY for cutting out the pages of the stamps I have. I then insert them into page protectors of a 3 ring binder.
OMG - this is what I do, as well, but I usually keep two, since I invariably get stamps that are on the opposite sides of the same page.
Glad to know that others think like me!
cadyetx
P.S. I think I might "try" taking out my sentiments and different occasions/holidays and putting them all together - but I am totally scared about it (my heart is beating faster just thinking about it)! But, let's face it, the chances of me getting rid of set are pretty slim - I am a COLLECTOR!
I have bookshelves-- lots of bookshelves...LOL. I am a demo, so I keep my current sets separate from the retired (I can't bear to sell them all after they retire like some demos, so I do keep the ones I really still like). Then I keep all my word sets together, all my flower sets, general use sets (like mixed holidays, sets like greetings galore that work for anything, etc.), and then I have a category for Christmas. I keep the biggest sets on the bottom, and then work up from there. It works for me. I can usually find what I'm looking for. It would make me crazy to have to try to keep them alphabatized, though, so I dont' worry with that. Besides, then the sizes might be off and you'd have to stack big on top of small.
I've found this to be the most space-effective way of storing them.
Great thread--lots of good tips. I've been stamping for about 10 months--it's amazing how many stamps, etc, one can collect is such a short amount of time! It didn't take me long to figure out that I needed some sort of organization. My first self-assigned task was to figure out something I could use to easily see which stamps were in which set, so I could find it when I needed it. My solution was to go to the SU! web catalog and print the page on which the stamp set it shown--that is, where you find a description of the set and the b/w picture of the set. I file these copies in alphabetical order, in a page protector, in a 3-ring binder. There were several sets that weren't currently in the catalog, or had been in a mini catalog that was no longer posted at the SU! website. Several of those, I've printed out a copy of the "Index" pages that have been posted at the SCS gallery, then file those. I usually print a copy of the Index (SCS galleries), and tape that to the bottom of the b&w printout, so I have both. There are only a few sets that I have for which I don't have an index of some sort, but I've got them listed separately and whenever I do add the index page, I scratch it off the list.
My stamp sets really need organization. I've got several of those that I use often (especially backgrounds and words/alpha's) on shelves near my stamping table. Other sets, less frequently used, are stored in no particular order in a 3-drawer plastic wheely bin, and I've listed which sets are contained in each drawer on a sticky on the front of each drawer. With some of the ideas people have posted here, I will be able to better organize them so I can find them more quickly.
JMTCW,
Cassie
As soon as I mount my stamp sets, I stamp all the images in that particular set onto a piece of white paper, I place the stamp set title at the bottom of the paper and then the paper gets stored alpahbetically in a three ring binder. Then the actual stamp set gets stored on my shelf alphabetically. This makes it SO easy when I am trying to find that perfect stamp or saying! I just leaf through my three ring binder, find the perfect set, and then go to my shelf!
ok, here goes. I had to go out and buy a cabinet with doors and shelves. I put a label on the front of the shelf telling me like "Backgrounds", Garden, Disney, House Mouse and so on. I have over 200 plus sets. Then I label each box in the front and stack then I shelve them in Alpha order. And I put my Retired SU sets the same way but in a different cabinet. To much time on my hands. And before I mount my SU stamps I make a copy of the sticker sheet and glue it to the top of my box so I can remember what stamps go in each box and how many. It really helps because I don't have to look inside.
Ok out of breath. I'm sure there's more. I love to organize.
Joyce-To Err is Human, to Forgive is Canine
3 ring binder of stamp sets from cutting up catalog
Quote:
Originally Posted by cadyetx
OMG - this is what I do, as well, but I usually keep two, since I invariably get stamps that are on the opposite sides of the same page.
Glad to know that others think like me!
cadyetx
P.S. I think I might "try" taking out my sentiments and different occasions/holidays and putting them all together - but I am totally scared about it (my heart is beating faster just thinking about it)! But, let's face it, the chances of me getting rid of set are pretty slim - I am a COLLECTOR!
I have been very happy with my decision to take out the "word" stamps of my sets and group them. If I need to make a thank you card, I put out the S.U. stamp boxes I have marked Thanks and look at them to find just the right size I need and also what I can put inside a "thank you" card (or whatever type card I am making.) I was nervous about doing it for several months and finally did it and wow what a difference it has made for me and for my friends that come over to stamp with me!
P.S. You know what I like about cutting out the pages from the idea/catalog book? They are in color AND I have ideas right there on the page with the stamp set! :-D
Wow Belinda - have you been in my stamp room? That is exactly how I decided to sort my stamps. I store them by case size in storage boxes and lable the sides with the smallest cases being A's and the largest cases being E's. The stamp sets in the small cases are labeled A1 A2 A3 etc.
That is too funny! And here I though I was coming up with this awesome, new idea. ;) Still an awesome idea.
I unmounted mine about 3 years ago and now use the wood mounts for my little granddaughter to stack and play with. I really wanted to use the CD case method, which another demo told me she used when we attended the Portland Regionals. I had used sport cards clear windows to store them. And I stored them by set. But the CD cases I had left over from the calendars I made a couple years ago wouldn't close with the stamps in them so they were always popping open. I am like many of you and I have way too many stamps, but I currently have them in 6 of the 3 inch binders. I mark the binders on the spine with large labels which you stick down the clean spine. I have one for backgrounds. One for sentiments. A couple for retired, a non-SU, etc. It's not ideal, but I couldn't figure out why the CD cases wouldn't work and so I just left what I had. I have gone to the photo sheets now which have various sized squares, some large enough for larger stamps within a set. There are some very organized gals on this site. You guys are ingenious!
I had been reading the email notifications and not thinking that I was missing a bunch of posts in between.
I don't know that I am ready to go the unmounted route, especially since I can only demo them if they are mounted. However, if I end up more of a hobby demo, I may unmount them. I am definitely going to enhance the labels or add color coding to them.
Great thread--lots of good tips. I've been stamping for about 10 months--it's amazing how many stamps, etc, one can collect is such a short amount of time! It didn't take me long to figure out that I needed some sort of organization. My first self-assigned task was to figure out something I could use to easily see which stamps were in which set, so I could find it when I needed it. My solution was to go to the SU! web catalog and print the page on which the stamp set it shown--that is, where you find a description of the set and the b/w picture of the set. I file these copies in alphabetical order, in a page protector, in a 3-ring binder. There were several sets that weren't currently in the catalog, or had been in a mini catalog that was no longer posted at the SU! website. Several of those, I've printed out a copy of the "Index" pages that have been posted at the SCS gallery, then file those. I usually print a copy of the Index (SCS galleries), and tape that to the bottom of the b&w printout, so I have both. There are only a few sets that I have for which I don't have an index of some sort, but I've got them listed separately and whenever I do add the index page, I scratch it off the list.
My stamp sets really need organization. I've got several of those that I use often (especially backgrounds and words/alpha's) on shelves near my stamping table. Other sets, less frequently used, are stored in no particular order in a 3-drawer plastic wheely bin, and I've listed which sets are contained in each drawer on a sticky on the front of each drawer. With some of the ideas people have posted here, I will be able to better organize them so I can find them more quickly.
JMTCW,
Cassie
Please explain the scs index pages to me. I don't know what that is. I do the 3 ring binder but have been xeroxing the sticker before I them when mount. Much better idea to cut up a catalog with ideas!
pauat [email protected]
By SCS index, I am referring to the Indexes that are posted with many of the stamp sets. GalleryIndex posts many of them. They are color "index" pages showing each stamp in a particular set. I find them to be of great help and reference.
Cassie
I stamp all my sets onto copy paper then put them into a binder. It's so much easier to be able to flip through pages in a notebook then to rummage through all my sets. The binder is also nice to look through when I'm putting an order in. You know you really like a set when you order it two different times because you don't remember if you have ordered it yet. After I did that with two different sets, I made my binder. I have my sets in a plastic 3 drawer storage bin. Both my binder and my drawers are divided based on the SU catalog. And for all those no SU stamps I buy, I use the plastic SU boxes from backround stamps. I figure backround stamps don't need to be kept with their "set" and it saves on space.
I have almost 200 sets and also made a binder which is a great help. I did
my binder with sections: All sets, flowers & leaves, BG, animals, words, holiday, vintage & children. When I get a new set I stamp the whole set on paper and put it in the all sets sections of my binder, then if there are words in the set - I also stamp the words in the words sections, if there are flowers then in the flower sections etc. That way when I am doing a card I can pick and choose from each section. All my stamp cases are stacked on shelves in sections that they are under in the catalog, vintage, flowers, etc. I would be lost without my binder. :-D
Me again! Yesterday I made up a binder that has the images & names of ALL my stamp sets. It is GREAT!! I just look through the binder and see which sets I want to use. I was looking for a certain sentiment last night and I just whipped out my book. I can't believe I have never done this before. It would have saved me hours and hours of time!!
Robyn
I have done the binder thing right from the start, but every time I get a new set, first I scan the label sheet before cutting, then I have a sheet with the full label image and at the bottom I place the set name, quantity of stamps, catalogue it's from and the product numer. Then they are all stored alphabetically in the binder.
wow what a great read! I loved the way one person stored hers on a metal wall! I think that would look great! I have only been colecting for a fwe months (my girlfreind became a demo!) and I got the bug from her. I keep a shoe box lid with all my lose stamps from like the dallor store and I have only 10 SU sets right now. I bought a few sets fto make Christmas cards and I have been saving my money to buy 9 new sets of every day. so I can't wait to get my new stuff as I'm getting tired of making Christmas cards lol. I have been storeing my sets on shoe bok lids as I can lift them off and stack them nicely. right now I'm using my babys room as a craft room as well and I'm worried for the day hes in his room fully than I will have to find another place to go! I loved the one lady who said her hubby rolls his eyes and doesnt understand. My hubby is the same way! The hard part for me is everytime I look through the SU cat I want something more lol.
I have my stamps in their original containers..non SU stamps in fishing lure boxes. Everytime I get a new set I stamp it in black on a large index card and place it in a mini photo album. That way I have all my sets ready for viewing without taking everything out. Also, one last thing, I mark my sets with my label maker....I have assigned each box a number and the number of stamps in the set.
Snow Angels 22 (6) So it is number 22 and has 6 stamps
On each stamp I will write the number 22 (to identify the stamp with
each box)
The reason for this was that when we all get together and use each other stamps it doesn't take me any time to pick up. Also, when I use various stamps at one time, clean up is a cinch!
I first started out with the alphabet i.e. A(7) As I purchased more I had to mark double letters AA(7) So I decided to go to numbers, now I can buy to my hearts content and number on and on and on! Happy stamping Rose!:p
Now this is the response that will really get me in trouble. I've been collecting stamps since 1976 - from all different kinds of sources. I really don't have any more space than anyone else, so my solution.... break apart the sets and ditch the boxes. I can hear the screaming from here! When I get new stamps, I stamp the image on a blank spot in a small 3 ring binder I've been keeping for years. I have the images grouped by holidays, people, animals, flowers, words, locations [buildings, maps, etc]. It's only been in the last six months, after I broke down and bought some Elfa storage, that I've even considered keeping the sets in their boxes. I probably won't do this though. You'd be surprised how creative things get when you "break out of the box" and combine stamps from a variety of sets. The beauty of SU stamps is how well all the images support each other.
Ooops... didn't say anything about how I store all these stamps. I started with an old chest of drawers - one drawer for each of my notebook categories. Someone clued me in to using clear lucite box frames as storage boxes - you can only pile two layers of stamps in them, but you can stack the frames on each other so that the cushions don't get packed down from the weight. After the drawers got so full I couldn't pack another one in, I moved to clear plastic shoe boxes that I label according to my notebook categories. But how do I find a specific stamp? I love looking through all my flower stamps if I'm in a floral card mood. I get all kinds of ideas.... and may not even use the stamp that I had in mind when I started out even when I find it!
Me again! Yesterday I made up a binder that has the images & names of ALL my stamp sets. It is GREAT!! I just look through the binder and see which sets I want to use. I was looking for a certain sentiment last night and I just whipped out my book. I can't believe I have never done this before. It would have saved me hours and hours of time!!
Robyn
I "forgot" to stamp an image sheet of my sets (or copy the labels before I cut them out) soooo I printed the index from SCS for the sets I have and store those in my three ring. Gives me some ideas/inspiration too!
And I've been meaning to ask this question - does anyone store their BG stamps not in the case? (like in the picture from the SS mag?).
I asked my WH to put house gutter on my walls to store them and he came up with a better idea...he used sheet metal and made racks, they are all 8 foot long (although now I'm going to get smaller ones to fill in wall space), they have a back, bottom and front. They hang on the wall beside my table and I just grab the case that I want, they are short enough that I can see the stamps and I just put the ones that I use the most where I can reach them without moving. I'm sure the gutter would have worked the same, but these were made with love!
There are many threads on unmounting your stamps. It might be easier to search this forum and put "unmounted" instead of everyone explaining again. I would be happy to answer any of your questions if you want to PM me. It was a confusing concept at first but once I tried it I LOVED it!!
Robyn
I keep my SU stamps in their boxes. I store them in wheeled 7 drawer bins by box size, and divided into categories, like, flowers, hearts & stars, words, alpha & numbers, sports, kids, girls, minis, backgrounds & borders, animals, ocassions, frames & borders, tags, invitations and generics. I have 4 of this 7 drawer storage bins. For some of the categories I might have 2 or more drawers, so, I have them labeled ex: flowers 1, flowers 2. I place the boxes with the open side up and labled them with a black sharpie on the top. It shows great. I also write the amount of stamps in each box and the drawer number. So, if I'm using a set with flowers and it belongs in flowers drawer 2, I wrote a 2 on the bottom right hand corner of the box. Then I know where to keep it after I'm done. All my background stamps are out of their boxes. I also have non SU stamps and I just put them in the same drawers with the SU. I also keep accessories, punches, craft tools kit, ribbons, brads & eyelet & other hardware, embossing, stencils, glitter, markers, ink pads, etc. all in different drawer bins that I have added to the top by those categories. They are all clear bins. I store the paper in a small 4 shelf unit by color categories.
I'm really interested on this unmounted storage idea, but I don't seem to understand. How do you stamp? Do you store the wood blocks? Do you attach the stamp to the block when stamping? :confused: :o
All of you have been really great with your storage ideas! I'm surely going to do the binder with the picture of the stamp sets by categories. It's a great idea! :-D
I am no longer a demo and in fact DH has pretty much banned me from signing up as a consultant/demo for any more companies, LOL -- so with that in mind I went to organize my SU stamps and other stamps and realized that since I wasn't a demo anymore there was no reason I had to keep them all in their boxes by set anymore. I was keeping all that I had and so there was no reason anymore to have them stored that way.
I took a big breath and first took ALL the words out of all the sets and put them into 4 boxes separated by category, birthday, christmas, everyday, etc.
I took all the stamp sets and broke up them and put them into categories too. All the animals together, all the kids together, etc.
I am SOO happy, there are literally stamps I never knew I had because I would bypass an entire set looking for something else. There were sets I had no idea went so well together and put them together (you know how some have the same lines or artist, etc.)
Was able to cut 60 or so sets down and 10 boxes left over so now in about 50 boxes and put in Iris cart drawer. Not a huge space saver but they are all grouped by type now so when I go to make a birthday card I grab 2 boxes and I am set to go. NO more fumbling through 60 boxes to see what I have. And the word stamps get SO much more use now.
Now I am forced to never be with SU again, LOL it would take too long to put stuff back where they belonged in their appropriate set -- I kind of did that also to reduce temptation of signing up again since DH would surely divorce me! Loved it when I was a demo but we are done with that phase and he knows I am an all or nothing gal and now with 2 kids I need the kids to be all, LOL!
I "forgot" to stamp an image sheet of my sets (or copy the labels before I cut them out) soooo I printed the index from SCS for the sets I have and store those in my three ring. Gives me some ideas/inspiration too!
And I've been meaning to ask this question - does anyone store their BG stamps not in the case? (like in the picture from the SS mag?).
Patti
That is a great idea about printing the index prints from SCS -- although I have broken sets up it still might be nice to have as reference in case I am looking for something that is supposed to go with something else -
I DO take the background stamps out of and store out of the box. I keep them all together on their side in a drawer at an angle so I can flip through to find what I need.
Those boxes when you "ditch" them for whatever reason are great to keep for projects on the go or projects you are working on. Kids wake up and I throw my stuff in a background stamp box for next time, and putting precut c/s in some for workshops was what I did to prepare for workshops too.
my method
Organization?
Storage
Indexes are helpful too
