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I have a very advanced system in place to keep track of my scraps. It all goes into a single bin and I just rummage through it. lol It's kind of been in the back of my mind to get it organized, but I've procrastinated. So I do a lot of digging in the bin. You ladies have some great ideas for this.
It's like you and I are the same person!!!! LOL. My bin also has stuff in it that needs to be thrown out cardboard backing for stickers (may need that some day) and crazy things like that. I swear once my garage sale is over this weekend, I will get to my craft area and make it look nice again.
I use ziplocs from Archiver's and by color family - I use my scraps pretty religiously.
I have even used really small pieces (1x1) to journal or for corners. My Dad keeps asking me where I get these handwritten tags.....
__________________ Laura P. Wife to Gorgeous, Mom to Yakko 22, Wakko 21 & Dot 14; Oma to Zeke 5, Aiden 2- now from a-z.
UPDATE: Yakko 26, Wakko 25 & Dot 18; Z 9; A 6 and now lovely Layla 2.
I only use 8-1/2 x 11 paper so all of my paper is in two, two-drawer file cabinets in hanging files. I have two files for each color, the front file is scraps and the next one is full sheets. It is so easy to find scraps of the right color and I find I am so much better at using up stuff this way than the other methods I'd used. This has really worked well for me.
Margaret
I've been salvaging scraps from each card project I make by 1. Saving the larger pieces in a plastic craft box with a lid to use on card fronts, 2. Using my punches and cuttlebug to cut shapes which I store in a plastic craft box. I especially enjoy cutting out flower shapes which I can attach as embellishments either with glue, an eyelet or brads, and shapes such as ovals and circles to stamp with a small image or sentiment.
I have a big file box that I keep under my desk. Colors are kept in groups (Stampin' Up! - soft subtles, bold brights, rich regals, earth elements, neutrals, etc.), and each color gets its own folder. Full size sheets and half sheets are kept here.
Anything smaller than a half sheet is stored in plastic sterlite drawer units ... one drawer per color group. I have the two of the 3-drawer units so I have a drawer for soft subtles, bold brights, rich regals, earth elements, white/vanilla and one for miscellaneous (confetti, naturals, metallics, glossy, etc.) I keep any scrap large enough to get at least a punch out of it. Since I"m a demonstrator, I make baggies of punches and give them to my customers. I will punch out tags, circles, and squares using the larger punches, and white and vanilla using the smaller size punch so they can layer if they want. I love getting rid of my scraps this way and customers love them.
Simmy :-)
__________________ I'm realizing my dream of working with animals every day. I love being a Registered Veterinary Technician !!!
I was storing all my scraps in page protectors (one for each color), but found the binders that I was storing them in awkward to use. I was cruzin the stamp rooms gallery looking for some inspiration and found this storage idea: Paper Storage by sangera at Splitcoaststampers by sargera. I did this with the new index punch and i put all my scraps mixed with the half pages. I LOVE IT!!! I can see at a glance what colors I need to use a little more frequently to use up some of my scraps and it looks pretty too!
__________________ �It�s never to late to have a happy childhood�
I can't bring myself to throw scraps away, especially with all the wonderful punches. I tend to "mat" just about everything so the small pieces come in handy. I use a vinyl accordian check file, and sort the scraps by color family. I always check in there first before ever cutting into a full sheet. It stands open by itself on my table and I can just reach in and find what I need.
I'm glad I'm not the only one saving scraps (and getting overrun with them!)
I've got mine in an accordion folder with sections for each SU color family, one for neutrals, one for metallics, one for In-Color, and one for patterned paper.
One day I'm going to sit down and make a bazillion tags! and the new special issue of Paper Crafts magazine has a great idea for the larger scraps: small note cards (or even maybe postcards).
I really need to do this. I feel like I'm wasting paper by letting them all sit there.
Someone needs to come up with a great idea to decorate a tin or something with scraps. HELP!
I was recently overrun by my paper scraps too. I went through them all and tossed everything that was smaller than half of an 8.5 by 11 sheet of paper. That filled up one large trash bag. The rest are in hanging file folders in a milk crate with tabs labeled - yellow, green, blue, etc. I organize them by color families.
This was the best thing I had done in my craft room in a long time. I've been stamping for over 10 years and had saved every scrap! Now I'm off to a fresh start. I haven't regretted tossing all of those scraps one bit.
Dina
My type of stamper! I have been stamping for over 10 years as well. I'm not as organized as you though. I throw them in the top drawer of my desk, once I get sick of it, out they all go to the recycle bin. I do dig thru it when I need a small piece to punch but right now I have old SU colors in the bottom. Anything larger than 1/4 sheet goes into my hanging files with the full sheets of cardstock. I just don't have room or patience to organize scraps!
. so I packaged them up and sold them on Ebay as a "Paper Salad" I was surpirsed at how much others were willing to pay for something I wanted out of my house so badly!
This interests me. I have a full file drawer full of scraps sorted by color family and I am overrun! What area of category did you sell it under, Crafts? Exactly how much paper did you have and how much did it sell for. How small and/or big were the pieces.
__________________ Ann Here is my oily blog! CLICK HERE Certified Copic Instructor - Local ClassesI love cars, stamping and essential oils!
Why be wasteful? Instead of just throwing it away...give it away. If you have a downline or customers (new or old), offer the scraps to anyone who wants them. This way you build a relationship with your customers. They'll appreciate your thoughtfulness because you took the time to ask if they were interested in the scraps, and they may in turn order some additional supplies, a coordinating c/s or ink to be able to use the scraps they got from you! Just a thought...
It's like you and I are the same person!!!! LOL. My bin also has stuff in it that needs to be thrown out cardboard backing for stickers (may need that some day) and crazy things like that. I swear once my garage sale is over this weekend, I will get to my craft area and make it look nice again.
Maybe it's a MANITOBA thing eh? LOL
__________________ �:*�*:�My next house won't have a kitchen. Just a bunch of vending machines and garbage cans.�:*�*:�
I have a Hanging File Folder cabinet that has a folder for each color. The scraps go into the folder with the full size sheets of the same color. This way, when I am making a card, I can see if there is a scrap the size near the one I want that I can use before cutting a full sheet. If not, there is the full sheet.
I used to group them by color families and then tried by shade by I just found it too time consuming to look for the right color in the right size in a pile of other colors.
I do the same thing but with the milk crate and each hanging folder(by color) has a manila folder inside for the smaller scraps---anything smaller than a card front. This was my first way of doing it and then i tried the drawer system---everything in a couple of empty drawers, that just didn't work, so i went back to this way. If i need a piece of paper for a layer or such, I check the manila folder first then the hanging folder and then go to my full sheet stock. I don't save anything smaller than a 2" square. Good luck.
If they're scraps that you aren't particularly attached to, maybe post them for trade or free on the bst forum for a newbie stamper. When I was starting out a couple of years ago, I asked for scraps to get me going, because at the time I couldn't afford full packages of the SU colors all at once, and the family packs don't have enough of each color in them to start with really. I was so grateful for all the help that some of the members here gave me by sending me their scrap pieces.
I have a very advanced system in place to keep track of my scraps. It all goes into a single bin and I just rummage through it. lol It's kind of been in the back of my mind to get it organized, but I've procrastinated. So I do a lot of digging in the bin. You ladies have some great ideas for this.
Me too! I have one bin for my non SU scaps and another for SU. I like the page protector idea for the SU colors though. I'm not as expert on the SU colors as some and if I don't have labels I sometimes forget which color it is, especially since I have some of the older retired colors in there as well.
I was recently overrun by my paper scraps too. I went through them all and tossed everything that was smaller than half of an 8.5 by 11 sheet of paper. That filled up one large trash bag. The rest are in hanging file folders in a milk crate with tabs labeled - yellow, green, blue, etc. I organize them by color families.
This was the best thing I had done in my craft room in a long time. I've been stamping for over 10 years and had saved every scrap! Now I'm off to a fresh start. I haven't regretted tossing all of those scraps one bit.
Dina
Wow, that's a pretty big size to throw away. I guess because I use a lot of my smaller pieces as faux ribbons and to punch for embellishments, I keep very little pieces too. But nothing smaller than what I can punch with my window punch, so you can see that I keep tiny pieces too!
I use binders too, they are super easy to use and maintain and don't take up a lot of space. They are great to have on the table when your not really sure what colors you want to use. Have fun organizing.
I have all the SU! colors in hanging file folders and I put all the scraps for each color at the front of the full sheets.
I do this too, but put the scraps in a page protector (with a full-sized sheet in the back to keep it 'stiff') Unless I'm making the card base, I am able to find what I need in my scraps more often than not. It's nice too, because I can pull out the page protector and put any extra scraps right back in. I have yet to figure out the best system for my patterned paper though...I'm just starting to use that more on my cards.
I was just about to post something asking for help with my bigger scraps! I have a system for the smaller scraps....I use an accordion file case (kind of like a big coupon holder thing) for my small scraps and sort them by color. This has worked well for my small scraps, but how do you store 12x12 strips that have already been cut? ALso, can someone tell me what LSS is? I think it is scrapbook store, but I want to be sure!
Thanks for the help:cool:
When I cut into a piece of cardstock I immediately cut down the left over paper into the biggest size I can get: either 1/2 sheet or 1/4 sheet. I have two baskets that hold these, standing on their edge, sorted roughly by color of the rainbow, with white and cream first and then black at the back. These baskets sit shelves beside my craft table.
Any scraps smaller than 1/4 sheet (which are big enough to be actually useful) I put into file folders that hang beside my table. Again I sort them by - white, cream, colors of rainbow, and black.
Any time I need a piece of paper I look in the appropriate sized area. If there's not a piece for me to use, I then look in the next biggest basket, and finally will get out a full size sheet of paper to cut.
This method has really helped me to use up my scraps of paper and also makes it really easy when I want a 1/2 sheet or 1/4 sheet of cardstock.
I also store my scraps in pint-sized ziplock bags. I keep each bag on top of its corresponding color card-stock, stored flat. I use paper shelves for this and group according to RR, SS, etc. I also write the NAME of the color on each bag and glue a SAMPLE of the CS on each. (A small square punch makes getting a sample of each color easy). This way, I don't have to guess which color belongs in which bag. I've found that it is sooo easy to put the scraps back in the right bag and then place it back with its correct color.
I was just about to post something asking for help with my bigger scraps! I have a system for the smaller scraps....I use an accordion file case (kind of like a big coupon holder thing) for my small scraps and sort them by color. This has worked well for my small scraps, but how do you store 12x12 strips that have already been cut? ALso, can someone tell me what LSS is? I think it is scrapbook store, but I want to be sure!
Thanks for the help:cool:
I use a mail sorter thing for all my SU paper--3 colors to a slot. I keep the scraps in a ziplock baggie in the same slot. Here is a picture of my paper storage:
I bought a set of inexpensive 8x11 page protectors from an office supply store, (100 for $5). I write the color on it with a sharpie and store it with my big paper. For my SU Patterned paper I leave it in the plastic and slit open the top, I put my scraps back in there.
It works well, if I need a piece of celery I only have to check one spot, and the sleeve holds even small scraps, so I can keep as many as I have room for, but they don't accumulate as quickly because they are so organized I use them.
That is EXACTLY what I do . . . right down to the sharpie! lol! For my SU patterned paper, I store each themed pack into a 12x12 plastic folder from CM. The official name for it is 12-inch DecoFile Folders. The best part . . . it has an extra smaller folder in the front to store all the scraps from that pack. It works wonderfully.
