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?
Okay, I have a big notebook with my stamp inventory in it, with all stamps cross-referenced and categorized to death. (I'm just a little OC....:rolleyes: ) But it is hopelessly out of date because I move stamps I don't like or don't want anymore to the basement. It's bugging the stuffing out of me that the inventory has images that are crossed out. But updating the book would take a monumental effort, and I just don't want to do it.
So, please help! What do you do? Will you lovely ladies and gentlemen please advise me so I don't start pulling my hair out....;)
I had one of those notebooks, but had the same problem when I sold sets I would have pages crossed out on one side but not the other. I tried to redo it a few times, but just got frustrated. So I looked around the house and grabbed one of the baskets I had. Now when I buy a set I stamp it on an envelope (I work for a major card company so have an endless supply of these) but a sheet of paper would work just as well. I keep it alphabetized. Thought about stamping individual catagories, but with the amount of stamps I have (over 6000) would be a pain in the backside. Its so much easier when I sell sets.. just take out the one envelope. Oh, I also list on the envie what set, how many in set and where it is located for easy access. Its not the most perfect system, but so far it is working for me.
I am in the process updating mine as well. This time I am going to only put 1 set per sheet and then in a 3 ring notebook. That way when I get rid of 1 set, I can just pull it out.
I store my Su in a three ring binder that has photo sleeves. I copy a picture of the set (either from the sticker sheet or from old catolog) and place this picture in the sleeve. I then place the copy of the set into a numbered section that corresponds to a bin in which that set is stored. this way you can move things around easily.
I don't have a lot of stamp sets compared to most (only own 30 SU sets). But I am in the process of indexing them. I'm using a 6x6 scrapbook so that I can just pull out the page when I get rid of the sets. You might want to use a 12x12 size though. ;)
I did mine on 5x8 index cards. 1 set per index sorted by theme, and stamped the sentiments a 2nd time on a separate card so I can flip through just sentiments. It is working great. I also rolled my wheels that co-ordinate with the set on the back of the sets, and have a separate section for wheels. On the cards for the wheels I listed all the sets that co-ordinate with it. It took me about a week to do, but it has saved me so much time and i use sets that I forgot about.
I keep a spreadsheet on my computer, alphabetized by name of set/wheel that includes date of purchase, price, date of retirement, and a column for extra info (30% off deal, hostess set, SAB set, free gift).
I'm not sure what you are cross referencing, but it is pretty quick and painless to go into my spreadsheet and update it. I don't usually keep a hard copy around (unless I have a thread in the BST forum).
Obviously, my system does not help with image recognition or wheel coordination (although, I could add a column for coordination, but I don't own that many wheels). ;)
I also store my stamps sets in drawers by categories...floral, background, holidays, sentiments...easy enough to look through the drawer.
I don't have an inventory. For me, part of the joy of stamping is to look through what I've got and be inspired all over again. Of course I do have a general idea what I've got, so if I've got a specific project in mind it is not too hard to find it.
__________________ Sara My Weblog Yes you can link the blog without asking. The Gallery Comments and Favorites wanted
Well, I never thought of indexing my stamps, but I think it is a good idea.
I think I may try the binder idea. I like the idea of taking the sheet out if you get rid of a particular set. I think I have a little OCD tooo!!;)
__________________ Cindy Please visit my BLOG I'd love to know what you think!!
As my stamp collection has grown, it seems like I spend more time looking for stamps than I do actually stamping!!
I love the idea of stamping the sentiments from each set and filing them separately - love the idea of the index cards too. That would require a cute box to hold them in, which would require some altering, which would require more DP - see where I am going with this?
I started to inventory my stamps, but it seemed WAY too much like work to me so I didn't get very far. I just keep them in drawers sort of by categories like flowers, Christmas, Sentiments, etc. When I find a stamp I'd totally forgotten about it's like getting a little gift for no reason.
I got to a point where I had so many stamps and had no idea what I had any more. So I made a box to hold 5x8 index cards. I bought a few packs of blank 5x8 index cards and printed the stamp set name & release year. I organize them by box size and then alphabetically. That is also how I have them stored on my shelves (book style). I chose a different color for each size. I punched 1/2" circles from cs and attached them to the boxes with glue dots. It makes it easier to know where to put it back when I am done. So far I've only done this for my SU sets.
Not only does it help me know what I have; when my niece or boyfriend stamps with me I can just hand them the box and they search for a set to use.
I don't have an inventory of stamped images. The whole "completeness" issue would just bug me, as it does you. So I don't want to do it until I can do it right.
What I would love to have is a relational database that could have the images in it. Each image could have tons of relationships - to its stamp set, manufacturer, categories, which family member I had made something with that image, etc. And since it would be a database on the computer instead of images on paper, the relationships could be changed or added at any time. If I had such a thing, my mind envisions a blank grid sheet of some sort that I could stamp new images onto just one time, then pop the sheet onto my scanner and stick them into the database. If anyone decides to develop such a thing, let me know!
I used to have a 3 ringd binder, to much trouble. Since I got the BIA, I have been going back and making 4x6 unruled index cards with each set on one. Then you can bind and flip away.
Then I gave away a set and ge ta new one? Use the BIA to punch new holes, make small scissor nip and slip onto the binding in the right spot.
Much easier to store, they look very neat if left out to display and you can decorate them like little books.
__________________ Karen
...My life is like a stroll on the beach...As near to the edge as I can go...Thoreau...
I used to have a notebook for inventory. I was obsessed with it. So much so, that I found I was spending more time categorizing, cross-referencing, and updating than I was stamping. My tastes in styles have changed and evolved over the years and I see now that an inventory system would have driven me crazy!
I don't keep an inventory and see no point in doing that. I organize my stamps by theme of the individual stamp. Animals, words, trees, flowers, swirls, Christmas, religious, etc. Each category has a box of those stamps. I've unmounted my stamps, so they do fit in the box nicely. I see no need to keep the Stampin' Up sets together, since I can't imagine I would use all the stamps in that set on one card. Yes, some would end up in the same category, but most sets have different kinds of stamps in it.
I have a lot of stamps, but I certainly don't have in the thousands and see no reason I need that many. I'm able to use the stamps I have in various ways, that way I have variety.
If I buy a set of stamps, I go through them and trash the ones I know I would have no use for and just keep the rest and put each one in the box for it's category.
If I purchase a stamp or set, I know I want particular ones in that set, so I have no intentions of selling them. My feeling is, if I like it now, why wouldn't I like it 5 years from now and want to keep it?
I do the same system for my dies, embossing folders, and stencils. I just store them separately from my stamps, of course.
I am a computer Nerd, so if I were going to keep a listing of stamps or other craft tools, I would do it on my computer. If you make a spread sheet in MS Excel, you really don't need to cross-reference your sets. You can do a search for particular stamps if you also include a category for that kind of stamp. You can make all the columns you want on your spread sheet. You could also do the same in MS Access. A bit more work, but would still give you the ability to have all the categories you desire and do a search anyway you want.
Having a log on the computer would be much simpler and even in the beginning would take much less time than hand doing everything. If you want pictures of the stamps, just scan them into the log with a link or a thumbnail.
Using your computer for this purpose would be easier for those of you who grow tired of your stamps and give or sell them for profit. To delete them from your log, just highlight the entry and press delete. Everything else just moves up or down to keep it neat.
I purchase the boxes I use from Staples. They have such a super variety of sizes with attached lids that lock inside box but are easy to open. Each box is labeled with the category and either stamps, dies, stencils or embossing folders. Boxes stack neatly on my shelves.
This system works for me, but certainly wouldn't work for everyone. You have to do what works best for you. I do try to use my computer in my crafting when ever possible.
I have a binder. ( well two now that i have one that is strictly su sets) but my main binder has pages in page protectors and i stamp each stamp then use a small amount of snail adhesive to attach it to a piece of printer paper. ( i write under it the mfg info) then if i get rid of that stamp i remove it from the page.
( if i get rid of too many or re-arrange a catagory) i re do just those pages by cutting out the stamped images i am keeping and starting a new page with them.
I just updated my stamp index binder. It does take time since I only update it about twice a year. The hardest part is remembering which sets I've traded or sold. But it's a very helpful tool when I'm looking for just the right sentiment that may not be in a strictly sentiment set but instead hiding in an image set. Hope that made sense. LOL!
I have just started indexing my stamps. As I use them I index them on a piece of cardstock. I have four binders seperated by alpha. I started indexing so that I could at a glance see what I have. I haven't used it yet because I am still indexing and unmounting. I only wanted one set per page that way if I got rid of a set I could scrap the cardstock a use it later.
LOL! I soooo can't make up my mind on this!!!!! I feel like it's a major life decision, which is totally ridiculous. I wonder if I need medication....:rolleyes:
Every time I think, gee, just go with the majority and dump your notebook, I remember how nice it is to be waiting for my son at therapy and thumbing through my personal catalog, writing down ideas for when I can get to my craft space. I spend a lot of time waiting every week and appreciate having my stamps with me, so to speak.
Then, I look at all my stamps and think, oh, lordy, wouldn't it be better to just let the inventory go? After all, it's more fun to make cards and scrapbook pages than create an inventory!
kphorse (Karen)--I LOVE your idea of using the BIA (which I have) to make a pretty book with easy-to-replace pages. Didja know that the SU rolodex-style punch fits BIA coils? Love that!
An altered file box would also be cool, though not as portable as the books. Oh, what to do, what to do?
Tons of thanks to all who have made suggestions and shared their opinions!
I don't have a stamped inventory list, but I do keep track of what sets I have in a spreadsheet.
I plan to start a stamped inventory of just the sentiments from the sets I have. I think that it will help me when I can't find just the right one without actually having to pull all my sets out.
I answered the "I don't keep an inventory" but was not thrilled with the rest of the answer.
I would rather have been able to vote "I don't keep an inventory but wish I had the time and organization to make one".
Oh, once you start down that path, forever will it dominate your destiny.
(Okay, so do it in a Yoda voice and it sounds much more profound! ;) )
I do hope you have the opportunity to make an inventory one day and that it brings you much joy! May it not take over your life as it has mine. But then, maybe I'm the only crazy person here....
I didn't check any of the boxes because the last one is only half me. I am organized in my stamp area, but not in the way that I keep anything on my stamp sets, no binders, spreadsheets or anything, it's all locked away tightly in this steel trap of a brain I have. LOL~
Besides the 4x6 index I keep, I do have a complete stamping inventroy program from LNS. This is mainly for insurance purposes, but I can print out list of stamps, inks, pens, paper...anything you put in it along with the date of purchase, price and even a photo if you like.
__________________ Karen
...My life is like a stroll on the beach...As near to the edge as I can go...Thoreau...
When I get a new set, I stamp it on a piece of white cardstock, then use a punch (or scissors, if too big to punch) to cut out the individual stamps. I then glue them, using my removable xyron, by category, to a piece of paper which I put into a binder in a page protector. If I get rid of a stamp, I remove the the glued-on image, then use the empty spot to place the image from the next stamp in that category.
I also have all my stamp sets numbered S-1, S-2 etc., so I print the number of the set under the image.
I also have a master list of all stamp sets, alphabetically, and with set numbers, on my computer.
__________________ 9kids Yes I really do have 9 kids ~ ages 4 through 28 ;)
Visit my blog, A Little Bit of Everything
I don't have an inventory...I have some of my SU! stamp sets in tall stacks on the carpet around my chair. They are organized for now: Stack for scrapbooking, stack for girl cards, stack for guy cards. No stack is permanent of course... I tried giving each stamp set a permanent home, but no dice. I recently had a Stack for a French ATC swap, but that one got dis-assembled (finished the swap) and the stamp sets got put away randomly in the shelves in my stamp room.
It would be fun to make an inventory though!
Last edited by SophieLaFontaine; 03-15-2008 at 09:45 AM..
My answer is currently: none of the above!
At the moment, I have just an alphabetical listing of my stamps sets by name.
However, in the near future I am going to go partially unmounted (not unmounting words, wheels or BGs) and at that time I intend to creat a rolodex inventory system.
__________________ "You may not have lost all your marbles, but there's definitely a hole in the bag." Grumpy Cat
I don't have an inventory...I have some of my SU! stamp sets in tall stacks on the carpet around my chair. They are organized for now: Stack for scrapbooking, stack for girl cards, stack for guy cards. No stack is permanent of course... I tried giving each stamp set a permanent home, but no dice. I recently had a Stack for a French ATC swap, but that one got dis-assembled (finished the swap) and the stamp sets got put away randomly in the shelves in my stamp room.
It would be fun to make an inventory though!
Sophie!!! I just KNEW I wasn't just an identical twin, but actually an identical triplet, lol! My stamps are sorted much the same as yours are. My twin doesn't stamp, but if you just substitute "book" for "stamp," she organizes EXACTLY the same way! Spooky....and not just because our grandmother's name was Sophie, too.....I can just hear that music from Twilight Zone now!
I kept an inventory in a binder when I first started out. I even would go in and write when the set retired, etc. I realized I never looked at it except to add a new set so last year I stopped doing it. (and I am the kind of person that is very organized). I just realized, it was more work for me and I would rather be stamping.
That said, if you forget what you have and would look at it from time to time, then it can be helpful.
Oh my....I think keeping an inventory would make me feel less creative and more business like. I have to sift through my stamps...feel them...smell them..before I know what I'm going to make! But I at least highlight the ones I have in the current catalog.
Sophie!!! I just KNEW I wasn't just an identical twin, but actually an identical triplet, lol! My stamps are sorted much the same as yours are. My twin doesn't stamp, but if you just substitute "book" for "stamp," she organizes EXACTLY the same way! Spooky....and not just because our grandmother's name was Sophie, too.....I can just hear that music from Twilight Zone now!
...Wait... I don't know what to be more amazed about - that I have two long-lost twin sisters with a Grandma Sophie, or that your identical twin sister DOES NOT STAMP :shock: *blink* *blink*
If I made an inventory, I myself would probably not ever look at it. However, I would lug it along to whoever asks me to make a card for them who starts in with the requirements or preferences. Then I can force them to choose images they like that I have on inventory, saving me many hours of agonizing indecision. Or they can buy from Hallmark.
Remember, just because I have an inventory system...does not mean I *use* it! LOL
The index cards are in the drawer, the program is in the computer....I'm in the closet.....Flip through the sets...they are in alphabetical order...until you find what you want....
__________________ Karen
...My life is like a stroll on the beach...As near to the edge as I can go...Thoreau...
NO organization for me. I can usually remember what I have!
Wow! I'm impressed! I can't remember what I had for dinner last night, much less what my drawers and drawers of stamps contain. 'Course, I could just open the drawers and look....;)
I didn't respond on the poll because I didn't think any of the choices fit for me. I don't have an inventory or binder to catalog my stamp sets. It's on my "to do" list for this summer. It's something that I definitely need to do because I have soooo many stamps that I forget what I have and tend to reach for the same sets. I have sets I have't ever used because I forget what I have!
Poll For Those with Lots of Stamps....
