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I have my clear stamp sets organized in pockets by categories/subjects and really love this system. At the moment, my collection is in one container (so far), but as it grows, it is going to be more difficult to find certain stamps. I was thinking of cross-referencing them. For instance, I have a category Birthday and a category Floral category. On a birthday set, there are some floral stamps. I would stamp the floral stamps on cardstock, file it under floral, and reference the birthday set it is in. I would do it this way only because I am not certain I have the heart to separate the sets. Does anyone else do this? Or do you separate the sets?
Also, I still have quite a few of my wood mounted stamps left. (Thinned them out years ago). I tried different ways of organizing them in the past, but now I am thinking of integrating them with the clear stamps - stamp the image on cardstock and file it with the clear stamps under the appropriate category. I thought perhaps I would reach for them more if I did this. How do you organize any wood mounted stamps you may have? Thanks!!
I can't speak to how to organize wood mounted stamps because I unmounted all of mine and put MountIt glue on the back so they could be used with my MISTI. However, I have done what you mentioned - stamp the stamp for the appropriate category and reference where it lives. If you are into electronic indexing, Airtable is the BEST! Read all about it HERE (other options also mentioned) and/or go directly to Lydia's blog (UnderstandBlue). She has lots of other good organization tips in that post, as well.
I have all of my stamps - rubber and photopolymer - mingling happily together in pockets. I have done both ways of leaving sets together and separating them and change my mind from time to time as to which way I prefer. Either way, I do separate sentiments out and store (and index) them by category so they're easier to find and use.
I started with a card file, alphabetical by set name and images of all stamps in the set. This was quickly outgrown and sometimes the image I was looking for (oops) had been sold.
I now use the Private Boards feature on ‘that pinning site’ with photos of the stamps (if wood) or the box cover, AND any coordinating punches and dies with notes on set name/year introduced, where it’s filed and whether it was sold. I have many categories and most sets are pinned in multiple categories.
So now when I’m looking for PLACES stamps I scroll through that category to see what my options are. Yes, with over 1700 pins in that private board I am OCD enough to alphabetize the sets in each category.
Good luck on your organizing!
__________________ Do or do not - there is no try! (Yoda) / SCS Featured Stamper FS730 / Dirty Dozen Alumni
So now when I’m looking for PLACES stamps I scroll through that category to see what my options are. Yes, with over 1700 pins in that private board I am OCD enough to alphabetize the sets in each category.
Good luck on your organizing!
Wow, good luck with that, it must be fun organizing each of those.
I store my sets together. Though I am seriously thinking about separating out any extraneous wood-mount stamps that Ill never use and storing them in an out of the way location.
Instead of categorizing my actual stamps, I categorize the stamped images in a large 3-ring binder. Animals, Beach, Birds, Birthday, etc. In addition, I have each set stamped on a single page in the back of the binder. The images are stored in plastic pocket pages designed to hold photos and negatives.
This method works for me because my stamp collection is relatively small compared to many others on this site. I currently have about 75 sets plus a few individual stamps. Aside from making it easy to know which drawer to look, I like being able to thumb through the pages and see an actual stamped image so I can better visualize how it will fit on my card.
This is a good time for you to be thinking about this-before the collection gets large. Although people change up all the time after it does. Just takes longer.
I also index my images by category in three ring binders. So all my Bday regardless of kind-raw, cling, clear or wood are together. I note what they are so I know where to find them.
The "confusers" for me would be the mixed sets of different sentiments and images. I have a section for mixed sentiments and I store them separately. I just have to remember to look at it. Ones with images-go into the category of the image. Image rules here.
Sentiments that come with images I often ignore honestly. I am not going to index those. I get those sets for the images. I wish more companies would give us the option for just the image. Some do..Impression Obsession, Riley, Art Impressions, etc.
Should I have crossed referenced them? Probably. From the beginning. I am not going back to tweeze those out now.
This is a benefit of those programs like airtable because they will cross reference those for you.
I've crossed-referenced almost like you've done. Instead of stamping the specific images I found the image for each set online then copied and pasted it into each category in Word documents. I printed hard copies but find I use the Word document more when searching for a stamp/idea.
I read with interest what was said about cross-referencing, as I'm an organizing freak, but can't imagine what way I could use that. I have all my stamps still mounted, and those new ones I buy that are unmounted, I mount on the blocks my "unmounting" friends have given me. I like my stamps ready to go and mount them careful to match the index on top. I break up all my stamps into themes and store them in clam shell boxes stacked two high in shallow drawers. Kinds are grouped together in drawers, so all I have to do is go to the 3 drawers I have for flowers and then to the drawer that houses roses mums, zinnias, peonies, etc. for example. I have 4 drawers for animals and separate them by insects, further to butterflies (in 3 boxes) dragonflies (in two boxes) lady bugs/beetles (in one box) and spiders (in one box), fish in two boxes etc. Greetings are also divided up by subject, so if I need a thank you, thinking of you, birthday, sympathy, etc, I go to that drawer/box. This has always worked for me, but
each person has to find what is best for them. I have a friend who is all unmounted and she also stores them in boxes and if they are deep enough layers them on sheets of acrylic to keep like kinds together.
Great ideas for separating sentiments and how you are filing them. That is on my task list for the new year. I store all my clear stamps in baskets, sorted into categories that make sense to me, all filed in clear plastic pouches with labels at the top so I can flip through. I store all my remaining wood mounted stamps on wall unit my husband made for me years ago, (when I started using stamps). They are sorted by categories on the shelves. As an inspiration and inventory tool, I stamp them or photo copy them all and store them in the same categories in 5x7 -3 ring binders. I currently have 2 binders...so I have lots of stamps. I also store my color swatches, stencils, & dies in these same size binders. It is easier to grab the binder and get an idea of what I want to use than pulling all off the shelf. There are so many options but it is true, you will change at times..have to make it useful for you.
__________________ Have a creative day, every day.
For almost a decade now, I have successfully used my Windows desktop computer's File Folder system, my desktop scanner and the internet to cross-reference my stamps. I set up a main folder under My Pictures called My Stamps Inventory. Then sub-folders under that by company/vendor and one subfolder called Stamp Categories, which is the cross-reference of subfolders by theme. When I buy a stamp set, I either scan in the front of it or get a photo of that off the internet and put that in that vendor's subfolder. I store most of my stamps in either cd cases or vhs cases, with some stored altogether as purchased in original packaging. But I usually break up my sets and add the individual stamps to any open spots in one of that category's cd/vhs cases. I stamp what is in the cases on an Avery label sheet and adhere to the front of the case, scan that in and it's saved in the appropriate category. So, my category subfolders tell me where to find my stamps. It's a lot like an old skool library card catalog. With this system I can always know what stamps I have from what vendor, and my categories help me know if I already have a particular stamp of something like the Eiffel Tower, etc. If you don't ever break apart your stamps, you can still use this by just looking at each set and copying the set image to however many categories they apply to. The hard part is, never forget to add a new purchase! I learned that the hard way at the beginning. I have a few very old stamps I did not add and now can no longer remember the vendor. They are in my CD cases and my categories, but not in my vendors folders. Otherwise, been working like a charm for years. XOX
My stamps are in categories in boxes. But I have enough now (800+ sets, 11000+ Stamps) that I have them entered in a database app on my phone. Otherwise I’d never be able to find the random ‘thinking of you’ or ‘happy for you’ type sentiments. I use My Stuff Pro and it works amazingly well. I can cross reference and sort so I find what I need. My biggest issue is remembering to put everything in there! I usually remember but the odd thing gets missed!
Every time I get a new stamp set or die I photo copy it. I have pictures of every stamp and die I own in a binder & each page has a number listing which box its it. I'm using the plastic refrigerator storage bins and they allow the stamps to sit on a shelf facing forward. The DVD cases fit into these boxes perfectly and since the face forward i can put triple the amount on a shelf. I disassembled all my wood stamps and that too saved a ton of space. I have stamp sets since 1997. My collection is MASSIVE!
Cross Referencing Stamps
