Hi Friends! First let me apologize to those of you die-hard fans to stalk my YouTube channel on Tuesday nights waiting for a new Ask a Crafter. It is still uploading and will be up tomorrow because my massive paper storage video took a LOOOOOOOONGGG time to upload. That is up tonight in case you needed to see even more of the hoard I have amassed over the years LOL! I have to say with every new storage and organization video I feel more and more like I need an intervention or a craft supply addicts group. If you know of any let me know. Wait, if this is crazy I don’t wanna be sane LOL! That is the thing about creating, you save things, collect things and invest in things that will enable you to make beautiful things! You must take care to organize them so you can find them and make sure they will last so that is why I wanted to do a video just on inkpads and other stamping consumables. These are the things you use up but could spill or go bad if they are not stored properly or worse you can forget you have them altogether. We bought these things to use them but we have to know where they are first! So, without further ado here is my inkpad storage video:
I also wanted to mention that I used to use an old wooden cassette tape organizer for my inkpads and it worked pretty well but it took up too much space for the storage it offered. When hubby built me the foam core holder using the pattern by The Rebel Inker (see her awesome free plans to make one here) I gave the cassette tape holder to the kids for their ink pad/ribbon storage. I hope this helps you store your inkpads and powders. If you have any cool ideas for craft storage please leave them in the comments! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!
The Frugal Crafter Blog 
this comment doesn’t belong here, but i’m having a difficult time ordering the dragonfly digital stamp set—it won’t accept my pay pal account on the “jason fortuny test site”??? I did get a confirmation of the order, but i’m certain that my paypal payment didn’t go through. I’m leery of using a credit card now b/c of the “test site” wording–input? help? i’ll gladly send the paypal payment to your email if that’s what you want–couldn’t find any other way to message you other than to comment here. thanks
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Yikes, do not put a cc# anywhere, I have emailed you.
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Lindsay very good storage tips. I have got to get with it and organize all my craft stuff better. I have a lot of the Crystal Light containers that I use to put my paper beads and small things in, but I need some suggestions on a good way to store they. Love your tips.
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you could put the in a shoe box with the caps up so you can peek into them to see what you have.
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Just this evening I told myself that I HAVE to begin to organize my room – oh that sounds so scary!
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invite friends over, open a bottle of wine and share any items you want to purge with them!
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I hope I will be able to get all of the additions to this site!
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Thanks for sharing…I’m having some problems with the little ink pads…to big for some of my storage’s and to little for others…Love the bullet case …very clever…thanks for sharing…love it..
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I am bilding myself a holder, but stil not sure yet what to do with those little ones like the small ones from memento… 😦 maybe I will make a draw system and put them in there…
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I keep my Memento pads in my scrapbook travel bag but you could get a couple cheap clear acrylic box frames (they look like trays) and probably get 2 layers of dewdrops in one, or one layer to make it easier to see OR make a tray out of cardboard of foam core.
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how about making a small tray from cardboard or foam core and putting them on that so you can see the color. You can stack several trays in a drawer for easy access:) or use a clear acrylic box frame with is like a clear tray.
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Thanks for all the great tips! I am reorganizing my ink pads and I am busy bilding myself a personalized ink pad holder out off foam board.
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Not a storage question. I have picked up several SU inkpads here and there(thrift stores, yard sales, etc.) I’ve found reinkers for most of them. BUT…I’ve added reinker to several and more reinker and a couple I added even more reinker. But they just seem to absorb it without actually getting to the point that I can use for stamping. Suggestions please! do I cut up some felt and remove the old pads? Do I just toss the whole thing? I’ve got some lovely colors and I want to use them.
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hmm, A properly inked SU pad should not look lighter on the edge (look from the side and see the layers of felt, if it is lighter than the top you need more ink) and they are large pads so they take a bit to reink. Somtimes the pads sink in the middle due to lots of use so you have to keep moving the pad as you ink. You can also try spraying the pad with a mix of glycerin and water (about 1 tablespoon in a 4 oz spray bottle of water) to reactivate any dry ink in the pad. Who knows how long the pads might have sat unused. I would not toss them.
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I’ve been wanting to make a foam core board ink pad storage unit for ages, but have been a bit afraid to jump in and do it. I’ve watched videos on YouTube and like the ones that have shelves for each ink pad rather than the way “Rebel” just divides the stacks of ink pads. My ink pads are in a plastic case right now that is sort of like the rebel foam core thing and it’s so hard to get an ink pad from the middle or bottom of the stack in my opinion. Maybe someday I’ll get a unit done. I hardly ever use most of my inks pads because they are so hard to get to. I keep the black, brown and embossing ink pads handy and some distress ink pads handy and that’s all that gets used. Very sad to have so many beautiful colors of ink and never use them. 😦
One question/comment about something you mentioned in the video. I tried making my own felt squares for alcohol inks and found that since the felt you buy is thicker than the felt squares Tim Holtz sells that my home cut squares soaked up a TON more alcohol ink so I didn’t like them. I felt I was wasting a lot of expensive ink. So, who knows which is more economical —- making cheap felt squares or buying alcohol inks more often because you use more with the home cut felt. I just decided that no more often than I use alcohol inks I’ll use the Tim Holtz felt. And I only buy the felt squares with a 50% off coupon… not even a 40% off coupon, but it has to be a 50% off coupon! LOL!
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make sure you are getting cheap acrylic felt like Kunin eco-felt. I think wool felt would soak it in and waste it.
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Have never heard of the kind of felt you named. Can I get that locally in a big box craft store or do I have to order it somewhere (which would add to the price)? The felt I tried was purchased off the bolt at Joann’s with a coupon, of course. 🙂 Didn’t pay any attention to whether it was wool or acrylic or some other fabric content. I need to make a lot of felt flowers or snowmen or whatever other white things I can think of out of that piece of felt since it doesn’t please me for applying alcohol inks.
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if it was off the bolt it was probably wool and more expensive. The stuff you want will be in the kids craft aisle and sold in 9″x12″ sheets for about 30 cents a sheet, you will get about 100 squares from one sheet if you use a block like me or you can cut them bigger if you wish:) All craft stores carry sheet felt.
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I don’t think even that felt is a thin as the Tim Holtz felt, but I’ll definitely check it out to be sure. It has been a very long time since I’ve purchased any felt squares so maybe like so many other things, the quality has gone down and it’s now very thin. 🙂
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Great storage ideas! ~Diane
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One thing I would add is to store your ink pads upside down. That way they are always juicy when you go to use them.
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Great storage ideas. It looks like you can always find what you need quickly. I’m still working on my room. I’m about half done so that feels good.
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Thanks so much for the link to the foam core ink pad storage unit. I adapted it to make it the right size for my non stampin up ink pads. I also added shelves to hold my Memento dew drops each with it’s own ink dauber that you taught us to make.
I made another one to fit some of my other crafty supplies such as ink sprays, distress ink, little jars of eye shadow (hurray for the Dollar store), my sealing wax etc.
I just used Dollar store foam core and Beacon 3 in 1 glue from Ocean State Job Lot (half the price of big box craft stores). Two sets of custom shelving units for less than $3.
My New Year’s resolution for 2016 is to get my craft room organized. This has been a good start.
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