Howdy folks! I am as the stamping convention currently but before I left I wrote this post so I hope you enjoy it!
First off, here are some tags, nothing but ink and cardstock. I like to send a tag/bookmark inside a card with my note written on it so the card can be reused by the recipient!
As I was making the tags I realized I was spending too much time trying to identify what the colors of some of my ink pads were so I used return address labels (they are smaller than regular address labels, you get 60 on a 8.5″x11″ sheet) and smeared them with ink and stuck them on the edge of the pad so I could see the colors when they were all neatly stacked or in my fancy repurposed cassette holder-turned ink pad holder:
You may notice the new Distress inkpads I have, they were on sale for $2.25 this week and so I grabbed a few, no worries, it came out of my stamp show budget…I’m very happy with them I have to say!
You could easily write the ink color on the labels too but I don’t care what the name is, I just waht the right color! 🙂
Now I will use the colors sitting on the shelf because I can see at a glance what they are! Thanks for stopping by and till next time (when I share the fun I had at the stamp show!) Happy crafting!
I used to spend more time reorganizing my supplies than actually using them….or hunting for an elusive stamp, button or roll of wire. If you’ve been there maybe you can use some of these storage ideas…They are cheap (mostly free!) and effective!
Binders hold unmounted stamps.
I have a large collection of rubber stamps. My clear and unmounted stamps are stored in binders. I have them sorted by manufacturer except for holiday stamps, they are in one dived binder. I put my small dollar sets in baseball card sheet protectors ($3 for 10 sheet at staples and each sheet will hold 9 sets), I put smaller sets in 4″x6″ protectors (Also at Staples) and the big sets are on their original storage sheet in regular 8 1/2″x11″ sheet protectors. The binders are 4 for $8 at Sam’s Club. I love this, I can grab a binder and find my stamp in seconds!
Recycled (free) storage!
I scored this rack (originally made for sandpaper) at a hardware store. The no longer needed it and it was free! I put my wood-mounted stamps in clear acrylic frames (they were $1 each at a discount store) and put labels on the end describing their contents! BTW most of the wood mounted stamps here I bought for $1 at the same discount/surplus store! They had a truckload of them once, lots of k&co, Inkadinkado and they were big ones $12-$16 regular! That was my best sale ever, If you are ever in Maine, USA you need to find a Marden’s, you won’t believe the stuff they have there!
In the olden days all my stamps fit in this HA!
I love these crop in style drawers but at $10 for 2 drawers they are too pricey for me, I’d rather spend my $$on the stamps rather than the storage! I have labeled these too. Labeling is key, I used to think these women were nuts when labeled everything in their craft rooms but it makes such a difference!
Drink three bottles and call me in the morning!
We received a 3 bottle boxed set of wine for Christmas last year and behold, it fits my stamp wheels perfectly…now if I could get another one of those…hmmmm, maybe I’ll pick one up before the next craft night, I’m sure the ladies will approve!
a wooden cassette rack holds my ink-pads
An old record cabinet hold paper.
I bought this cabinet made for holding record albums, remember those, for $10 at an antique shop. Hubby painted it and it holds my 12″ cardstock perfectly! Note: bare wood is acidic, line the shelves with contact paper or paint them with acrylic paint before storing any paper. I also put lame scrapbook paper against the dividers to buffer any acidic materials.
This pen rack holds my markers/pens/pencils and was only $10 when my LSS closed 😦Stack of Iris and Steralite carts with the wheels removed
This set up used to be in my bedroom. I sewed a canvas cover that snaps closed at the sides with strong snaps to keep my mess out of sight and to keep curious kids out of my paint! I would but these carts when they went on sale for 50% off at Rite-Aid but you can get them for less than $25 at Target or Wal*Mart.
Crop in style cubes (a gift from my mommy 🙂
These are pricey, $30 a cube but it is designed to hold 12×12 paper. I love these especially the ones with 5 paper shelves. Each shelf hold 2 big DCWV stacks of paper, we’re talking the 180 sheet stack too! If you are handy you can make ones just as nice from plywood and paint it white!
My yarn stash...most of it LOL!
Here is another freebie, the black shelves are made to hold caulking, you know that stuff in the big tube you need a weird gun to use at the harware store. They had extra, yay me! Notice the brightly colored filing cabinet? check out the little translucent embellisment holders. My brother in law works at a paper mill and they get rolls of tape in these little containers, they just through them away so he saved them for me! I used E6000 glue to glue strong magnets to the back and they work great to store brads, sequins, band-aids…you get the picture and since they are translucent I can see what’s inside! If you know someone who works at a paper mill ask them to save you some!
Thanks for reading through this long post, I hope it gives you some ideas on how to organize your supplies and save a little cash too. Untill next time happy crafting!
