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I am trying to organize my stamp sets, and I am curious to see how some of you do your sets. First off let me say I've been a stamper for 20 ish years, and I'm one who keeps all of my sets. So I have them stored many different ways. My older SU sets are unmounted in CDs cases. My newer SU sets are in the DVDs cases they come in. I have tons of random brand sets in binders in page protectors that I sewed to make pockets for the various sizes. Then several years ago I found the Avery Elle pockets that Jennifer McGuire uses. I love the neat presentation of this storage. My main question is should I do all of the random brand sets in the Avery Elle pockets? It's a lot of sets, I think I may have 8 or 9 large binders full. So far, I have just done my newer sets in the Avery Elle pockets. When I see other people who use the Avery Elle pockets, they seem to have a smaller number of sets. The binder thing has been a love/ hate kinda thing for me. I like that they are all organized in categories but the binders themselves are huge and not as useable as I thought. What do you do if you have a very large collection? I will keep my SU sets the way they are just because they fit best where they are. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks.
I would move as much as I could over to the Avery Elle. I like having everything in the same size pocket. It makes it easy to flip through. Check amazon for cheaper versions of the Avery Elle pockets. Here's one example...
http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OAYK85E?colid=2Z8WFKUGHHWA7&coliid=II28W6534YZFC&ref_=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl
I'm another one who likes EVERYTHING in the same storage system. I have photopolymer and rubber (unmounted) all on laminated cardstock in photo sleeves, lined up in small plastic boxes on shelves. If I had seen the Avery Elle system sooner, I probably would have gone that route, but I'm perfectly content with my system as is. I used binders in the past and loved flipping through them to browse, but hated how much space they took up and it was kind of a pain getting stamps in and out of them sometimes. My system now is a "grab and go", and I'm all over that!
Thank you to both of you. Yes, I do agree, I'd prefer all of my stamps to be stored the same way. My only issue is the fact that I have such a large collection. I wish I had gotten rid of stamps as I got new ones, now some are so old and dated no one would pay anything for them. The Avery Elle pockets are my favorite way to store them. I like flipping through and easily pulling out what I want. Thanks for the info on the cheaper vision of the pockets. I do think I will take the stamps out of the binders. At the same time I'm also logging the stamps into Evernote. I love being able to search for a stamp set to use. I think it will help me to use more of my sets. Thanks again, Dina
And if you want to go one step further, [cringe] , break up your sets and store by topic. I got overly frustrated with sets that had multiple topics in one set. Like this: one baby stamp, one wedding shower stamp, one winter stamp, and three animals. (That's not a real set, but you get the idea.) Grrrr...
So where do you find it? With baby stuff? With wedding? or...
And despite the fact that I have an index book, I want to flip thru my stamps...not thru an index, or a program on the computer, that then sends me to what area to look for a particular stamp. Takes too much time and effort for me. My index would be huge.
So. I have my stamps in pouches like Sue. (Or does Sue have hers in pouches like mine. I've lost track!) Or like Jennifer McGuire, or anyone else who uses them now. But mine are in small drawers by topic. I would have bins like Jennifer if I didn't have the furniture I have, but it works the same way.
And never, ever, ever in multiple types of storage (shudder!)
Oh, Diane - you KNOW that you enabled me right into that laminator, lol! So yes, my system is based on yours, silly girl... ;) That said, I broke up all of my sets, put them back together, broke them up again, put them back together again. I keep changing the way I look for things, so I keep changing the way I store them. You'd think that after nearly TWO DECADES of this nonsense I'd have it figured out, wouldn't you?!?!?!?!?!!!
I keep doing what you're doing...together, apart, together, apart...but only in my head. I keep going back to that problem that I mentioned. I don't like to try to find those stamps that are in mixed sets.
I've started moving my non-SU stamps into DVD cases so that I can flick through them easily. It works for me, mostly because I like using the same system for everything so it all looks the same!
I keep doing what you're doing...together, apart, together, apart...but only in my head. I keep going back to that problem that I mentioned. I don't like to try to find those stamps that are in mixed sets.
And the time involved would be HUGE.
Why yes, yes it is! I can waste time organizing and re-organizing like nobody's business! My personal version of "procraftination" - I'm procrastinating housework and such AND putting off creating anything - shame on me on both counts, right?!
Why yes, yes it is! I can waste time organizing and re-organizing like nobody's business! My personal version of "procraftination" - I'm procrastinating housework and such AND putting off creating anything - shame on me on both counts, right?!
I don't even get to the organizing part. I waste my time reading about how others organize.
I was storing all my stamps in the SU! Clear Stamp Storage Cases and have for years but am now in the process of converting everything the "Jennifer McGuire Method". I've got all my clear, cling stamps transferred but am trying to decide if I'm going to put rubber cling stamps in the pouches too. It's amazing at how much less space the clear stamps take up now in the pouches but I don't see where the rubber cling stamps will be as compact. Suggestions?
I've also still got a few SU! sets in the clam shells that I haven't decided what to do with. Thinking about unmounting them and storing in some of the plastic storage cases rather than clamshells. At least they'd take up less space.
Unmounting question...do you just remove the wood block and have a sticky side or do you remove the foam part as well just keeping the actual rubber? Remount on cling backing?
I was storing all my stamps in the SU! Clear Stamp Storage Cases and have for years but am now in the process of converting everything the "Jennifer McGuire Method". I've got all my clear, cling stamps transferred but am trying to decide if I'm going to put rubber cling stamps in the pouches too. It's amazing at how much less space the clear stamps take up now in the pouches but I don't see where the rubber cling stamps will be as compact. Suggestions?
I've also still got a few SU! sets in the clam shells that I haven't decided what to do with. Thinking about unmounting them and storing in some of the plastic storage cases rather than clamshells. At least they'd take up less space.
Unmounting question...do you just remove the wood block and have a sticky side or do you remove the foam part as well just keeping the actual rubber? Remount on cling backing?
Strip them down to the rubber, then remount on cling foam.
Pulling them off the blocks often tears or otherwise messes up the sticky mounting, and anyway, that wouldn't work well with the acrylic blocks- it's likely to leave residue on your blocks.
I was storing all my stamps in the SU! Clear Stamp Storage Cases and have for years but am now in the process of converting everything the "Jennifer McGuire Method". I've got all my clear, cling stamps transferred but am trying to decide if I'm going to put rubber cling stamps in the pouches too. It's amazing at how much less space the clear stamps take up now in the pouches but I don't see where the rubber cling stamps will be as compact. Suggestions?
I've also still got a few SU! sets in the clam shells that I haven't decided what to do with. Thinking about unmounting them and storing in some of the plastic storage cases rather than clamshells. At least they'd take up less space.
Unmounting question...do you just remove the wood block and have a sticky side or do you remove the foam part as well just keeping the actual rubber? Remount on cling backing?
I'm a bit radical, maybe, but I strip EVERYTHING down to bare rubber (including brand-spankin' new cling-mount) and put 2-way glue on the back. I'm all about consolidation and taking up the smallest footprint possible...
Thanks for the tips. I wonder if after I strip stamps to rubber if they can be temporarily mounted on craft foam and adhered to acrylic block with temporary mono??
You could skip the foam entirely and just stick them on there with double-stick tape, even. I've read where others use temporary glue and then wipe everything off afterward, but I prefer poster tape - reusable and no mess to clean up. I've done that with new (or "freshly nekkid") rubber that I hadn't put the 2-way glue on yet...
At one time, I HAD stripped all my stamp sets to bare rubber and they were all in the same type of storage (well, except for the Close To My Heart sets), then SU came out with their new style cases. I've got enough clamshell cases to pave our street, but I use them for lots of other things.
We're moving soon and if I continue to purchase stamp sets of any kind (haha!), I'm going to need more space and I'll have it in my new studio! Why? It has a walk-in closet with lots of shelves! (not for my stamp sets, of course!)
P.S. My new insurance agent in a totally different state is a stamper! I mentioned having to pack all my stamp sets, ink pads, etc., and she chuckled and asked how soon after I got moved did I want to get together and stamp. Can't wait!
You could skip the foam entirely and just stick them on there with double-stick tape, even. I've read where others use temporary glue and then wipe everything off afterward, but I prefer poster tape - reusable and no mess to clean up. I've done that with new (or "freshly nekkid") rubber that I hadn't put the 2-way glue on yet...
Hmmmm, I thought that the rubber stamps had to have some sort of cushion to get a good impression.?? So, you're saying they don't need any type of backing - just stick it to an acrylic block?
Hmmmm, I thought that the rubber stamps had to have some sort of cushion to get a good impression.?? So, you're saying they don't need any type of backing - just stick it to an acrylic block?
I am a nekkid stamper lol! I stick my rubber stamp to my acrylic block with no backing - and I never have an issue with a good impression, other then stamper error (rocking or moving)
Hmmmm, I thought that the rubber stamps had to have some sort of cushion to get a good impression.?? So, you're saying they don't need any type of backing - just stick it to an acrylic block?
Yup - that's what I'm saying! Some stamps are more temperamental than others, so sometimes it's a trial and error thing as far as needing something under your paper to get the impression that you want. I usually play it safe and have something under it (fun foam or packing foam or whatever works) because I'm usually using my MISTI and it comes with a piece of foam, so I just leave it in there.
I spent some time last year organizing my sets on an excel worksheet, and it works. I have the name of the set, the size (s-m-l...so I can find it in my room), a 'category' for the set such as birthday, wedding, etc/, and a link to a photo in case I can't exactly recall all the stamps in the set. I then took it a step further, and typed out all the sentiments within each set I own, and categorized them in a similar fashion. So, if I'm looking for 'birthday', I pop open my excel file...search for 'birthday', and it will take me to all the sets that have this word. I can then figure out what I want to do, without pulling apart my space and making a huge mess (well...the mess comes later!). I also finds this helps with the shopping...I sometime think I need something, when I have it already.
I love the way my wood sets look, I don't think I could take them apart. I have however fallen in love with the see through style, as you can see exactly what you are doing. I wish they would reintroduce 'All in the Family' in photopolymer...would not get so many floating heads and detached limbs!!!
__________________ �Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don�t matter and those who matter don�t mind.�
-Dr. Seuss
I am trying to organize my stamp sets, and I am curious to see how some of you do your sets. First off let me say I've been a stamper for 20 ish years, and I'm one who keeps all of my sets. So I have them stored many different ways. My older SU sets are unmounted in CDs cases. My newer SU sets are in the DVDs cases they come in. I have tons of random brand sets in binders in page protectors that I sewed to make pockets for the various sizes. Then several years ago I found the Avery Elle pockets that Jennifer McGuire uses. I love the neat presentation of this storage. My main question is should I do all of the random brand sets in the Avery Elle pockets? It's a lot of sets, I think I may have 8 or 9 large binders full. So far, I have just done my newer sets in the Avery Elle pockets. When I see other people who use the Avery Elle pockets, they seem to have a smaller number of sets. The binder thing has been a love/ hate kinda thing for me. I like that they are all organized in categories but the binders themselves are huge and not as useable as I thought. What do you do if you have a very large collection? I will keep my SU sets the way they are just because they fit best where they are. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks.
I too had stamps, dies, and embossing folders in binders. Just too heavy for me.
I bought a fuse tool and fridge bins. I kept my stuff in the binder sheets, but separated the sheet to the bin size and sealed with the tool. In some cases, I just had to slice my sheets in half as they were half pages already sealed. A Velcro dot kept side openings closed. It made the transition less work and not much more expense. Hope this helps.
Stamp set organization
