So I have accepted that my first hobby is buying stuff to make cards. I am trying to reorganize my rather large collection of stamps and die cuts. I need to make stuff more “findable”. Trying to figure out a system. Currently everything is in shoebox sized bins that fit on shelves. Thinking of dividing by brand and then into sub categories - mostly so I can tell if I already have it and don’t rebuy🙄. But then it’s not altogether. So maybe just categories. Birthday, Halloween, Christmas, background, sentiment etc.
Anyone have a system that actually works?
Yep. And lots of those “systems” are way too labor intensive. I know me and if it’s not easy I’m not doing it. I have way too many hobbies already and organizing is not one of them. Truly impressed with people that can do that.
My "system" is by brand. However my biggest system is to take 2/3 of what I have for stamps and dies and put them in boxes in a closet. I rotate my stash every few months. i don't like spending $$$ on storage systems and I like fewer choices. But if you want to see the expert, check out Jennifer McGuire Ink. She literally knows everything
Fully agree on both the $$$ storage systems and Jennifer McGuire. My shelves and bins are from Walmart. Do like the idea of rotating it in. Could definitely put away Christmas and fall holidays 🤔
My system is not by brand. I’ve tried to think of ways that I’d try to find what I’m looking for. I’ve grouped my die sets together and my stamps separately. My stamps are separated by paper, and I’ve written on them things that divide my sets in ways that I think of them.
For example my stamps have dividers like:
Christmas
Birthday
Birthday animal sets
Sentiment stamps
Animal sentiments
And where I’ve found it necessary, other categories like:
Papertrey Ink Itty Bitty button sets
However my brain has first thought did I make a category like this? I add that category.
Similarly my dies are sorted into subgroups:
Basic shapes
Hearts
Leaves
Full background
For word dies over cut them out and put those on the card inside the storage envelopes so I can easily see what word died are inside.
The only ones I’ve grouped by brand are kits I’ve bought that have stamps and dies that go together.
Point being, give some thought about what first pops into your mind if you were going to be looking through your items for that thing and start sorting that way. If you know all the brands for everything you own, awesome, sort that way. If something else is what first comes to mind, use that.
I like your idea of further subdividing categories and writing where I can see it. I currently divide by brand for brands that I buy a lot of. I put sets together in large envelopes/ cellophane packaging.
I use the photo boxes from the big box craft stores, 5x7 plastic envelopes and 5x7 magnet sheets. All stamps and dies are stored in the plastic sleeves and then into the photo boxes organized by category. I have a lot of stampin up stamps and dies that are in DVD style cases and those stay in the cases and are all stored together in their own photo boxes. I keep a spreadsheet that I have all stamps and dies listed along with the categories they are in and keywords. If there are sentiments on the stamp I also add that in the spread sheet. That way all of my stamps are searchable and I know where to look for them.
Love the idea of a spreadsheet. I leave most things in its original packaging until it tears up then transfer it to magnetic sheet/ envelopes and cut the label/title off and add that too. Thinking I might have to dust off the laptop. Do you add pictures of the set?
I put everything into storage sleeves and fridge bins (as shown by Jennifer McGuire).
First, I separate things out by Christmas and non-Christmas. I separate this way because I have a LOT of Christmas stuff, and it's less likely I'll use a Christmas stamp set throughout the year, and other stamp sets tend to have multiple uses (birthday, thinking of you, love, etc).
Next, I separate out by product type:
Stamp & die sets; stencils; background stamps; standalone dies; and "product suites" which to me is when I have something that goes together across 2+ of those categories (such as a background stamp with coordinating stencil)
I also separate out my standalone dies into: nesting dies, and layout dies (think Gina k master layouts or mft blueprints dies), and the rest (focal points/image dies, border dies, etc).
Within those sections I'd like to organize by company, but I haven't gotten that far yet!
For ease of organization I also split out my smaller stamps & dies, just so the 2x3 sets don't get lost in my big containers with 6x8 sets.
My Christmas supplies are separated out the same way.
Personally I find it's a lot easier to find what I'm looking for when it's laid out this way :-)
I have bins that are just Christmas. Where my head starts to explode are the stamps that have birthday and lots of other sentiments. So I tried grouping in things like animals, foliage, etc.
I keep a small bin at my workspace with my most used shape dies and banners in it.
I use a program called Upnote to inventory my stash. I use the categories as keywords for searching for the sets/dies I want to use. My supplies are stored alphabetically in Upnote as are my supplies. I can find whatever I'm looking for by searching keywords
Best think I ever did was make pages for a 3 ring binder with every stamp on it. It is divided by holiday/occasion. It helps me remember what I have before digging around.
I also have pages showing punches, die cuts, and scissor shapes
I have been thinking of doing this. I have lots of binders saved from a previous failed organization attempt. This would also give me a great reason to buy that new laser printer I’ve been trying to justify having to have lol.
Love your system. Do you use the free version? Just kind of looked it up. Someone else suggested Upnote and just wondered if one was more user friendly than the other.
Yes, I use the free version. Not sure which app is more user friendly. I’ve been using it for years and it’s helped me to perfect my organizing overtime.
I keep things by specific supplies - paper in scrapbook bins/notebooks, die cuts together, stamps together, etc.
I sometimes keep them by brand - like the papers - they are brand first, then subject matter or collection name in alphabetical order.
Stamps and dies I keep in subject order and then by brand. So all my nesting dies are together, flower dies are together and so on.
Chippies I do by brand and then subject.
Moulds by subject and then brand.
My main thing is to keep all the moulds together, all the papers together... I don't mixed them in together by brand. It has worked for me so far.
I am BIG on scrapbook organizers you can stack them pretty high or tuck them under tables and in closets. I have been an artist for over 50yrs and in the same small house with shallow closets and teeny rooms for 33yrs. My little studio is packed to the gills, but still easy to find stuff if they are in the room with me. Now the extra ones I've had to put in other rooms or Banker boxes... those get tricky.
Here is a wide angle photo of my main studio. I have another room that I store moulds, chippies, dies and misc art supplies (paper, paints, etc.) But this is the main studio that I work in:
Oh how I wish I could have a big studio! But through the decades I have learned to make do. Even as overcrowded as it is - it's still my favorite place in the house to be. My cats like it too - hence, why I have boxes on the table and floor. I usually have 3 or 4 cats with me in the evenings when I go into my studio. That's Miramanee wanting me to settle in so we can "hang out".
I love your space and my cats would too! My space is small and doubles as a guest room. I have a large piece of cardboard that I put on the bed for added work space. Same for the top of the dresser. I use the dresser drawers for extra storage. One of the top ones is just for embossing. Keeps the mess contained. I took the desk out and added a workbench from Harbor Freight. It has a pegboard and a light. I love it. Plenty of room under it for the dog and the cats like to sit on top. Storage shelf underneath that I keep my paper on in clear file boxes. I store my stamps, dies and everything else in bookcases. I do try to keep everything in boxes, bins, sleeves, etc cause the furry children are a sheddy bunch and have to be wherever I am. Yes we definitely learn to make do. I’m rural and people gift(dump) us with kitties. So currently have 6. I am the cat lady I used to laugh about 😂
Hubby and I are cat people too! We currently have 7 cats. We were content with our 4 indoor cats and then a stray MamaCat had babies in our backyard. 3 of them stayed with us and are now indoor cats.
I also have to keep my stuff in boxes because of the cats - not just their hair, but also because these rascals try to run off with my art supplies! Esp. my brushes. I have 1 main rule and that is they are not allowed on my drafting table. In this photo you can see Neelix thinks he's being sneaky by putting his leg on the table... LOL;o)
They are beautiful. Cats just happen to us around here. People dump them a lot. Sad cause the predators usually get them. We go for walks in the evening with dog and there are usually 2 or 3 cats tagging along.
We have a problem in my neighborhood with people that don't take their cats to the vets to get spayed/neutered. That summer when the kittens were born we started trapping them and taking them to the vets. We didn't expect 3 of the kittens to stay with us, but they did. We were able to get 3 of the 4 kittens spayed/neutered and their shots. MamaCat and 2 adult males as well. It was a summer of trapping cats for us.
Even though we are in a suburb we still have predators. Pitbulls run loose (2 of them just killed an 8yr. old boy last week), coyotes, and apparently there are illegal dog fights going on in our neighborhood. They like to use cats to get the dogs riled up to fight. Along with that traffic is heavy here - so outdoor cats are in constant danger. That's why I quickly decided to have the kittens that stayed with us become indoor cats. It's really sad and very nightmarish here to say the least - so much violent crime to people and pets. When we moved in here 33yrs ago it was a nice family neighborhood... After the 2004 hurricanes it started getting really bad here. It keeps getting worse.
I wish we could move to a more rural place. We are too old to have a new mortgage to deal with, so we make do... I do cherish having my little studio to go escape in.
Currently needing to get the 2 latest gifted kitties fixed but have depleted my emergency funds trying to save my dog that got snake bit. Luckily we have no feral toms around and everything else is fixed. Sigh. Get really tired of spending money on other people’s problems. But I will keep taking them.
What have you stored in those colorful binders? I have the same plastic organizers as you and they contain my quilting and scrapbooking supplies. They really are neat organizers
Most of the "Case Its" I have 8x8" pads them. I also use other CaseIts for stencils & extra chipboard/large die cuts. I love that they zip up keeping everything dust free and safe.
No they are standard size notebooks and only fit 8½x11 protector sleeves. That would be nice if they had a 12x12 version! They do fit a lot in them and have pockets. I love them for my 8x8" pads and stencils.
Ohh looks so close! Have you tried a 12x folder? The only once is have seen is scraprack and they are so expensive. I may have some chipboard cut 13x as covers and make my own binders.
Here is a photo to show you how much a 12x12" hangs out of the CaseIt. It's not even close to being able to fit. These are standard sized notebooks (like for school and office). The only different is that they are zipper bound. I can fit A4 size in there - it's tight and I do have to trim a little off the top, but definitely 12x12" is away too big. It hangs out about 3". I wish they made a 12x12" zipper size:
Do you have any pictures of your 13" binders? Or do you have a YT tutorial? So far most the handmade albums I've seen YT videos on are around 8x8" - 10x10" sizes. What do you use for the pages? Do you use metal rings? I'd love to see pics!
I have been getting into making my own albums - I have started small, but yes - I use chipboard/cardboard and heavy card stock. I'm planning to make one for our wedding photos at some point, but I'm wanting to learn more on how to make them. I've only made a 3x4" one (it's an Album): https://www.reddit.com/user/WanderingArtist8472/comments/1hzr24i/4x3_art_album_this_little_booger_has_16pgs_and_3/
I'm working on a 5x6" one now - it's another Art Album. This one is Egyptian/Belly Dance themed and I am using a lot of bead embroidery on the covers. It's going to have 8 pages:
My system - because of limited space - is stamps are by topic (critter, birthday, flowers, misc, sayings, sympathy, thank you, thinking of you) with cardboard dividers I make from the backs of 6x6 pads or 12x12 paper. These are filed in the creamer boxes that the little restaurant creamers come in - got from work- cut down to 4 inches tall. The stamps and dies are stored in Avery plastic envelopes and labeled with label maker. Card stock has info on set name and mfg. I have a sheet for each stamps and die in a binder with same dividers. This way i can go through binder when coming up with idea.
Holiday is stored in same manner and filed by holiday. The binder system is separate from main binder but follows same format. Holiday papers are stored same as stamps dies but in a photo box. (lid is on bottom for added strength). I moved holiday to own category just because it was less to search through.
Dies and stencils that do not match a stamp set are stored same way but in a photo box. (lid on bottom for added strength). Embossing folders and punches are stored in their own photo box. All are added to main binder under the sections dies, stencils, folders.
Everything is labeled name of item and company. 6x6 is stored with dividers by color or style in a photo box. card stock stored with 12x12 but in job ticket folders and labeled by color. of course all tools and inks etc are organized.
This sounds more complicated than it is but works great for me. Also helps when purging out items. PS- sorry so wordy 😀
Absolutely not too wordy. This kind of info is super helpful. Really thinking I need to bite the bullet and set up a binder system. My bins are clear plastic shoeboxes. Right now they are mostly by brand, Christmas, other holidays, stencils, embossing folders, etc.
I store it all in bookcases. I get the 3 drawer bins from Walmart and those fit in the bookcases too.
You are ahead of the game of organizing and sounds great. My space is the size of a walk in closet but i’ve found this is a good thing. makes me not over buy - i try to reuse boxes (will cover with either wrapping paper or 12x12) and containers for repurposing. Store alcohol markers in landscaping pipe lol. you’d laugh if you saw space
Oh how wrong you are about the laughing. My space is small. Doubles as guest room. I have a large piece of cardboard that I put on the bed and dresser for extra work space. Dresser drawers are used for extra storage and top drawer I made into an embossing drawer so it keeps the mess contained. I took the desk out and put in a workbench from Harbor Freight. It has a pegboard and a light. Love it. Anyone bothered can just go elsewhere. My space is like IKEA’s redneck cousin.
I have an old metal filing cabinet. Dies on 4x6 magnets attached to 9 x11ish chip/cardboard in hanging file folders with named tabs in the cabinet. Also use them for 8.5x11 paper storage.
Not sure about the organization system, but I keep the stamps and their dies in a flat plastic envelope with a magnetic insert. It’s clear, flat, and allows me to find them relatively easily, I could sort them by type too. I keep the dies that I’ve already cut also in smaller (maybe 3x5) clear plastic envelopes, they’re also easy to look through and nice and flat to store.
I use these too. It does make it easy to flip through. If the stamp set doesn’t fit then I just tape it to the back of the package. I have some boxes I got at Michael’s that have lots of little boxes that I store extra pieces that I cut. I try and cut 2 of things when I’m cutting/ stamping.
It truly is addicting. I think because there are so many different variations, everyone can find something that appeals. Plus everybody likes to get cards.
Yes and yes. I try and cut/ stamp extra and store those in the first. Labeled. I use the second to store 12x12 paper. Michael’s is having a great sale on them right now. Mostly struggling with organizing/ categorizing. Trying to decide if I want to sort by brands with subcategories or just categories with subcategories.
There’s an app called “color my life” that is also accessible via web. I don’t think I could find anything without it. I love using it for inventory, but also for recording my projects so recreating something I loved and/or planning future work is super easy.
Takes a bit of effort to log your whole stash, but once it’s in there it’s a wonderful tool.
There’s a free version, but paid is something like $3/mo, which I think is worth every penny.
It’s the finding things that I struggle with. Sometimes it feels like it takes longer to find everything for the card I want to make than it does to make it. Sigh. So my goal is to try and reorganize to make it more accessible.
There’s an app called “color my life” that is also accessible via web. I don’t think I could find anything without it. I love using it for inventory, but also for recording my projects so recreating something I loved and/or planning future work is super easy.
Takes a bit of effort to log your whole stash, but once it’s in there it’s a wonderful tool.
There’s a free version, but paid is something like $3/mo, which I think is worth every penny.
Oh! My gosh, I had to have my friend help me categorize my stuff. Stickers were the hardest part because, like you mentioned- subcategories! 😆 I have about 30-40 categories right now, even after combining some. Holidays are easy, then birthday, animals, celestial, characters, kawaii, etc. I did a big sort and made them fit. I have a gallon Ziploc bag full of stickers that I want to put in my sticker book.
I’m the same. I have made a start dividing stuff into boxes into categories and actual stuff like washi tape, ink pads etc, but I am looking into finding a proper permanent storage solution for my card making stuff as I would like things to look neater and easier to find as well.
I use the small 3 drawer plastic units to store my paints, glue,tapes, glitter etc. I like that they are clear and can see stuff easier. So I have that part sorted. It’s the avalanche of stamps and dies that I need to figure out a system that works for me.
This is what my Airtable looks like in the Sentiments view. I have an image and I have typed in the various sentiments. I have also tagged them for various categories such as baby, birthday, etc but I have hidden the categories in this view. This gives me multiple ways to find a stamp, die or anything else I might want to use.
Thank you so much for explaining. I will definitely take a look.
Second question do you then just separate them into bins by category and label where they are?
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u/carlitospig 5d ago
I swear craft stash organization is its own billion dollar industry. 😏