Hey guys! It's been a little over a week since I've blogged. I've been in my craft room working on a few projects that I can't share just yet and trying out a new stamp storage system. I've been storing my stamp sets in CD cases. I started with Papertrey Ink and that was their storage system. When I bought brands that didn't come with a CD case, I used ones that I could pick up at Target. I really liked this system for a long time. As my collection has grown the CD cases just started taking up too much room, became difficult to flip through, and some of the case are getting old and cracking.
It's time to try something new. I ordered 50 of the Ellen Hutson Storage Envelopes to start with and 25 of the magnetic sheets. I very quickly filled them all up. Some of the sets I moved over no longer had their acetate carrier sheet so I made new ones with this clear acetate available locally. I slipped in a piece of white cardstock that I cut to size; stamp set in front, coordinating dies behind. Stand alone dies got their own pocket. So far I love it! The envelopes are super sturdy, easy to flip through, and take up way less space. I have a ton of sets still in CD cases {afraid to count}. I haven't decided, yet, whether I will transfer all of my sets over or just continue with this system going forward...
Have you switched to pockets? Are you happy with your new system? Do you use another system all together?
Jennifer's #ShareHandmadeKindness challenge continues this week with Kids, sharing kindness with kids and getting them involved in sharing kindness with others. Last week was dedicated to community. Ryan and I left a little surprise for our mail carrier this weekend.
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i switched to the Avery Elle storage pockets about a year ago and love the system (they're very reasonable on Amazon) and when i switched i weeded the stamp collection - i now have lots of empty cd cases, but that's ok. i keep my stamps in Ikea boxes - have a box for the various holiday stamps, then one for PTI, Hero Arts and misc. companies. works for me.
ReplyDeleteI also switched to stamp storage pockets last year. I wish Ellen would have come out with hers before I bought 200 Avery Elle ones as these seem a lot nicer. But I do love it. Way better than cd cases and takes up a lot less room. And I love being able to keep my matching dies in the same pocket. Good luck with the change.
ReplyDeleteI switched to the AE pockets and have a mix of those and SSS and MFT now. I was already storing stand alone dies (nestabilities, etc.) in vinyl CD envelopes similar to the half size storage pockets that SSS and MFT carry (SSS are slightly better because they have a flap that tucks in so nothing slips out). I'm sure you will love the change!
ReplyDeleteI started switching to the Avery Elle pockets a couple of months ago. It's still a work in progress!
ReplyDeleteI use the pockets! Mine are from Simon and I absolutely love them. They don't take up much space and they're super easy to flip through. I keep them stored by stamp company in separate storage boxes. The stand alone dies are all stored together in one box (I don't have too many at the moment), so they're separated by type...simple shapes, scene builder, etc. I love how organized they keep me!
ReplyDeleteI switched to Avery Elle about 6 months ago. Love them. I also am adding all my stamps, dies etc to Evernote. Now they are convenient, Take up less room. I don't have to flip through them because I just ask evernote for what I want or flip through them on the computer and go get the numbered set out of the file. Whoot Whoot.
ReplyDeleteYep I switched to the avery Elle after watching jennifer m video. I'm a papertrey ink addict so I bit a HUGE bullet and ordered all the index sheets for pti stamps that were in cd cases. I know...lots of money!!! But, I am soooo happy with the extra space I have now. I bought huge acrylic sheets at dick Blick locally. A heavier sheet for the index label and stamp then a thinner sheet for the backing. So all the pti stamps look like I just received them in the mail (other than instead of the flimsy see thru Saran Wrap backing I have a nice sturdy acrylic backing) does this make sense? Lol so yes I'm happy with the system and especially having the dies in the same bag as the stamp. Love.
ReplyDeleteYes Kara, I switched to stamp pockets and put the dies in the back - just like you have done - but I have also catalogued them using a free software package aka Kathleen Driggers style
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTweJLVSzrQ
I have nearly 500 clear stamp sets, 300 dies catalogued so far and am about to start on my SU cling stamp sets and although, yes, it was tedious at the time, I would do it all again, because now I can put my hand immediately on any one stamp in my whole collection because I know exactly where they are. I store them stood up in Ikea 'Kasette' boxes (although they call them something else now but you can still get them), and I put the numbers from and to on the front (e.g. 001-045 . . . 0046-0090 and so on)
Sorry to be so long winded here but I marvel at this system every day and it has now made me more creative, because I know where the stamps that I want to use are!
I hope you find this useful. Have a lovely evening! Hazel x
I also switched to using clear pocket by Avery Elle first then I bought some from SSS, for my clear stamps. But I do leave the existing PTI CD case stamp in the cd case (the label already stick on the case) and I put them in the IKEA cd box. I love the Avery Elle/SSS pocket able to fit the die as well! I also bought a pack of the Ellen Hutson pocket and magnetic sheet I don't really like that plastic feel of it, still prefer the other clear pocket. But I'm happy that I switch to this system instead of the cd case. It saves so much space!
ReplyDeleteI love the E.H. sleeves, Kara. Though I couldn't have nearly as many sets as you're describing, I do like them very much. I use them to store the sets I have with stamps and dies together, um, together! These I have alphabetically arranged by company, in the clear refrigerator storage bins. Battabingbattaboom...
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So great to see your new system! I bought one package of Avery Elle pockets but have only used a couple. But I've started putting dies on magnetic sheets and placed with their stamps, for example WPlus9, but they are still in the original envelopes. The most challenging thing to change over is all my PTI CD cases. Like you, I have kept them like that since I started buying them in 2009. Let us know what you decide about the older ones! Also, how do you do your labels? Do you have a label marker?
ReplyDeleteI love the E.H. storage pockets and use them for my stamps too. I also keep the matching die sets with the stamps, just in the back. I arrange them by company and store them in the clear refrigerator storage bins.
ReplyDeleteI change about a few years ago to the pockets as well but still have a drawer full of the cd cases, from Papertrey Ink I like the envelopes you made not sure how you did it!
ReplyDeleteOh, gee, you guys are so lucky to have such amazing things available, Kara!!!! Nothing of the sort over here and if I have to order it from overseas it's going to cost a small fortune!!!! It really looks like the perfect way to store your stamps and dies - so neat and easy to reach!!!! You would laugh if you had to see the small amount of stamps I have - I keep them in the original packaging I got them in, in two or three shoeboxes, by company!!!! Yep, that's my 'system' and I can just dream about the day I have so many stamps, I need a proper filing system!!!!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful day!!!!