Thinking Inking

Storage and Organization: Stamp Sets

Welcome back to day two of MFT's Storage and Organization week! Today we're looking at stamp set storage. For a full list of everyone participating in the day's post, see the MFT Blog. Stamp set storage has come a LONG way since I started paper crafting about fifteen years ago. Back then, every stamp set took up a LOT of space. Almost all sets were mounted on wood blocks, except for the occasional rubber set that came on gray foam cling padding. Remember those days? 

Yes, I still have a few sets that I haven't quite decided to part with yet!

Okay, maybe more than a few! (By the way, that bin in the top left corner has my MFT background stamps in it, along with some current 6 x 6 paper pads.)

And then along came clear acrylic stamps. It took some of us us a while to get used to them, didn't it? (They've improved over the years, for sure!) My first acrylic stamp storage was the CD case storage, and I have a LOT of stamp sets still in CD cases. Then the sets got larger, and DVD cases supplanted CD cases as the more common storage system. (That size difference messed up my storage, I can tell you!)

Don't even ask. I didn't count. And remember that this really was for my job--not *just* a lack of self-control! When I ran out of room for DVD case furniture, I went to plastic Iris bins. (Iris bins are probably my second favorite storage option. I like those heavy plastic clear refrigerator bins the very best, but I like Iris bins quite a bit as well.)

Then I started hearing people talk about using clear, thick envelopes for stamp storage. I still wasn't convinced. . . until it was time to order DVD cases again and I had no idea where I would even store them! I saw some organization posts on Jennifer McGuire's blog--man, is Jennifer the guru of organization, or what? (Yes, she definitely is.) I tried clear envelopes, and I love them. I can store so many more stamp sets in less space. I don't need to order more DVD-holding furniture either! Above you see how my MFT clear stamps are stored. I create an image sheet from a screenshot, then put my stamp set behind the cover sheet and any coordinating dies behind that. SO simple!

Right now I have all of my current MFT stamps on the right side of this refrigerator bin, and several other companies that I've also transitioned to clear envelopes on the left side. But I can read the handwriting on the wall, and I'm guessing that in another month or so, I will need a second bin for my clear stamps. Still, the clear envelopes are much more space efficient than the CD and DVD cases are. I'm a happy camper. . .

I am sure that my system will have to evolve as I collect more stamp sets, but right now they are in order by release date. I'm considering order by topic (flowers, people, sentiments) eventually. I hope that you've found something helpful in today's stamp organization post! Be sure to visit the the MFT Blog for a list of everyone who is sharing stamp organization posts today. I promise that you'll see some amazing spaces and ideas! Thanks for visiting,

Storage and Organization: Ink pads

It's storage and organization week on the MFT Blog, which means that you get to see a LOT of storage option for your craft supplies! Today's post is on storing ink pads. How many ink pads do you have? I did a quick count and may have missed some, but I counted close to 350 ink pads, and that doesn't include the mini ink pads like my little Distress Ink cubes! It's no wonder that keeping track of all of the STUFF can be a full-time endeavor, is it? Now, I guess I'd better answer this question, since someone is bound to ask it: Does anyone really need that many ink pads?  The answer is probably not; however, I've collected them over a period of about 15 years, and I often collected an entire set when I worked for different companies so that I could use that company's ink with that company's stamps. (Does that make it sound any more reasonable?) 

How about some ink refills? I'm working on collecting the MFT refills these days, and when I get more, I'll need a better system of organization. I try to order a reinker whenever I order an ink pad so that I don't have to keep separate lists of what I have and what I still need.

Currently my MFT ink pads are living alongside my PTI ink pads in some repurposed Quikutz drawer units from which I removed the drawers. And, believe it or not, while I have a TON of ink pads, every time there is a color challenge, I'm missing at least a color or two to be able to participate! (That's when you get creative and use cardstock in that color, or Copic markers.) I can see that my little Quikutz cabinets will soon be filled to capacity, and I recently ordered a 120-pad ink storage unit that should take up about the same footprint on my desk, but hold half again as many ink pads. 

I have several of the MFT dye ink pads, and several of the hybrid ink pads, but no pigment pads yet since I mostly stamp on paper. 

I use my trusty Brother P-Touch labeler to put the name on the end of each ink pad, and it works pretty well. (Sometimes the rounded edges want to curl up at bit--I'm still learning the tricks!) The other thing that you may notice is that some of the names are upside down. I started putting labels on right-side up, then decided after a couple of months that I really wanted to store my ink pads upside down to keep the pad moist. I just need to switch out labels on my earliest ink pads that have their labels upside down. 

More ink pad storage--chalk inks and miscellaneous pigment inks, mostly. (That doesn't count all of my Versamagic mini ink pads--the teardrop shaped ones, stored in a plastic drawer unit!)

And MORE ink pads--the ones that I don't reach for quite as often (unless I can't find a color in my currents batch.) 

And yet MORE ink pads and reinkers. . .  I think I have four or five of these acrylic containers from my very first foray into paper-crafting. (Bet my husband wishes I'd never gone to that party!)

I didn't include the mini ink pads in my quick count, but I do love and use these little Distress Ink pads. I smoosh them onto plastic and watercolor with them more than I actually stamp with them though. You may have noticed by now that I usually arrange inks in rainbow order--ROY G BIV. It's just the right way to do it. :-D

Here's an unusual view of my main work surface. Why unusual? Because it isn't usually this clean! I hope you get a chance to stop by the MFT Blog for a list of everyone participating in the craft organization posts this week; I know that I've seen some really great ideas, and I can't wait to have time to implement some of them!

Finally, I learned one more thing today as I counted ink pads. (I probably shouldn't admit this part, but I will just the same.) I have more ink pads than I need. Don't get me wrong--I'm still collecting ones that I DO need for work and will use! But I have at least a couple of sets that I use no more than 2-3 times a year. . . I've already emailed a sweet friend who is a blessing to a lot of women and asked her if she could use some of my extras with her ladies. It's a win-win proposition: I win some space, and she wins some ink pads! All of that to say that I'm glad that you "visited" my studio today. You encouraged me to clean house. :-) Thanks!

Birthday Bouquet: MFT WSC266

Good morning! Today I'm playing along on a sketch challenge, MFT WSC266. Would you like to play along? By now you might recognize this stamp set--I've used it three times in the last week! It's Large Desert Bouquet, one of my favorites from the February release last night.

Clearly I turned the MFT WSC266 sketch horizontally, but it was simple enough that it was not a problem to use in either orientation.

I first stamped the flowers and leaves, and then airbrushed the background with a Copic B05 marker and Airbrush System, leaving the Die-namics Wonky Rectangle in place to act as a mask. Next I stamped and die-cut a few more flowers as well as a sentiment banner in order to fit the WSC266 Sketch. I added Glossy Accents to most of my flower centers, and glitter to the larger daisies. Easy-peasy! If you play along be sure to leave your link here on the link list, okay? Thank you for visiting,

InLinkz.com

Enjoy Your Special Day: MFT Large Desert Bouquet

Welcome! It's finally release time at MFT Stamps: all newly released products that have been shown in the past five days are now available. I have one more card to share from the February release--another Large Desert Bouquet card. I really had fun with this set! I wanted to try a wave-shaped edge with the flowers forming the wave. I started by cutting my card front and card base edges with Die-namics Stitched Snow Drifts and then figuring out a flower layout that would work with my curve. I die-cut the greenery with Die-namics Leafy Greenery. The background is stamped with Distressed Patterns and cut with Blueprints Die-namics 15.

I chose the Birthday Greetings stamp set for both my card front sentiment and the inside sentiment. 

As always, you can visit the MFT Stamps Blog for a linked list of fabulous eye candy with this month's sets. ALL links for the Brand Spankin' NEW products should be live at 10pm EST--have fun!

InLinkz.com

Flowers and Rainbows: MFT Countdown Day 1

Welcome to the final day of the MFT Stamps February Release Countdown! Tonight is the big night--10pm EST. I have two cards to share today, the first made with Large Desert Bouquet and Whimsical Greetings. (You knew I'd play with a floral set, right?)

Here is the inside of my card, again using the same two sets, Large Desert Bouquet and Whimsical Greetings.

I used the Leafy Greenery Die-namics to cut some leaves to go along with my stamped ones, and the Rectangle Peek-a-Boo Die-namics to cu the opening for the sentiment on front.

How about a Rainbow of Happiness card next? I went with a square card base on this one, using Die-namics Blueprints 14 main outside layer. The Sunny Skies die and Stitched Cloud Edges were perfect paired with this set! My fifteen year old took one look and said, "Mom, it needs glitter. If you put glitter, I'll like it." So there we have it, folks--glitter. . . I also did a bit of airbrushing at the base of each cloud with a Copic B23.

Here's my card inside; I used one of the negative shapes from the clouds that I'd cut for the card front. 

Don't forget to visit the MFT Stamps Blog to see a list of all of the designers participating in today's release countdown--and check out that prize! As a reminder, the links for the NEW PRODUCTS below won't work until Tuesday, February 2 at 10pm EST. All of the others should be working now, and the new products links will work as soon as the release goes live. Thanks for visiting--have a fabulous day!

InLinkz.com

InLinkz.com