Someone asked what flower punch I used on the second card on this card. It's from StampinUp.
Someone else who shall remain nameless (okay, it was Marty!) sent me a RAK. The package included a stamp I almost bought a month ago but didn't because a little voice whispered in my ear that someone really nice would send it to me soon. You'll see it on a card soon. Marty also sent me a Crop-A-Dile corner rounder that is absolutely the coolest corner rounder ever! Be still, my heart. I don't deserve friends-I've-never-even-met-in-real-life who are this kind and generous!
Someone else entirely asked about my stamp index, which I referred to in a recent post. This subject--my stamp index--is a source of grave frustration to me. I've had four iterations of index since I started stamping. Not one has met all my needs.
Below is a picture of the THREE binders that housed my Version 4.0 index. The pink binder houses Papertrey stamp images. The brown binder contains Mark's Finest and StampinUp images, as well as a punch index. The green binder holds Hero Arts images, as well as images from miscellaneous companies.
Three binders. They are pretty colors, but three binders are two too many and not easily portable. One thing I love to do with my index is take it with me when I travel. Plus, dividing everything by manufacturer seems artificial, especially when today's card is so very representative of how I work: mix and match. So I'm reworking the index and will share the new one when I'm done, which at the rate I'm going should be sometime in the year 2020.
I have a lot of stamps.
Still, it won't really take until 2020 to finish because I'm obsessive.
But you knew that.
Didn't you?
Sure you did.
A Card
As you can see, I combined a sentiment from Papertrey's Mega Mixed Messages with a flower stamp from StampinUp's Happy Harmony set, thus proving my point about the silliness of segregating stamps in my index.
The ground on this is washi tape, and I--SURPRISE--actually like the tape on this card, which was vaguely inspired by a card I received from Krystie Lee. Her card is much prettier, but as I have it and will not show it to you, my card will not suffer in comparison...unless you scroll down her blog and find an aqua, orange, and celery one-layer card with a button on one flower and a sheer white ribbon around the bottom.
Her card, however, has no bling.
So there.
This is so pretty!
ReplyDeleteLove the card, did you rip the tape off one to put on the other? I like the idea of an inventory of stamps but can't be bothered doing it as that would mean less stamp time. One of the PTI radio podcasts had a lady on (maybe episode 3 or4) who was extremely organised with her stamps.
ReplyDeleteLove the cards!
ReplyDeleteI have a hint for your index dilemma: an iPad! My paper index is currently in 5 binders but should be in 6, as one is getting too heavy. Now most of my index has been scanned and the photos saved to a special gallery on the Pad. No more lugging full binders up- and down-stairs for planning and so on. Plus, SCS and blogs are handy on it, too...
Just love the card as for the index far too lazy for that just giant boxes stuffed to the brims you are so organized Luv Sue x
ReplyDeleteThe colors of your card are so pretty together! I'm trying to organize my stamps. I only have about 50, but I'm tired of not knowing what I have. I'll use binders until that doesn't work. I've got a long way to go :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so looking forward to seeing your index! I KNOW you'll save us all so much time and trouble. I have no system, and just look through every stamp set CD case I have to find what I'm looking for. It's a pain! When I stripped all my wood blocks to make them clings, I left some as full stamp sets, but mostly kept the sentiments together, and that saves me a tremendous amount of time looking for just the right saying for a card. Now if you can show me how I don't have to shuffle through every CD case to find something, I'll be so grateful! Love your card; the tape looks great and I'm glad you didn't have to rip it off!
ReplyDeleteYou've just inspired me to post a new organizational "tour" of my some of my stamping supplies. Hope it helps!
ReplyDeleteLove the card! Dying to see the new index--I too have OCD, lol. REALLY LOVE your attitude! Laughing over my latte!
ReplyDeleteGreat card, Susan! You are going to love your Crop-o-Dile corner rounder. I haven't jumped on the washi tape bandwagon yet, but your card (and Krystie Lee's) may change my mind.
ReplyDeleteWOW! How nice of Mary to send you the goodies! No more rounded corners with scissors for you anymore!! I expect to see more now...:) Looking forward to seeing your new system --inside picture too??
ReplyDeleteThe washi tape is perfect for grounding your flowers. It's such a clean, modern touch too.
ReplyDeleteI admire your dedication to a stamp index. I think it would be useful, but I know myself well enough to realize that I would never finish one without a taskmaster directing my work. Holding all of those stamps in my hands would just fire up the fire-breathing creative director that lives in my brain, dragging the rational me along on it's stamping exploits like the little submissive it is.
After a couple of episodes of buying the same stamp twice, I made a portable index of all my stamps. Now the only challenge is remembering to take it whenever there's a chance I'll end up in a stamp store!! I'm looking forward to seeing your index as mine is very messy and haphazard.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely card! You are blessed with such talent, Susan. I'm so happy to see your cards and read your blog every day and I'm grateful to be able to see your cards and writings back to 2009.
ReplyDeleteI see I'm not the only one who is eager to see the new stamp-index style you establish. Perhaps you could give us a clue as you go along and not wait until your index is totally complete? No pressure on you, you understand, it's just that you are so very good at organizing and I...well, I am not. I'm truly not looking for perfection since it doesn't exist on earth, but I see too many possibilities and can't decide which would be the most useful. Index cards with categories held tog with a ring? Keep sets tog and cross reference the individual stamps into their categories? Full size card stock in binders with dividers for categories? Actually stamp the stamps onto cs or scan them and store on the computer and/or print them to paper? I'm sure there are other ways. Such a dilemma!
I'll be grateful for your help!
M Carolyn W
mcw519
Hi Susan - love the card as I always do. Indexing is critical when you have as many stamps and stamping stuff as I do. I have 2 methods - the huge 3 ring notebook that goes with me and a complete list of everything I own in the way of stamping on my computer. (You need to start this before you have $1000's of dollars in stamps, ha-ha!) The beauty of the computer is that it is never out of date and always organized - you can search your stash at the speed of light. Plus you can tag and reorganize any way you want or come up with a short list of exactly what you are searching for: like borders or frames or flowers or you get the idea. The binder is great not only for defeating those duplicate buys but also for browsing when you need an idea for a card. Seeing the stamped images jogs your memory for what you have and your imagination for what you can do with it. My dream is to combine the two methods onto a notebook computer I can carry to the stamp store with me without the heft of the binder. And if I ever get one it will be a snap to download my computer catalog to it.
ReplyDeleteLura
Love the cards as always! but I WILL RESIST all sneaky attempts by you to start me buying washi tape! I WILL, really....I mean it....:-)
ReplyDeleteI just started indexing my stamps about two weeks ago. I bit the bullet and grabbed a handful of printer paper, a black ink pad and began stamping away. when my husband saw what I was doing he asked, "can't you just scan these images out of a catalog or something"? I could if I still had EVERY catalog (which I don't). Then he suggested searching the Internet, but that really would not save me any time. So, I guess I am doing it the "hard" way.
For now, I think one binder will be enough. I am dividing by companies, because for now that is how my brain "sorts" them. The point of the binder though is for me to use more of what I have, and even break out of the set mentality, mix more stamps from different sets. I hope just having the images readily available to flip through will help. I was so careful to group all my sentiment sets from SU together, but already I see a problem as that does not include sentiments that are combined with image sets. Plus there are the sentiments from other companies....oy!
Perhaps in the future if I can stand to break up sets and reorganize how the stamps are stored, I will then reorganize the index as well. All sentiments, all flowers, etc...
I love how you used your washi tape on this card -- and that you put one of the strips on a bit of a diagonal! Lovely layout.
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful in its simplicity and design. Love the tape and wonderful colors. The Happy Harmony stamp was my first silhouette image, and I think my most used stamp ever... thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteYou got me on the bling...ouch! I love your card! :)
ReplyDelete