tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008375791436102784.post7350466221004045462..comments2024-03-28T12:15:05.971-04:00Comments on Simplicity by Lateblossom: On Stamp Organization and InventoriesSusan Raihalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03018860599601419989noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008375791436102784.post-89423280580078651362011-11-10T21:37:56.131-05:002011-11-10T21:37:56.131-05:00I've been facing a similar struggle with my mi...I've been facing a similar struggle with my mish mash of stamps. I took apart almost all SU sets so they could be more easily categorized. I wrote the name of the stamp set on the side of each wood block and then put into the drawer by category.<br /><br />I have been wanting to do a sentiment binder inventory and think that I will choose a specific ink color for each of the major manufacturers that I have (mostly PTI, SU, CTMH, A Muse & Hero Arts). Then there will be a different ink color for the rest.<br /><br />Good luck with perfecting your system. :o)Kilchahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00976122177793655110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008375791436102784.post-51000066035170538732011-10-07T18:06:38.340-04:002011-10-07T18:06:38.340-04:00Thank you, Susan, for sharing your experiences org...Thank you, Susan, for sharing your experiences organizing your stamps. It is very helpful to know what worked and what did not and why. Hopefully, it will save the rest of us some time and effort. I have two pet peeves in this area. First, sentiments that are part of picture sets. Your sentiment inventory should solve that one. It's next on my to do list! Second, finding a particular image, most recently, a daisy. I know I have one or two, but which set? The picture images will take much longer to inventory, so I'll tackle sentiments first.<br /><br />I bought some empty clam shell boxes from SU to organize individual sentiment stamps I have purchased by category. I try to wedge them in tightly or fill excess space so they can't tip over on their sides. This has helped tremendously.<br /><br />I also have organized some individual image stamps this way, like "birds," "Riley Moose," and "cartoon characters" (for my grandchildren).<br /><br />Like Lori, the different size clam shells drive me crazy with SU sets. I cannot bring myself to break up sets, but I have found I can move some SU sets to smaller clam shells than they came in, and use the bigger ones to organize individual stamps. Your article and a quote from Steve Jobs ("focus and simplify") have me thinking today!Kaynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008375791436102784.post-77672622817892973842011-10-06T00:33:58.221-04:002011-10-06T00:33:58.221-04:00Clear stamps (mostly PTI) and unmounteds are comin...Clear stamps (mostly PTI) and unmounteds are coming out of the CD cases, and being stored in 5 X 8page protectors on clear binder cover sheets. These will be sorted by theme. I went to PTI's website, printed a small pic of each set to go in its corresponding page protector,then printed a larger pic to put in a binder alphabetically by company.<br /><br />Wood mounts are stored in a cabinet my hubby made; 28 trays, 1 layer each, so I can just pull out a tray and see what I have. I have them sorted by theme.<br /><br />For sets with images and sentiments, I am thinking about setting up a chart by theme, stamping the sentiment and putting the set's name beside it. This particularly applies to PTI, where so many sentiments are usable with other sets.<br /><br />Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!<br /><br />Some great ideas, Susan.Linda Enoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008375791436102784.post-14958377992985837312011-10-05T16:30:32.243-04:002011-10-05T16:30:32.243-04:00Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and id...Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and ideas! It really is helpful to hear what others do. I have started unmounting my wood stamps so I can get a little uniformity with the storage. I have mostly SU and all the different size boxes drive me crazy! I love your idea about inventorying the sentiments. Some sets have only 1 or 2 and I forget about them. Thanks again!Lori VKnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008375791436102784.post-29647541990825690612011-10-05T14:54:16.870-04:002011-10-05T14:54:16.870-04:00Well, you seem to be extremely organized. I use s...Well, you seem to be extremely organized. I use some of the same methods (plastic drawers for wood mounted). I keep my unmounted rubber stored by Manufacturer (makes it easier for DT work) in binders. I stamp a reference sheet and place the stamps ( with cushion and cling on them) in corresponding place on storage boards. Works go for me, except now I have quite a few binders and they have outgrown their space. LOL Oh, such is life. Now I need tips on storing my binders. LOLOL!! Have a great day and thanks for all the tips.Karen McAlpinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12313597922522849456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008375791436102784.post-35335720650895608212011-10-05T14:33:07.831-04:002011-10-05T14:33:07.831-04:00Susan~ The answer to all your problems is a comput...Susan~ The answer to all your problems is a computer. I have more stamps and supplies than your average person or even your not-so-average fanatic stamper hoarder. I do the logical (for me) sorting into plastic rolling towers, bins & baskets, hanging peg boards etc., etc. I also have my stamping bible - a little like yours - with stamped images and tabbed sections for every imaginable embellishment and supply. But the one thing that keeps everything in order is my computer. If you keep your inventory (with pictures) on computer you can add, delete, sort and resort and locate with the touch of a button. Changes are a snap. Reprinting a revised inventory is also a snap. You can search for a stamp (or whatever) by any method you want: theme - style - who made it - name and so on and have the complete results and possibilities before you instantly. You do not need weeks or months to revise anything or everything - it only takes a few moments. Very easy to indicate on your computer where you keep a particular item and locate it in seconds. Of course it helps if you START with this method - but once its done its forever done.<br />LuraAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008375791436102784.post-17947715958424524362011-10-05T13:42:58.909-04:002011-10-05T13:42:58.909-04:00I am very grateful for your ideas that you have sh...I am very grateful for your ideas that you have shared here today. My craft room is a jumbled mess. I can find things in there, but it might drive another person (like my husband) batty!Ravengirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13761473551410517900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008375791436102784.post-9871363884382801902011-10-05T11:37:56.070-04:002011-10-05T11:37:56.070-04:00Carolyn, these days I primarily buy new-release st...Carolyn, these days I primarily buy new-release stamps and rarely purchase at stores. It helps that I mainly buy from just four companies. Occasionally, I pick up a random stamp at a big box store, but I haven't bought duplicates in a long time.Susan Raihalahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03018860599601419989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008375791436102784.post-23212959065597695742011-10-05T11:27:55.754-04:002011-10-05T11:27:55.754-04:00Susan, thank you so very, very much! I'm so gr...Susan, thank you so very, very much! I'm so grateful that you are such a whiz at organizing. You are lucky that this comes naturally to you. I will proceed fearlessly on my own quest to get my stamps/sets organized.<br /><br />Thanks also to your other readers who were kind enough to share their organizing ideas.<br /><br />Thanks for noting that if stamps are categorized by theme, a printed inventory by theme would be redundant, but do you use such a printed inventory when you are shopping for new stamps so as not to purchase duplicates?<br /><br />Thanks so much for your help, Susan, and also to the rest of your readers!<br /><br />Carolyn<br />mcw519Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008375791436102784.post-21823386334070312162011-10-05T08:41:36.190-04:002011-10-05T08:41:36.190-04:00Thanks for taking the time to write this up.Thanks for taking the time to write this up.Super Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00961314677178559261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008375791436102784.post-74072127343944119122011-10-05T06:55:39.502-04:002011-10-05T06:55:39.502-04:00Susan,
I've been struggling with the organizat...Susan,<br />I've been struggling with the organization thing for quite awhile. I used to keep a binder organized by category, but had stamped the individual images like your "cluttered" (and abandoned!) version. I got frustrated with the messiness of it, not to mention all the images that were crossed out when I'd purge my collection.<br /><br />On a lark one afternoon, I decided to see how many companies were represented in my extensive stamp collection. Over 130!! Yeoooowza! Granted, I've been stamping for 20 years and many companies have come and gone over the years. Needless to say, organizing strictly by company is NOT a good option for me.<br /><br />Right now, I think my ideal would be two reference binders with one categorized by company and the other by theme. I wilt at the thought of starting that project...Becky Yohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00979233832505482184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008375791436102784.post-20710143877353825272011-10-05T06:40:27.632-04:002011-10-05T06:40:27.632-04:00Interesting article !!
i get informative ideas in ...Interesting article !!<br />i get informative ideas in here ....<br /><a href="http://www.alltimeprint.com" rel="nofollow"> plastic card ideas</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008375791436102784.post-34832409653036512452011-10-05T06:16:00.131-04:002011-10-05T06:16:00.131-04:00I started an inventory on my PTI stamps, but it al...I started an inventory on my PTI stamps, but it all got a bit overwhelming so stopped. We all have different requirements, I find it much easier to remember what I have from PTI, Hero Arts, Waltzingmouse etc, but when it comes to SU, that's where the inventory would be most useful I think.<br /><br />Thanks for the time you put into this post, I will most likely come back and read it afew times and I am sure a couple of ideas that would work for me will come out of it.Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01692056925159395126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008375791436102784.post-6230316493049227482011-10-05T05:31:16.363-04:002011-10-05T05:31:16.363-04:00This is so interesting, Susan. I love to organize,...This is so interesting, Susan. I love to organize, but these stamps...phew, they drive me nuts sometimes, heehee. <br />Some things I learned in all those years are:<br /><br />1) go through your stamps maybe once in a year and sell the ones, you don´t use anymore (I never missed one single sold stamp and got some money for new stuff, heehee)<br /><br />2) unmount your stamps from those wood blocks, you´ll gain lots of free space and the work is worth it (Ez-Mount and Tak´n Peel are brilliant)<br /><br />3) keep a file with your stamps (pictures + set/company names) on your computer to make it easier to flip through all the stamps (saves a lot of time)<br /><br />To PTI: I love love love their stamps and have a lot of the sets. I keep them in the sets, stored in cd cases and have them organized by the set name. It works pretty well for me with a cd-rack right next to my table. <br />But I think about seperating the sentiments, because I always struggle with the time I spent on finding the one I need. It´s not much time, but I hope it will become easier, if i seperate them. Well, we´ll see. I guess, we´ll never get finished with organizing, don´t we? :)<br /><br />Thanks for this post, Susan, it really keeps me thinking on my perfect way to the ultimative way of organizing.<br /><br />Hugs, TinaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008375791436102784.post-18190123915707495052011-10-05T03:21:17.660-04:002011-10-05T03:21:17.660-04:00Phew! My head aches just thinking about it. I st...Phew! My head aches just thinking about it. I store full plates and sets as they are but I have LOADS of loose, uncategorised stamps and some which can't really be stored by manufacturer since they're no longer in business. I do, however, tend to loosely organise so that they ARE arranged by manufacturer. I also have LOTS of stamps in bags, filed by theme. The problem is, I rarely go to these bags to find them and they don't get used. As you say, sentiments are a nightmare - I have so many I no longer use, simply because I can't be bothered to sift through and read them backwards, so those I really do need to make an inventory of... next job on my list after moving craft rooms, I think... thanks for your thoughts and ideas. Hope your injuries heal fast xCath Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02693663036314974892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008375791436102784.post-19214547727843799882011-10-05T02:18:51.804-04:002011-10-05T02:18:51.804-04:00such a wonderful post you sure have gone to a lot ...such a wonderful post you sure have gone to a lot of trouble to help out fellow bloggers by giving these wonderful tips thank you so much :)Hussenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04015727983005428718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008375791436102784.post-62134624476955259732011-10-04T22:43:42.419-04:002011-10-04T22:43:42.419-04:00Susan, Wonderful post! Thank you for taking the t...Susan, Wonderful post! Thank you for taking the time to share your organizational strategies with us. I love what your second poster, Princess Judy said, "I think organization systems are dynamic, ever changing and evolving". The changing and evolving hit home with me.Cherylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12210559889853638568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008375791436102784.post-88942117130539366942011-10-04T21:57:37.399-04:002011-10-04T21:57:37.399-04:00Well THAT was interesting!! Not so sure I would r...Well THAT was interesting!! Not so sure I would re-do my system now --12 years (I have never sold my stamps! [gasp!] I also have a ring of sets (by company) - I do get tired of going through the ring looking, but it beats flipping through the sets I do have to say! I do like your sentiment idea though...hmmmm<br /><br />Actually, purging would be a really good thing..it just scares the pants off me though! LOLVicki Dutcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02957439584931392315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008375791436102784.post-19408617469605345302011-10-04T17:33:47.801-04:002011-10-04T17:33:47.801-04:00Wow!!
I only inventory my sentiments...I stamped ...Wow!!<br /><br />I only inventory my sentiments...I stamped them out on pieces of card in their sets, one card for each set, and put them on a ring.<br />Now when I need a sentiment I flip through the ring. When I find the one I want the name of the set is written on the card and so easy to find.jakihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01991830031445944585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008375791436102784.post-9055547613148439912011-10-04T16:26:10.416-04:002011-10-04T16:26:10.416-04:00Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to put ...Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to put this together. Its something I've considered doing for a while, but I haven't got loads of stamps really, plus I keep mine all in the original packaging so they're all together. I have recently put them in a filing system, but think I may do an inventory, and following your advice to only do sentiments!!!Bumblebeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11612915094677311271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008375791436102784.post-86977091328397225832011-10-04T15:36:18.105-04:002011-10-04T15:36:18.105-04:00Susan, thank you for taking the time to share your...Susan, thank you for taking the time to share your organizational ideas. I need to better organize my indv stamps and my sets but first I need to do a purge and sell some sets. <br /><br />If I am not using them I may as well sell them and make more space and un-boggle my mind.June K.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008375791436102784.post-77558220216704391942011-10-04T15:08:25.036-04:002011-10-04T15:08:25.036-04:00Great food for thought Susan...I have some of thos...Great food for thought Susan...I have some of those same questions. I am not organized!Lisa Larahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08425578466520159262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008375791436102784.post-13615794500699812692011-10-04T14:13:33.109-04:002011-10-04T14:13:33.109-04:00I love seeing how other crafters organise their cr...I love seeing how other crafters organise their craft space and equipment. I have picked up loads of ideas from you and am now going to re-organise all my stamps. Thank you so much for all your hints and tips - Jacqueline xxJacquelinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02729817970278987285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008375791436102784.post-40224775280850397572011-10-04T13:40:37.138-04:002011-10-04T13:40:37.138-04:00Good night you've gone to a lot of work!! You...Good night you've gone to a lot of work!! You are so organized. Maybe some day.........Susiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12175485808533410938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9008375791436102784.post-36949992100992740092011-10-04T13:09:58.024-04:002011-10-04T13:09:58.024-04:00This gave me lots of points to ponder before decid...This gave me lots of points to ponder before deciding on how to do my inventory. And I'll take heed from your injured elbow and do it very gradually over the winter. It will be great once it's finished!!!Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07741064223875062517noreply@blogger.com