Craft Organization - Stamp Storage

      A few years ago, I unmounted my stamps to save space (I didn't have a designated craft area).  Some of the rubber stamps peeled right off while others needed to be put into the microwave for 5 second intervals.  I tried a few different ways to store them, but ended up with this.

     Basically, I unmounted stamps, put them on clear plastic pages (the kind used for projectors), and put them into page protectors.  If they needed help, I used Aleene's Tack it Over.  I've covered some clear stamps with a layer of cling wrap before putting them in the sleeves to keep them from sticking to the protector.

     Thanks for checking my quick idea out.  Hope you're doing well and hope that maybe I sparked something in you!

 

(On with the yammer. . .)

     I unmounted most of my stamps several years ago.  It saved a lot of space, but I had to learn as I went and ended up trying a few different things I either saw on YouTube or crafters' blogs.  Some of the rubber stamps peeled right off the wooden block, some were still attached to the sticky padding between the two.  If/when the padding was still sticky enough, I left it as is to use it to adhere to acrylic sheets.  If it wasn't sticky, I'd see if it would peel it off the rubber easily/quickly.  Then, I'd put several dots of Aleene's Tack it Over on the back (rubber or padding) and let it dry, usually overnight.

     I thought I had a good system when I used acrylic sheets bought when Orchard Supply went out of business.  Hubs cut them down to size for me and I put them into plastic shoe boxes.  Unfortunately, it didn't work well for me for a few reasons.  First, the acrylic didn't cut smoothly and the edges were really rough.  Second,  few sheets fit nicely.  Some were smaller and "wobbly," while others were too wide and couldn't be used as well.  Third, some of the stamps fell off the sheets and would either adhere to another sheet or get lost somewhere in the box.  On more than one occasion, I'd "find" a stamp when I had to take all the sheets out to "catch" a stamp that seemed to almost move away from me.  Fourth, it was difficult to use with the bigger sized stamps.

     So, back to YouTube to find a solution and Lindsey the Frugal Crafter to the "rescue."  Now I use a binder system similar to hers.  I put stamps on a transparency and then put them into a page protector.  I've sorted everything into themes, like she did.  I had to sew some page protectors for my JustRite stamps that use grooves instead of clinging (like I did for my bigger Sizzlit dies).  I also reused the bookplate idea I used for my dies (covered thin cardboard in aluminum duct tape, die cut shape, printed label, glued two together) to help make it easier to find the themes I'm looking for.

      To me, this system is quicker than the older one.  I can include new stamps quicker and accommodate larger stamps.  Now, whenever a stamp falls off the sheet, they stay in the page protector and don't get lost or squished.  Adding new pages to this system is a lot easier than having to find and cut new acrylic sheets.

     I do have a few background stamps I haven't unmounted yet - they fit in a plastic shoebox I keep nearby.  Not sure if/when I'd add them, but with this, the hardest part would be to unmount them.


     If you're a "pinner," you can check me out at https://www.pinterest.com/daylightdesigns/