My Stamp Storage

 

This is where I usually create

 

Some marker and pen storage

 

most of my ink pads......embossing pads are in a drawer

This shelf, full of binders, contain about 90% of my stamps.....yes there are still a few that are attached to wood blocks.....tucked safely in drawers...but these I used the most.

 

 

The binders are labeled on the spine.

 

I have so many stamps that were once mounted on wood blocks and years ago I pulled them from the wood mounts and used a different stamping system and storage.  The stamps were put in regular envelopes and stored in boxes......the envelopes wore out and I was constantly making new ones. 

 

Then there was the period I decided to put them all in CD cases............problem with this is there are some stamps too big for the cases and all my stamps were not the cling type, and the rubber ones with the foam backing didn't fit either.

 

I had seen the binder storage and gave it a try, using the standard size binders, but they were just too heavy once they were full, and I could only put stamps on one side or they were too thick to slide into the sheet protectors.....that meant a lot of binders.....hmmmmmm!!

 

I finally saw these smaller binders, the white ones in the photo........they worked great once I figured out how to make the insides fit my needs.  Only ONE problem......they were too narrow to hold very many stamps........then I was at the office supply store and saw these 2 1/2 inch wide binders.

 

Inside I have 5x8 inch page protector sleeves that fit the binder..

I used a laminator, to laminate card stock ( cut 5 x 7 1/2 inches) to fit into the sleeves. Cutting the laminated sheets just a tad bit smaller provides enough space to put stamps on both sides and still fit the sleeve. Once I place the stamps on the laminated sheets I stamped the whole sheet onto paper....cut to fit the outside of the sleeve.  I glue the paper on the outside of the sleeve so I know what is on the inside.

 

 

This is how I slide them in and out

I finally got smarter and started using the plastic coated sleeves the stamps companies use, instead of stamping them on paper......much better.  This is my stamp and die set binder

I slip a magnetic sheet behind the stamp set and that holds my dies in the same sleeve.

 

Now, the problem is not all stamps come as "cling" stamps, and some are rubber but  have a foam backing that will cling to an acrylic mount.

This is a personal preference, but I stripped my rubber stamps clear down to just the rubber.....not always easy to do. *grin* and it took some time and my fingers got sore....LOL!

But, once I got all the backings off I used Aleene's Tacket Over and Over on the backs.....about half way through my stamps (ya, it sometimes takes me a while to think it all out) I realized that it is so SUPER sticky it was hard to get off the laminate sheets.  So I diluted it down with about 50% water and finished......the diluted worked better.

I HOPE THIS HELPS SOME OF YOU THAT NEED STORAGE IDEAS.