Inspire Me

Scrap Rack - For Sale

Hi all, while I don't usually like to do this sort of thing I'm going to break my own rule. Usually, If I ever have something to sell I always go to E-bay, but I thought why not offer this to the people I like best? YOU! So here goes.

I have for sale a Scrap Rack system. Now I LOVE this set-up but I no longer have any room for it. My design space is long and narrow and counter top space is a premium. So I had to make the decision to let this go - UGH! Here is a photo of the system:

To see how it looks with the inserts just click on the web site above and go to photos and testimonials.

Here is the list of things that I have to go with the base above:

1. 3 double x-long storage pages
2. 4 Super-sized single pages
3. 5 - dream dozen storage pages
4. 4 perfect six storage pages

If you're interested just e-mail me and we'll go from there. I'm going to miss her, but I'll feel better if she goes to a good home :)

 

Nestabilities Storage

As many of you know I am a freak for great storage! However, my Nestabilities collection and Wizard pieces have been causing me some angst. For a while I had all the mats and dies in a large tin lunch pail. That was okay but it was hard to get the mats out , and they had to be turned sideways to get in and out of the lunch pail. Then I had my dies on individual sheets of magnet but when everything was in the pail I couldn't see what I wanted so I would inevitably end up dumping the whole thing. Needless to say I got very frustrated!

I know that some people are storing their Nestabilities in individual CD cases with sheets of magnet on the inside. That's good but I still wanted to be able to see everything all at once. Then I found this:

A magnetic 8 x 10 folder with a closing fold over flap.

Currently this is all I own of Nestabilities, but as I add to my sets I envision a few more of these nifty little folders. One folder might hold a full set of circles and squares. Another might hold Paisley & Hearts on one side then rectangles on another. Oh, let me add this, even if you drop this folder the dies will not budge, they are held on tightly with the magnet in this folder!

I also own other Spellbinders dies so this will work for them also. When this is closed up it is not even 1/4" thick. Just enough room on the binding to place a label (gotta love the label maker!). So eventually when I have more than one folder they will each have a label. Then I can pull it from the shelf and open it up and all my choices will be at my fingertips. Now how's that for convenience?

Here it is closed up: Not overly exciting - when it's closed. Just that it's compact and low profile.

Then how did I handle my next issue of not having all the pieces together when I needed them? I went to my local Office Supply store (another of my favorite places to shop) and found this wonderful folder. When closed up it measures 12.75 x 12.25 and is 1" thick. So it's more than enough room hold the magnetic folder holding my nestabilities, my Wizard Cutting & embossing mats, my Cuttlebug embossing folders and a few other dies. Once again, everything is in one place.

Here is how it looks all opened up: See it holds everything. Then I just close it back up, wrap the cord around it and slide it back on the shelf. My Wizard sits next to it.  

Here is another look at how the magnetic binder would hold dies other than Nestabilities or a combination of Nestabilities and other dies. In any case it's a definite winner here!

Okay I know you're all wondering where to get this great folder. Well for those of you that live in my area I have some on hand.

For those of you in other locations this is a Quickutz Magnetic Folder. Can you believe that? Quickutz had the perfect solution to my Spellbinders issue.

Now the ideal solution would be a larger folder that continues to fold out that would hold an entire collection of all the Nestabilities (cause I know lots of you have the whole shebang already) Then it would just collapse back into one folder. Maybe even a place that would hold the mats. Hint, Hint.

I know I'm asking a lot. But until that has been created, this storage solution is working GREAT for me. I hope it might help some of you also!

Ribbon Storage

Storage & organization - I'm a fanatic about it. Always searching for a better way to keep things organized. I do it even with my kids toys by sorting things into bins and then putting a picture and label on the front of the bin so that it helps them to know where things go - (okay, I digress). One of my favorite tools is a label maker.

Anyhow, I thought I might share some storage tips & habits with all of you. Maybe something will help you also, I know I'm always open for a better way. So in between posts I'll throw in the occasional storage tip. I already shared with you how I store my stamps (it's a January 2008 post) & my Copic Markers (a February 2008 post) so let's move onto ribbon. Everyone has ribbon and we all store it differently. Some in jars by color, some wrapped around clothespins, some in baggies hooked together. But I just didn't have that kind of space so I needed something that would keep it contained, untangled and organized. Here's what works for me:

This ribbon was such a mess! Then I found ribbon wraps and wow what a difference! Ribbon wraps come in 4 sizes - 1/2", 3/4", 1" & 1-1/2". They are made from heavy, sturdy chipboard. Each package contains 10 cards of all of the same size. The different width sizes are to accommodate all of the different types of ribbons you may have. If you can imagine all of this ribbon used to either be loose or on a spool. That was over 100+ ribbons to keep track of. Needless to say the ribbon used to win. Let me show you what the wraps look like and maybe that will help make sense.

Here are the four sizes, as you can see each wrap holds a different number of ribbons. The 1/2" wrap holds 7 different ribbons, the 3/4" holds 5, the 1 1/2" holds 3 and the 1" holds 4. Notice that each wrap also has holes at the ends of the cards so that if you would rather clip them together with a ring you can do that also. I have mine stored in an ArtBin container. I have also used a variety of sizes to accommodate all of my ribbon. However, if you have any ribbon wider than 1 1/2" you can simply snip off the tab to make an opening wider. And if you have ribbon that is narrower than the 1/2" you just make a double row with it when you wrap. After your ribbon is wrapped you can simply keep it together with a small pin or slip the loose end underneath of the rest of the ribbon.  When I get new ribbon I simply place it in the back of my container until I get to wrapping it. At this point I still have plenty of room left for additions. (probably not for long) :)

The most tedious part for me, when I got started, was untangling all of my ribbon. Actually wrapping it was quick work. So now I am able to open my container and in a quick glance see all of my ribbon, which has been sorted by size and color. Yes, you read that correctly, SORTED by SIZE & COLOR. I can actually hold my project to the container and see what matches. But even if I remove the filled wrap it all contains the same color scheme so it makes it easy to hold against my project for the perfect match every time!

If you're interested in getting started I would suggest 1 package of each of the four sizes. Remember that 10 wraps come in each package. Also each package only sells for $3.00 - so it's only a $12 initial investment. So a great deal and great organization, how much better can it get? And if you really want a perfect set-up I would order extra of the 1/2", since it seems that is what we all have the most of.

Since I am so excited about this I bought a ton! So I'm offering them to you. They are $3 per package, just drop me a line, tell me what you would like and I'll ship them out to you. As for S&H it should be fairly cheap since I think these can go first class, or even $4 priority.

So that's my storage tip for the week. Hope it helps. BUT if you have a different way of storing your ribbon that works for you, PLEASE share it with me, cause the more ideas we all share the better. I'll be sure to post all of the ideas that come through so everyone can see.

Have a good one!

I'm back - Stamp Storage

Well I'm back and I won't give you all to much detail, cause it's just plain bbbooorrriiinnnng! Suffice it to say I just haven't been feeling well. Working on getting better and want to say thanks to everyone that continued to check my blog hoping I had come back. So onwards...........

(Be sure to read all the way to the end for a terrific offer)

Let's take a moment and talk stamp storage. A pretty overwhelming subject for some of us. Most of us have a good to large collection of wood mounted stamps. We started with maybe a small box, then went to a shelf and eventually a whole bookcase then more shelves......well you get the picture. They began to take over your space. I had to find a way to organize. So I did a ton of research and asked a lot of questions. This seems to be the most reasonable and easiest to do. EZ Mount sheets and VHS cases.

The sheets come in two thicknesses, regular and thin mount. They both come in 8 1/2 x 11 inch sheets. The thin mount is 1/16" thick. I have used both and prefer the thin mount. It is especially great for those stamps which you could not remove the foam backing.

To start:

1. Remove all of your stamps from their wood blocks. (TIP - start with a category that you are currently not using, like Christmas. This way if you can't finish all at one sitting you won't be searching for your stamps) Some will pull off easily and others may not. DON'T continue to pull if you feel resistance. Place them in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds (time will vary depending on the power of your microwave). After slightly heating them it helps to loosen the glue and pull them off the blocks with ease. I try to get my stamps to their original unmounted rubber. You can also use Un-Do to remove the stamps.
2. Peel back about half of the protective covering (Sticky Side) on your EZ Mount sheet. Place your now unmounted plain rubber stamp onto the sticky side of the sheet. (Be sure to place the flat side against the sticky side - don't laugh I did one backwards ha ha) Place as many as you can get on the sheet, placing them as close together as possible. Typically the old method would have you place on one stamp at a time and then cut it out with special scissors. I have found the ultimate way.
3. Using the new Hot Knife by Walnut Hollow. This knife does a lot more than just cur the EZ Mount, but that's for another time. Anyhow once this knife has heated up you simply put the tip to the EZ Mount and with no pressure and very little effort you simply trace around your rubber. By using this versus the scissors you save EZ Mount and cramps in your hands. So this is great for anyone but especially for those of you with Carpel tunnel or arthritis, etc. Replacement blades are available. The knife is $19.99, replacement blades $4.50. Since you really are not cutting with the blades for this purpose, the blades will last quite a while.
4. Once your stamps are re-mount on thin mount, it's now time for storage. Decide which will work best for you. A three ring binder system, Cd cases, zip lock bags hung on a Clip-it-All or VHS cases. I choose the VHS cases. I felt it took up the least amount of storage space. First I decide how many stamps can fit into one case. Then I create a cover for the VHS on my computer and label the spine. I then stamp each stamp on the cover. So when I'm looking for a birthday stamp I go to the case labeled Birthdays and all I have to do to see what's in the case is to look at the cover. Like so..........

Pictures courtesy of my good friend Carol-Anne As you can see the storage savings is huge! I went from an entire bookcase with extra shelves put into it to only two shelves with this system.

Here are a few more pictorial how-to's, I love visual instructions.

With the Hot Knife:

I work half a sheet at a time. I place as many stamps as I can on the half. Peel off the cling side protective paper. Place it on a glass cutting board (get yourself one at the dollar store). By placing it on the glass board it acts like an acrylic block and holds your sheet in place. Then simply follow these directions.

With Scissors:

I always use the thin mount. you really only need a small amount of cushion to stamp with. Plus as a rule of thumb I always stamp on a thin piece of foam (from Wal-mart 20 cents). This ensure even coverage, especially for larger stamps.

As always there are a few words of warning. Credit for this warning goes to the Queen of Grunge NEVER store your re-mounted stamps on acetate, this is what will happen...........

Acetate is made with chemicals that will react with EZMount and any other cling cushion type product,
making an almost permanent bond between it and the cling.

I took this photograph after just one week of being stored on acetate sheets.

Look for the blue printed liner to insure you're getting
the original EZ Mount Product!

Our static cling mounting foam is quick, easy and affordable.
Now even better with the addition of a new EZ release liner.
Take a close look at why EZ Mount is the best static cling foam available:
- Our new EZ Release Liner extends over the edge to grip and remove cleanly.
- Newly formulated adhesive layer creates a strong bond to rubber stamps.
- High density cushion won't flatten with age.
- The ultra-smooth layer on the other side works like thousands of tiny suction cups to secure your stamp to acrylic blocks and storage panels with a re-positionable hold that is unmatched.

This is a great system and for very little investment your stamps will continue to be a joy and inspiration to you for years to come. Here's what I have to offer to get you started:

EZ Thin Mount Sheets - $5.00

Hot Knife - $19.99

VHS cases - $1.00

Acrylic Blocks with finger grips up to 5x7"  (4 sizes available)

For my blog customers - Free Shipping & Handling.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for my new format. Let's focus on one company/product for the month. This way we will know every way with which a product can be used. And at the end of each month BLOG-CANDY featuring the product of the month. (I may occassionally have to sneak other things in - especially when I have exciting news)

Don't miss out on the Free S&H special offer (expires 1/20/2008)