Stamp Cataloging and Organization with Scrap Rack

I’m so happy that I have completed my two identical stamp catalogs (one for home and one for taking on the road to make sure I buy with intention – no duplicates, items that are too similar or things I don’t really need). It has taken me MONTHS to catalog hundreds and hundreds of stamps into the 3 section system taught by Tiffany Spaulding at the Scrap Rack. My first post detailing the specifics on how I started this journey can be found here. The reasons it took me so long are the amount of stamps I have and the amount of times I had to renumber because I had already used those numbers. Word to the wise, number all your stamps first then you don't have to wonder like I do. And when you stop, leave yourself a note so you can easily pick up where you left off.

In time, I found my groove and chugged along little by little until it was complete. Now I can find what I have, use it more efficiently and it feels SO good! When I get new stamps I know before I get home which categories to place it in and have a clear process for adding it to my catalogs.

I thought I'd share some pics of where I keep my massive stamp collection. It's a work in progress.

I have one drawer of stampin up wheels and Inkadinkado stamping gear and other stamp accessories.

This box with magnetic closure has my stampin' up stamps. I put 2 sets in one case and use the empties for other companies' stamps.

This case has 2 layers of wood block stamps in an Art Bin case. Here's the top view.

Here's the bottom view. A piece of chipboard separates the 2 layers.

I have a second Art Bin that is double deep. Chaos lives within. No rhyme or reason here.

My clear stamps are in the clip it up divided by the 4-section system taught by Tiffany Spaulding at the Scrap Rack.

 

 

Here is the 2 volume unmounted stamps I own. It's divided by the 4-section system taught by Tiffany Spaulding at the Scrap Rack as well.

I made a video of the pages of my stamp catalog but it will not upload. I may have to make 2 shorter videos. Then I'll post it and a look at what's in my Scrap Rack by section.

 

 

 

 

 

If you'd like to see where I started and the things I learned along the way, check out:

paper - http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/09/organization-free-classes-with-scraprack.html

embellishments - http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/09/project-organization-continues.html

stamps - http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/11/clingwood-mounted-stamp-organization.html

 

Punches - http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/11/organizing-your-punches-with-scraprack.html

 

My Scrap Rack - http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2013/02/my-scrap-rack.html

 

My craft room - http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/11/my-craft-room-organization-progress.html

Embossing Folders  Revised - http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2013/02/embossing-folder-storage-sequel.html

Embossing Folders -http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2011/04/cricut-circle-magazine-march-spring.html

Ribbon storage - http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/06/crafting-storage-my-ricracroller-is.html

 
La-Vie

My Scrap Rack

Here's my Scrap Rack. It has one expansion base and is full of Alpha stickers and embellishments split into the 4-section system created by Tiffany Spaulding at The Scrap Rack. Her free organization seminar have changed my ability to use what I have and organize as I buy with intention.

A couple of weeks ago on the seminar Tiffy shared what's in her Scrap Rack and I thought it would be interesting to show you what's in mine. Of course, I realized that it will take many photos. So I thought it would be easier to make a video. If you would like to see what's in each section, each page of my Scrap Rack, I will make a video. Please post in the comments section if that interests you. Majority wins!

I'm off to work on my new embossing folder storage post and stamp organization post! Stay tuned...

If you'd like to see where I started and the things I learned along the way, check out:

paper - http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/09/organization-free-classes-with-scraprack.html

embellishments - http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/09/project-organization-continues.html

stamps - http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/11/clingwood-mounted-stamp-organization.html

Punches - http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/11/organizing-your-punches-with-scraprack.html

My Scrap Rack - http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2013/02/my-scrap-rack.html

Embossing Folders Revised - http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2013/02/embossing-folder-storage-sequel.html

Embossing Folders -http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2011/04/cricut-circle-magazine-march-spring.html

Ribbon storage - http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/06/crafting-storage-my-ricracroller-is.html

La-Vie

Organizing your Punches with the ScrapRack

I own many of the martha stewart punches (in all varieties), Stampin' Up! punches and ones from EK Success. They live in drawers, on shelves, etc. and thus I hardly ever remember to use them. It's like a punch museum! .Tiffany Spaulding, inventor of the ScrapRack and the pioneer of 4 section organization seminars, taught me how to bring my punches out of their museum-like state and into my every day crafting again. I am so grateful!

 

By using my scrap cardstock I was able to punch out the images that each punch cuts and place it in my ScrapRack. Because the pages are see through and I needed to label each cut, I placed a white piece of cardstock behind each cut. That way I can easily see what I have, what the sizes are and I can even use that example as a placeholder (or test) on my project to see if I like it before actually punching. That's golden because I have thought I would like a punched element many times only to be disappionted after punching my almost done project. Having to settle or start over is the pits!

 

 

 

 

 

 

These Martha Stewart punch around the page punches come with a corner and a straight punch in the set. First I punched both together. Then I thought about it... a lot of times I use just the corners so I'd like to see those by themselves. Next I punched just the corners and added them to the sweet sixteen scrap rack page.

 

These last few images are from a Stampin' Up punch that punches 5 different shapes. It is really helpful to see which layer cuts on this type of punch.

A final note --- Tiffany suggests that the punches be sorted by theme. I will make a second set and do that some day but have decided to put all my punches together for now. I like the idea of being able to look at everything in one place. I'm a winner anyway because it's all in my ScrapRack and that's the best place to have it (no matter how it's organized). I can easily move things around at my leisure.

If you'd like to see where I started and the things I learned along the way, check out:

paper - http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/09/organization-free-classes-with-scraprack.html

embellishments - http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/09/project-organization-continues.html

stamps - http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/11/clingwood-mounted-stamp-organization.html

And here's some storage tips:

Embossing Folders -http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2011/04/cricut-circle-magazine-march-spring.html

Ribbon storage - http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/06/crafting-storage-my-ricracroller-is.html

 

 

La-Vie

Project Organization continues! - embellishments

 

Tiffany Spaulding inventor of The ScrapRack has changed my organization life!! I've been taking her get organized challenge (via recorded sessions from last spring) so that I can permanently and definitively organize all of my craft supplies. I'm so excited that her next live 8-week online seminar for organization starts Sept 11 2012! It's free! Sign up and use whatever you have to get organized. I have found that the ScrapRack is definitely worth it and is very useful for storing all kinds of craft supplies. 

 

 

 

In my last post I showed a picture of my empty ScrapRack as I organized my paper stash. Here's my ScrapRack full to the gills with my organized embellishments. It is so full that I need to purchase an expansion base. Free shipping comes up again for black Friday so that's when I will make my move!! OK, so how did I get all of my embellishments from drawers, boxes, bins, bags into this one spot??? Well I started out by putting all my ScrapRack pages sorted by number of pockets in one of the spinders that comes with the set.

 

This way I was able to easily locate all my pocket pages quickly and neatly. I then used my sorting templates on the floor as I did when I sorted my paper. Tiffany warns not to try to do all the sorting in one sitting if you have a lot like I do, but I am obsessed with getting one job done before moving on to another. So against all better judgement I pulled out every embellishment I had and sorted it. Now this came with great peril. I have young children and a dog who lived for trying to mess up my piles. So I had to work hard to get everything contained within a day. That meant long hours and sleepless nights (don't do it the way I did!). But I am happy with the results.

I sorted into the 4 sections - alpha/numeric, themes, calendar and rainbow. Most of my embellishments are in the themes section. Using the ScrapRack dividers gives the pages stability and really helps to categorize everything. When I ran out of the dividers I marked the sections with message flags. Later I replaced those with Post-it Angled Filing Tabs (durable, writable and repositionable). 24 come in a pack with 4 colors to choose from and 2 different color families available at Staples.

 

After organizing and filling my ScrapRack, I was left with only a small basket and a drawer of embellishments to sort at a later date. Astonishing!!! Note, I did not yet attempt to organize all my smaller embellishments like brads, eyelets, buttons etc. These are only the larger items and bling.

This is all of the stuff that didn't belong in my craft room that I got out and all of the containers I had previously purchased for organizing that did not help at all! Just about everything that was in these containers is in the ScrapRack now!!!

 

And now for the big reveal.... my craft room is starting to look much better! I can actually see the floor and my desk is clear. If I need something I can find it instantly. It has fueled my creativity big time!

 

Organizing my embellishments has given me more time and time is money! I can quickly find all the options for a project and be done lickety split! I am LOVING it!!

 

For the next step... on to mounted and unmounted stamp organization.... the toughest, but most needed job yet! This is going to revolutionize the way I am able to locate supplies and create on the fly. So excited!

 

 

If you'd like to see where I started and the things I learned along the way, check out:

paper - http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/09/organization-free-classes-with-scraprack.html

 

And here's some storage tips:

Embossing Folders -http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2011/04/cricut-circle-magazine-march-spring.html

Ribbon storage - http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/06/crafting-storage-my-ricracroller-is.html

 

 

La-Vie

Organization - Free classes with The ScrapRack

I'm so excited to share with you my newest obsession... getting my craft room permanently organized!!! I took a live class on organization given by The ScrapRack at CKC Lancaster in July this year and it has changed my life forever! Right after class I went to the booth and bought the show special. It was the scraprack, the travel case and lots of pocket pages and divders. If you would like to get organized too, sign up for the next free online seminar starting Sept 11 2012. I couldn't wait so I purchased the recorded audio from the last seminar and listen at my leisure.

I also joined a facebook group based on the seminar called 2011 Get Organized Challenge Group. Shout out to all the ladies that have checked out my blog for the cuttlebug storage idea I scraplifted from my fav blog and for sharing such great support and ideas.

What I am about to show you is the horror of a craft room. This is where I started. My craft room had become a catch all for the whole house. Every time I wanted to clean up, more and more stuff would end up piled in my beloved craft space. Brace yourselves... ( I cannot believe I am showing y'all this...)

OK.... now that I have confessed, you can see why I desperately needed to organize. I could never find that special something I wanted for a project and I had been buying container after container and organizing for 6 months prior to taking the class. All the while I was buying more supplies like a crazy woman. Nothing was helping 'til I went to the ScrapRack class.

As they suggested I started by clearing a space that would only house organized items. I placed my empty ScrapRack on it. The organization system is made of a 4 section system to put everything in its place. Alpha/Numeric, Themes, Calendar and Rainbow. I started with my paper so there's only 3 sections for that (no alpha). My solid paper was already sorted by color so I needed to put it in alpha order and add the newest paper I bought over the past months. I had plastic paper storage holders from cropper hopper already so I used those to stand up my paper under my desk with the ScrapRack on it.

While I was pleased with my first bit of progress, I noticed that I did not have enough of the cropper hoppers and they did not stand independently. Aaaarrgghhh! The one thing about me is, when I start I want to finish and I want it to be done. I was very discouraged with not having every storage item I needed. So, I decided to go in a very different direction. I bought 3 of the shelf cubes and placed them under my desk so that the paper would still be stacked vertically.

Then it was off to sort all of my patterened paper and stacks. That was a major major undertaking. I put out sorting templates on the floor and sorted almost everything I own into the 3 categories. I found out that the most paper I have all have a floral design.

Once I sorted the paper and stacks, I incorporated the patterned paper with the solid. Now all my black patterened paper is behind my solid black in alpha order (chipboard, dotted, floral, striped, etc.) as suggested in the seminar. All of the paper stacks are in order by theme or calendar. Instead of taking them apart, I used 2 address labels and stuck them to the cover and each other. Using a sharpie I wrote the category on the label and placed it in shelving I already had. It is so easy to find all of my paper now based on this system. Here is a glimpse at my new storage solution. It is hard to take pics under the desk.... all of the dividers aren't showing in the picture as well.

 

 

 

At the end of my sorting, a week of work off and on, I ended up with my 8x8 stacks, 6x6 stacks, mat stacks a small amount of paper left to sort. But 96% of my paper is permanently organized!!! On to embellishments.... This process takes at least 8 weeks (most likely more) and bit by bit, I will finally get organized! Join me....





 

And here's some storage tips:

Embossing Folders -http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2011/04/cricut-circle-magazine-march-spring.html

Ribbon storage - http://cestla-viedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/06/crafting-storage-my-ricracroller-is.html

 

La-Vie

CKC Lancaster Haul - Part 5 - The finale

Left: Willa: OMG              Right: Carlie:Hello

Left: Wesley:Shakin                     Right: Mia You

Wesley: Banner

I love their new packaging!!

Clear and Simple Stamps - These are my all time fav of the stamps I purchased at CKC lancaster. Some of these stamps come with the dies to cut out the ragdoll (full body only). I'm so excited about that!! These dolls look like me and my kids! The possibilities are endless! There are many more styles but I got these to start. I just discovered there are shoes and hats that go with the ragdolls so I'm going online to get those this week!! Can't have my dolls running around barefoot! LOL. Note that all the stamps from this company are small sized. I love them for card making, onesies, 3D boxes etc and small layouts.

I love this company. It's run by an African-American mom and daughter team. They always remember me when I come to the booth and show me so much love! Please check out their stamps and hybrid ink, Copics and all their other products!! They teach the best Copics classes around!



And now, for the big teaser....

ScrapRack - this product and this company's free organization seminars (that can be used with any products you already have - you don't have to buy the scraprack but it makes it easier) has changed my life!! My next post will be all about my journey to permanent organization. I took a class on it at CKC Lancaster and have been working on it daily ever since. It's a revolution!!! SO excited to share with you guys. And the best thing is, the next free online series of seminars starts September 11 so you can get in on the fun. Check out the website. Stay tuned to this blog...

La-Vie