If you have stamps, then more than likely you have stamp pads and acrylic blocks to stamp them with. This is one of the easiest zones to get organized. As we have said all along, how you do this depends on how much material you have and how much space you have to store them. And of course, your craft budget comes into play too.
Gather Your Stamp Pads
Supplies
- Scrap paper to stamp on
- A medium solid stamp
- An acrylic block
- Any re-inkers you may have.
- Writing paper
- Some paper towels.
- A pen
- Gather all the stamp pads that you have in one location. While you are at it, grab any bottles or re-inkers you may have as well.
- Examine each ink pad to see how juicy it is. Use the stamp to stamp on scrap paper to test the pad.
- If it needs more ink, re ink the pad now if you have the right reinker for it. Only use the same ink from the same manufacturer with the exact same color.
- If you do not have the right re inker make a list of the inks that you need.
- Look to make sure that the ink pad itself is sturdy on the pad.
- Clean the top of the ink pad with a piece of packing tape if necessary. Blot the sticky part of the packing tape on top of the pad until the pad is free of any color or debris that does not belong.
- You can also try using a wet paper towel to blot bad ink off your pad.
- If your ink pad has separated from its' base, you can use a couple of drops of super glue. Allow the glue to dry before you use the pad again.
Organizing Your Ink Pads
Now that you have inked and cleaned your ink pads, it's time to get your ink pads organized. How would you want to think about your ink pads?
The first thing to do is to make individual piles of ink pads by manufacturer. Look at your collection.
Viewing all of your ink pads will help you to make a decision as to the best way to store them that fits your specific needs.
Sort them by color once you have the supplier sorted out.
Deciding How To Store Your Ink Pads
- Look at the space that you have available. You are going to want to have your ink pads as close to your workspace as possible.
- Decide how you are going to store your ink pads. You can use a desktop or wall tower, a drawer, stacking plastic containers, Plastic shoe boxes and a lot more.
- Check around your home or craft space to see what containers thar you might have available.
- If you need to shop for containers, look online to see what your options might be. You can also check out your local thrift store and Dollar Tree. Make sure to measure the space that you have before you shop so that you have the right container for your space.
Choose Your Storage System
Consider how you things when you are creating your papercrafts.
- Do you think about colors when you are designing a card or a scrapbook page?
- Do you think more about a specific brans of ink pad?
- Or do you focus on the type of ink pad you need?
By Color
Lots of people like to store their ink pads by color. If you stick to one specific manufacturer, that is easy enough. You can just organize them by specific colors or color family.
If you have ink pads from multiple companies, you can group them by the supplier and then the color. It is totally your choice!
By Manufacturer
Some folks like to keep their ink pads from one supplier together. Again, it depends on how many ink pads you have and the space that you have to store them.
By Type
Do you prefer to have all of your dye inks, embossing inks, pigment inks, etc. in one location? Then that is the system that most likely will work for you.
Part of your ink pad organization should be applying labels to the ends of your ink pads where they will be visible. Some companies provide free labels while others require you to purchase them for a small fee. Either way, you should add labels to all your ink pads.
Label Your Inks
Labeling your ink pads makes it all the easier to find them. There are two different kinds of labels. One is a longer label that fits n the side of the ink pad, The other is a shorter version that fits on the end of the ink pad.
Many ink companies offer free labels to their products. Others charge a small fee, but for the most part these are stickers rather than labels.
Catalog Your Inks
If you have not cataloged your inks up to now, then it is time to consider getting it done. Creating a catalog for your inks is important for two reasons.
The first is to be able to know what you have when you are crafting. I love to have little samples to look as as I create. I know what colors I have. I have samples to look at and can see how they will look dry. It lets me see the color against the papers I am using. I use my samples when I make scrapbooks, greeting cards and journals.
The second reason to catalog your inks is to know what you have. That way you can decide what you would like to add to your collection. I have samples on my desk. And I keep loose leaf binders with the inks from the manufacturers that I own. When I shop I full out my book and decide which colors I would like to add. Makes it so easy!
Go into your favorite browser and you can find the companies that you have as well as blank sheets for you to customize. Grab a loose leaf binder and set your self up. Here are my two favorite techniques to create your stamp catalogs and swatches
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- If an ink pad seems dry, turn it over to get more ink to the top of the pad.
- Sort your ink pads and reinkers the way that makes the most sense to you.
- There are several schools of thought about how ink pads should be stored. Some believe ink pads should be stored with the face of the pad down. The exception to that rule is pigment ink. Those pads are so juicy, they need to be stored with the face of the pad up. Others feel there is no set way to store them.
- If your ink pad does not have a color label or name Most on the end of the container, create a label from your computer.
- Store the ink pad flat. If you store it on its' side the ink may pool to one side
- Cut a page protector into strips that will fit around your ink pad. This will help keep the lid on tighter and the ink will stay wetter longer,
What To Do With Re-Inkers
Those little bottles of ink to restore our ink pads. When I buy an ink pad, I always buy the reinker as well. That way if the color goes out of production, I can make my pad last longer. The other reason is that if I am working on a project, I will never run out of ink in the middle of it.
I store my re inkers in a container that holds them steady. It holds more than I actually have, But that's ok, I expect to fill it in the not too distant future.
You could also use a photo box, a basket, any plastic container. See what you have available.
More Ink Accessory Storage
- I keep my ink blenders and ink applicators in plastic boxes close to my inks.
- I keep ink applicator brushes in a box also.
- Ink daubers are kept together in a see-through plastic box.
- Acrylic blocks are in a box.
- I have a basket that holds my other blocks, my stamp cleaning cloth and other stamp accessories.
Have these thoughts and ideas helped you to get your ink pads organized? We would love to hear your thoughts, ideas and comments.
Until next time, Happy crafting!
Linda
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