New Packaging for Wood Mount Stamps!

This is another exciting new development... Starting on May 31st, all wood-mount sets will come in wonderful new storage cases! They are essentially the same thing as our clear mount cases, only deeper, so they can all be stored side by side - how perfect is that?! I do love my clear-mount sets, but there are certain sets I prefer in wood, so I'm all over this announcement! We'll also be able to purchase empty cases to use for our existing wood sets - and many other supplies fit in them, too (see video below). A pack of 4 half-size cases will be $4.95, and 4 full-size cases will be $6.95.

Click here to watch a short video and learn all about how they'll help organize your stamping space!

Fun, fun!
Michele

My New Stampin' Desk!!

I am so excited to share this with you... because it is something I am truly excited about! If you follow my blog, you know that I used to have a wonderful stamp room when we lived in Texas. I was sad to give that up, but I am thrilled with my new space. I want to thank all of you who gave me suggestions on new stamping desk ideas, but I managed to come up with this solution on my own. Since my space had to be out in the open (in a corner of our downstairs game room), I wanted something that I could close up so it wouldn't look so cluttered. I started by purchasing a computer armoire on Craigslist, but after getting it home and halfway down the steps, we realized it wasn't going to make the turn at the base of the stairs! Aaaargh! But it was a blessing in disguise... because THIS is what I found instead:

A gorgeous roll-top desk and matching file cabinet! It was even a little cheaper than the armoire, and it matches our wood trim so much better. We have another roll-top upstairs where the boys do their schoolwork, and it looks so nice that I decided to look into one as a possible stamping desk. Because it is designed for a computer, it allows me to put my Ott Light and heat gun right inside while the cords get threaded out the back. I plan to put a decor element on the wall above the desk... probably the Life Milestones one, which says, "Life isn't a matter of milestones, but of moments." I will post updated pictures when that's done.

You may think there's not enough room to spread out, but I'm finding out that less space is actually BETTER for me... there's nowhere to just leave things out like I used to. My desk would get so cluttered from just leaving it in a pile - now I take a couple minutes after each card and put things AWAY where they belong! And when everything has a place within arms reach, it's so much easier to do! Plus, I do have a pull-out tabletop on either side if I need some extra room - which I have not needed.

Now, here's one of my MOST FAVORITE THINGS about this desk... ribbon storage!!

I have NEVER, NEVER, NEVER had such a PERFECT spot to store my ribbon before! Isn't it beautiful!! It's the second drawer on the right - I just pull it open, find the one I want, and take the whole spool out! It is brilliant... believe me! I've fought with all kinds of ribbon solutions and this is so simple, yet so perfect! I truly believe this was worth the price of the desk all by itself!

Now here's the top drawer... I am still playing with finding the perfect spot for things, but so far, all of my scissors are in here, along with other things I use a lot... my color swatch deck, sanding blocks, sponges, etc.

And here is the bottom drawer on the right. It's deeper than the others, and it keeps all of my Big Shot dies nice and orderly, along with some extra things in the back.

The left side of the desk is where a computer tower or printer would go, but I use it for my punches and cardstock scraps (you may remember my cardstock scrap box from before - it is still very much a part of my stamping station!). I am not totally satisfied with how I have my punches stored (all in a bin like this), but I'm waiting for another brilliant idea on how to improve it. Any ideas? For now, this works fine. Underneath that shelf is a big hollowed out area where my extra grid paper and other larger items fit nicely - like my Circle Scissor Plus and glass mat.

Okay, now for another one of my VERY FAVORITE aspects of this desk... the pull-out keyboard tray!

Instead of a keyboard, I use it for my paper trimmer and Stampin' Scrub! Oh, how convenient it is to have these two staples always available and very accessible! It is fantastic!!

Like any roll-top desk, there are ample cubbies and bins just perfect for all of my stamping accessories... here is the right side of the desk top which holds my markers, Watercolor Wonder Crayons, embellishments, embossing powders, etc. The biggest drawer on top has my watercolor pencils and pastels, while the smaller ones hold my "specialty" ink pads - Versamark, StazOn, Encore, etc. Eventually, when I'm sure I have everything where I want it, I will have nice labels on the drawers.

On the left side of the desk top, there is a nice, deep drawer that is PERFECT for storing envelopes!! It was like this desk was built just for me! The other drawers on this side hold all of my adhesives (snail, dimensionals, glue dots, etc.), and there's a wide shallow drawer with pencil-sized wells in it that store my bone folders, gel pens, blender pens, and even my Tearing Edge. And speaking of enough space, I still have an entirely empty drawer!

On top of the desk, I have a couple other storage spaces - this beautiful treasure box holds all of my "rejects" - pieces that I have punched and not used, or even small stamped pieces. I like to dig through it every now and then to see what kind of cards I can make with my cast-offs. And it's a fun box for my nieces to go through when they come over.

On the other side, I have a caddy with glass jars that hold things like my Flower Fusion pieces, Die Cut Blooms, and even Chipboard. I found this caddy a couple years ago at "First Monday Trade Days" out in Canton, Texas. I love the look of it, and I'm happy to put it to good use!

To the right of the desk is the little filing cabinet that came with the desk. It holds all of my cardstock, and I keep my Big Shot on top of it within easy reach!


Against the wall is a ledge that is perfect for the ink cabinet that Michael built for me back in Texas, and I have a couple of these antique printer trays where I store the retired stamps that I refuse to part with. Eventually they will both get hung on the wall, but for now they just rest here.

Finally, I must mention that we also have a large storage room downstairs where I have all of my other "less used" stamping supplies. I have claimed several shelves in there, and there's even a bookshelf to house all of my stamp sets. What I'm in the process of creating is a personalized "catalog" using images of the stamp sets I own cut from old catalogs. I will put them in sheet protectors in a binder so I can flip through it to find just what I want to use. This will make it so easy to go retrieve the desired set from the storage room! It's also good for finding just the right sentiment since they're scattered all throughout the sets. Once I finish this book, I'll show you a picture of it... but that may be awhile - I'm spending all my free time stamping right now! Yippee!

Well, that's it!! What do you think?! Cozy, huh?! (Don't forget that lovely view I get from the downstairs window!) I'd love to hear your comments!

Take a Tour of my Stamp Room!

Welcome! I'm so glad you stopped by. Please come on in and take a look around... As I promised in my long question and answer post, I'm about to show you my stamp room! Some of you asked me about how I stay organized, so here are some photos of my stamp room along with descriptions of the things you will see. I hope it gives you some fresh ideas.

This is my main work area. It's where all the major creating happens! The desk is from Ikea - there are actually two across this side of my stamp room that go wall to wall. Granted, this desk is nice and tidy right now since it was having this little photo shoot, but under normal circumstances, it's covered with projects in all stages of completion! The grid on the wall with all of it's shelves came from The Container Store. Let's take a closer look going from right to left...

This, of course, is where I store my stamp sets. They are within easy reach while I am working. The cabinets are from Target in their scrapbooking aisle, but I'm not sure if they have them any more as I didn't see them the last time I was there. There's four of them here - two each of two different styles. This gives me a lot of flexibility in finding the right spot for the different size boxes. I don't have them organized in any special way except that all of my sentiment stamps stay in the upper right-hand shelves. On top of the cabinet are my background stamps, a couple of Simply Sent kits, and a few stamp sets that are not appropriate right now (Christmas sets, or sets from past minis that may or may not come back). Sitting in front of these shelves is my handy Stampin' Stack & Store which contains all of my brads and eyelets. I love this thing! It spins so nice and easy.

Here you can see where I store my most commonly used Embossing powders and my Dazzling Diamonds glitter. I put them in containers that fit nicely on the shelves. I also keep my Embossing Buddy right next to them so I won't forget to use it. If you don't have one, you really should experience the difference it makes. The powder just slides off the paper! You can also see that my Heat Tool is hanging from a hook, nice and handy. Moving down from the powders, you can see all of my buttons. I put them in cute little decorated glass jars. Underneath those shelves is a box with ribbon scraps. It's clear for easy viewing, and large enough that I can generally find what I need quickly. Underneath that is a small drawer cube where I store current cards I'm working on (...my April Stamp-a-Stack cards are sitting in that top drawer - you'll see them real soon!). The bottom drawer has my flowers from the new Die Cut Blooms set, which I love and want to keep handy. Again, it is large enough to allow easy access. Next to that drawer cube you can see my fabulous Ott light. I will never work with any other light again...! Thanks, Dianne!

Over here you see all of my ribbon. I have two sets of Ribbon Originals that are kept in the circle magnetic containers (also from The Container Store) and the metal plate they stick to hangs very conveniently from hooks on the grid. The rest of my ribbon stays in the bucket shelves. Below the Ribbon Originals are my scissors. I have all three kinds - and if you have never tried those new Craft & Paper Scissors, you simply MUST! I know, I know... what do you need another pair of scissors for? I thought the exact same thing. Until I used those for the first time. In my house, they are SPECIFICALLY used for ribbon and nothing else! They cut ribbon like BUTTER! You don't even have to hold the end of the ribbon... I can't explain it. You really must try them to understand why you have to have them. Okay, moving on... below the scissors is a box with things like my bone folders, black Stampin' Write markers, glue pens, tweezers, etc. Under the ribbon baskets is another drawer cube that contains all of my adhesive - SNAIL, Glue Dots, and Dimensionals. My Stampin' Scrubs fit right on top which is perfectly accessible at all times. It's so important for everything to have a place! To the left of that cube is where my Color Coach wheel goes, alongside my set of Stampin' Write markers.

Here is probably my favorite thing in this room... not only because it's so handy, but because my wonderful husband made it for me! It's my stamp pad cabinet that holds all of my Classic inks (inlcuding the In Colors and the Neutrals) along with their Re-inkers (I don't have all of the re-inkers yet). We saw one similar to this online, so we modified the design a bit and this is the result. I just LOVE LOVE LOVE it! ...I'm now trying to get him to make a second one for all of my Craft pads! They're stored in the closet right now.

Moving further over to the left is my computer desk. This is where I am sitting right now as I type this. All of my blogging, surfing, and ordering is done over here. I only have one chair in this room, so it slides from the stamp area to the computer area often. I love having the window right at the computer - I don't feel so closed in when the sun can shine in. The table that the computer is on actually slides underneath the main desk if I need to conserve space - on the opposite wall is a daybed (you'll see it in a minute), as this room also serves as a guest bedroom. It has a trundle bed underneath, so when guests come, I move the computer to the main desk and slide the table underneath.

To the left of the computer is a rolling cart (also from Ikea) that has some basic office supplies in the top and filing drawers in the bottom for my Stampin' Up! paperwork (orders, receipts, bank statements, etc.). Although this cart is on casters and can slide under my desk, I usually leave it out so it can serve as a nightstand when guests come. You can also see another cabinet underneath in the corner with drawers - that is from Target and holds miscellaneous things that I don't need to get to often. On top of it is my printer.

Here is another section of wall that I have - between the closet and the door. I arranged a few little shelving units to maximize storage space. On the top, I keep my regular postal supplies - scale, stamps, address labels, etc. Underneath are more Stampin' Up! supplies - Grid Paper, catalogs, order forms, and packages of cardstock that I'm running low on. When I run out of a color, I grab it's backup here and then make a point to order a new pack. That way, I never run out of a color. In the little drawer cube are all of my envelopes and logo bags.

This rolling cart came from The Container Store and holds all of my yummy cardstock. Each color has its own folder, along with a Stampin' Color Index Label that is stuck on a scrap of the same color.

This makes for SUPER easy location. They are arranged alphabetically, but with the tabs being the color of the cardstock, I can go right to the one I want. It also makes for easy filing - my kids can even do that for me since they only have to match up the color. The In Colors are along the left side and the neutrals are in the front.

Underneath the folders are three drawers that contain my Punches. This cart is on casters and slides underneath my desk when I'm not using it... which isn't often. :o)

This cart is larger - it holds all of my 12 x 12 supplies. I bought the hanging folders from The Container Store (is it obvious yet that I like that store?) and inside them are "pocket" folders (also from The Container Store) that contain my different Designer Series Papers. That way, I can have 3 or 4 different paper packs in one hanging folder. Whenever I want to use a particular pack, I just pull out the pocket folder and keep it on my desk. I store the scraps right along with the full sheets because these pockets are closed on 2 sides, with a flap that covers the 3rd. They're really handy! Also in this cart is my 12 x 12 textured cardstock, my chipboard, and my Simply Scrappin' Kits. Underneath the file folders is a deep drawer that has my Stampin' Around Wheels and handles, and a box with my Prints scraps (from the current Hostess Level 1 pack). Again, this cart is on casters, so it stores under the desk.

This final cart is the same size as the one I just showed you, only instead of making it a filing cabinet, I put a counter top on it. It still slides underneath my desk, but it's usually out since I use it often. Three of the drawers have divider liners in them and I keep supplies that I use a lot in them. Hodgepodge Hardware, my Crafter's Toolkit, Dry Embossing supplies, Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Stampin' Sponges, Brayer, Sanding Blocks... these are just some examples of the things I keep in this cart. Having it on casters also makes it easy to wheel out to my dining room which is where I hold my workshops.

On top of this cart is my wonderful Scrap Box! Scraps, to me, are the hardest thing to have a good place for. I developed this system several months ago and I can't tell you how wonderful it's been for me. This is a box designed for 8" x 5" index cards that I got at an office supply store. It was ugly to start with - looked like one of those black and white marble composition notebook covers. So I covered it using ModPodge and some old DSP that I had, stamped a label with the Classic Alphabet set in Chocolate Chip ink, and then tied a Chocolate Chip ribbon around the whole box. Simple, yet elegant.

I then bought enough tabs for each color (including In Colors and Neutrals) to have its own tab, and labeled them with the Stampin' Color Index Labels (I love those things!). Behind each tab are all the decent size scraps for that color - I don't keep really small pieces... it has to be big enough for me to punch a 1 1/4" circle out of, or else I throw it away - and anything that is 1/2 sheet or larger gets stored back in my regular cardstock storage cart. This box stays either on top of this cart or on my desk and it gets used A LOT!

And last, but not least, if you were to be a guest in my home, chances are this would be your bed (of course, you'd have to share it with one of our cats who has claimed that purple and white afghan as his daytime napping spot). This was my childhood (well, teenage years) daybed and it is along the opposite wall from the Ikea desks. My favorite colors (obviously) are sage and lavender, and that's what this room is clothed in. It's very comfortable, and I consider myself very fortunate to have a stamp haven as nice as this one.

And there you have it! My stamp room! I hope you enjoyed this tour. I welcome your comments on what you like the best - and feel free to offer suggestions if you see anything that could be done differently or more conveniently! I'm always game for improvements!