I store my mounted stamps on a shelf until I get around to unmounting them.

I file my unmounted (UM) stamps in files, stuck to plastic sheets. Inside each clear sheet is a page with the stamped image shown on it and it lists the company name, etc.

But to drag stamps to a store, or a stamping party is a little rediculous. So I also keep an art journal with my stamp images in it. This is much handier to take to the store with me or a party -- to make sure I don't buy duplicates. This book also serves as an idea generator or creative booster when I'm not quit sure what I want. A quick flip through this art journal and I usually get an idea or two.

I was adding a bunch of new images to my journal today... swiping each with a watercolor wash. This extra swish of color helps each image pop out a little more and tickle my thoughts a bit.

Here's some examples of the pages in my book:

Click to view attachment Click to view attachment Click to view attachment

So how do you log, store and keep track of your rubber stamps?

Cindy, first off I wanted to say how cool your stamp journal looks! What a great idea to keep a journal type of your stamp addiction(I mean collection! )

I also have a stamp addiction(I mean collection! )...but I started using a binder method that has worked for me...I use the organizer sheets over on OSS website.

When I get my images I mount them EZ mount and stamp the image on one of the sheets(I also list the company it came from). I try to keep all my different holiday images, flowers, words, alphabets, etc....together and I placed a tab to separate each section.

At the same time I stamp on the binder sheet, I stamp on a sheet to fit in my CD case where I put my unmounted stamps.

It works for me...I love seeing the different ideas!

The UM stamps that I store in file folders are stored by subject too. Well.... mostly. But I still have issues with my phrases. Some of them are in the "words" section and others are in the "celebration" folder, while others are in various holiday folders.

Seems I can never really get a handle on the phrases stamps.



Orange

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Cindy, why do you "unmount" your rubber stamps? The obvious answer would be for storage reasons.

Isn't an unmounted stamp more of an inconvenience? I love the acrylic stamps, but the regular rubber stamps unmounted turn me off. I just think they would be too hard of a task to mount because unlike acrylic I thought you would have to permanently mount them on wood or something similar. If it's a rubber stamp it just seems so much easier to buy them mounted; and less expensive when you add everything up. I'm asking because I would really like to gain an appreciation for the unmounted rubber. I have one that was given to me and I haven't mounted it because of the hassle involved. I would definitely like to learn more about unmounted rubber stamps.... do you have to permanently mount them?....do they sell temporary mounts for them?....What do you use to adhere them to wooden blocks?... and more.

I store my rubber stamps in a couple of little cardboard boxes my SIL gave me and in shoe boxes. They are separated somewhat.... word stamps, stamp sets, etctera. Ideally I would like to store them in a manner that I could see them.

I would love to have the time to sit down one day and catalog my stamps. A girl I work created an album that she stamps all her stamps in. She puts them in categories and lists the manufacturer. I would like to do something similar but also include the name of the stamp as well as the manufacturer.

Cindy and JeanneLee, you two just seem so amazingly organized with your stamps. I'm jealous. I'm an organization freak, but compromised space and limited time has turned me into a scattered mess. I know I would spend more time crafting if I could have a designated area and organized supplies. It's a mental thing as well. I need things to be organized.

HuGs,
Miki

Oh Miki, I used to think exactly like you! But unmounted stamps are so much easier to organize, store, and even stamp with!

Here is a link to some threads over at OSS that discuss this topic (there are 2 links inside this thread too):

http://www.ourstampingstudio.com/forums/in...nmounted+stamps

I use EZ mount from Sunday International. It is sticky on one side and clear static cling material on the other side. You just place the unmounted rubber on the sheet of EZ mount (sticky side) and then cut out your images. The static cling side clings to the the acrylic block you use for stamping (just like CTMH stamps). Sometimes even now, I'm too lazy to use the EZ mount, so I just put glue like Tack It Over and Over or something on the back of the rubber and then I place a mouse pad or something cushy underneath my paper when I stamp. That works great too!

There are several different ways to use them, as they are very versitile. And I think the info at OSS explains it better.

Let me know if you have any other questions about unmounted rubber, ok?

As for organizing, I keep the few wood mounted stamps I have in some cardboard drawer units I bought at Ben Franklin. All of my CTMH acrylics I store in the CTMH storage boxes, and all of my unmounted are either stored in CD cases and in a CD wall unit, or the larger ones are stored in binders. I have the Club Scrap binders with storage sheets in them for the larger UM's.

I really don't have an index, and I have a TON of stamps, so I really need to get going on one. I'm trying to decide on the system I want to use, and I'll probably start indexing them once we get settled in the new house - hopefully .

Cindy - your journal is fun looking. I like how you put the color with the images. That brightens up the page.

Miki - I have both mounted and unmounted stamps in my collection. I like the wooden stamps for sure. But I like the UM ones too. I don't actually unmounted my wooden ones. Living alone, I have plenty of storage space and these days I don't worry much about organization. But I do stamp my images on paper and store them in a notebook... mostly in order.

To answer one of your questions - no you don't usually permanently mount your UM ones. Although you certainly could. Most stampers don't.

With the cost of temporary mounting supplies and acrylic blocks virses various storage options and space limitations for many stampers... I think in the end the cost might be about the same. Anyone ever done an actual price comparison????

Miki, the reasons why I have chosen to UM most of my stamps are for the same reasons Michele mentioned earlier. UM stamps are less cumbersom to store/organize. I find them very easy to use, and less costly than wood mounted stamps too.

You bring up two good points though. Convenience and cost are always worth looking into!

Convienence wise... I have hundreds of UM stamps stored in a single filing crate. Each mounted on a sheet that shows the picture of the image, and the company name. If I know the name, that is. I say that because some of my UM stamps I inherited or received in RAKs and no accompaning info came with them. I can easily take this entire crate with me from my art studio to the dining room, the TV viewing areas, or even to my car if I want to take a lot of stamps with me somewhere. Other stampers I know use a 3-ring binder type system that makes it easy to travel with. I think that's what kind Jeanne mentioned she uses. So personally UM's are more convenient for me. There's no way I could easily move around very many wood mounted stamps.

I'm not a super strick about my storage/organization though. I also have some UM's stored in CD cases because that's the way they came and it's easier to just keep them there. The casset cases are thin enough to store easily enough in the same filing folders as my others. And my CTMH stamps come in little plastic sleeve type pockets. So I keep them in their original packaging too. Again, mainly because these sleeves fit nicely into the file folders.

I still have some stamps that don't get stored that way though. Mainly my fonts. If they come on a block, I keep them on the blocks. It's just easier for me to be lazy and store them in baskets rather than take the time to unmount them. Maybe some day I'll get real industrious and do those too. But I honestly doubt it.

The big chunky foam stamps like the ones I usually use with acrylic paints (puchased at most any department store) -- those are also tossed into baskets instead of messing around with unmounting them. I'm not even sure of how to go about unmounting that kind. I guess it may be the same microwave thing... but I don't know that for sure.

As for expense: In many cases I can get two or three times as many unmounted stamps for the price of a wooden one. However, that varies from company to company as well as the type of unmounted. Clear acrylic stamps are (usually) a little more expensive than others. Stamps bought in rubber sheets or plates are definately cheaper!

I use a glue that adds a repositionable layer for the backing on my rubber ones. I know many stampers use the EZ mount (like Michele). But I honestly prefer not to have the cushiony stuff. I think I may be unusual in that though. I do a whole mess of stamps at one time. Because I'm not crazy about doing the whole glue/drying thing very often. I'm rather impatient with that. That's one of the reasons I agree with you Miki - the acrylic stamps and the wood blocked stamps are great for quick starts because you don't have to do anything to prepare them before you can start using them! I tend to use my wood blocked stamps for quit sometime before I finally get around to UM-ing them. Lazy, lazy, lazy I am. For me the glue is very econimical... I don't know about the cost of EZ mount. That might add up to more $$$'s. Maybe Michele and others can shed some light on the expense of EZ mount.

There is the additional cost of acrylic blocks for most stampers too. I have several sizes already. And I guess they may have seemed a bit expensive at the time. But they are a better deal in the long run. Mostly storage wise again. But I haven't broken down to buy me a big one yet. So if I'm stamping with a larger rubber image I'll use an old CD case for my block... or nothing except my hands. I find both are good options. Plus there's no additional cost either. I will also sometimes use a CD case if I'm wanting to do several smaller images at once. That way I can see where my placement is going to be before I do the stamping. This is a super fast/easy/inexpensive way to do mailart on envi's.

TIP: For unmounted fonts -- Use a ruler and draw lines with a permanent marker onto your clear CD case. Then use the CD case as your block. This will make it easier to get letter stamps in a straight line and spaced however you want them. (Or spend the extra $$ to buy a clear acrylic block with the lines already on it. -- A luxury I still haven't afforded myself with.)

Conclusion: For me UM is more convenient, less expensive, better to organize/manage, and just as easy to use... sometimes easier when I can see through them. And that, my friend Miki, is why I choose to unmount most of my stamps.

What a cute idea to have a stamp journal cindy !!

I just have my stamps all in one big rubbermaid storage organizer that opens up like a drawer, it works well for now.

I store all of my stamps in plastic shoe boxes -- mounted and UM alike. I then keep all those shoe boxes in cabinets with doors on them.

I also index every stamp I bring into my home -- except for alphas and numbers. I will index the first few only, but I don't count them to my running total...

Anyone want to guess how many stamps I own???

Cindy i love your idea of a stamping journal, another crafty idea to add to my ever growing list of 'em...

I store my stamps into empty icecream containers. I then stamp the images onto some card and adhere to the container.

I like Kims idea of the shoe boxes - Question though: Are they clear containers?

Miki ia am glad you asked about the UM stamps etc as that explains it to me too.

I think for now i will just stick to the ice cream containers, but i certainly will look at making a journal.

STORAGE SPACE: This is what determines how I store and keep my stamps- mounted and un mounted.
My Mounted are kept in 2 plastic drawer stacking units that I took the wheels off of.. And it sets in one corner of my walk in closet. Even with this almost to the ceiling unit I still have to store the older, loved but seldom used stamps in a big bag that has 5 shelving units inside it. *kept under my scrap desk/work area.

My un mounteds are in clear plastic CD cases that I've saved and reused. These stack neatly into see through shoe box size plastic containers (without lid on) and sit on the shelving unit under my work space/scrap desk. I currently have 3 full shoe boxes and working on another. The extra large stamps that are un mounted have a shelf area and stacklaying flat on top of each other in Page Protector sheets.

I'm not fussy with my stamps, but since I have Feline Visitors who like to lay on my shelves, I try to keep them covered with something that is NOT Friendly to Felines!! like slick plastic!! If they jump up there, they'll slide off..

COST: I do the EZ mount foam backing and it is still cheaper than wood mounted stamps- a savings of 1/2 the cost of wood mounteds. I can mount alot of stamps with just one sheet (around $5) I can order a big unmounted sheet of stamps and get them all mounted on one of the 8.5x11 EZ mount. Saving me space and money.

I do have a couple of Sheets of Stamps that I have NOT cut or mounted. Those I will ink up and do an entire page, then cut out the images as I need them. Why? I use that Theme for Cards...so when making lots of cards this elimenates alot of dragging out stamps and space when working.
1. I place the rubber images up, on top of an old magazine.
2. ink the images I want (usually all of them)
3. lay my sheet of paper carefully on top
4. use my brayer to go over the paper
5. lift and lay aside to dry b4 cutting out the images.
6. Clean the sheet and put it away.

Hope my storage solutions are helpful for those who are "closet" stampers or have limited space.

Yes, they are... when I have some time later, I'll share some pictures of my office with them...

Judy, is the EZ mount foam backing all inclusive or do you have to apply it to the back of unmounted stamps and then apply that to something else? Is it permanent or can you remove the stamp? Where do you buy it?

HuGs,
Miki

[quote name='Judyb' date='Jun 23 2007, 08:05 AM' post='26567']
I do the EZ mount foam backing and it is still cheaper than wood mounted stamps- a savings of 1/2 the cost of wood mounteds. I can mount alot of stamps with just one sheet (around $5) I can order a big unmounted sheet of stamps and get them all mounted on one of the 8.5x11 EZ mount. Saving me space and money.

I haven't forgotten about the pics of mine... I need to get a new camera battery in the next day or two...

The only thing you need with the EZ Mount cling is an acrylic block the size of what your stamp is... HTH

Go here: http://www.sundayint.com/

Then on the left side, go to MOUNTING SUPPLIES and click on EZ MOUNT

Thanks for jumping in here Kim... I haven't tried removing the EZ mount from the rubber but I am thinking it would be possible..after all we remove the wood. right?

I rough cut my rubber, lay it on the EZ mount..then cut/trim out the rubber & EZ at the same time. There is only one sticky side so No "Opps" for me. I bought several sizes of acrylic blocks about 3 years ago.. Really getting my $$ worth out of them..

Warning: my scissors really get gummy from the adhesive..and I have to clean them with UNDO frequently...

Kim, are you up to 5,000 yet? I remember it was 2 or 3 thousand when you last mentioned.....

I haven't counted mine recently but I think I'm up to 900 or so. ack!

I have a book that I keep the stamped images in. They are indexed by themes. I keep my UM's in baggies. Usually 10 or so to a bag. Then on the index page with the stamped image, I list which bag it's in. These bags are all in draws. I found they take up less room than keeping them in CD's.
All my mounted stamps are in Iris carts. The draws are listed. Also with these, the draw number is listed with the stamped image in the book. My SU stamps are just in their boxes on shelves. I do have them indexed too but on the box I have the first letter of the name of the stamp set. A for All the Best, etc.

This is the best system I found for me. I don't know how many different systems I've tried in the 7 years I've been stamping. I just know that I've now got so many stamps that I'm not changing systems again. It would take forever.

I know what you mean about switching system's being so time consuming Suezette. Although I don't have nearly as many as Kim, nor Heather even - I still think I'm sticking with my current system. But I say *think* because as soon as I say never -- I'll change my mind again. Seems that's the way I do things.

I don't have trouble storing my two stamps.

2? oh girl, just get to know Kim for 10 seconds and you'll be buying more and more stamps that you just HAVE to have. It's a disease and I caught it from Kim.

I index all of my rubberstamps using the OSS index sheets. I keep all of these in a 3 ring binder. I also have them sorted by company. This makes it so much easier for me when I am working on samples needed for a specific stamp company. That is also how I store my images, by company.

I wish I had done that, Linda. Being so new and grabbing every "bargain" & "Gotta Have" images I could find, I wasn't thinking far enough ahead. I have them "themed" organized, but NO MAKER til just this past few months. Your system would be the best for keeping track when submitting for contests & publications. I wrote with perm ink pen on the EZ mount the name of the maker when I remembered who it was.

I'm afraid it is TOO LATE for me.. I am NOT gonna try and figure out maker of my hundreds of stamps!! Just going to make this the New system for the NEW STAMPS..

Do you have Goo Gone there? Comes in a bottle... I wipe some on my scissors before hand and then no sticky stuff sticks to them... You can do a search for it or check it out here:

http://www.magicamerican.com/products_gg.aspx

Oh yes...

Awwwwwwwwwww.... not sure to say thank you or I'm sorry.

I started a stamping image journal, way, way back in the beginning, had good intentions of keeping up with it, too, but then one day I gave it up, my stamp collection was getting out of hand, multiplying like rabbits. That was the day my stamp image journal was thrown away, never to be seen again.

I store nearly all my stamps in rolling Iris cart drawers, some UM with EZ Mount in the plastic CD cases and two large 3-ring notebooks with the stick-to-it plastic pages.

One thing I've discovered, I've outgrown my stamping/art room.