Tips n Tricks # 9 - Unmounted Stamp Storage

(NOTE: I'm having trouble with blogger scheduling posts - apparently so are many others as I saw lots of communications about it out there. Somehow this posted back to February 21 instead of posting ahead to April 21. Then it posted immediately and I hurried and deleted. Sorry if you've seen this before, it wasn't supposed to go until today! Oops!)

I was dissatisfied with my unmounted rubber stamp storage. Here are the different things I considered before I went with this idea:

• I was previously using CD cases. I didn't like that I had to use more than 1 CD case for some sets. I was worried small stamps would fall out of the gap at the bottom. The final straw was when I had accidentally closed the case on one of my stamps. This has left a permanent crease in poor Bellarina's arm. Now she stamps with a gap that I have to fill in with a fine black marker (luckily I can work around this).


• I considered buying several different kinds of prepared storage solutions but it would be so expensive for the quantity I needed (and there are still lots o'stamps I still want to buy!)


• I REALLY liked my acrylic stamp storage solution. And I thought a consistant way to store all my stamps would be great.

Soooo, I came up with this:

I used the cardboard from a local department store shirtbox. I cut it to 8" x 10 1/2". I chose these measurements so there was plenty of room for the stamps in a page protector and so that it would slide in & out of the page protector easily. I then ran this cardboard thru my 12" Xyron to laminate. (I don't know why I own that machine but I do. You can buy laminate sheets or have a copy center laminate for you also.) The EZ Mount stamps and bare rubber stamps with Aileene's Tack It Over and Over stick nicely to this sturdy sheet. I can easily store 2 large stamps sets per page. The binder pictured above stores all of my Treehouse Stamps that were previously in 9 CD cases and 3 still in original packaging.



I decided to use the side with plain cardboard to place my stamps. This way they all look the same regardless of where I reclaimed the cardboard from (eat more cereal kids....Mom needs more cardboard!). I suppose you could be really smart and stamp the images on the cardboard so you'd know where all the stamps went.

I like that I don't have to worry about a stamp falling off. If it would happen to fall, it will be caught by the sheet protector.

Somebody tell me if I'm not supposed to store EZ Mounted rubber stamps this way. I was unable to find anything to the contrary. Maybe someday, I'll be able to buy a "proper" storage solution but this will do me for now.

NOTE: I recommend you use acid free laminate and acid free sheet protectors!

Are you seeing that I have a serious addiction to sheet protectors - man those things are just good for everything and cheap too!

Enjoy!
Michelle B.
“Queen of the Scene”