Clear Stamp Storage Solution

In a recent post I wrote about my clear stamp storage system.

Well since then I've tweaked, retweaked, ummmed n' arrrred and finally settled on this solution.

This is my FINAL post on the subject as I'm thrilled with the result and I'll share below what I used.

Ok...so ALL of my clear stamps, regardless of size, are stored in these A5 punched pockets that I got from Rymans (£1.99 for 25).

I've added a piece of white card to each a) to give the pocket some stability, b) to show off the stamp & c) coz it looks darn neat. I used 300gsm from Hobbycraft (£9.99 for 100 sheets)

I cut the strip off the side of the pocket where the punched holes are, leaving about 2-3mm before the seam of the pocket.

Can you see that thin white strip left over? It comes away really easily if you just slide a fingernail where you've cut and the left over strip pulls away leaving a far more classy-looking pocket.

Next up...labelling. Initially I had cut a strip off the original stamp packaging and stuck it on the reverse side of my white card with the details of the stamp company & stamp name.

Then I found this baby, the Brother P-Touch 90 label maker, reduced in a couple of shops. I got mine from Rymans (£14.99). It comes with a full-sized tape thingy, black type on a white label (12mm x 8m). For goodness sake get your refills from Amazon. They're about £6.20 from Amazon compared to £13.99 at  Rymans!!!

Trust me, this little gadget is dead easy to use, has loads of font size options and characters and before you know it EVERYTHING in your home will have a label.

Top tip...buy a plug to go with it rather than buy batteries. It comes with neither but I got a universal plug, again from Rymans for £9.99.

Having labelled everything within a 10 mile radius of my house, it was time to create dividers to seperate my stamp collections. I've divided by stamp company rather than type of stamp (ie sentiment stamps, animals, girls, etc...) It's up to you how you divide your collection.

I made my dividers using these plastic A4 Clip files. These were £1.00 each from Staples, they're a white-ish colour with a 'wobbly' pattern on them. Coloured versions were wayyyy more expensive. They're quite sturdy but will easily go through a guillotine and I made 2 dividers from each clip file... I simply cut to the size I wanted, rounded off the 2 top corners with scissors and added a label.

Finally the all important boxes. 

These are 9 litre Wham storage boxes (£9.99 for 3, with lids, from The Range)

Obviously, I'm not using the lids, but these boxes are absolutely perfect for fitting the stamp pockets in. They're 14.5cm H x 23cm W x 38cm L, clear coloured, uber strong and dead posh looking.

Just to clarify, these pockets will fit regular clear stamp sets...

...tall stamp sets, like those from MFT...

....huge stamp sets, like the Winnie & Walter sentiment collections...

... and even a selection of red / grey rubber stamps. I've got 4 LOTV stamps in this pocket that are clinging to a piece of acetate in the pocket. I've stamped the images onto a piece of card in the pocket as a reminder of the images.

The only stamps NOT in my new pockets are the Tim Holtz Crazy Birds / Things sets, they're just a tad too big to fit.  They're in their original packaging but still fit neatly into my storage boxes.

So there you have it... my final Clear (and red and grey) Stamp Storage solution. I hope you've found it helpful if you're looking for ideas. 

Next stop....Stencils & Die Storage.