From Shayla Anthony - I’ve created my own system for storing my UM rubber stamps. I’ve taken 8 ½ x 11 mat board and have run it through my Xyron machine to laminate both sides. Punching the holes through the mat board is the most difficult part no easy solution for that yet. I then put my mounted stamps in the microwave for just a few seconds to remove the rubber stamp. Then on the unmounts I use Zig 2 way glue on the backs of the rubber stamp and let dry (when it’s wet, it’s blue colored, when dry it’s clear and repositionable). I then mount the rubber stamps on my laminated mat boards in 3 ring binders. I’m sure you could use other things beyond mat board, but I wanted a bit more sturdiness when flipping through my pages. Maybe thin cardboard would work as well too. You could even go one step further. If you didn’t want to cut holes in the mat board, or cardboard, simply put the pages inside vinyl page protectors and store them in the 3 ring binders that way instead. I’m sure there are plenty of other solutions beyond the Zig 2 way glue, but this has been the cheapest way I’ve seen work so far.
From MaryC - I don't have many UM's so I have no problem with storage, but I do remember someone mentioning that they buy a few photo albums at the dollar store and put their UM's in the see through pages. Easy to organize, easy to see, and easy to store.
From Bonnie - I just have to add my 2 cents worth here. I've tried the binders. They just didn't work well for my style. I need to be able to find them very quickly. I now have 12 x 18 inch sheets of Plexiglas, which I am so very happy with.
I stamp the images onto full label sheets, which are on the Plexiglas. I then cover the label sheet with clear contact paper cut to fit the Plexiglas. I stand these sheets of Plexiglas on their sides on a shelf on my bookcase. I can just flip thru the sheets very easy and find any image most quickly.
From: Verneta - Just wanted to add my input on storage. I had previously stored my UM's in the vinyl page protectors but it was too cumbersome for my taste (instant gratification thing, you know!!) so I now store the UM's in the CD cases after stamping the image on a piece of paper that goes on the front of the CD case. I then scan the whole CD case and put the printed image in a 3 ring binder. For the bigger UM's I stamp the image on the front of an envelope and store them in the envelope. I then scan the envelopes and place that in the binder as well. This way I can just skim through the binder. It may take a few seconds longer to use this system but I can get a lot more stamps in smaller areas this way (less expensive too!)
I have also tried the Alenees Tack it Over and Over but am now using the Scotch Poster Tape (Thanks, Phil) # 109 on my acrylic blocks and love the system.
From: Judi K - I buy necktie gift boxes (long, narrow, sturdy white boxes) from the Container Store for 65 cents each. I write the company name or sheet number and description of what's inside on the short end of the box since that's what's visible when they're stacked (I try to keep the boxes marked Misc. to a minimum). The lid gets a reduced photocopy of the stamped images that are inside the box (the only time I ever violate copyright law and make copies of any stamps, ever). I stack the boxes about a dozen high (making it easy to pull boxes from the bottom without too much weight on top -- higher doesn't work for me). The stamps are always flat, I've never had one curve... even though some of the boxes that have larger images inside have stamps stacked two or three high inside the box. For the tiny images, I run tracks of 3M Poster Tape #109 inside the bottom of the box and the stamps are held in place. I like the small stamps side by side, not stacked in any way. I may do a second layer inside some of the boxes, but so far haven't done that. I use 3/4 inch acrylic blocks with the same Poster Tape covering one side for my temporary mounting system. That way I can immerse the UM in water to clean it (I have a glass pie plate with water halfway up and a little island made from an old terry washcloth in the center for scrubbing). If I'm using a lot of stamps I just dump them into the water and clean at the end of the day, though sometimes I try to clean as I go. To keep the Poster Tape clean, I turn the stamps with the tape side down onto a piece of Xyron release paper that's left after lifting off the adhesive-backed project. I have been using this system for a little under a year and am still on my first roll of Poster Tape. The only time I've had to replace it was when I put a block down on a tissue and it got full of lint. It's a very low tack tape, leaves no residue, but it holds really well. The boxes sit out on the desk one or two at a time, which works well for my workspace and helps me keep track of the UM’s. I probably have four-dozen boxes at this point and all of them fit on a single shelf.
From: stampaddiction - I was at a convention yesterday and saw a display of a system used for unmounted stamps. You don't use any cushion, just trim the stamp, then use some tacky type of glue and allow it to dry (takes about an hour)then you just stick the stamp onto a clear thick acetate sheet and it stays put. The stamp is easily peeled off of the acetate sheet and you just place it on an acrylic block and stamp. Then after stamping, put it back on the acetate page and it stays there. She had these pages in a 3 ring binder and separated the types of stamps by marked divider sheets. Does anyone use this type of system? If so, how do you like it, what are the pros and cons of this. I sure do need some sort of system for my MANY unmounted stamps but would like to hear what you find works best for you.
From: Darla - I also use the CD cases. They work well for almost all of my unmounteds. Keeps them flat so they don't "warp". For the larger stamps that don't fit, I keep them in the plastic boxes that they come in. I have yet to find a good way to organize my CD cases so that I don't have to look through them all to find the set I need.
