Getting organized with new dies, stamps and cardstock

Hello everyone,

This week I have been asked to share with you how I organise myself in my craft room. I hope this give you some ideas! My system is not perfect but it works well for me and I enjoy the process alot !

Happy day: receiving a new ECD order

When I receive an order from Elizabeth Craft Designs, after I jump up and down with joy for a while...this is what I do.

Die sets:

Step 1:

• I cut in half a 8" X 12" magnetic sheet;
• I take out the die set from the packaging and keep the plastic sleeves for other use (shaker cards, windows, etc.);
• I take the dies carefully from the package and put them on 1/2 magnetic sheet;
• I put the magnetic sheet with the dies in the presentation cardstock;
• I put the magnetic sheet in an Avery Elle Extra Large Stamp & die Storage Pocket.
• If there's a matching stamps set, I usually take them out of the plastic sleeve and and put it with its matching die set, it fits in the same enveloppe.

 

• The enveloppes stands in plastic cases with the name of the designer or the theme on the front of the cases: Esther's Planner Sets, Devids & Art Journal Stuff, Christmas, etc., and I have my "Most-often-go-to" in one case where I can find my shapes, tags, pockets and most of Annette's dies set and stamps.

Step 2:

• Once I'm done with repacking the dies sets, I die cut them about 10-15 times each set, and I put the die cuts in one photo plastic box per set;

• I print the name and number of the set and I glue it on the side of the box;

• Sometime I reuse some boxes with older sets that I don't use much anymore, I put the remaining die cuts in a Ziploc bag and take the name and number tag off the box.

Cardstock:

• When I get a new pack of  patterned cardstock, I take out my Copic Markers and I try to find the best matches of colors to go with the cardstock;

• When I decide what colors are the best, I make a card with all the colors and their numbers and I put it in my Creative Planner for further references.

• I can also make a note card for Distress oxide colors that matches some specific cardstock packs.

Colored and shaped pieces:

• Sometimes I just feel like coloring or shaping pieces and I have no particular project in mind or I colored and embossed to many pieces for one project, or the pieces didn't made it to the final projects, so I'm left with many usable pieces.
• When the pieces are not to big, I can put them in a plastic case and label them with the content.

• If they are to big like flowers, I make a box using the ECD Book Box die set. 
• I print the name of the items in the box and glue it on the side of the Book Box.

• Each boxes have some different content, here's an exemple with remaining pieces from my Christmas cards. 

• Sometime I decorate the box on the top like the previous box, but sometime I don't so that I can pile them up on a shelf. On those ones, I might put a picture and decorate without going 3D on the cover.

• Inside the box, I make a pocket and I write the informations that I need to know if I ever want to make the same thing again (used dies, stamps, colors, how it was shaped, etc.)  . Now that we have the great Devid's Art Journal Collector's Item set #2091, I use this to make the inside pocket and the card with the informations. It fits perfectly in the inside cover of the Book Box.

• When I don't use the box anymore, I can change the name on the box and use it for something else.

This is my post for this week, I hope you enjoyed it and maybe you will find some useful ideas for you own craft room.

Have a great week !