Stamp storage

Today I thought I'd share with you how I store my precious stamps. (unmounted ones) This was a problem for me as I didn't have any system until I had a convo with another crafter at a local demo day, don't know who she was, but she gave me the best (i think) advice ever, which is basically to use laminated card which they will stick to. So grateful to her - thank you unknown friend :)
So this is my little stamp storage turorial. Here is what you need to get started:
                                                        stamps
                                                        ink pad
                                                        white card

                                                        laminator

                                                        laminator pouches

                                                        ring binder folder

1. Start with a piece of plain white card.

2. Next, stamp your images on the card.

You can place the stamps on the card first and shuffle them around to get the best fit. I tend to put the larger stamps to the left of the card as i think it makes for more secure balance when the stamps are stored. I also like to put the image lable from the packaging at the bottom for a quick glance reference.

3. Now time to laminate.....

4. ......and punch ring binder holes on the left hand side

 

5. Now place stamps on laminated card to which they will magically stick ;)

I deliberately place the stamps off to the side of the image so that I can see

quickly which one I want.

6. Now you can snap your laminated sheet of stamps

into the ring binder - it should hold about five sheets,

(or more, depending on the thickness of your binder)

 

7. Finally, here are my binders stored on top

of  my wooden stamp collection, because I

haven't got around to clearing a space for

them on my desk, or better still ask dh if he

will make them their own shelf..........  ;)

Thats all for today, hope it was useful to somebody.

Have a good one!

hugs x

Hip Hop Monday with {ippity}

Welcome to my corner of the hop. I hope I can whet your appetite for {ippity} stamps today ;) For the full list of participants, you need to check the Unity blog here

I used  Hip Hop Sketch Challenge  to make this card. I am sending it to a friend who is retiring, I think she will be a little happy :D

I used freebie papers from a magazine, so not sure of the names, and yet again the yellow dotty one is from Craftwork Cards - I am going through a Craftwork Card phase at the moment, they have some deee-licious papers! The sentiment is from the May KOTM framed by a Nestibilities lable 13 (i think) which I stencilled around in a beige ink, then I inked the edges with brown ink (a lovely little freebie gift sent to me by Unity) I trimmed with ribbon and lace, and stamped the flower stem (another freebie with KOTM -thank you unity - i do love you so xx) twice, coloured with copics and then covered in 3D gloss. Hope you like the finished card.

I am going to make another just like this one for my dd's old headteacher who is retiring after about 100 years!!! - well maybe a slight exaggeration - but she has certainly been there a loonng time.

Well thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of the hop today - there are many many more treats in store for you - next stop it's the lovely Christy Enjoy !                                                                                                              

Elisabeth x x

Beautiful day again, blue skies and SUN, SUN, SUN :)

Met a friend I have not seen for a few months for coffee and cake {yumyum}and got to meet her gorgeous four month old baby boy. Aahhh sweeeeeeeeeeet! Of course, dozy head that I am,  forgot his pressie and card. Duh. Will meet up again next week before he outgrows his gift!

I made a card for the challenge at Crafts 4 eternity this week, I was going to enter last week, but ran out of time....however...I had an image all picked out for the sports theme last week, and really wanted to use it, so thought how i could fit it into this week's challenge recipe which is:

1 Use the sketch
2 Nursery rhyme theme
3 Add a charm

I decided on the nursery rhyme, 1,2,3,4,5 - Once I caught a fish alive - 6,7,8,9,10 - then I let it go again! Why did you let it go? - Because it bit my finger so - Which finger did it bite?  - this little pinkie on my right!

Here is my entry, such a sweet stamp, it is a pain to use tho', because it doesn't give a great impression and you end up filling in the missing spots where there should be black ink, but I just love the finished effect. So for me it was worth the trouble. It was dirt cheap on ebay, so I won't complain.

I made a little fish with card and ribbon, and handwrote the sentiment. I think the charm is a bee, but it could be a fly - so flyfishing ;) I attached it to look like the fishing line.

Papers used: Polka dots - Craftwork Cards, blue checked - Nitwits, (green spotty strip- dont know-free with my Unity KOTM subscription,  light blue background - no idea - from stash!

Thanks for visiting xx

P.S. Have just completed a fabby blog hop with loads of great prizes! Interested? go here......

P.P.S. There is a-m-a-z-i-n-g blog candy to be won which I just had to share with you also over at
craftie-charlies!!! Go see !!!!

What happens when you can't sleep?

You make cards at 1.30 a.m.? Seems I have turned my sleep pattern crazy this week, I blame it all on my friend and her night out! While I was awake, I made a card for Craftwork Cards Challenge sketch 2, and also for the Playdate Cafe who chose some unusual colours this week, red, orange, turquoise and brown! here it is:

I am quite pleased with it - didn't know quite how these colours would work together, but somehow they do! Hope you like it! 

Love Elisabeth x

This one's for Waltzing Mouse's third challenge:

                                                                      WMSC3

I stamped the flower from the "Free Spirit - Boy" set onto white card then die cut it, the sentiment is from SU. The ribbon I used is pinker than the piccie shows here, teamed up with a strip of lace. Brown stripey paper from stash and the pink paper is scalloped with Martha Stewart punch and is from Papermania (Rose Garden)

The cat has just knocked my necklace over and is now throwing it around like a mad thing so I am off to rescue it :O

I need to make an anniversary card soon......for dh. it will be 21 years and I can hardly believe it! Wow!

Wedding

Went to my friend's hen night at the weekend - we went to a cocktail making class (then drank them all!) and then on for pizza and finally headed back for some fun and games at the apartment. Think I got to bed at 4 a.m.!! LOL! Am getting too old.................. anyways, I have made her a card for her wedding day in July, it is based on the Paper Piecing challenge from {ippity}

Details on SCS here:

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1734185?&cat=500&ppuser=252929

I used some great paper from Craftwork Cards - minty pearlescent called Richie. Yum!

Short post, family calling :) Hope you all have a sooooooperb day.

Tootle pip x

H{ippity} Hop Monday

For your viewing pleasure today, may I present my attempt at the single layer card challenge IHHC28 over at the Unity thread on Splitcoast Stampers 

I used {ippity} "Season of Joy" for the lable and stamped the cups from May KOTM inside. I then masked over the lable and stamped a flower from {ippity} "Now and Always" around it. The lable stands out quite well I think because I went round it with a pale shadow "green"(forgotten the name) copic pen.The sentiment doesn't show so well in the photo, but it goes with the cups and says "May your cup overflow with joy, love and laughter".

Short post today as I am writing at 2 am here, and have had a hectic weekend, and need to get some shuteye now . Looking forward to seeing the rest of the creations on the hop when I get up ;) Have a good one!



Love Elisabeth x