My Stamp Room

When Donna Griffith asked me to send a picture of my stamp room to share at start of my Stampin' Up! webinar tomorrow, I knew it was time to do some serious cleaning! I wasn't planning to share the "before" picture because, well, it's a little embarrassing! But when I asked my Facebook Fans, they all agreed that I should show the "real" space that I craft in: chaos! I posted the "before" picture on my Facebook Page, so be sure to visit (and "Like" if you are not already a fan!) to check it out. Here are the "after" pictures:

Our lower level flooded when we were on the Alaska Incentive Trip in 2011. Part of my stamp room was affected, so the whole thing got an unplanned makeover! I chose a paint color that was close to Baja Breeze, one of my favorite Stampin' Up! colors. All the furniture is from IKEA, including the white storage boxes on the shelves. I have been meaning to get a chair since the renovation, but have been using a folding chair in the meantime.

I store my ink pads in the Stampin' Up! Color Caddy. I purchased the extender kit from a few years ago and have some extra "shelves" to accommodate the In Colors. My ribbon is stored in a rack that hangs on the closet door. The previous home owners left this behind. My cardstock scraps are stored in the black file cabinet under my desk. I have a folder for each color and organized by color family. My Paper Trimmer gets stored on top of the filing cabinet (but usually it's out on the desk being used!)

I store almost all of my Stampin' Up! supplies on these shelves. Stamp Sets on top (mostly Wood Mount!) with one shelf of Clear Mount. Second row of shelves has two bins for my 12x12 Designer Paper and 12x12 cardstock. To the right of the bins are three smaller boxes for completed cards to send. Next to that is the Clear Mount Shelf (there are two stacks of stamp sets there). Third row: some extras for door prizes, miscellaneous kits and seasonal catalog products. Last shelf in that row has a box of SNAIL refills and embossing tools. Bottom row on the main shelf is more stamp sets/extras for door prizes and then Big Shot accessories. A tall white box of framelits (stored in original pouches) and a drawstring bag for embossing folders. The dark gray boxes are Big Shot Storage Boxes from Stampin' Up! that hold all of my Bigz and XL dies.

The small shelf on the end holds my 8-1/2 x 11" cardstock sorted by color family. The bottom shelf on the left has boxes for envelopes and notecards. Above that is where I store my markers, adhesive, and miscellaneous embellishments (like Baker's Twine). On top of the shelf, I store my punches and my Stampin' Store Caddy (filled with brads, buttons, etc). Older style punches are stored on the IKEA brackets on the wall. The basket on the right side is for my SNAIL and scissors. And the box underneath the basket is for tools like the sanding block, sponges, Dazzling Details, spritzers, etc.

I had to share a picture of my door! After a particularly loud afternoon this summer when I was trying to film a video in my Stamp Room, I made a "Do Not Disturb" sign for the door to remind the kids to be quiet. (Apparently the verbal, "Can you be quiet for 5 minutes because I'm ready to film a video" wasn't good enough!) Claire decided to embellish the sign for me and now it's a permanent fixture on my door. I usually only close the door when I'm filming, so when the door is closed, they know they need to keep it down!

My Stamp Room

Yesterday I cleaned my stamp room and I took pictures of this rare moment in time so that I can later remember what my floor and my desk look like! (wink!)

My space certainly isn't as big as I would like it to be, but I'm happy to have a "room"! My stamp room/office is off of the laundry room, near the large family room/play room. When I have stamping events in my home, I pull tables out in the family room. So my stamp room is where I keep all my stuff and where I sit and create. (Not pictured is the other side of the room with my desk and computer.)

I have two large cabinets on the right wall (only one is pictured here). One cabinet stores my cardstock and my stamp sets; the other cabinet stores business supplies, DSP & 12x12 cardstock (both kept in 12x12 Paper Holders (#105528, $7.95), and other miscellaneous accessories. For now, my Big Shot and dies are on top of the cabinet with my stamps. I put all the dies in a shoebox size plastic box.

I keep my ink pads on my table so I can quickly pick out what colors I want to use. I store them in the Color Caddy (#104335, $59.95) with the Extender Kit (#107063, $14.95) to accommodate all 48 colors plus neutrals and In Colors. It has a tray on top to store reinkers.

Here's a closer picture of the Decor Elements on the wall behind the table:

"Life is good." Especially when I'm in my room stamping! I love this Decor Element (#114138, $7.95). I jazzed it up a little with some of the bulk buy flowers available to demonstrators. (You can get your hands on some of these little flowers by placing an order with me this month!)

On a separate note...the color of the walls (kind of a celery/gable green cross) was already done when we moved in. I didn't dislike it enough to paint over it (yet). I don't know what color I would choose if I was picking it myself.

Between the cabinet and the wall is where I keep all the fun stuff!

All of my punches are easily accessible on BYGEL rails from IKEA. The hanging baskets to hold the smaller punches and handheld punches are from the same line at IKEA.

The metal shelf underneath is from Walmart. Top shelf holds Forget-Me-Not-Keepers (#105525, $11.95) with adhesive on one side and finished cards on the other. There's a basket on top of the right box with my SNAIL, scissors, bone folder, and other "use often" tools. My markers and leftover Make-&-Take materials are in the middle. Second shelf holds two plastic shoeboxes: one with embossing supplies, one with brads/buttons/eyelets/etc. Crafter's Tool Kit and Crop-a-dile in the middle. Bottom shelf holds Craft Keepers (#104181, $6.95/3) with my cardstock scraps sorted by color family (and by color within that).

The punches and items on the shelf are within reach when I'm sitting at the table creating.

This jar, featuring another Decor Element, holds all my ribbon scraps and sits on the ledge by the window.

Also not pictured are two closets in the room. One of them is filing cabinets and office stuff. The other one stores stamping stuff...alterable items, old catalogs/Stampin' Success mags, card samples, bags, extra cardstock....everything! Hanging on that closet door is an over-the-door wire rack that holds my Ribbon Keepers (#107636, $17.95/2). The rack was something the previous home owners left behind. It's pretty handy! I'll take a picture of that another day....