Card Stock Storage

It seems like everyone likes to read about craft room storage. Today I am going to show you how I keep my cardstock in order. Let me explain a little about my card making, I make and send a lot of cards.  I work as a DT for seven companies.  Each of these companies is unique and has unique requirements - I don't allow my assignments to be company competitive.  Each one also offers me the things I need to keep my card "ministry" going.  This keeps the pressure off and the fun and creativity in.   I also do wedding work and commisioned things like invites, showers, announcements, and framed art.

I have several processing steps with cardstock before I ever get to card making 

For card bases 
I buy in bulk and in larger sizes, usually 12x18 or 11x17.  I have a stack cutter which allows me to cut 100 sheets of cardstock at a time.  For personal use and DT use, I cut paper to make A6 cards. the finished size is 4.5x6. that slightly larger size gives me more canvas room. 


For wedding work, I  cut paper to order.  The paper stays in these bins, dust, and odor free until I need it.  I do keep an inventory and samples of each paper that I have. 

For personal use. I precut bases and store them in drawers by size. A2, A5, A6, and A7



For DT work and Church Card ministry, I have a drawer for each.  I use a specific size and paper for both.  they are ready and waiting.

I also have 8.5x11 paper ready to cut
I use very little colored paper for card bases.  You know those craft rooms where you see every shade of color neatly displayed and ready for use?  Well, they make me drool too, but the truth is I just don't use it.  So I stopped buying it.  I have a few colors on hand, only because I had used these for card kits.  Now when I need color I buy it when I need it for the specific project.



My Designer/ printer paper is much more interesting and probably the reason why I don't use colored cardstock for bases: I use a ton of patterned paper.

I have a nice stash of 6x6, 3 large art bins hold my smaller paper pads. these sit out on my counter and I pull from them all the time



I keep all my patterned papers along this wall. The lower white drawers are filled with pads that I do not want to chop into 6x6 for card making. They are labeled by designer ie: Tim Holtz, Anna Griffin, Collage, Maps Etc, it makes sense to me and they are all labeled.  The top drawers container embellishments and my current DT stamps and supplies for samples and photos


In those charcoal drawers I store my "chopped" papers:
every pad is indexed with a cover from teh original stack cover, I also have a set of covers with numbers on an  O ring for my index.  So I know what I have and where it is every time.  This is so convenient!

There are 4 of these drawers, On of chopped solids for layers and one for glitter papers. Then I have two more drawers that I have put together by color family when I just need a piece of particular paper.  These are in soft basket type containers in teh drawer, that way I can pull them out for a better look if I need to.




Thios stack is 12x12 for projects and kits

I also keep my printer card stocks in drawers next to my printer on my computer desk


Precut Cardstock for rubber stamping


Last and least, my scraps: I don't keep scraps, when this little basket gets full, I poke around in it and put a base and a stamped images ( I always do more than one at a time) add some bits and make a card kit.  Those are fun to give away or to make when I go to a friends house for a crafty time.

That is how decades of paper crafting, I store and manage my paper.  I have learned over the years, while it is fun to jump on every bandwagon, it is not necessary and can be very expensive.  Each of us as an artist has our own style, I am always trying to perfect mine and I always try to use the best products I can afford or in some cases make myself.  To me, it all boils down to the person I am sending the card to.  I sure do have a lot of fun in the process!
Have a great day, 
Ginny M


Comments

wow you are soooo organized...but with the amount of products you have you HAVE to be organized....l
I do love seeing different craft areas. I have never seen anyone use the larger size papers. Good for you for sending out so many cards!
Oh Ginny what an incredible lot of card and paper you have.. I use lots of white and off white for my bases, and I buy it cut to A4 size from the local printer, so all my cards are basically A6... I do the occasional square or easel card, but am too miserly to make odd sized cards - or should I say my now very limited budget makes me very conscious of not wanting to waste anything!
Blessings
Maxine
Shelly Schmidt said…
Goodness- that is a great system Ginny! I always love the beautiful cardstock you use on your cards!

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