Hello! When you see a beautiful card on Instagram, Pinterest, or a blog, it’s easy to focus on the supplies that went into making it. What you don’t see is where all those supplies will live after you buy them. Every new product becomes one more thing to store, organize, and find. That’s especially apparent as I work through my crafting supplies. As part of my creative reset, I’ve been sorting my background stamps and moving them into consistent storage pockets. I’m also pulling seasonal stamps forward so I can actually see what I have when I’m ready to make fall, Halloween, or Christmas cards.
It’s a small shift, but it changes how I think about buying supplies. Before buying a product I see online, I’m asking: Do I already have something I could use? And if I buy this, where will I keep it?
Background stamps are versatile and relatively inexpensive. One stamp can create dozens of looks by changing the ink and cardstock. But they’re also another category to store, along with the inks and cardstock needed to use them.
And that’s what I’m realizing through this reset: crafting is an inventory and organizational problem. The more supplies I accumulate, the more important it becomes to know what I have and where it is. That matters to my cardmaking mojo. Good organization reduces the friction between having an idea and actually making something.
While sorting my background stamps, I found several I’d completely forgotten about. I pulled out some neutral cardstock and stamped them.
I didn’t need anything new. I just needed to find what I already had. And on that note, I’m back to my sorting.
This is all true. I have an Excel spreadsheet with all my stamps listed on them. I put in a column for images. So when I need to find something, I can do a search function by a single word. I have done the same thing for my dies. Storing stuff is a big problem since I have a small craft room, but it is still fun!!!
Excellent post Jean. I find the more I have the harder it is to craft. As I age my ability to multi task and keep all my supplies in my head has lessened. My dream is to cut my supplies in half, only keeping the items I love and making room for the occasional new purchase. … A dream in another world perhaps….lol.
Great post, Jean! I have organized my background stamps together and in, sort of, themed bins. I should use them more often – thanks for the inspiration!!
I’m loving these posts, Jean, not only for the tips on organizing but for your honest assessment of how we often buy what we don’t need. I could underline the whole paragraph but “crafting is an inventory problem” nails it. I wanted to stamp today, but instead of crafting, here I am on the computer. Again. Your reset is an inspiring example, keep going!
Thanks so much, Cindy! It’s been a real eye-opener to see how much product I have. I’m delighted the posts are resonating with you.