Organizing The Card Castle: Part 2

Paper
For the past couple of years, I've been storing 12 x 12 paper in the Crop In Style paper trays on my table top. I used to store this paper in 12 x 12 file boxes and an hanging file cart until my collection out grew the space. You'll see that the cart has been re-purposed in a few minutes. The paper is sorted by color with a very few exceptions. When I purchase a new paper collection, I keep that separate for a while. Some of the Stampin' Up collections as well as the Basic Grey and Chatter Box were kept under the table in these drawers. I'm actually going thru and re-sorting those this week into the color section. Another exception is themed paper or multicolor paper. If a paper has too many colors to correctly choose one, I have a tray designated "Multi". I also have a few themed trays. There is one for holidays and another for baby etc.. I don't buy a lot of themed paper anymore so I don't need a lot of space for those. The 8 1/2 x 11 textured card stock is in file drawers that you see next to the table and you'll see the other larger file cabinet next to the Big Shot's station. It holds regular solid color card stock, specialty papers like vellum and glossy .

Stamps
As we transition from paper to stamps, let me show you something that used to hold paper and now is the home for my clear stamps and large punches. You can see in the smaller picture below was in a former life. There in the closet floor? Yup, it is a hanging file folder cart.

It was purchased at an office supply store and adjusted by me to fit the 12 x 12 hanging folders. It hadn't held those folders in two year and was bound for the trash pile when one day I saw on a blog or a gallery that someone was using a larger shelf like this to hold her punches. I rescued it and made it work for me. I went back to Lowes to the shelving isle of the lumber section. I bought one pine board and had them cut it down into two that would fit on this cart. Another note about this section of Lowes. They have stain grade and paint grade boards. Paint grade is a lot cheaper and that is what I usually buy for my craft space. Even for the bridge over my desk in part one, I bought the best paint grade one I could find and stained it.
And while I'm talking about shelving, notice the white 'bridge' I have above the paper table.

The two small shelving units were purchased in Target on clearance. The White shelving material was purchased that way at Lowes too. I went in there with the intention of buying and unfinished board to paint white. I was so excited when I found this. I'm pretty sure it was even less expensive than the pine boards. I love a good hardware/home improvement store.

So now this cart holds my larger lever type punches on top and basket on the shelves below. I keep clear stamp sets together and in clear CD cases in the baskets. So far, I have one basket full and two partials. One of the baskets on the bottom holds Nestabilities. So that means I have room for my collection to expand-- at least two more baskets worth.

Other than the clear unmounted stamps, I have wood mounted stamps. They are sorted by theme or category but not sets. Yes, even the Stampin Up sets with a very few exceptions.

This is my tulips drawer... well one of them anyway.

As for the other supplies, I keep them close to where I use them or easy to get to.

That's all I have for you unless you have any specific questions. If you do, go ahead and leave a comment or send me an email.