Cardstock Organization and “Harvesting Card Salad” Pieces

Each year when the Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalog retires, I go through a process of reorganizing and resetting my materials and supplies.

I do this to make sure only my current products are the ones in easy reach when I’m creating. As a demonstrator, I always try to use only current products. That way, I’m never teasing you, with items you can’t purchase. Now, whether you’re a demonstrator or not keeping all your supplies organized is an important (and fun) aspect of the craft. So… as I was resetting my space for the new catalog this year, I thought it might be helpful to share some of my organizing strategies. The main focus of today’s post is card stock organization and reorganization. Since Stampin’ Up! did a huge revamp of the colors offered and the color groups, reorganizing my cardstock has been a pretty big task.

 

Check out how I organize my cardstock and ”Harvest Card Salad" Pieces. What is “card salad” you ask. Find out more in my blog post here.

 

I started by removing all the retiring colors of cardstock, ink pads, and markers, and packaging them up the way I do every year. Yes, I keep most of my retired cardstock. You never know if/when it will return. Plus, I may want to use it on a project in the future. While I keep my retired cardstock, ink pads and markers, I feel strongly that they shouldn’t be taking up “prime real estate” on my shelves that are within easy reach. This prime real estate is reserved for the supplies I’ll be using the most, and want to have easy access to.

So… how do I organize my cardstock?

I have shelves I’ve built from scratch that sit inside a cabinet behind my workspace. This cabinet has sliding doors on it, as I like to keep my cardstock protected from the sun and light. You’d be surprised how quickly cardstock can fade when exposed to sunlight!

 

Here’s a photo of the wall behind my desk. My cabinet with the sliding doors is on the lower right just behind where I sit. This cabinet is part of the Gallant Collection from Ikea.

 

Wall of Organization - Check out how I organize my cardstock and ”Harvest Card Salad" Pieces. What is “card salad” you ask. Find out more in my blog post here.

 

Below you’ll see one side of my cabinet with the sliding doors. This is the bulk of my cardstock storage.

I have a little more, plus overstock in the left side of this cabinet. It’s not perfectly neat but it is very functional. Can you see the sheet protectors that lay on top of each pack of cardstock?

Within each compartment, I have my pack of cardstock and a sheet protector. The sheet protector has a full sheet of cardstock (either white with a label OR the actual color) in it.

– Each sheet protector is used to organize my cardstock pieces and scraps for that particular color.

– I put half and quarter sheets of that color on one side of the full cardstock piece and…

– On the other side, I put my miscellaneous scraps.

When I’m playing with a given color, I often have the corresponding card stock, in their respective sheet protectors, at my desk.

 

Check out how I organize my cardstock and ”Harvest Card Salad" Pieces. What is “card salad” you ask. Find out more in my blog post here.

 

So what about the big picture cardstock organization?

Some people organize their cardstock in rainbow order and ignore the Stampin’ Up! color groups. For me, I like to keep the colors in their respective color groups, but within each color group, I organize them in rainbow order. Since my cubbies were created by me to fit this particular cabinet, the organization system is a bit wonky. I have most of the neutrals and some of the In Colors in the top cubbies, the bolds on the left, subtles in the middle and regals on the right. The rest of the In Colors and other colors that don’t fit here (the colors I like less) are on the left side of my cabinet.

* The important thing is that you pick a method that works!

 

So, when I reorganize to store my retiring card stock, here’s what I do…

– I take out each sheet protector, remove and recycle the smallest pieces so it’s less bulky, and I put it all into a Stampin’ Up! plastic sleeve for storage.

– I often have stacks of same size pieces of cardstock, held together with a binder clip, in with my scraps for a given color. I cut a large amount of cardstock when I’m preparing for clubs and classes. These stacks of same-size scraps really come in handy at times. Sometimes I even design to use up the scraps! That said, when I’m cleaning out, I recycle LOTS of the small strips. They just take up too much room and I may never use them so I purge. That’s why I have a pile of binder clips there.

– After each plastic sleeve is emptied, and the remaining pieces packaged up, I put them all in a box or container to tuck them away for storage. For this set of retiring colors, I’ve re-purposed a plastic container to store my retired card stock. It once contained croissant, from Cost Co.

 

Check out how I organize my cardstock and ”Harvest Card Salad" Pieces. What is “card salad” you ask. Find out more in my blog post here.

 

I also often keep a small sleeve in with each color, that contains die cut or punched pieces. These pieces were cut while experimenting with a design but were never used.

These pieces will go into my “Card Salad” bin to package up with other coordinating items to make what I call, “Creative Kick-Start Project Kits”. I give these away as little gifts for customers to play with. Click HERE to check out what my customers made with their Creative Kick-Start Project Kits, at my annual Creative Escape Day event! Here’s the pile of die cut and punched pieces I “harvested” while sorting through my retired cardstock:

 

Check out how I organize my cardstock and ”Harvest Card Salad" Pieces. What is “card salad” you ask. Find out more in my blog post here.

Here you see all my retired card stock packaged up neatly in my re-purposed Croissant container.

I love how it all fits perfectly in this container! I slipped the “Colors Going Away” document, in this box when I was done. That way I’ll have an easy reference of what’s contained inside when I pull it out later.

 

Check out how I organize my cardstock and ”Harvest Card Salad" Pieces. What is “card salad” you ask. Find out more in my blog post here.

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about my method for organizing card stock. Let me know if there’s a tip or method you think you’ll use in your crafting space! Please leave a comment and let me know!

 

More Going On Now…

Check out My NEW WEBSITE – Participate in my Website Launch Party Scavenger Hunt!

  • Launch day is Friday 8/3/2018
  • Participate in the Scavenger Hunt to win prizes!
  • Participate in my Facebook Live Event at 7pm on 8/3 OR Watch the Replay!
  • Click HERE to go to the Scavenger Hunt page
  • To be eligible for prizes you must respond by Thursday 8/9/18

Bonus Days are Here!

  • Get a $5 Coupon for EACH $50 spent during the month of August
  • Redeem your Coupon(s) in September
  • There’s no limit to how many coupons you can get!
  • Click HERE to Shop Now

Color Your Season Limited Time Offer!

  • Get Exclusive Products through 8/31 or while supplies last
  • Get the NEW Blended Seasons Stamp Set and coordinating framelits
  • Save 10% when you purchase the Stamp Set and framelits together
  • Get NEW Watercolor Pencils Assortment 2
  • Click HERE to see the products available through this promotion

Paper Pumpkin On Sale!

  • Get 50% off your first Paper Pumpkin Kit
  • Only first time subscribers are eligible for this offer
  • Offer ends on 8/10/18
  • Applies only to month to month subscriptions
  • Must use Promo Code: BLOOM0818
  • Click HERE to sign up for Paper Pumpkin

 

Happy Crafting AND Organizing friends!

Melissa 🙂

 

 

Tags:

About Me Page

I am a seeker of that crazy, excited feeling that comes when you've created something that’s unique, beautiful and expresses who you are in some small way. It’s like making a new discovery, when you find a unique combination of color, layout, dimension and texture. I call it a creative spark and it makes me giddy! Through sharing and teaching I hope to help others find this amazing feeling of creative bliss!

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

Make These Fast Christmas Cards in a Snap!

September 30, 2023
Posted in ,
Make these fast Christmas Cards in a snap! They're quick to make yet provide a real wow effect! Cards feature easy dry embossing techniques.

In today’s post, I’ll be sharing a bunch of fast Christmas Cards that are super easy to make! The truth is, I started with a slightly more complex idea which produced the ugly piece you see below. This was done on Starry Sky cardstock but you can barely see this gorgeous color. There’s just way […]

88 Easy Christmas Cards you’re going to Love to Make!

September 16, 2023
Posted in ,
Learn my method for getting 88 Easy Christmas Cards, or winter themed cards, out of one pack of designer series paper.

I am seriously addicted to making these easy Christmas cards! They feature the One Horse Open Sleigh designer paper and the Countryside Corners dies. Plus, I’ve used a variety of sentiments for both Christmas and a winter theme. The best part about these cards is that they are quick to make, they will each be […]

Simple cards to make with dies and designer paper!

September 9, 2023
Posted in ,
Check out these 3 simple cards to make with dies and designer paper! The Nested Essentials Dies were used with a variety of fun papers.

In today’s post, I’ll be sharing 3 simple cards using a variety of designer papers with the Nested Essentials Dies. I always love finding simple cards to make using designer paper and dies or punches. For today’s cards, I’ll be using a repeating pattern of shapes in coordinating designer series papers. The die-cut pieces are […]

September 2023 Color Challenge & Blog Hop

September 4, 2023
Posted in ,
The September 2023 Color Challenge & Blog Hop features a great color combination of Lost Lagoon, Berry Burst & Blackberry Bliss. Check it out!

Welcome to the Color Fusers Blog Hop and September 2023 Color Challenge! If you’ve already started the blog hop you should be coming from the talented Melanie Hockin’s blog post. If you’ve just joined in, make sure to do the full hop and see all the wonderful projects created by the Color Fusers Design team! The color […]

Make 5 Cards with the Gorgeous Garden Background Dies

August 26, 2023
Posted in ,
Use the Gorgeous Garden background dies to make these 5 amazing cards! These cards also feature a fun & simple watercoloring technique.

In today’s post, I’ll be sharing 5 card variations featuring the Gorgeous Garden background dies from Stampin’ Up! The Gorgeous Garden dies include a pair of background dies, one with flowers and the other with foliage. My inspiration for today’s projects came from the fact that autumn is coming soon and I adore fall colors. […]

Simple Watercolor Background with the Trucking Along Bundle!

August 18, 2023
Posted in ,
Today's project features a super simple watercolor background technique plus, the adorable Trucking Along Bundle.

In today’s post, I’ll be sharing a project made with a super simple watercolor background technique. I love simple watercolor backgrounds and this method makes it so easy to get beautiful results quickly! You’ll want to use watercolor paper for the focal piece on this card. I’ve also used a Stampin’ Up! “I” size block. […]

August 2023 Color Challenge & Blog Hop

August 7, 2023
Posted in ,
A unique fun fold card made for the August 2023 Color Challenge & Blog Hop. I've used the Phrases For All Stamp Set & Petal Patterns Dies.

Welcome to the Color Fusers Blog Hop and August 2023 Color Challenge! If you’ve already started the blog hop you should be coming from the talented Melanie Hockin’s blog post. If you’ve just joined in, make sure to do the full hop and see all the wonderful projects created by the Color Fusers Design team! The […]

Simple Two For One Card Making Method!

August 4, 2023
Posted in ,
Check out these projects made with a simple two-for-one card-making method. Projects feature the Gorgeously Made & Phrases For All stamp sets.

Colorful and simple cards! Can it get any better than that?… Well Yes! Use this simple Two For One method to make a bunch of gorgeous cards! I have three card variations for you today. For my first card, I did not actually use the Two For One card-making method. I decided to use it […]

July 2023 Color Challenge & Blog Hop!

July 3, 2023
Posted in ,
My July 2023 Color Challenge project features a fun technique with the Painted Posies embossing folder. Check out this fun blog hop!

Welcome to the Color Fusers Blog Hop and July 2023 Color Challenge! If you’ve already started the blog hop you should be coming from the talented Melanie Hockin’s blog post. If you’ve just joined in, make sure to do the full hop and see all the wonderful projects created by the Color Fusers Design team! The color […]

How to make Pinwheel Cards

June 29, 2023
Posted in ,
I'm excited to be sharing a variety of simple Pinwheel Cards in today's post. These are easy to make and can be made for any occasion!

I’m excited to be sharing a variety of simple Pinwheel Cards in today’s post. This style card is one of those oldies but goodies-type cards! Pinwheel Cards are easy to make and can be made to look playful and youthful, elegant and stunning, masculine, or really for any occasion you can think of. I was […]

Hip, Hip, Hooray Blends Alcohol Markers Special

June 28, 2023
Posted in
Blends Alcohol Markers

Get FREE Blends Alcohol Markers while helping me to stay in business during my recovery from Hip Surgery. Asking for help is not easy to do for many of us. It certainly isn’t for me! I’m asking for your assistance today because I’ve got a major surgery happening this week and so I’m going to […]

How to Design Using a Card Sketch

June 24, 2023
Posted in ,,
Today's project was made using a card sketch that is the theme for my monthly team idea challenge. Learn how simple it is to design this way!

Today’s project was made using a card sketch that is the theme for my monthly team idea challenge. Treehouse Chicks Team members who want to play along simply create a card(s) that fits the theme and they share photos of their project ideas on our team Facebook group. For each project shared they get a […]