Video: Ink Organization + Storage + DISCOUNT CODES + GIVEAWAY

07.19.15

Hi there. Today’s video is an update on my ink organization and storage.

[All supplies are linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails at the end of this post. Affiliate links used. To watch the video in HD on YouTube, click HERE.]

I’ve shared many ink videos in the past, but I’ve added a few things to my system and wanted to share.

COLOR CODING

First, let’s talk about color identification. There are a few things I found helpful:

  • Ink Swatch Book – I find this essential when creating. It saves me so much time in matching inks and creating color combos. I have a free download of the swatches HERE, along with a video on how to create your own.
  • Brother Label Maker – I print out a label for each side of my ink pads. I like that the labels are durable and hold up nicely over time. (Many of the ones you print on your computer get messy quickly and fall off.)
  • Ink Dots – This is something I’ve recently started doing and I really find it helpful to see the true color of the ink pad at first glance. I stamp the color on top of two dots sandwiched together and adhere it next to the label. I encourage you to get your kids involved in helping. (A big shout out to Colin and my friend/right-hand-stamper Heather for helping me create all these dots!)

Note: I don’t think it is necessary to do all three of the systems above. It just depends on how many inks you have, how you work, etc. Maybe one would do the trick for you. I find all three helpful since I have a lot of inks for my job. (By the way, it is completely unnecessary to own as many inks as I do. This is my job and that is the only reason I have so many. Inks are like shoes – we all need and want something different, so you just need to pick what suites you. I show lots of inks in my videos to help you pick.)

INK STORAGE

I have a few ways I store my inks:

  • Organize More – I am a huge fan of Organize More… both the people and the products. I have several of their ink units in my craft room and cannot recommend them enough. They are amazing. You can get a closer look at these storage units in THIS video.

The kind people at Organize More are offering a 10% off code for my readers. Just use the code “MCGUIRE715” now thru 7/25/15. (And see below for a big giveaway!)

  • Stampin’ Up Ink Caddy – This option is great if you have a small desktop space for ink storage. I’ve placed a couple of these in a deep cabinet and have been happy with them. I like that each unit holds 48 ink pads and swivels for easy access. There is also a storage area on top to hold re-inkers.

If you’d like to get one of these caddies, just click HERE to shop with my friend Lydia Fiedler. If you use hostess code FEBAUNEW (enter this after clicking to view your shopping bag) you will go into a drawing for a $50 gift certificate to her store. Lydia is awesome. If there was a unicorn made out of glitter it couldn’t be more awesome than she is. 😉

Here is one of my Organize More units. It is just a thing of beauty…

And here is a look at how the inks fit into the Stampin’ Up Caddy. I do like how this baby spins around easily…

OTHER ORGANIZATION VIDEOS

If you are interested in my other organization videos, you can find them all HERE.

DISCOUNT CODE

Just a reminder – the kind people at Organize More are offering a 10% off code for my readers. Just use the code “MCGUIRE715” now thru 7/25/15.

GIVEAWAY

How would you like to win a $100 gift certificate to Organized More? (I told you these were super nice!) For your chance, leave a comment below by 11:59pmEST on 7/31/15 telling me how you store your inks. (The winner’s name will be randomly selected and posted on my “Winners page” after the giveaway closes. International folks are eligible, too!)

SUPPLIES

Interested in the products I used? To make them easy for you to find, I have listed them below. (Affiliate and product disclosure can be found here. All products featured were personally purchased.) Click on the letters below each picture to go to a favorite store:

 
CLICK A SHOP:
( JMink )

 
CLICK A SHOP:
( AZ )

 
CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS )

 
CLICK A SHOP:
( AZ )

 
CLICK A SHOP:
( OM )

 
CLICK A SHOP:
( SU )

 
CLICK A SHOP:
( IK )

 

 
CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS | AZ )

 
CLICK A SHOP:
( AZ )

 
CLICK A SHOP:
( SSS | AZ )

 


Leave a Comment

1,275 thoughts on “Video: Ink Organization + Storage + DISCOUNT CODES + GIVEAWAY”

  1. vikki says:
    July 20, 2015 at 11:59 pm

    mine are stored in one of the plastic 3 drawer units, Not the best since they stack on top of each other in the drawers. The organize more unit would be so great.

    Reply
  2. Nita K. says:
    July 21, 2015 at 12:07 am

    I wish I had your ink supply! How cool. Love your storage and organization ideas.

    Reply
  3. Amber P says:
    July 21, 2015 at 12:08 am

    First of all, let me say, I LOVE your organization videos! I’ve started using your system for storing stamps and dies and I LOVE it! So much easier than what I was doing before. As for inks, I have a couple of cassette tape racks that I found at thrift stores that I’m using for most of my inks until I can afford some of these custom organizers from OrganizeMore. One of them holds all my Distress inks and their matching blending pads. A second one holds all my other brands of large dye ink pads. A third one holds the few pigment ink pads I have. Since I use my PTI inks the most and they are too thick to fit in the cassette slots, those are stored in a Snapware Snap ‘n Stack 3 tiered container. The top tier holds the red family and neutrals, the middle tier holds the blues and purples, and the bottom tier holds the yellows and greens. It sits on my “desk” (the built-in wet bar in my basement – since we don’t drink, it’s my scrappin’ station. 🙂 within arms reach. Oh! And my mini ink cubes and dew drops are in little photo keepers stored in mini milk crates from Wally-world. Those are also separated by color family. (I also store die cut shapes in photo keepers that came in a storage case. Those are organized by category, ie; butterflies, flowers, leaves, etc.)

    Reply
    1. Amber P says:
      July 21, 2015 at 12:09 am

      And I forgot to say, Thanks for the giveaway! This is your best one yet! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Barbara says:
    July 21, 2015 at 12:21 am

    I store all my ink pads in a deep drawer. So difficult to find what I am looking for. I need help.

    Reply
  5. Nikki C says:
    July 21, 2015 at 1:00 am

    Wow that’s some organization you have there I store mine in a little box and a couple caddies I hand made thanks for the chance
    hugs Nikki

    Reply
  6. Lauren L says:
    July 21, 2015 at 1:22 am

    I store mine in baskets on a pegboard so they’re out of the way…hard to dig around to find the ones I need! I have to take out a whole stack to get to the ones on the bottom. The OrganiżeMore ones are AWESOME! I love some of their other storage ideas for punches and stamps!

    Reply
  7. Kerrie H says:
    July 21, 2015 at 1:31 am

    Hi Jennifer, I store my Stampin Up ink pads in a Stampin Up colour caddy. I find it really easy to find colours this way as I keep them in their colour collections. My other ink pads I store in a cabinet just on the shelves.
    Thanks heaps for the giveaway opportunity. Kerrie

    Reply
  8. shartl says:
    July 21, 2015 at 1:32 am

    I wish I had a great organizer for my ink pads but I’ve been keeping mine in old cookie tins! I pull out the tins, take the covers off, and line them up on my craft table. Not the best system but it’s what I’ve been doing for five years! Of course, I started out with just a few ink pads and my collection has grown so it’s probably time to start looking for something better!

    Reply
  9. Penny says:
    July 21, 2015 at 1:43 am

    Love the dots, have been looking for something like that. I asked for the empty display boxes for small wooden words from Michael’s and distress inks fit perfectly in the small sections. I can fit six inks in one section. The best part of it is that it was free.

    Reply
  10. scrapper al says:
    July 21, 2015 at 1:51 am

    Thanks for the giveaway. I store my ink pads in pencil boxes. Obviously, I don’t have that many inks. I do use the Tim Holtz mini storage tins for his inks. I like that I can see all the colors through the clear top. I also fit in a couple of Catseye inks in the empty spaces.

    Reply
  11. Sheri Elmont says:
    July 21, 2015 at 2:05 am

    I store my most used inks in a wooden cassette holder, and others are piled on a shelf above my desk, and older ones are in a plastic drawer. I need to update my storage as I’ve outgrown this. But my next task is to put all my stamps in pockets.

    Reply
  12. Irene says:
    July 21, 2015 at 2:11 am

    I store them in a wooden cassette, which once was a wine cassette! 🙂
    I actually don’t have many of them …..I just started doing these things….

    Reply
  13. Stephanie T says:
    July 21, 2015 at 2:20 am

    I store them in the shallow drawers of an Iris rolling cart. Both the Stampin’ Up and Organize More storage options look terrific.

    Reply
  14. Kerry Phillips says:
    July 21, 2015 at 2:30 am

    I use a lot of the cube sized ink pads and I store them in 3 different containers sorted by type (pigment/dye/distress)

    Reply
  15. Corilyn Noreen says:
    July 21, 2015 at 2:38 am

    I use a 12×12 ArtBin storage box meant for scrapbook paper. I store my ink pads on their sides. Works well. I have them alphabetized so that I can find them easily after consulting my ink swatch book, organized by color. 🙂

    Reply
  16. Catrinel Wright says:
    July 21, 2015 at 2:41 am

    My ink collection is tiny compared to yours, it is stored in a special caddy made of PDF( for Distress inks) and a storage tray in my drawer( for versafine, Versamark and versacolor)

    Reply
  17. Stephanie Johnson says:
    July 21, 2015 at 2:50 am

    Happy Dance!! I love organization almost as much as crafting! Strange I know because my craft space STILL looks like a bomb went off!

    Reply
  18. Carol Love says:
    July 21, 2015 at 3:08 am

    have a moderate collection of ink pads which are sadly stored a variety of ways and places.

    Reply
  19. Di W says:
    July 21, 2015 at 3:16 am

    Thanks for the organization tips. I store my inks similar to your Organize More storage – very helpful.

    Reply
  20. Anna D says:
    July 21, 2015 at 3:24 am

    I store my inks upside down in a drawer with a color swatch taped to the bottom.

    Reply
  21. tasha says:
    July 21, 2015 at 5:46 am

    thanks for the storage ideas love them!

    Reply
  22. Marisa says:
    July 21, 2015 at 7:01 am

    My studio is still a mess! I’m trying to organize but there are very few solutions where I live.
    Love your storage ideas!

    Reply
  23. marilou weiss says:
    July 21, 2015 at 7:27 am

    I store my ink pads in 2 different organize more storage units. One is a 60 pad, regular size and the other is specifically sized for distress ink pads I love them both. I would love to have more of their product. They have a storage unit for almost everything

    Reply
  24. kathi R says:
    July 21, 2015 at 7:45 am

    I tend to refer back to your organizational videos quite often and find them very helpful. Love the idea of inking the ink color on a dot and adhering to the ink pad! I have a small organize more unit that I store my most used inks in, however I some beautiful inks in plastic containers that because they are tucked away dont get used very much. Another organize more unit would be wonderful. Thank you for sharing your ideas!

    Reply
  25. Andrea says:
    July 21, 2015 at 8:14 am

    I store my inks in an old wooden cassette holder which holds 48 ink pads. I like being able to repurpose something that I no longer am able to use for its original intent, however I have more inks than I do cassette holders.

    Reply
  26. Kim Faucher says:
    July 21, 2015 at 8:19 am

    Most of my inks are in my studio which is my old kitchen drawers and cabinets. The shallow drawers stack two rows of inks perfectly! For the more popular ink pads like distress , Simon Says and Studio Calico ones, I stack in some baskets on top of my desk. I can’t wait to add the color dots!! This will save me a bunch of time while stamping!! The swatches are great for me too so I don’t buy two of the same color!!

    Reply
  27. Debra Price says:
    July 21, 2015 at 8:36 am

    Love your videos and this one was one of the best. I find that organizing my stamp is always a challenge and you make it look so easy. Thanks for the great ideas.

    Reply
  28. April says:
    July 21, 2015 at 8:37 am

    Currently my inks are in a plastic storage box. I have looked at the Organized More storage systems. They look fantastic! It would be so much easier to see the inks displayed. Thanks for the great ideas!

    Reply
  29. Myra says:
    July 21, 2015 at 8:56 am

    Since I don’t have a container for my ink pads, they are in a drawer where I can’t see them easily and that’s why I have two of several colors. I would LOVE to get an organizational box for inks and reinkers. The stamp and die storage was easy to do and affordable but the Organize More and Stami n Storage items just aren’t on my retirement radar at the moment. Myra from Florida

    Reply
  30. Rachel C says:
    July 21, 2015 at 8:59 am

    I store my inks in a 3 draws currently as my ink collection is pretty large… Hoping to get an organizer that I can store them in it.

    Reply
  31. Barbara M. says:
    July 21, 2015 at 9:03 am

    My inks are all over the place! I need organizing so very badly!!!

    Reply
  32. Debbie Peysen says:
    July 21, 2015 at 9:18 am

    I store my inks in two rolling storage bins. I have them stored by ink type then by ink company. I have done this for years. I have a ink swatch system to find the colors I want.

    I love your system. Thanks for sharing it.

    Reply
  33. Colleen says:
    July 21, 2015 at 9:48 am

    My craft room is pretty organized but the exception is my ink, I have all my ink in drawers and it is really hard to find the one I want without having to go thru a lot of them. I love how you organized yours! Thanks!

    Reply
  34. Julie Deskins says:
    July 21, 2015 at 10:14 am

    I store my ink pads on a shelf in my desk.. 🙂

    Reply
  35. Robin M. says:
    July 21, 2015 at 10:23 am

    I’m just starting on my card making journey, so right now my ink pads are just in a pile till I figure out how to store them. These solutions look awesome!

    Reply
  36. ann k says:
    July 21, 2015 at 10:32 am

    I don’t have nearly as many inks as you. I have drawers from Ikea with 3 drawers dedicated for inks, blocks, etc. 🙂

    Reply
  37. Thérèse Arsenault says:
    July 21, 2015 at 10:59 am

    I have been looking at the Organize More units for quite some time. Winning one would be such a wonderful treat. Thanks for all you organizing tips.

    Reply
  38. renee m says:
    July 21, 2015 at 11:01 am

    One year my hubby got me an ink storage unit that looks like the ones by Organize More–it may even be from them? At the time I thought it was huge and I’d never fill it. But I did and then some, and have been looking for more storage ideas. Thanks for sharing the ideas!

    Reply
  39. Natalie Rice says:
    July 21, 2015 at 11:24 am

    My most used ink pads are in an old wooden hanging cassette cabinet. My cubes are in their own boxes or a Tim Holtz tin and my teardrops are in small photo storage boxes similar in size to TH tins. These are stacked on top of my cassette holder within easy reach.

    Reply
  40. Lynne B says:
    July 21, 2015 at 11:31 am

    Some of my inks are in a drawer stacked on top of each other. Some are on the wall in a “thing” that is not even made for ink storage. I don’t know what is supposed to be used for. My husband found it on the side of the road years ago. It works, but I have to be careful. One wrong move and some of them could come tumbling down! I sure could use something better.

    Reply
  41. Tyra says:
    July 21, 2015 at 12:26 pm

    I keep mine stored in a cassette holder, like so many others 🙂 My husband built me an incredible craft room and built the holder into the center of my stamp shelves. Love it!

    Reply
  42. Jeanne Treptow says:
    July 21, 2015 at 12:29 pm

    Hi Jennifer! I have 2 old card catalog’s from a school library (remember those?) that Zi use to store my inkpads in, in addition to lots of other stuff!
    Jeanne in Denver

    Reply
  43. Barb Chmura says:
    July 21, 2015 at 12:31 pm

    I keep my inks stored in compartments on my desk. It keeps growing because I get tempted by all the beautiful colors. I keep the by color and by type.

    Reply
  44. cindi says:
    July 21, 2015 at 12:52 pm

    As of right now, I store my stamps on a shelf to the right of my desk where I can easily see them. I like the idea of the separate holders for each pad though, because mine get to be a mess in my creative flurry! Always looking for better ways to store and organize. I also keep tags 0n the sides of my stamps for easy identification. Love your videos!

    Reply
  45. Katie Koenig says:
    July 21, 2015 at 1:22 pm

    I stack my inks on a shelf at my desk. I love having them at my finger tips when ever I want. This way when I change my mind with a color I want to use I can just reach over and grab it. Thank you for the tip of using the label maker on the side. I have labels but as you said they get colored and I’d prefer they stay clean.

    Reply
  46. Janet L. says:
    July 21, 2015 at 1:32 pm

    I’ve one ink storage unit from Close To My Heart for those ink pads, but, alas, the rest are in a drawer or on my desk, making it a chore to find the one I need. Thank you for sharing your storage video. I have much to do to get better organized!!

    Reply
  47. Rachel says:
    July 21, 2015 at 1:45 pm

    I use an old wooden cassette holder. It’s a large one and so far all of my inks fit in there. So I guess as long as I don’t keep getting more I should be ok. I would really like to be able to keep the reinkers and markers with the ink pads though. Thanks for the great ideas and for the chance to win!!

    Reply
  48. Jen says:
    July 21, 2015 at 2:06 pm

    Right now I just store my inks upside down in a drawer – so winning a gift card to get some better storage would be amazing! Thanks for the chance to win!

    Reply
  49. Marcy G says:
    July 21, 2015 at 2:19 pm

    Funny story. This year my husband and I celebrated 30 year anniversary. For our first anniversary he gave me a spice rack. This year for my birthday I received an amazing craft room set up for stamping. My spice rack sits on my desktop holding some of my ink pads. It’s a reminder of how far we have come in understanding one another!!

    Reply
  50. Laila Bianca says:
    July 21, 2015 at 3:02 pm

    I store my ink pads in a small shoe box!!! 😉

    Reply

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