Words Of Comfort - Day 5

Good morning and welcome back for Day 5 of the Papertrey Ink January release countdown! I have a couple of additional projects to share with you today featuring my new set, Words Of Comfort (available January 15th at 10pm EST). First, I'd like to thank all of you again for the enthusiasm you've shown over the past several days for this set. Who knew that a stamp set focused on this topic would get such a positive response? I appreciate every one of you and I thank you for your kindness.

On to the projects!

My first card today is a little "get well" number. This sentiment could be used for more serious circumstances, too, but I chose to go with a more light-hearted approach. You know, like for a head cold or something.

I began by covering a white card base with Spring Rain polka dotty paper. Next, I stamped my sentiment onto a 3/8" strip of white cardstock using True Black ink. I also stamped a subtle grounding oval (from Sunflower Bouquet) onto that same strip before adhering it to my card front. I added another narrow strip of white cardstock underneath the first one for a little bit of added interest.

Next, I die cut and stamped the soup bowl from Comfort Food onto white cardstock using Pure Poppy ink. I cut a small slit in the bowl and inserted a spoon (from the same set) that I die cut from Soft Stone cardstock and stamped with gray ink. I mounted that with foam tape to my card front atop the grounding oval on the sentiment strip.

I stamped the steam from Comfort Food above my soup bowl with Fresh Snow ink and embellished it with white flocking. Finally, I rounded the bottom two corners.

My second card is another general show of support. The nice thing about the sentiments on this card is that they could work for so many situations.

I began by stamping the Spring Moss card front with Background Basics: Needlepoint in Fresh Snow ink. Then, I stamped the stems and leaves from Mum's The Word using Pinefeather ink. Next, I die cut the Christmas Label shape and the two largest mums from Mum's The Word from Rustic White cardstock. I stamped the label shape with my sentiment (two phrases combined for one message) using Pinefeather ink.

The largest mum was stamped with an Autumn Rose/Scarlet Jewel rock 'n roll combo while the smaller mum was stamped with a Sweet Blush/Autumn Rose combo. I adhered the label and smaller mum to the card front with flat adhesive. The larger mum was mounted with foam tape for a bit of dimension. I added a small bow to the flower stems with Rustic Cream Button Twine and two Copic-colored pearls to the sentiment label.

Well, that's all for me today. Thank you for stopping by to check out more of Words of Comfort. Believe it or not, there are still two phrases in the set that I haven't had a chance to showcase yet. It's a packed little set, people. Perhaps I'll be back in the next day or so to share a project or two with those. In the meantime, it's another group post day! Nichole, Ashley, Betsy, Cristina, Danielle, Dawn, Erin, Heather, Laura, and Melissa have more inspiration to share with you. Tiffany is also sharing another peek of her set, so make sure to visit her, too. Have a good one!

Recipes:
Better Days Card
Stamps: Words Of Comfort (available January 15th), Comfort Food, Sunflower Bouquet - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Spring Rain Polka Dot Patterned Paper - Papertrey Ink; white
Ink: Pure Poppy, True Black, Fresh Snow - Papertrey Ink; gray pigment - Studio G
Other: Foam Tape - Scotch; White Flocking - Stampendous; Corner Chomper - We R Memory Keepers; fine point glue pen

Here For You Card
Stamps: Words Of Comfort (available January 15th), Mum's The Word, Background Basics: Needlepoint - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Spring Moss, Rustic White - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Pinefeather, Autumn Rose, Scarlet Jewel, Sweet Blush - Papertrey Ink
Other: Christmas Label Die, Mum's The Word Die Collection, Rustic Cream Button Twine - Papertrey Ink; Self-adhesive Pearls - Mark Richards; R85 Marker - Copic; Foam Tape - Scotch

Words Of Comfort - Day 4

Good morning, friends, and welcome back for Day 4 of the Papertrey Ink January new release countdown. I have two more cards to share with you featuring Words Of Comfort, so let's get to them. Ok!

My first project is a card to let someone know that you're there for them if they need you.

I began by stamping my patterned paper using strips from Faux Ribbon and Background Basics: Retro. The pattern was stamped onto Aqua Mist cardstock with Fresh Snow, Winter Wisteria, and Simply Chartreuse inks. I adhered that piece to a white card base and set it aside while I created my focal point. I wanted to make it look like I had one friend reaching for another's hand, but both hands in Love Lives Here are facing the same direction. I used a mirroring technique to flip one of the hands the opposite direction. To do this, I inked up the hand and stamped it onto the back of one of the 2012 Birthday Tags stamps (any large, flat stamp surface will work). Then, I stamped the tag down onto my cardstock to transfer the hand image. It's a pretty neat trick and it accomplished exactly what I needed it to.

I continued by stamping my sentiment onto the same white cardstock strip and matted it with a scalloped strip of Winter Wisteria polka dotted paper. I added some stitching and mounted the strip to my card base. Next, I die cut and stamped the other hand from Love Lives Here. I also stamped the heart image and adhered it behind the negative in the hand die. I wanted to convey that the friend reaching out had plenty of love to share with the friend with the empty/sad/missing heart. Maybe I read too much into things. Anyway, I mounted the die cut hand so that it was touching the first hand and embellished the heart with fine glitter.

My second card could be used as a sympathy card, but it could also just be used for someone who is going through a particularly hard time.

I began by stamping and heat embossing the gingko leaves with gold detail powder onto Terra Cotta Tile cardstock. I know I suggested earlier in the countdown that I like to use cool colors for these sorts of cards, but the sentiment on this one seemed to suggest a warm color would be more apropos. Then, I impressed that piece with the Quatrefoil Cover Plate and adhered it to a Rustic White card base. Next, I stamped the Label Basics rectangle onto Rustic White cardstock using Ocean Tides ink.

I stamped my sentiment (which is actually two phrases combined for one message) and heat embossed it with gold detail powder. I wanted to carry over the gingko leaves to the label shape, so I lined up the label and masked it so that the image would only stamp inside the border. I continued by stamping the gingko leaves using Spring Moss ink. I mounted the sentiment panel to the card base with foam tape and embellished the card front with a handful of pearls (side note: I colored the pearls with a Y32 Copic to soften the whiteness just a little).

Thank you for stopping by today! I have a couple of additional projects to share with you tomorrow, so I hope you'll check back. In the meantime, today is a group post day, so Nichole, Ashley, Betsy, Cristina, Danielle, Dawn, Erin, Heather, Laura, and Melissa have projects to share. Tiffany is also sharing a project with her new set. I'll see you tomorrow. Take care!

Recipes:Not Alone Card
Stamps: Words Of Comfort, Faux Ribbon, Love Lives Here, Background Basics: Retro - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Aqua Mist, Winter Wisteria Polka Dot Patterned Paper - Papertrey Ink; white
Ink: Aqua Mist, Simply Chartreuse, Fresh Snow, Winter Wisteria - Papertrey Ink; gray pigment - Studio G
Other: Love Lives Here Die Collection, Small Scallops Border Die - Papertrey Ink; Foam Tape - Scotch; Crystal Fine Glitter - Martha Stewart Crafts; White Pearle Cotton - DMC

Difficult Time Card
Stamps: Words Of Comfort, Label Basics, Harvest Berries - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Terra Cotta Tile, Rustic White - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Ocean Tides, Spring Moss - Papertrey Ink; VersaMark - Tsukineko
Other: Quatrefoil Cover Plate - Papertrey Ink; Gold Detail Embossing Powder - Filigree; Self-adhesive Pearls - Recollections (large), Mark Richards (small); Foam Tape - Scotch; Y32 Marker - Copic

Words Of Comfort - Day 3

Hello there, friends! Welcome back to Day 3 of the Papertrey Ink January new release countdown. I'm very excited about today. You see, today is the day that Nichole is formally introducing Words of Comfort (available January 15th) on her blog. Melissa Phillips is helping with the debut today, too, so make sure to visit her for even more inspiration. Speaking of, let's get on to today's projects, shall we?

Let's start out with a sympathy card today.

I began this card by die cutting an Ocean Tides mat with a circular cut out. I used the mat as a guide to stamp the large clock face from Hands of Time onto a Vintage Cream card base using Spring Moss ink. I continued by stamping the numerals in Ocean Tides ink and heat embossing the clock hands using gold detail powder. I also gold embossed the smaller clock face onto the Ocean Tides mat and filled in the numerals with Fresh Snow ink. I softened the mat edges with very, very subtle Fresh Snow sponging and then sprinkled it with glimmer mist for a slightly dreamy effect.

Next,  I mounted my Ocean Tides mat to my card base using foam adhesive and set about creating the focal point for my sentiment. I die cut a banner using the First Place dies and stamped it with my sentiment using True Black ink. I trimmed it to match the edge of the circular cut out in my mat and played with it a little until it was slightly wavy. I attached it to my card front with flat and foam adhesives to help it retain the waviness.

My second card for today is a thinking of you card.

I began by stamping a few of the botanical images from Larger Than Life onto a piece of Rustic White cardstock using Spring Moss and Ripe Avocado inks (some are stamped off for more dimension). I added the small flowers with Sweet Blush ink and the sentiment with Dark Chocolate ink. I adhered that panel to a Classic Kraft base that I had textured with the Rustic Burlap impression plate.

Next, I die cut a Sweet Blush Victorian Lace shape, adhered it over top of the floral layer, and embellished it with a handful of pearls. Finally, I wrapped a silk ribbon around the card base and tied it into a bow around a Spring Moss button.

My final card today is another sympathy type card.

I began this one by stamping a scrap of Classic Kraft cardstock with Background Basics: Woodgrain using watermark ink. I die cut that piece with the Fabulous Frames die and stamped it with my sentiment in Dark Chocolate ink. Then, I wrapped the frame with a bit of white crochet thread and tied on a Spring Rain button.

Next, I stamped the scene for the inside of my frame with images from Chair-ished and Sunflower Bouquet in Classic Kraft, Dark Chocolate, and Spring Rain inks. I adhered that to a Spring Rain card base that had been textured with the Linen & Canvas impression plate. Finally, I mounted my fame atop the little scene with foam adhesive.

Well, that's all for me today. Thank you for joining me! I'll be back tomorrow with a couple of additional Words Of Comfort projects. You can find more inspiration today with Nichole and Melissa, Cristina, Dawn, Erin, Heather, and Tiffany. Check in with them and I'll see you shortly. Have a great day!

Recipes:
Memories & Time Card
Stamps: Words Of Comfort (available January 15th), Hands Of Time - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Vintage Cream, Ocean Tides - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Spring Moss, Ocean Tides, Fresh Snow, True Black - Papertrey Ink; VersaMark - Tsukineko
Other: First Place Die Collection - Papertrey Ink; Gold Detail Embossing Powder - Filigree; Pearl Glimmer Mist - Tattered Angels; Foam Tape - Scotch

Today & Always Card
Stamps: Words Of Comfort (available January 15th), Larger Than Life - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Classic Kraft, Rustic White, Sweet Blush - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Spring Moss, Ripe Avocado, Sweet Blush, Dark Chocolate - Papertrey Ink
Other: Victorian Lace Border Die, Rustic Burlap Impression Plate, Spring Moss Button, 1/4" Silk Ribbon - Papertrey Ink; Self-adhesive Pearls - Mark Richards

Never Long Enough Card
Stamps: Words Of Comfort (available January 15th), Chair-ished (dog, rocker), Sunflower Bouquet (grounding oval), Background Basics: Woodgrain - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Spring Rain, Classic Kraft - Papertrey Ink; white
Ink: Classic Kraft, Dark Chocolate, Spring Rain - Papertrey Ink; VersaMark - Tsukineko
Other: Fabulous Frames Die Collection,  Linen & Canvas Impression Plate, Spring Rain button - Papertrey Ink; Foam Tape - Scotch; white crochet thread

Words Of Comfort - Day 2

Hello again, friends, and welcome back for Day 2 of this month's Papertrey Ink countdown. I want to start by thanking everyone for their wonderful comments and enthusiasm for Words Of Comfort. I truly appreciate the positive response and I'm excited to share more of this meaningful little set. So let's get to it!

My first card today is a very simple card that you could use to just be there for someone going through a rough time.

I began by stamping the lines and birds onto a strip of white cardstock using Enchanted Evening, Spring Rain, and gray inks. I wanted the pair of birds to connect directly to the sentiment, so I stamped my message in the same color ink.

I layered that panel onto a piece of Enchanted Evening patterned paper that I had cut on the bias to get the diagonal lines. Those layers were then mounted to a Soft Stone card base that had been textured with the Linen & Canvas impression plate. It's a very simple, masculine design which is always nice to have on hand. Man cards are tough. Here for you cards can be tough, too. This card satisfies both needs (and it can be femmed up with a few color swaps if you so choose).

My final card today is another sympathy card that uses two of the phrases in the set to build one longer message.

I began by stamping my fern fronds in Spring Moss and second generation Ripe Avocado inks onto a white panel. I chose to stamp off the Ripe Avocado because the full-strength ink was just a little more intense that I wanted for this card. Next, I die cut my Queen Anne's Lace bloom and stamped it with Winter Wisteria (the stems are full-strength and the petals are second generation). I stamped my sentiment onto my white panel using Dark Chocolate ink before adhering it to a decorative Spring Moss mat.

Then, I scored my lines (on either side of my ribbon) and tied the bow around my focal panel. That whole piece was mounted to a Kraft card base that I had stamped with Background Basics: Tin Types in Fresh Snow ink. I finished the card by mounting my bloom atop the fern fronds with foam tape and embellishing it with a few white pearls.

I hope you've enjoyed today's projects! I'll be back tomorrow with a couple of additional projects featuring Words Of Comfort. In the meantime, Nichole, Heather, Dawn, Erin, Laura, Melissa, and Tiffany have more to share with you. See you soon!

Recipes:
Birds On A Line Card
Stamps: Words Of Comfort (available January 15th), In The Meadow (birds), Birds Of A Feather (line) - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Soft Stone, Enchanted Evening Stripe Patterned Paper - Papertrey Ink; white
Ink: Enchanted Evening, Spring Rain - Papertrey Ink; gray pigment - Studio G
Other: Linen & Canvas Impression Plate - Papertrey Ink; Foam Tape - Scotch

Floral Sympathy Card
Stamps: Words Of Comfort (available January 15th), Meadow Greens, Background Basics: Tin Types - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Spring Moss, Classic Kraft - Papertrey Ink; white
Ink: Spring Moss, Ripe Avocado, Winter Wisteria, Dark Chocolate, Fresh Snow - Papertrey Ink
Other: Meadow Greens Die Collection, Edgers #1 Die - Papertrey Ink; White Ribbon - May Arts; Self-adhesive Pearls - Recollections (large), Mark Richards (small); Foam Tape - Scotch

Introducing Words Of Comfort

Good morning and welcome to the first day of Papertrey Ink's January countdown! I have a set to share with you over the next several days that holds a special significance for me (pardon, but it's going to get real for a quick moment). This set, Words Of Comfort, came about a little over a year ago, after my brother passed away. So many wonderful people sent me cards, or emailed, or gave me a moment of their time and it meant the world. I also had plenty of folks tell me that they didn't know what to say in difficult situations like the loss of a loved one, diagnosis, or general hardship. I've been there, too, and I thought it might be helpful to have stamps available designed to make those tough-to-create cards a little easier.

This $15 set includes 17 phrases that can be mixed and matched or used individually for difficult occasions. Some are sympathy, but many of the others simply offer support for someone in need. The fonts I chose are versatile enough to compliment many of the sets you already have in your collection.

So now you know a little background. How about we get on to some projects, shall we?

My first card today is a sympathy card that uses two of the phrases in the set; one on the front and the other as the message inside the card.

I began by impressing my Rustic White card base with the Mighty Oak Cover Plate. This handy little trick makes the leaf placement super easy. Next, I stamped exterior sentiment using Dark Chocolate ink. I die cut my tree trunk from cork and adhered it to my card front in the impressed area. Then, I die cut my leaves from Rustic White cardstock and stamped them with a combination of Ocean Tides, Spring Moss, Simply Chartreuse, and Ripe Avocado inks.

I like using cool colors for cards like this because I feel they give a peaceful impression. I also tried to keep my colors in a similar color family to keep the card from getting too busy. I adhered most of the leaves with flat adhesive, but a handful were mounted with foam tape to give the tree a bit of dimension. As a finishing touch, I added a sentiment to the inside of the card, also in Dark Chocolate ink.

Let's leave today on a hopeful note, ok? Today's final card does just that.

I've been seeing cancer ribbons as the center of butterflies now for awhile and I wanted to try my hand at creating one on a supportive card. You can find a great list of awareness ribbons HERE if you'd like to do something similar for someone in your life.

I began by stamping the butterfly from Beautiful Butterflies onto a Mat Stack 5 shape using Autumn Rose ink (though I was careful not to ink the antennae). Next, I stamped the dotted detail from Butterfly Kisses overtop my Autumn Rose butterfly using Scarlet Jewel ink.

Then, I stamped the "Sending you hope" sentiment below the butterfly in gray ink. I used a fine point glue pen to add glitter to each of the dots, so my butterfly would be super fancy (it's hard to see in the photos, but the whole thing shimmers). I then added a Sweet Blush twill ribbon in the center of the butterfly and embellished it with a few white self-adhesive pearls.

I finished the whole thing off by mounting my focal point panel to a white card base that I textured with the woodgrain impression plate.

Thank you so much for joining me today and I hope to see you back again tomorrow as I share more of Words Of Comfort. Make sure to check in with Nichole, Betsy, Danielle, Dawn, Erin, Heather, Laura, Melissa, and Tiffany as they share more projects featuring this month's release. Take care and I'll see you soon!

Recipes:
Sympathy Tree Card
Stamps: Words Of Comfort (available January 15th), Mighty Oak - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Rustic White - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Dark Chocolate, Ocean Tides, Spring Moss, Simply Chartreuse, Ripe Avocado - Papertrey Ink
Other: Mighty Oak Cover Plate, Cork Sheet - Papertrey Ink; Foam Tape - Scotch; glue pen

Ribbon Butterfly Card
Stamps: Words Of Comfort (available January 15th), Beautiful Butterflies, Butterfly Kisses - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: white
Ink: Autumn Rose, Scarlet Jewel - Papertrey Ink; Gray Pigment - Studio G
Other: Mat Stack 5 Die, Sweet Blush Twill Ribbon, Woodgrain Impression Plate - Papertrey Ink; Fine Crystal Glitter - Martha Stewart Crafts; Foam Tape - Scotch; Self-adhesive pearls - Recollections (large) and Mark Richards (small); glue pen

January Sneak Peek

Hello, All! I just wanted to pop in to share a sneak peek of a set I have debuting in a few days.

This set includes all sorts of phrases you can use to show support to a friend or loved one. I can't wait to show you more starting on the 10th. See you then!

Organization Questions Answered!

Ok, so there were a few questions about my die organization and I figured it would probably be easier to put all of the info in one post just in case not everyone checks comments for answers.

#1. What are those boxes? What sleeves did you use? Where do you get them?
I'll be honest, I wasn't really expecting this question. I was thinking of my organization as more of a method rather than a step-by-step tutorial. My mistake! That was silly of me and I'm sorry for not including this information in the original post.

The boxes I use are called Memorex File N Store boxes. I've had trouble finding them locally, so I stocked up from Office Depot online the last time I outgrew a box. Any similar media storage would give you comparable organization options.

The sleeves I use are the ones that came in the boxes. I'm all about no-brainer solutions and this one fit the bill perfectly. Each box comes with 40 double-sided sleeves for a total of 80 pockets per box. As you can see in the post, I removed the sleeves from one of the boxes in order to store my Cover Plates, Impression Plates, etc. so I have a handful of extras that I use to fill the other boxes until they're bursting (that's less of a joke than it should be).

#2. Where do you put your dies that are too big for the boxes?
The border dies I keep on those magnetic knife bar things. I have three of them hanging off the side of my paper storage (those cube things from Michaels that I retrofitted with additional shelves).

The dies that are too big and aren't border dies (ie: Pillow Box, Front & Centers, etc.) are stored in an open basket that lives with the die boxes on the same shelf. They cohabitate with my acrylic blocks for easy access.

#3. Do you label anything?
Nope. The beauty of this system is the flexibility. I don't have the names of anything anywhere so I can shuffle things around as need be. For example, I had the Limitless Layers Hearts in a pocket with the Limitless Layers Squares already, but a new order brought the Stitching Hearts dies. It makes sense (to me) for the two heart sets to be together, so I removed the Limitless Layers Squares and replaced them with the Stitching Hearts collection. The Squares then ended up in a fresh sleeve. If I had labeled everything, the switch wouldn't have been nearly as easy. Make sense?

#4. Do you keep vendors separate?
All of my dies are currently from Papertrey, but I'm the type that would store everything together (I take that back, I have some Quickutz and Spellbinders basics [circles/ovals/etc.], but I keep those hanging on hooks at eye level for easy access). I'm all about making things as intuitive as possible. For me, keeping things separate would mean I'd forget about a specific floral set or something. Keeping everything together means I can easily see all that I have.

I hope that answers any questions you all may have had, but you're certainly welcome to ask and I'll get back with you as soon as possible. Thanks again for your interest!

January Color Play

Good morning and welcome to this month's Papertrey Ink Color Play feature! This month we're getting our inspiration from an Instagram photo from Copenhagen-based photographer idalaerke. Her entire Instagram feed is packed full with inspiration, but this photo in particular caught my eye. I love that you can tell that it's cold, but the knit sweater and coffee are so cozy.

I also knew I wanted to make a thank you card for today. If your house is anything like mine, you've been deep in the throes of gifting as of late. I've been needing to make some thank you cards to send to the friends and family who have been so generous with us over the holiday season. Not only do I need cards, but so does my husband. He's better than just about anyone I know (I'm including myself here) about sending notes of gratitude. This challenge gave me a nice opportunity to make him a handful of notes to have available.

I started with a smaller than average card (3 1/2" x 4 7/8"). I began by stamping my ikat pattern onto a Soft Stone card front using Pinefeather, Blueberry Sky, and New Leaf inks. Using Soft Stone here (aside from the fact that it's part of the color palette) is a good choice because it tones down the colors just a smidgen. White would have been a little too bright against the other colors in the scheme for this particular project.

Next, I die cut a Photo Finishers strip from the stamped panel to give me a space to stamp my sentiment. The panel pieces were backed with foam tape (to give them a bit of substance) and mounted to a Classic Kraft base. The sentiment was then added in the resulting negative space using Pinefeather ink. It's extremely clean, simple, and (I hope) masculine which is exactly what I was going for. I think he'll be pleased.

Thank you for joining me today! Make sure to check out my earlier post on color coded die storage. I hope you have a happy and productive start to your new year. Until next time!

Recipe:
Stamps: Irresistibly Ikat, Bountiful Banners - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Classic Kraft, Soft Stone - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Pinefeather, Blueberry Sky, New Leaf - Papertrey Ink
Other: Photo Finishers Die Collection - Papertrey Ink; Foam Tape - Scotch

Color Coded Die Storage

Good morning, friends, and welcome to a brand new year! In the spirit of new beginnings and organization I thought I would share my recent die storage overhaul.

I looked around a few months ago and realized that I had a big ol' mess on my hands. I was using CD boxes with numbered tabs to keep everything in order, but I noticed that I was never putting the sleeves back in their allotted slots. The result was mountains of slippery die sleeves all over my workbench. I had also outgrown my original box, so the sleeves were getting all jumbled and I couldn't remember which number 31/32 went in which organizer.

ETA: The boxes I use are called Memorex File N Store boxes. I've had trouble finding them locally, so I stocked up from Office Depot the last time I outgrew a box. Any similar media storage would give you comparable organization options.

So I thought on it for a few days and finally came up with a solution...color coding! I've separated my dies into categories that make sense for me (ie: Tags, Basics, Food & Beverage, Flowers, etc.) and each category gets a colored strip of cardstock in place of the original numbers (the stock just slips under the plastic of the sleeve - no adhesive needed). This way, I can easily see where my sleeve should go and clean-up is no longer a struggle.

I hadn't quite gotten around to putting away some of my new dies yet, so I thought I'd share what filing new product looks like.

I start by deciding which category is the best fit. Then, I check to see whether or not there is spare room in one of the existing sleeves. If not, I pull a new sleeve as well as the coordinating colored paper strip.

I have several extra strips in a spare sleeve in the back of one of my boxes. I try to remember to replace the ones that I use often. That way, they're ready and waiting for the next new batch of dies.

Once the die is all snug in its sleeve and the paper strip is in place, I put the sleeve into the appropriate section, usually in the front (but I don't get overly fussy about that particular detail).

Here you can see several sections in one box. I have my dies split into three boxes right now, with a few extras on hand for the future (and when I say "few" I mean eight). Some of the colors look similar in these photos, but I've tried to make sure that all of the sections in a box are significantly different. For example, the "Animals" section is labeled with Winter Wisteria cardstock and is placed right next to the "Baby" section, labeled in Lemon Tart.

I don't tend to worry about keeping the individual sections organized in any particular way because each section is of a manageable enough size that it's no trouble keeping track of the dies. I also have filed the dies into the sections that most closely fit their most frequently used purpose. For example, the Candy Cane Christmas die collection is kept in the "Food & Beverage" section as opposed to the "Winter Holiday" section since I often use those dies for everyday projects. The whole idea is to make the system intuitive.

I also have sleeves already in place for series dies like the Boutique Borders and Wonderful Words dies. All I have to do for those is pop them in with the rest of the series. Keeping dies together like this has helped me save an incredible amount of space. I also like being able to find an entire series all at once.

I also have a box in a contrasting color (black instead of khaki) that houses my Cover Plates and other similar tools. I have them stored in sections with a sleeve between each.

In the back I store my Shape Up dies.

Next comes my Favor It Boxes and awkward dies that don't fit well in a sleeve. If I have any dies that don't fit in here (like the Front & Center dies) they get stored in a separate basket that lives next to these boxes on a shelf. The border dies are all on magnetic knife racks hanging on the side of my paper storage.

Then, I have my Impression Plates as well as my Embossing Pad Kit and Metal Shim (which aren't in the photo because I didn't realize they were on the table next to me when I took the picture).

In the front are my Cover Plates.

I hope this has helped shed a little light on another organizational method for keeping unruly dies in order. I'm particularly responsive to color and I've come to really appreciate the ease of my new system. Thanks for checking in today! Best of luck for a well organized 2014!

ETA: I've written an "All Questions Answered" post in case that's helpful to you. In it, I explain the whats and whys that came of this post.