After almost 15 years in my large stamp area, I have downsized my work area (and many supplies!) to create a [stamp] room with a view!

My old, basement stamp area

My previous stamp room was about half of our home’s basement office.  I had a lot more storage above and below my work table.  But after struggling to find stamping motivation for well over five years, I began to suspect that what I really needed was a stamp area with natural light.  With three kids age 15 and under, none of our four bedrooms were going to be available anytime soon.  The only space left with a nearby window was our south facing dining room.

My plan for my new work area was to create a space that could easily be moved out of the way when we wanted to use the dining room for entertaining.  I selected only my favorite stamps and supplies, and set up six shelf storage cubes in a corner.  Then I used a folding table in front of the window so that I can fold my work table and set it against the wall under the window when needed.  I added a rolling cart of drawers for extra storage that can be rolled into the corner when packing up.  I am able to convert my area in about 5 minutes from stamping work space to packed up and out of the way!

I gave away many extra stamps and supplies to my stamping friends (if it doesn’t spark joy, set it free! ~ KonMari), but I wasn’t able to give away all my extra stamps yet.  So I’ve stored extras in the basement such as off-season stamps, and sets I don’t use often.

Since my work space is viewable from our front hallway, I reserved a storage shelf for a box that works as a drawer for holding works in progress out of sight between crafting sessions.

Another view of my stamping area shows the work table in front of the window, rolling cart of drawers off the left of the photo, white cube shelves to the left with paper storage and a display board above, ink pads stored in a former audio cassette shelf to the left of the window.  I have since added a small white table lamp (from Target) for my work table for extra light when needed.

It surprises me how many supplies I can fit in such a small area and that I can work very happily with a greatly reduced selection of paper, stamps and tools.  I am beginning to believe that having fewer supplies actually increases my creative inspiration as there are fewer choices and distractions.

I still have less time to stamp than I’d like, but when I do have time I look forward to creative time at my table by a window!

I was very happy with Fiskars’ customer service recently, so I wanted to give them a plug and let other’s know about their great product warranty.

I have a Fiskars paper trimmer that I really like (compact, lightweight, extending arm, wire cutting guide, better for cutting small pieces of paper than my full size paper cutter).  The guide wire had started to unravel which was causing the trimmer blade to get stuck and the wire ends were sharp.  I wasn’t able to find a replacement wire in stores or online so I contacted Fiskars about their warranty.  They promptly agreed to send me a replacement ruler arm including new wire, which arrived in a week at no cost!  Being someone who hates to generate trash when not absolutely necessary (“tree hugger” my husband and 15 year old daughter suggested) I was very happy to be able to replace the wire and not have to throw away the entire trimmer, not to mention saving money!

Several years ago I had a Fiskars border punch on which the handle broke.  Because of their Full Lifetime Warranty, they sent me a new punch at no cost.  I think I only needed to email them a photo of the broken punch.

Great products and great customer service!

Butterfly Border Punch Gate Card

I designed this card using the Martha Stewart Monarch Butterflies Trim punch.  It is a gate card meaning that it opens in the center.

The blue card stock and the ink for the vertical Happy Birthday rubber stamp on the right is Stampin’ Up! Bliss Blue.  Floral decorative paper is attached to the inside of the left front flap of the gate card.  Light green ribbon is tied to the left side fold and tied with a bow.

Materials

• 5.5 x 8.5″ solid colored card stock
• 4.25 x 5.5″ decorative paper
• Martha Stewart Monarch Butterflies Trim border punch or similar border punch
• Scoring tool
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Adhesive

Instructions

1. Start with an 5.5 x 8.5″ piece of solid colored card stock.
2. Holding the card stock horizontally (5.5″ ends at the sides) , mark it with a pencil 1/4″ from the top on the left and right.
3. 

   Step 3 – Pencil mark lined up along left edge of punch

   Hold the butterfly border punch upside down and place the right hand side of the card stock in the punch.  You should be able to see the pencil mark from the previous step in the punch window so that you can line it up along the right edge of the punch.

4. Turn the punch right side up and punch a second time using the punching guide images on the top of the punch.
5. Repeat the previous two steps on the left side of the card.  This time with the punch upside down, the pencil mark will line up along the left edge of the punch.  Punch the second time on the same side using the punching guide images.
6. Holding the card stock horizontally (5.5″ ends at the sides) with the pencil mark side up, score at 2 1/8″ from the left and again 2 1/8″ from the right.  (A score board works very well for this.  This Martha Stewart score board is my favorite since it can score at 1/8″ increments all the way across and it’s 12×12″ for larger card stock.)
7. Fold the card on the two score marks.
8. Trim the top and bottom edges on both sides that were not cut by the border punch.
9. Add a 4.25 x 5.5″ piece of coordinating colored decorative paper inside the card with adhesive inside the left front flap the the gate card.
10. Finish by decorating as you like.

This card can be adapted for use with different border punches by calculating how much border to leave at the top and bottom of each side before punching, depending on the width of the punched design.