Materials Needed The Challenge

Get Organized
Get Organized Week #22
Dies & Die Cutting Equipment
Materials Needed
Sturdy or heavy-duty containers or racks that can hold and store bulky metal-ruled dies.
Small, medium, and large containers for wafer-style die storage. An inventory system (if
desired) for your dies, and a label maker to label containers (and dies).
The Challenge
To organize your dies and die cutting equipment into a system that will make it easy to
know what you have, and enjoyable to use.
Hello, friends. We only have a few more weeks to go in this amazing challenge! You should be
seeing MAJOR progress in your studio by now. Hang in there, what you are doing
is well worth the effort you are giving!
This week we’re going to focus on something BIG: dies for die cutting machines, and die cutting
equipment. And I say BIG because the oh-so-creative-but-not-so-kind die cut machine designers wanted to make sure that their dies were never, ever confused with each other (so they’re
all different in size and style). What this means is we have to find storage systems for the different types of dies we purchase. Thankfully, a lot of companies have recognized this dilemma
and offer storage methods for their own products, which DOES help, but it also
means if you have multiple die cutting machines, you’re going to need multiple storage systems
that might not coordinate with each other or fit in the space you have available.
There are three ways to organize dies:
1. By manufacturer
2. By type (which you can then organize by theme)
3. By size
It would be nice to organize by type, or to have all your shapes together by themes,
but it might be a nightmare to find a storage solution if you have a large collection. How can you
store QuicKutz dies with Big Shot dies and then add Cricut, ECraft or Slice cartridges to the
mix? It can be mind boggling!
Here’s a couple of options. You can store dies by manufacturer and create an inventory
notebook or Rolodex file where you group your dies together by theme, and with sample images of what you own. You can then turn a page in your notebook or flip the cards in your
Rolodex and see all your “dog” dies, for example, from all manufacturers, and then go to the
appropriate manufacturer bin or location and take the die you want. Or, you can organize and
store your dies by size and then alphabetically using an inventory notebook or Rolodex file to
keep track of, and to locate, what you have.
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There are many different systems for die and cartridge organization and storage on the market.
I’ll try to break them into general categories. First, we’ll address storage options for many different types of dies. Second, we’ll tackle specific systems and solutions for the different
dies within these systems. If a die system is missed, it’s because solutions couldn’t be
found. So please, if you have found a solution that works for YOUR dies, post it in our Get
Organized Forum for the benefit of everyone.
General storage ideas for any and all die systems:
• Photo storage boxes
• Clear plastic shoeboxes
• Divided hardware storage drawer units
• Divided plastic boxes
Cricut:
• Over-the-door tape storage racks
• Ribbon holders
Sizzix Big Shot dies:
• Narrow drawer units
• Bins or boxes
• Sizzix towers - no longer being produced, but you can find them on Ebay
• Plastic shoe boxes
Spellbinders Nestabilities:
• On magnetic sheets (watch this YouTube Video which shows how to laminate the
spellbinders packaging along with a magnetic sheet)
• ArtBin Magnetic Die Storage Case
• Metal tins
• Die carry case
• Clear CD cases
• Quickutz storage binder
• On the inside of cabinet doors (or on any flat wall surface)
Quickutz:
Magpie tins
Slide storage sheets in a 3-ring binder
Cuttlebug:
In baskets
In divided plastic boxes
Cuttlebug storage binder
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Following are Stacy’s die solutions:
Sizzix
Stacy keeps all her Big Shot dies in white photo storage boxes from Hobby Lobby,
nothing fancy. Her border dies (the long ones) are kept in plastic ruler cases from
the school supply section of stores like Target or WalMart. The Sizzlits dies are kept
in baseball card holders in 3-ring binders. She gets two alphabet sets per binder.
Cuttlebug
She found a divided plastic storage case that she customizes for the long versus
short dies. Her embossing templates (the square ones) go into a photo storage box.
Quickutz
Her Quickutz dies are in Magpie tins (which have been discontinued, but look for
them on eBay or at scrapbooking garage sales).
More Insight from Jill
I have a Sizzix Big Shot that I use to cut all of my non-electronic die cut images. I appreciate
its functionality, adaptability and the thought that has gone into the construction. I have Sizzix,
Quickutz, AccuCut, Ellison, and Tim Holtz dies in my collection that can all be cut with the Big
Shot and adapters. I also have a Gazelle electronic die cutter by my computer, and a Making
Memories Slice System for portability. I rarely lack options for die cut shapes, and if I do, I call
friends to see if they have a solution.
I store all metal-ruled dies (Sizzix, AccuCut, Ellison) in plastic shoe boxes alphabetically on
shelves in my closet. Larger dies are on shelves too. I add a new label to each die so I’m sure
one is on the side of the die that faces up in the shoe box. I keep all of my Tim Holtz dies in
the same containers because of the size difference, and because they are distressed-looking
which is what I look for first. Texture Fades and other embossing folders are in these same bins,
labeled with a black Sharpie marker, and in alphabetical order. I also keep my wafer dies in a
binder in plastic sleeves by set or alphabetically.
A double-wide Rolodex is on the counter in my closet. It has an image (one per card) of every
die I own. This system took nearly a year to set up but has been worth it since my dies were
organized in a semi-functional way before. I also needed a way to include electronic images in my system so I would use them.
I went to the company websites, found images, copied them, and placed them in a Word
document. I sized each image to fit onto a Rolodex card and printed them in greyscale to
save my colored inks. Each image was then cut out, glued onto a card, and a theme was noted
along with the location where the die is stored.
These cards are organized alphabetically in themes. For example, if I need a star image I quickly look in my Rolodex under the “S” tab and then look for “Star” labeled cards. I will
find Rolodex cards with electronic images, metal-ruled die images, wafer images, and embossing folder images of stars. The location is noted on the card to tell me where the die is located
in my closet. Many electronic cards come in themes. This makes it easy to copy the complete
sample sheet that comes with the card and file it (folded) in the Rolodex under the theme.
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If the electronic card has generic shapes on it I write a note on a Rolodex card (instead of adding individual pictures of the images onto cards) as a reminder that I can look in other themes
to find an image I need.
Going through this organizational process has made me very aware of my purchases and given
me a keen sense of what I do and don’t need. It takes precious time to get a die processed
into my system, so I think twice (or maybe even twenty times) before making a new purchase.
A shape has to be REALLY GOOD (according to my tastes and style) to get a home in
my studio.
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If you can’t find an organizational solution for your space in the material this week, look on eBay,
CraigsList or even Etsy for ideas. I’ve seen complete systems for sale at each place.
Tip: Some scrappers like to make an Excel spreadsheet that shows them at-aglance what dies they have. If you want inventory sheets with image samples
as part of your system, you might find inspiration at OrganizedScrapbooks.
com.
Summary
When dies and their equipment are organized, labeled and put into a functioning system, they
are a pleasure to work with, and you’ll be inclined to use them more often in your crafting process.
Your dies will be neatly organized and snug in ideal storage containers soon. We’ll see you back
here for Week #23 when we’ll find the perfect place to store your templates and masks.
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