A few weeks ago I wrote a Stamp It Saturday post on ink pads – Stamp It Saturday: Let’s Talk About Ink – What to Use and When! I’ve had some requests to follow that post up with some info/tips on ink pad storage, so here we are!

Ink Pad Storage Advice:

If you are at all uncertain about how to store any particular product, a good first stop would be the manufacturer’s website.

• Keep ’em covered! It should go without saying, but when not in use – keep the lid on your ink pads! Some ink pads like Stazon come with a plastic lid liner – don’t discard this, use it together with the lid to help your ink pad stay fresh and protected.
• Upside Down or Right Side Up? I often see tips to store dye based ink pads in particular upside down. I don’t store any of my ink pads this way, and have never experienced any issues. All of my ink pads are currently stored flat, lid side up and are always perfectly juicy when I come to use them (even ones I have had for years). A number of manufacturers seem to suggest that it really doesn’t matter which way you store your ink pads. If you come to use an ink pad and it seems a little dry – try leaving it upside down for a while, gravity may just do the trick and bring the ink pad back to life. Pigment based ink pads are more likely than dye-based to make a mess if you store them upside down, so watch out if your ink pads are particularly juicy.
• On the side? I have previously stored some of my dye based ink pads on their sides and experienced no issues. Storing ink pads on their side may cause the ink to pool on one side – if you store them this way for any length of time rotating them periodically may be helpful. Ombre and other multi-coloured ink pads should not be stored on their side – the colours may run together.

Storage Solutions:

There are lots of different storage products available on the market. A quick search online will give you lots of ideas both for commercially available storage products and DIY solutions. Shelf style storage racks are great to keep inks flat and easy to access when you’re working, and you can either buy one ready made or make your own.

The only specific ink pad storage product I use personally are the Ranger Distress Ink Mini storage tins, which hold the mini size of Distress Ink pads. I use these for both my Distress Ink collection and other mini cube size ink pads like Hero Arts.

The tins are easy to pull out when I want to work with these pads, and keep everything neat and organised.

Those mini Archival Ink pads will be a little more organised in the future, as I have just seen that Ranger are releasing storage tins for them too!

All of my ink pads, sit in my 12×12 desk drawers. My personal preference is to have things accessible but not visible, especially as I don’t have a lot of space.

Over To You!

Have you got any tips/suggestions regarding storing ink pads? What are your favourites? Feel free to share with us in the comments section!

If you try out the techniques shown in any of the posts with your Stamping Bella stamps, be sure to share! We would love to see the results and hear how you feel about them. Show off your creations in the comments below and even better, share your own favourite tips with us. Let’s talk stamping!

If you are posting your images online, we would love to see them on Instagram and all the platforms mentioned above.  To make it easier for us to find you just use #markergeekmonday and/or #stampingbella as a hashtag. Even better tag me @markergeek and @stampingbella . We love it when you connect, so don’t be shy!

If you’re on Facebook join us in our private chat group Stamping Bella Sistahood to share your creations there and chat all things Stamping Bella related!

Until next time, HAPPY STAMPING!

MWAH

Elaineabella

And today, we pay homage to our stamp of the month.. BEDELIA the BUNNY.  She’s 20% off all month long!

Every first Friday of the month, our Baberoonis tantalize you with beautiful samples using our stamp of the month..

Ready… set… HERE WE GO!

Here’s Christineabella’s card

Danabella’s card

Fayeabella’s card

Jennybella’s card

JennyDIXabella’s card

Lesliebella’s card

Sandiebella’s card

and finally, Shelabella’s card

Bedelia is the sweetest most beeyootiful bunny.  She reminds me of Beatrix Potter.. and she’s also EXTREMELY shy :).. I hope these cards have inspired you to take her home and play with her!

Now for our amazing SISTAHOOD

Click HERE and scroll to the bottom of this post to see our INLINKZ contributions

and now for our emailed contributions!

Amy used Tiny Townie Frances loves to FLOAT

Annette used Tiny Townie Garden Girl Daffodil

Lynda used Tiny Townie Fairy Garden Fairy House

Marianne used Uptown girl Chandler makes a Choice

and our Stephabella used DAISY SQUIDGY and her CUT IT OUT DIE

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!

Now for next week’s theme..

A SKETCHYPOO!  Interpret this sketch into a card and POOF!  You’re ready to enter.  just don’t forget to use a CURRENT Stamping Bella stamp!

MWAH!

In July we missed Crazy Tuesday on account of the crazy release shenanigans, so, this month’s CRAZY TUESDAY is TWICE as crazy as your average Crazy Tuesday.

That’s right, there are SIX stamps on offer at Crazy Tuesday prices today and only for today! Check out the inspiration below to see why you need them, then click on over to the store to grab them before the prices return to normal! (by midnight tonight!)

Continue reading Spotlight On: August DOUBLE Crazy Tuesday Offers!

Phew! Apologies for the lack of posts over the weekend – last week got the better of me! I’m back today though, with your usual Marker Geek Monday post!

Continue reading Marker Geek Monday: Copic Colouring Edna the Everything Fairy with Video

Hiya sistahs,

Hope you had a phenomalicious week.  I am VERRRY busy glued to my computer finishing up our HALLOWEEN/FALL release and our WINTER/HOLIDAY release.  YOU ARE GONNA FREAK. RIGHT. OUT.  That’s how good it is.  That’s how AMAZING it is.  TRUST DIS Sistah!

Ok now that the taunting has passed, let’s discuss Bellarific Friday this week shall we?

This week’s theme was an INSPIRATION PHOTO!

Let’s see how this inspired our BABEROONIS shall we?

This is gonna be fun… HERE WE GO!

Leslie used EDNA LOVES THE OCEAN and the matching “CUT IT OUT” die.. She also used our BEACH BACKDROP and our SUMMER SENTIMENTS set!  WOWZA!  These are all awesome sets used in this AWESOME card!

Danabella used TROPICAL SQUIDGIES

coordinating CUT IT OUT DIES available HERE

Shelabella used the LITTLES  ICE CREAM and LEMONADE set and “CUT IT OUT” DIES AND the LITTLES PALM TREE set and their “CUT IT OUT” DIES… and our  SUMMER SENTIMENT SET see how interchangeable these stamps are?  LOVE!

Christineabella used our littles SURFER SET and their corresponding “CUT IT OUT” dies

Sandiebella used our LITTLES UMBRELLA SET  (coordinating “CUT IT OUT” dies available HERE)  and our BEACH BACKDROP and our SUMMER SENTIMENTS set

Jennybella used our MERMAID SET,  (Coordinating CUT IT OUT die available HERE) our UNDER THE SEA BACKDROP and our UNDER THE SEA sentiments set

Fayeabella used PETUNIA’s in love (coordinating “CUT IT OUT” die available HERE)

JennyDIXabella used Uptown girls SAMANTHA and SIERRA take a SELFIE

How’s DAT for BABEROONI AWESOMENESS?  HMMMM?

Now check out the bottom of THIS POST to see our INLINKZ contributahs

and now for our EMAILED Contributahs!

Cristina used UPTOWN GIRL PAISLEY

and here’s Amy’s card using our LITTLE’S UMBRELLA set and our LITTLES PALM TREE set

Marie P used our TINY TOWNIE MERMAID set (coordinating “CUT IT OUT” die available HERE)

Fay used MONEY CAN’T BUY HAPPINESS

How’s DAT for inspiration?

Now for next week’s theme?

FREE FORM!  Use any CURRENT Stamping Bella stamp on a card and POOF you can enter 🙂

MWAH!