I like inks.
I like inks in multiple shades of blue, a wide variety of reds, and every other color of the rainbow. I also like inks from many different manufacturers and in many different styles.
So how do I keep track of my towering colorful stacks of ink pads?
Easy. I do it with one little swatch ring that I keep close at my desk, but is just as easy to tuck into my jacket pocket when I go to the store. Are you curious yet? Good! Then read on…
This is a picture of my ink swatch ring. I have it tied to a ribbon so that I can hang it easily right next to my work area, and I have it on an O-Ring so that I can easily add more swatches as I go– because you know I’m going to buy more inks.
When I purchase a new ink, the first thing I do upon getting it home is to create a new swatch. My swatches are cut from white cardstock, measure one inch by three inches, and have just a simple hole punched in the one end. I apply the color to my swatch by simply rubbing the ink back and forth over the surface of the cardstock.
To take it one step further, I write the ink color and brand of ink on the back of the swatch. This helps me to narrow down which tower of inks that particular color is in. I also go so far as to write the name of the matching color of cardstock (and if it’s Prism or Bazzil) because I sometimes enjoy (need) having my inks match my cardstock exactly.
I’ll be the first to confess that I felt a little over-the-top when I began my ink swatch ring a couple years ago. I’m not usually quite so organized when it comes to my supplies. But honestly, it’s the best thing I ever did when it comes to stamping. The time savings have been huge. No more guessing. I also love that it’s so easy to grab when I go to the store and that it’s also saved me money. I no longer accidentally purchase the same ink twice and I enjoy making sure I have all my favorite shades. As a bonus, it also makes it very easy to match the cardstocks right in the store.
Now to go add my purchases from this morning…. I was in a yellow mood!
[stormanen]
