Spellbinder Nestabilities Storage Options and Ideas

Hi,
I guess this is rather late, considering I was going to post about storage options during the month of January.  I've had several people ask the best way to store Spellbinders Nestabilities and embossing dies, so I thought I'd share a few ways of storing them.

When I first started using the Spellbinders dies, I heard about using CD cases, with magnetic tape adhered to the back and front of the case.  I bought some self adhesive magnetic tape (about 1/2" wide) from the Dollar store, glued the tape into the inside front and back of the CD case, and stored my Nestabilities  (example, Standard Circles Large & Standard Circles Small) in the case.  At first that worked OK;  I stored the CD cases in a shoebox under my desk.  After a few weeks, I found the magnetic tape didn't want to stay stuck to the CD cases.  The adhesive started coming loose.  I'd open the case to find both sets of Nestabilities on one side, and I'd have to pull them apart, getting my fingers sticky from the back of the magnetic tape that came off the plastic.  This didn't work well at all for the small Spellbinders Shapeabilities...they just got jumbled up...  (Maybe my dollar store purchase wasn't the best quality??)

A month or so later, in a Vamp Stamp News issue, someone recommended mounting a 'sheet' of Magnetic 'paper (thin sheet of magnet material on one side and 'glossy paper on the other') to a Sunday International Stamp n Store panel, and store the Spellbinders nestabilities on it (they stick to the magnetic side).  The magnetic sheet isn't very sturdy, so adhering it to the Stamp n Store panel would give it some extra support.

I use lightweight Stamp n Store Panels to store my unmounted rubber and clear stamps on, in a large D-ring binder,so I had a couple of extra panels on hand (and I always have them in stock in the shop, so I can get more when I need them)
I purchased a package of (4) 8 1/2 x 11" magnetic sheets from Staples, and used my ATG gun to adhere the paper side to the panel.  I adhered one sheet to each side of the Stamp n Store panel.  That adhesive will hold anything, it's very strong...but don't try to take it apart....(speaking from experience..... I put one sheet on crooked, and pressed it down before I realized I didn't have it lined up straight...there is NO WAY to pull it apart!) .....I stored my Nestabilities and embossing dies on the magnetic sheets, with good results..but, many times, when I'd turn a page to get another die, the page would 'bow' a little, causing the larger nestabilities to come loose I'm referring to the standard ovals, circles, etc, not the Grand Dies).  I didn't have a problem with the smaller dies and shapeabilities, just the larger ones......
I don't think the magnetic sheets were 'strong' (magnetically ...if that's a word) to hold the larger thin dies.  It was no big deal, just a little annoying, having to replace a couple of the larger sized dies every time I turned the page.

One day I was checking out blogs, and I found the answer to my problem.  I wish I could remember which blog I saw this on, so I can give the gal credit for this idea....but I can't.

For storing her Nestabilities, she used took a Stamp n Store sheet from Sunday International, and one inch wide magnetic tape, (which is thicker than the magnetic paper, so has a stronger magnetic quality)....She placed a strip of it on her panel, then laid her nestabilities on it.  In her blog she said it worked like a charm.  I decided to try it with my Nestabilities that kept popping off the magnetic paper/page.  It worked absolutely great!!!  I couldn't believe how they stayed in place, even when I flipped through my storage binder quickly!
I had some trouble finding the one inch wide magnetic tape, and after going to all of the dollar stores, hardware stores, Wal-mart, etc,....we found it at Micheals.  I still use the pages with magnetic sheets for my smaller Shapeabilities sets.  They stay in place perfectly.   I use a Ranger Pigment pen to write the names and codes on the magnetic sheet, it washes off if /when I want to rearrange my dies, and an ultra fine Sharpie marker to label the Stamp n Store sheets. My Nestabilities are arranged in sections, 'ovals, circles, squares, etc'  and I haven't rearranged them as of yet, so I haven't tried to remove the sharpie marker from the panel.
For identification purposes, I've numbered the back of each die (smallest to largest on the side of the back, and put the three digit number from the code on the bottom with ultra fine sharpie marker as well, so I know what set it came from...for those times I have pieces from several different sets on my table.
If you have the room in your stamping room, here is another way of storing your Spellbinder Nestabilities where they are easy to find, and within arm's reach. 

One of my stamping friends has a 'free' wall in her Stamping Room..   She has all of her nestabilities organized, and within reach above her Grand Calibur, Big Shot and Cuttlebug!  Perfect spot!  Wendy has been kind enough to take a picture of her die cutting area in her craft room.  She has them all 'linked together with a tag, labeled with the code. 
Very organized!!  And she can see what she has to chose from without digging in a box or binder.  If I had the room, this is how I'd arrange my Nestabilities.  I think I'd still use the binder for the small die shapes, though

If a person has the wall space, this is a heck of a good idea.  She's used cup hooks on a cork bulletin board, and binder rings to hold the sets together, each set labeled with a tag.

I forgot to tell you, that I have a Spellbinders carrying case (with dividers/plastic pockets to hold Nestabilities and dies) that I use when I take my Spellbinders embossing dies out to a class or to a friend's.

It is a  pretty raspberry 'suede-like' microfibre material, with a soft handle that fits flat to the case.  Not only does the case look nice, but it is compact, and can be tucked into any of my totes.  With the pockets inside, the various dies remain in their sets, and don't get mixed up.  Because it has a zipper closure, I know that none of my small dies will fall out if I drop the case.  I've had friends who have lost some of their Nestabilities when they were out, and of course they always lose the size they use the most from their favorite set!  Murphy's Law, right?!

I hope that this has given you a few ideas for storing your Spellbinders Nestabilities and embossing dies.

Thanks again to Wendy for giving me the picture of, and allowing me to show her 'Die Cutting station', and Spellbinder Storage system.
If you are interested in the Sunday International Light-weight Stamp'n Store panels, I always have both the Tabbed and Untabbed Panel packages in stock.  They can be found in my online catalog in Mounting Supplies
If you have any questions, or are interested in ordering, please email me at the email address shown in the side bar.
Thanks for visiting,
I hope you have a great week!