How I Store Ink Pads and other Products!

Hi Guys ~

Several people have asked about how I store my ink pads and other products (stickles, dabbers, markers, etc.) so I thought I'd share how I store my supplies.

Ink Pads - I know there is a great and constant debate on how to store various types of ink pads depending on the type of ink. There are all sorts of opinions out there...some say all should be stored upright; other say dye ink one way, pigments another; etc... It's a never ending struggle to know what to do.

I will tell you here and now I store all of my ink pads.....dye, pigment, hybrid, embossing, Staz-On, etc. upside down. I have for years and I have never EVER.... had any ink "drip" out of the pad (be it felt, foam, etc.) into the lid. I use at least 2-3 types of inks every day and my ink is always at the top of the pad and ready to go when I need it.

Re-Inkers - Soooo many people have asked if it's really economical to buy re-inkers instead of new ink pads.

YES, YES, YES!! I very rarely buy a new ink pad unless it's a new color or type of ink. Most of my ink pads have lasted through the years with proper care and a bit of new ink added periodically. The only type of ink pad I buy occasionally is my Walnut Stain Distress Ink pad and that's because I'm pretty rough on the little devil. I ink everything from paper, chipboard, game boards, wood, leather, MDF, etc. with that thing and it takes a beating. Those pads weren't meant to stand up to all I put them through ;)

And the best thing about re-inkers is you can use them for so many cool techniques other than reviving your ink pad ;)

Adirondack Acrylic Dabbers - My vote ~ Upside Down! I know alot of people say not to store these upside down but I do and have since Ranger introduced them. The paint is so thick that you really have to work getting it to the dabber end if you store them right side up. This way the paint is always at the dabber and it's easy to see the individual colors as well!

Stickles Glitter Glue - Again, Upside Down! I would classify this as a medium to thick consistency which again makes it more difficult to get it to the cap end of the bottle so I store all but new bottles of my Stickles Glitter Glue upside down. I have never had any trouble with the glue seeping out the little applicator tip or filling the cap with glue or anything. The glue is always at the dispensing end ready to be used.

This goes for all of the glitter glue EXCEPT Distress Stickles - the tip for this ink is much larger than regular Stickles. I wait to store my Distress Stickles upside down until it is 1/2 empty. By then it doesn't seep out when it's left upside down.

Adirondack Pigment Pens & Various Double Tip Markers - Always on their sides. I have a drawer where I keep all of my makers and pigment pens so they are always on their sides for two very different reasons.

The Adirondack Pigment pens must be stored on their sides so the inks don't seperate in the barrel. If stored upright the pigment in the ink will settle to the bottom and you'll end up with a funky colored fluid...not good trust me. Storing them on their side doesn't give the inks a chance to seperate since the barrel is so shallow.

Double tipped markers....I can't tell you how many people have told me they hate "X" brand pen/marker because one end always dries up. It only goes to reason that if you have a double end marker and it's stored upright one end is going to be inky while the other dries out! Store it on it's side and the ink will be evenly distributed between both ends allowing each tip to be inky!

Aleene's Super Thick Tacky Glue - Always upside down. This stuff is so thick it's almost impossible to squeeze it out unless it is stored upside down. It is by far my favorite liquid adhesive so it gets used constantly. I can't imagine having to try to squeeze this stuff out of the bottle if it was stored upright....I'd look like Popeye if I did!

Accents - Glossy, Sepia, Crackle, etc. - I store these products various ways depending on how much is in the bottle...upright for new bottles, on their sides when they are about 1/2 empty but never on it's end. This glue is thin enough that it will seep out the little applicator tip and yes, it does fill up the cap ;) Trust me on this...been there, done that!

I hope this help clear up some of the confusion on how to store various crafty products! And remember, this is just my humble opinion...it's worked for me for several years and I hope it works for you as well!