Organize your Stamps

Before the advent of the smart phone and wonderful apps, I made a really neat rolodex type file to be able to flip through the stamp images to remember what I owned.  This was supposed to spare me from digging through my stamps and spending more time hunting than actually crafting.  I started it, for sure.  Even copied a few stamp images onto the pages.  

Rolodex-style stamp index

But it did not end up working for me.  I heard folks who used an app to keep themselves organized, not just with stamps, but with to-do lists or groceries, genealogy research, and reminders.  Evernote is a free, widely available cloud-based program to use on your smartphone and home computer.  I downloaded it first to my smart phone to use for grocery lists and reminders on the go. 

I could access it on my home computer through a login on their web page.  The website synched with the app, simply.

Evernote sign in/sign up page

But when I started this stamp inventory project, I downloaded the Evernote program to my desktop and it made the data entry a lot easier to handle.  I created a "notebook" for each company's stamps that I own.  Then each "note" has a photo of the stamp set.  For CTMH stamps, I title the note with the number coding, like D1245.  Then, I "tag" it.  Some notes have a lot of tags, flowers, Christmas, sentiments, etc.  That way, when you are looking for a specific stamp, you can search for those tags.  And if you want a specific stamp from a specific company, you can search for that also.  All three, smart phone, web browser, and desktop sync with the cloud so they sync with each other to have up-to-date notes.

Evernote Desktop Application

I can imagine all kinds of scrapbook and stamp organization possibilities, non-consumables especially.   No one likes buying something, just to get home and figure out you have it already.  We have our phones with us all of the time these days.  They are like an extra arm, anymore.

This system takes a bit to set up, but it has already paid off.  I have fully embraced Evernote. I use it now for even more things, like saving special recipes or even writing my dream diary.  It helps me keep my family history research and organize my stamps and other scrapbook supplies.