Hi, everyone!
Last week on USTREAM we were talking about ways to store solid steel dies (these are the wafer thin steel dies like Spellbinders, Lifestyle Crafts, Cottage Cutz, Memory Box, etc.), and there was a gal in the chat who mentioned she stored her Spellbinders Nestabilities in DVD cases lined with magnetic sheets. It sounded like a good idea to me, so I did some research and posted Monday about some DVD storage cases for dies and magnetic sheets to go in them that I found on the website Tape Online.
Tape Online contacted me after that blog post went live and asked if I would like to review the cases so that I could tell you if they were "Kathryn Approved" or not. I got the two cases they sent for me to check out yesterday. I've been playing with them since then and thought I'd give you my impressions.
The box was packed very well. There was plenty of padding and everything arrived in pristine condition. Also in the box was a thank you card and a bag of Sugar Babies! I thought the inclusion of movie theater candy from a site that sells DVD cases was really clever and fun.
The cases are made from a crystal clear, rigid plastic. More like a CD case than like the softer, more flexible cases movie DVDs come in. This surprised and pleased me, as I think the rigid material will be better protection for the contents. I don't know WHY it surprised me ~ there was nothing on the site that would have led me to believe they would be the softer plastic. I just assumed it would be, and you know what they say about that!
Another thing I like about the cases is that there is a closure on the side. You have to push in on the side of the case to get them to open. This will help prevent the cases from flying open if you drop them, spilling dies everywhere. As you know, one of the things I really dislike about my current storage for my Spellbinders dies is that they are constantly falling out and then I have to crawl around searching for them.
The magnetic sheets were also also pleasant surprise. They were much stronger than I thought they would be. For example, they will hold Memory Box dies THROUGH the envelope they come in, and it take quite a bit of vigorous shaking to get them to slide off (I had to really make an effort to get them to release).
The magnetic sheets are just a smidgen smaller than the inside of the cases - maybe 1/8" on the top and bottom and 1/16" or less on the sides - so they fit perfectly right out of the box. No need to trim them to fit! I know there were some concerns about that in the comments from Monday's post. The backing sheet peels off easily, and then they stick right down. Nothing complicated here.
Tape Online contacted me after that blog post went live and asked if I would like to review the cases so that I could tell you if they were "Kathryn Approved" or not. I got the two cases they sent for me to check out yesterday. I've been playing with them since then and thought I'd give you my impressions.
The box was packed very well. There was plenty of padding and everything arrived in pristine condition. Also in the box was a thank you card and a bag of Sugar Babies! I thought the inclusion of movie theater candy from a site that sells DVD cases was really clever and fun.
The cases are made from a crystal clear, rigid plastic. More like a CD case than like the softer, more flexible cases movie DVDs come in. This surprised and pleased me, as I think the rigid material will be better protection for the contents. I don't know WHY it surprised me ~ there was nothing on the site that would have led me to believe they would be the softer plastic. I just assumed it would be, and you know what they say about that!
Another thing I like about the cases is that there is a closure on the side. You have to push in on the side of the case to get them to open. This will help prevent the cases from flying open if you drop them, spilling dies everywhere. As you know, one of the things I really dislike about my current storage for my Spellbinders dies is that they are constantly falling out and then I have to crawl around searching for them.
The magnetic sheets were also also pleasant surprise. They were much stronger than I thought they would be. For example, they will hold Memory Box dies THROUGH the envelope they come in, and it take quite a bit of vigorous shaking to get them to slide off (I had to really make an effort to get them to release).
The magnetic sheets are just a smidgen smaller than the inside of the cases - maybe 1/8" on the top and bottom and 1/16" or less on the sides - so they fit perfectly right out of the box. No need to trim them to fit! I know there were some concerns about that in the comments from Monday's post. The backing sheet peels off easily, and then they stick right down. Nothing complicated here.
Here are some pictures of a few different die configurations in the cases so you can see how much they will realistically hold:
Overall, I like this method of die storage quite a bit! The cases are good quality, the magnets are strong (maybe even a little too strong, if I want to be really picky) and the price is very low. The cases are just $0.88/each and the magnetic sheets are $0.99/each, so it's $1.87 a set. That's not bad at all, really! Well, unless you have eleven billion dies (which I don't, believe it or not). Bottom line: if you think storing your dies in cases is the best way to go for you, these are really good cases to choose. The magnetic sheets are easy to install and great quality, too.
In the comments from Monday's post, Michelle suggested the IKEA BENNO DVD tower as a storage solution for these cases. It's very slim, and would take up very little space in a scrap room. I'm going to pop over to IKEA on Saturday (I know, I know, I'm crazy to go there on a weekend) and check it out.
I still have no solution for my longer dies like my border strips, envelopes and even some of the larger nesting dies. However, I would do just about anything to get rid of this Spellbinder's book and these cases are very nice! If I could get the bulk of my dies sorted into these cases, I could easily store any stragglers in one drawer.
Today is Thursday, so we have USTREAM today! I am live every Thursday from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and again from 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on my USTREAM Channel: Kathryn Scraps.
All times are Eastern USA {Miami/New York}. To convert to your time zone, click here: Time Zone Converter.
We're going to be working on Autumn/Halloween projects this week and next week. I have lots of stuff planned: cards, luminaries and even maybe a banner if we have time! Also, Mr. Lifeguard and I have been working very hard all week to reorganize and rearrange the scrap room. Part of our adventures in organization included overhauling my USTREAM camera set-up and it is much improved, so stop by this afternoon or evening to see the changes for yourself!
Overall, I like this method of die storage quite a bit! The cases are good quality, the magnets are strong (maybe even a little too strong, if I want to be really picky) and the price is very low. The cases are just $0.88/each and the magnetic sheets are $0.99/each, so it's $1.87 a set. That's not bad at all, really! Well, unless you have eleven billion dies (which I don't, believe it or not). Bottom line: if you think storing your dies in cases is the best way to go for you, these are really good cases to choose. The magnetic sheets are easy to install and great quality, too.
In the comments from Monday's post, Michelle suggested the IKEA BENNO DVD tower as a storage solution for these cases. It's very slim, and would take up very little space in a scrap room. I'm going to pop over to IKEA on Saturday (I know, I know, I'm crazy to go there on a weekend) and check it out.
I still have no solution for my longer dies like my border strips, envelopes and even some of the larger nesting dies. However, I would do just about anything to get rid of this Spellbinder's book and these cases are very nice! If I could get the bulk of my dies sorted into these cases, I could easily store any stragglers in one drawer.
Today is Thursday, so we have USTREAM today! I am live every Thursday from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and again from 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on my USTREAM Channel: Kathryn Scraps.
All times are Eastern USA {Miami/New York}. To convert to your time zone, click here: Time Zone Converter.
We're going to be working on Autumn/Halloween projects this week and next week. I have lots of stuff planned: cards, luminaries and even maybe a banner if we have time! Also, Mr. Lifeguard and I have been working very hard all week to reorganize and rearrange the scrap room. Part of our adventures in organization included overhauling my USTREAM camera set-up and it is much improved, so stop by this afternoon or evening to see the changes for yourself!
~Kathryn :D
So glad you got some cases and magnet sheets to try out. They do ship fast!! I got my order in 2 days. They must have had complaints about the sheets not fitting. I guess I need to trim mine and use what I have so I can order more. LOL Thanks for the update!!!
ReplyDeleteYes, they must have! It's nice when a company listens to customer complaints/suggestions and adapts to them. But now we know for sure that they are a perfect fit!
DeleteWOW Kathryn, this all sounds so good.I like storing mines in cases, like I do for my stamps( I am putting those in CD cases). I am going to check these out ( Now that they are Kathryn approved) and put my dies in them.I don't have many but this systems seems the best solution for me. Thanks Kathryn and DWD for the reviews. Hugs
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking about going to cases for my stamp sets, too. I've always stored them in plastic tubs on shelves, but it's getting harder and harder to see what I have that way as my collection grows. Do you like the stamps in cases? What made you switch?
DeleteHi Kathryn, I also store my stamps in CD cases and have only a small selection of dies that these cases also work for. I really like these new cases that you have looked into because I know I will need to convert to that size soon. I thought I would share my shelf storage solution though. I use the Besta shelf units in my room. I chose them because their depth worked great for accommodating 12 x 12 paper pads, albums etc. I have installed a couple of Inreda extending drawers(with Besta drawer fronts) to store my cases. The Inreda system has inserts for these drawers one style that hold 95 CD cases or the other that will hold 54 DVD cases. I "file" my cases in the drawers with the "labelled" spine side up. Just another idea, should you be interested. Take Care and thanks for the review, Marian
ReplyDeleteHi, Marian! Thanks so much for mentioning your storage system! I have the EXPEDIT as my shelving, so I just hopped over to IKEA to see if they have drawers for it like they do for the BESTA. And they do! So I am going to take one of these cases with me to IKEA this weekend and check to see if they will fit in the EXPEDIT drawer inserts. Thanks so much for commenting!
Delete~Kathryn :D
You're very welcome. I have gotten so many ideas from watching your shows I'm glad in some small way to have given you an idea. Have a great weekend.
DeleteMarian (mariwick)
Kathryn, so glad that you were able to try out this method of storage for dies. I just love them, and it has worked out wonderfully for me. I have over 150 spellbinder die sets, and this has been the most visual storage I have been able to come up with. I also use these cases for a lot of my stamps that do not have their own storage systems. I have also found a wonderful way to store larger die sets such as spellbinder grands, accents & motif sets and a few others. I will send you some pics and info on that thru e-mail. It might also be something that you can share with your viewers if you like it.
ReplyDeleteMarcie
Marcie, so good to hear from someone who is using this storage method and really likes it! That helps people get and idea of what it would be like in the long run. I am excited to see what your storage solution for the long dies is, too!
Delete~Kathryn :D