Do You Keep a Supply Inventory...?

And if so, how do you do it?

Or is this just an absolutely pointless and impossible thing to do?

I keep an entire notebook of the items I have.
On one page, I'll have my stickle colors, another page is paint, every ink color and pen color. I have all my stamps stamped so I can look through the notebook before finding the set.
But as far as items such as brads, eyelets, stickers or patterned paper, I wouldn't keep an inventory list for that.
Maybe if you were going shopping, jotting down quickly what items you are in need of would make sense.

I know one of the girls here takes pics of her inventory and uses it as reference to see what she has... I really wish I could remember who it is!

I personally don't keep any inventory other than I have a HUGE wishlist here and delete off when I buy something (from here or the LSS). It works for me. I have thought about doing inventory, but I'm pretty organized in a way that works for me, so I *generally* know what I have. That never stops me from buying duplicates if I love them though lol

I keep an inventory of my supplies on Excel--have different pages for different products/or brand name. (like my Stampin Up stuff is on one page with the different items in columns). When I go shopping/looking for a certain item, I print off my page and take it with me. That way I don't buy the same embellishment, brand, stamp,etc. This works for me and I know at a glance what items I need.

I switched to digi scrapping a while ago now but judging by the amount of 'paper' supplies I sold/gave away it would have been a thankless task. I had SO much and the thought of updating it every time I'd used some letter stickers, 2 sheets of paper, 3 flowers, a sheet of Bazzill, and 4 photo corners would have driven me nuts.

It's probably very sensible but it would have sucked the fun out for me *shrug*. I guess it's not in my nature I knew what I had and I can't remember ever buying a duplicate of anything though. I almost always ordered online so I could easily pop and check my stash if I was unsure.

I have lists for my Nesties and my Copics (both are electronic). I have loaded them to Google Documents so that I can access them from my phone when I am at a store shopping. I do try to be good about updating when I make a purchase. At home, I keep a binder listing my different inks (with a swatch of the color next to the entry). I am beginning to think that I need to have a Google Doc for them as well as I almost bought an ink that I already had this weekend. Luckily my daughters were with me and knew that I had already picked it up. I had a few new colors on my wish list and just hadn't kept track mentally which one I had purchased.

I also keep a list of my copics and nesties, although I need to update my nesties list since I haven't done so in a few months. With my copics, I keep a list of the ones I need, rather than the ones I have. I need less than 15. LOL.

At one point, I stamped off all of my stamps onto regular notebook paper and put that in a binder so I could keep track of what I have. That was about 2-3 years ago, and I haven't been doing well at keeping up with that.

Basically, it's on my to-do list to make a new inventory of my stamps, but I'm not going to bother with things like paper and embellies. If I buy double of that stuff, I don't care because I can always use it. Plus, I have so much that it would just be ridiculous to keep track...I'd spend more time doing inventory than crafting.

I keep a list of all my Sizzix dies - my rationale used to be that if I couldn't make a list of every die I had from memory, then I had too many dies. What I want to do is make a notebook with a sample of each die, to help me make better use of them.

WOW! I don't keep a list of anything on paper, I pretty much know what I have, that being said, I have no Copics! I would prob keep a list of those. I use my inks and mists so much that I have a good mental inventory of those!

I applaud you ladies who are so organized!

I have an excel sheet for the Cricut cartridges. On one sheet they are in alphabetical order and color coordinated by type. Then on the other sheets, I have them broken down by type (fonts, image, education and licensed), colored and the tabs colored for quick reference.

Everything else is out in the open (stickles/glimmer mists) labeled... I can remember what I have because I see often enough.

Inventory no - I have WAY too much to even try that.

I do however keep a folder in my car with the current craft store flyers/coupons and several lists of what I have like many other do - stickles, border punches, prismacolor pencils, copics, nesties, embossing folders, certain lines of ink.

I also keep a wishlist of items I want (which I add to as I walk through stores and see things) and I'm pretty good about sitting in the car and updating as soon as I purchase items.

Only my micro-glitter. I have 40-50 jars of it and I have to keep track and still accidently bought duplicates but my LSS let me swap them.

I have a small dba so I must keep an inventory for tax purposes which I have on a numbers spreadsheet. (Mac user)
However, I do have a small notebook I keep in my purse with me at all times with lists of inks, paints, glitters, mists, and silhouette punch outs of the "punches" I have. I also write down quotes I find that I like in it and some sketches of things I would like to try. This helps me when I shop (especially at garage sales where craft supplies are being sold) and when I start a project. Most of it is in my head though, because I am in my studio area at least 6 days a week for a few hours. It is probably a personal choice as to whether or not it will help you in searching and purchasing.

I do have a word document to keep track of my cricut cartridges, stickles, and stamps.

I SHOULD keep a list of the things I have that lots of colors are available. That way I wouldn't have 3 bottles of Lime Stickles. I tried with my Prisma pencils but lost it.

I have an app on my iPhone that I store my inventory on - it's so easy to whip out when I'm shopping and need to refil supplies - it also has photo capabilities

I don't really keep inventory, the only thing I have is my distress inks jotted down in my purse notebook so when I am at the store I can pull it out and see which one's I'm still missing. Otherwise for things like stickles and mists I don't have enough colors to worry about duplicates just yet. And they are all out in the open in my embellie center so I can see what I have.

I carry a note book in my purse with a page for inks, Paint daubers, stickles, embossing powder, perfect pearls, and glimmer mist. just so I dont buy the same color. I dont inventory anything else I have to much.

hmmm.... now you've all got me thinking... I love lists and organization... I just wonder if it would be too much to actually get a hold on at this point...Thanks everyone for the ideas!

I have an Excel spreadsheet for my Copic markers, Cricut cartridges and my Glimmer Mist. That's all I keep track of.

I don't really keep an acutal inventory list, but I have a good idea of what I have. I do like the idea of listing my ink pad, glimmer mist and stickle colors though. The ink pads especially I have quite a few of, so it would be nice to know if I have something or not when I shop.

I have lists of certain pens, markers, etc. And I also photograph sets of punches, etc. I probably should pay attention to it better and update it more frequently. But so far, so good! Maybe I'll start Excel spreadsheets as a number of people here do. Sounds like a good idea.

U know I had that thought yesterday no lie. But I think that would take too much time. Id probably stop logging after a certain pt in time

I keep a list on my ipod that has my cricut carts, punches, cuttlebug embossing folders, nesties which I always have in my purse so when I am out shopping, I won't buy duplicates.

I keep a small inventory of inks, embossing powders, glitter glue, etc The things I use most.

When we had our basement flood we needed to update our insurance and the adjuster said that if I had spent over $500 bucks then I may want to record everything I use ( paper,yeah right) but to at least record by photograph with the labels for the items on the back of each picture and if I could remember the MSRP for each item, Just in case of a total loss.

Yes, I do so I don't buy duplicate items of things like stickles, distress inks, embossing folders, diest etc...I keep it in a small notebook that will fit in my purse.

It's all in my head...which is not a good place really..all I know is I have a lot of stuff and I am always re discovering stuff I forgot I had. I truly never thought of doing an inventory...pointless for me for I would never keep up with it.

I don't think I would keep up with it either. Lucky for me, I don't have a ton of anything that I can keep a mental note of what I have. I do go shopping with specific thing in mind.

I had good intentions and did start to (mainly so I could remember what I had, and wouldn't buy duplicates). I used a cheap little photo album.

It became impossible for me, because I didn't keep up with it when I got new things, and I didn't carry the inventory book around with me.

Great idea, know what I'll be doing tonight!

Once I start getting more than a couple of something...like inks, stickles, copics etc...I make a chart for them. So far I have all my inks, copics and stickles in there.

I also have a list of all my CTMH stamps, other clear stamps, my many clings and wooden stamps. Some are simple lists and some are images. I use my index to help avoid duplicate purchases and to remind me if I have something similiar to what I am looking at ordering. (I do most of my shopping online since I live in Alaska.)

I also use it when planning cards or LOs.

I print out the charts, put them in a page protector and place in them in the binder.

Hope that helps.

I have an index card binder that I use to keep a sample of all of my stickles, distress inks, inks, and mists. This serves two purposes... 1.To prevent duplicate purchases and 2.To show me the true colors of these items. I keep my binder in my scrapping tote, but if I'm going shopping I take it along. (I also have sections for sketches and ideas for crafty projects/gifts.)

Mine's a work in progress.

But my main inventory includes:

- Cricut carts
- Copics
- Distress Inks
- Stickles
- Stamps
- Punches
- Tools

The rest is mainly part of my Wish & Shopping Lists.

nope, nope and nope ...

scrapbooking is fun
inventorying is not

enough said

I keep telling myself I am going to make a list. There have been so many times where I have bought things more than one. Such as Stamp sets, punches, ect!

• madmatter Said:

Agreed

I keep an excel spreadsheet with the cricut cartridges that I and all my friends with cricuts have. We keep it in google docs so we can all update it when we get new ones.

After purchasing two different Cricut carts. that I discovered I already had, I decided it was too expensive for me NOT to keep a notebook. (My daughter got the carts, by the way.) I punch every new punch on black paper and glue it down. (Beside it I also write which box number it's stored in.) I have a list of my cartridges, lists of my colored pencil/marker colors, a list (with photos copied from the i'net) of my tools, my Sizzix folders, etc., and samples of all my stamps. The book is indexed, and the stamp section is broken down into categories. I use a 5x8 Franklin Planner storage notebook. I grab it whenever I go shopping - while it was a pain to set up, it has saved me a ton of money! (Yes, I'm anal about organization!) Stuff like paper, ribbons, brads, etc. - no way! I don't care if I have duplicates of those things.

I always started stamping my stamps on paper but have too many. I saw someone scan them & print them out. I scanned them in categories. I was able to do a bunch at a time. I keep them in notebooks.

• madmatter Said:

Yeah, me too! I've got too much stuff to sit down and inventory. I just can't see myself listing every piece of pp and cs I've got. And I don't have enough carts or stamps or Stickles to have to worry about duplicating. Besides, I mostly order off sb.com at home and my computer is in my scrap room, so if I get the urge to buy something, all I have to do is look around to see if I've already got it before I make the purchase. I'm an OCD sort of person, though, and the thought of inventorying, however appealing, just doesn't work for me. I'd rather be scrapping!

I keep one of my paint, watercolor crayons, and inks, well mostly I do, I need to add a few of my newest items to the list.

After duplicates of paint, stickles, ink, pens, and the wrong cartridges, I learned. I don't buy many of these items, so when I do, I want to know if the color I'm looking to buy is because it's pretty, or if it's so pretty I already bought it.
And since I don't have a huge collection, it's been nice to see what the colors actually look like. But if you don't mind buying duplicates since you'll actually use them, then woo-hoo!
I don't think I could catalog everything, like ribbon, paper, any embellishments. I would think that if you were to keep track of all that stuff, you'd either hate buying stuff or just would end up not doing it! That's would definitely be me though.

I agree with Kendra.

When I started my inventory, it was for items I may mistakenly duplicate (punches, templates, stamps, etc.)

I would NOT inventory "consumables," such as paper, embellishments, ribbon, etc. You can ALWAYS use more of those things! But, for example, you really don't need TWO of the SAME flower-shaped punches.

I am so glad to hear that I am not the only one who has bought duplicates of some items and usually it is ann item that is more costly than most things.

I've been working on getting my stamps inventory together. Took old Stampin up books and cut out the sets I have and put them in a binder. Now just have a few sets to stamp to have it up to date. I also keep an inventory in EXCEL of all my Stampin up, CTMH, cricut, embossing folders, punches, etc. That way I don't buy the same ones. I just update it when I get home from a shopping spree, and print off the new updated sheets to carry in my purse.

Nope! I find that having to ask myself "Oh wait, do I already own this?" keeps the impulse buys to a minimum, and makes me second-guess whether I really need this item or not. When I get home, I look to see if I have it, then mentally make a note to buy it next time. If I forget, then I figure I didn't really need it anyways! Hey, it works for me

I created some inventory binder forms for my own binder and thought I’d share them with everyone (if you want them). They are on my blog at:

http://kathleendriggers.com/2011/05/13/free-scrapbooking-inventory-binder-forms/

Hope this helps someone

I just made a little book using my Cinch, that catalogs my Distress Inks....I really just wanted the chance to use my Cinch!

Yes, I keep a word document listing all of my scrapbooking and stamping tools. Not paper, stickers, ribbon, flowers and stuff that I use up. THAT WOULD be crazy.

If I did I'd either never keep the list up to date or I'd lose it. I like not remembering everything I have.....it's like getting something new when I come across I forgot about.
Oh I do keep track of my Copics definitely..only one duplicate so far.