Storage Problem

[Stampalotsue]

Fellow Crafts people,

I need ideas on how to store my paper punches, esp. those large (JUMBO) ones! I had mine stored in this set of plastic drawers (three of them, measuring approx. 9x12). You know the ones... I think they're like 7.99 or so at Target. Anyways, I have four sets of them, stacked so that there are two sets stacked together next to each other. Well, the other night, my cats decided to lay on top (as they often do) and I guess when they jumped up the top set on the right side fell off.... crashing to the ground and cracking all the drawers and the case that holds them.:( I guess they were just too heavy. One punch even broke into several pieces in the crash.:eek:

So I need a better solution. Any suggestions (besides getting one of those window perches for my kitties!, which I am going to do).

Susan

[Inky Whiskers]

I'm so sorry, Sue! I know that feeling of "aaagh!" well. :(

Costco recently was carrying a set of six 13.5" x 14" x 3" drawers in a unit. 4 of the 6 drawers have locking lids. I use mine to store all my large & medium sized, border, alphabet, scissors, hand helds & SU! punches. I keep the unit under my work table as it just fits. The drawers are on the heavy side (especially when full of large punches), but I can pull them out and set them on the floor or table to open & the lids keep the contents inside if they wobble or tip over. Granted, a crash to the floor may be just as fatal for these drawers as yours were, but unless you go for heavy wood or metal, almost anything will crack if used to store punches then dropped. :p

I have seen in mags where folks have built or bought wooden spice racks to store their punches. Some folks mounted their racks to the wall, while others just set them on the table against the wall. I suppose where you put it depends on how big the unit is. (o.k. that sounds REALLY bad, but you know what I mean! :)) )

I tried an over the door punch storage thingy (a few years back) with all sizes of pockets and quite frankly, I thought it was a waste of money. The small punches did fine in it, but the medium & large ones were too heavy and not only shreaded the pockets but broke the bar across the top that held the hooks that went over the door, rendering the whole thing useless. :angry:

After cats on my work table (one gacked on my proto type ATC for a swap recently) my next biggest cat in my studio hassle is over who the chairs belong to. :laugh: Jimmy (my tabby hunter) really likes the fabric chair at my work table (he's not the only one), but will settle for the leather one at the computer if nobody else is using it. Some days it seems like every time I want to go from one station to the other I have to move a cat. :D

[Stampalotsue]

DH says two things about cats in general...
"Dogs have owners; Cats have staff"
and...
"If you want the best seat in the house, move the cat."
Mine love to find little wiggly things (esp. on my art table) and take off with them...sigh.
Gotta love 'em though!

[XrayAmy]

DH says two things about cats in general...
"Dogs have owners; Cats have staff"
and...
"If you want the best seat in the house, move the cat."
Mine love to find little wiggly things (esp. on my art table) and take off with them...sigh.
Gotta love 'em though!

Those are both soooo true! There are times when my husband and I walk in the family room and just look at each other...because all the seats are taken by the cats! You really have to squeeezeee in between the cats to sit down.

[Inky Whiskers]

Mine love to find little wiggly things (esp. on my art table) and take off with them...sigh.
Gotta love 'em though!

In addition to stealing my crafting chair, Jimmy likes rubber bands. He even figured out how to open the lil drawer I keep them in & helps himself. Of course he never closes the drawer or cleans up the rubber bits when he's finished. :p

Fiver on the other hand has highly irritating rubber stamp fetish. I keep my stamp wheels on a pants hanger & when he was little, I had the hanger hanging off a file drawer. The lil goof would lie on his back licking the wheels making them spin round & round. From there he went on to become a stamp thief. <sigh> Several ums have gone missing over the years & I still have the SU! set he decided to use for teething. <sniff> I'm just sentimental that way. Or is it that I'm just mental?

We cat people indeed know all about the pleasures of being owned by a cat. :D

[piecesandpom]

My punches are residing in a drawer in my secretary desk and are all over
one of my shelves; can't buy more stamp sets until I find a solution. I need
to invest in a storage unit but the windows are low the ground, only 24 inches
off the ground and most units are built too high - they'll block off some
of my window. And the storage unit has to be sturdy since my Persian loves
to look out that window. . .perfect view to the bird feeders! She also likes
to lounge and nap on the desk; I lost one of the cutters to the Creative
Memories ovals set. Found it under the dining room hutch!

[inky fingers]

I use a pre-made wood shelving unit (hutch top) that sits on the floor with doors that close for my Punches.. inside are moveable shelves and it all fits under my "stand up & work" area at one end of my "closet". All my bigger punches go inside it..and a smaller rubber-maid container holds the smaller punches (about shoe box size)..which sits on the open shelf.

Not handy to grab & use, but safe from the feline visitors.. I have 3 that claim the top of my work space. One searching for rubber bands. One for knocking off my ink pads (wall unit shelving unit) and the other just looking for a sleeping spot. All are girls!! Then put the Dog in the mix!! He wants to sleep under anything that he can fit into.. Cocker spaniel bred.

[alsmouse]

I don't have a cat but understand the "hidey" gene. All critters must have it. I have't lost amy stamps to mine (as of yet) but mine likes the taste of paper & glue. He will drag it under my craft table, sit on the paper files & give that lovely "eyeleting" that only rodent teeth can do. I just wish he would do it in a nice pattern. LOL