I can remember being asked what I wanted to do when I grew up, and as a teenager I often replied, “I want to own a greeting card store”. I’ve always loved cards. Cards that are funny, cards that are serious, cards that make you smile, cards that bring tears to your eyes, are all cards that I love. So when I discovered rubber-stamping, I felt like I had made a dream come true. I could make all of these cards, with all of the sentiments and thoughts I adore. I could be my own greeting card store!

I plunged into classes. I’ve taken all kinds of classes in rubber-stamping. I travel for classes. I attend conventions. I confess. I am a stamp-a-holic. And as a stamp addict, I have often felt left out when I saw the great totes that scrapbookers have. I would carry my stamps and supplies into classes in whatever I could find. I’ve used toolboxes, plastic baggies, large envelopes, and much more to get my required supplies to their destination. But this is no longer the case; I am now the proud owner of the Stamp Store tote by Crop In Style.

The Stamp Store is the first tote of its type made specifically for stampers. There are a few generic crafting totes on the market, but the Stamp Store is designed with the needs of the stamper in mind. I first had the opportunity to examine this carry all at the Memory Trends trade show in Las Vegas last September. I fell in love immediately.

The first thing I noticed about the Stamp Store is it’s solid construction. The tote is the same size as the NaNavigator and has similar construction features. Inline wheels make the Stamp Store easy to roll across many surfaces, including carpet, hardwood floors, tile, and more. The telescoping handle locks into position. And the seams are sewn very well on this piece of organizational equipment.

The main design feature of the Stamp Store is a set of five trays, which hold your stamps. These trays are easily accessible by folding down the front panel on the tote. The five trays make it easy to bring along a selection of stamps, inkpads, radiant pearls, pearl-ex, etc., with no difficulty at all. Additional trays are available to help you organize your stamps at home. You could easily store your stamps the extra trays and retrieve the appropriate tray for your class or crop, load the Stamp Store and away you go. I love the large pocket on the inside of the front flap (the part covering the trays.). This is ideal for carrying paper, cardstock, stamping idea books, etc. Just above the tray storage are more pockets. These are clear, making it easy to see what you have stored.

When you lift the lid of the Stamp Store, you find a compartment sized for a heat tool or any other tall supply. I am able to get both my heat gun and a bottle of water in this compartment. (If you’ve ever gone to a stamp or scrapping convention, you know that refreshment is a necessity!)

There is an additional compartment in the top perfect for smaller tools. And this compartment is lined with elastic holders to keep embossing powders, glitter glue, eyelet containers, etc., in place.

The lid to the top section also boasts storage for pens and markers. I have to say that this is a design feature that works very well for stampers. Many watercolor and solvent-based markers used by stampers are dual tipped (having a fine line and a wide point on differing ends of the marker.) And, as such, these markers need to be stored flat. When the lid is closed on the Stamp Store, the markers are stored in their idea position. There are pockets, made of heavy-duty material, on both sides of the Stamp Store tote. These pockets vary in size, and will hold a variety of supplies. I’ve been able to place my tape runner in one such pocket, some punches in other pockets, etc.

It is easy to tell from the pictures and from just looking at the Stamp Store, that this tote will hold a lot of supplies. But, could it past the real test? Would it truly hold everything I needed? I decided to check this out. I am signed up for a stamping cruise. The sponsors had recently sent me a list of supplies that I had to bring along with me. I gathered up those tools and supplies, packed my Stamp Store, and guess what? I have room left over!!! Yes, I can pack additional tools and supplies. I can take along those things that I have bought but never tried. I can take along my supplies for upcoming swaps. I’ll be able to get a lot of stamping done with me, since everything I am going to need will fit neatly into my new tote. Yes, the Stamp Store passed my test.

Crop in Style offers several accessories for this tote. You may want to consider purchasing a Paper Taker if you carry a lot of paper with you to classes and crops. Or, if you will be using this for conventions, the Paper Taker will allow you to carry lots of papers safely. The Paper taker is available in 8 1.2 x 11 and 12 x 12 sizes. The Paper Taker fits over the telescoping handle of the Stamp Store, and all of the other Crop In Style scrapbooking totes. You can even use your paper taker to carry catalogs that you might pick up at a convention or demonstration! I primarily work with 8 ½ by 11 cardstock, but chose to buy the larger paper taker. I can use the 12 x 12 Paper Taker for all kinds of papers and cardstocks, making it the most versatile choice for me.

In addition to the extra storage trays I mentioned earlier, Crop in Style also offers bottles in sets of five for your embossing powders and embellishments. I made the mistake of not purchasing these when I bought the tote. I thought to myself “my powders are already in bottles, I don’t need these”. However, I’ve now decided that it would be nice to have extra storage bottles for any small embellishments, powders, or accessories that are not packaged in bottle type containers. I’ll pick some up the next time I am at my local stamping store.

The other accessory that I recommend is the handle pad. This is a must have for anyone who travels with her tote. The extra padding will make the already comfortable tote easier to pull through airports, etc. The Stamp Store is sized for carry on airplane travel. It will easily store under most airplane seats. I do recommend going through your tote before traveling to remove any scissors, x-acto knives, or other sharp implements. Pack these items in your checked luggage to prevent problems with airport security. I do have to add that I am the first among my stamping buddies to have this tote. But, I am sure I won’t be the last. I took it to show my friends the day I purchased it. And, three of my friends asked for information regarding where to purchase the Stamp Store. After all, this is a solidly built, well-designed carry all made specifically for the needs of the stamper. And, it is truly the first of its kind on the market. And, after seeing how quickly this is going to catch on at local stamping stores, I came home and stamped up a custom “luggage tag” to help me identify my tote when I am at my classes! The Stamp Store is available in black, navy blue, and hunter green. . List price on the tote is $129.99. The Paper Keeper is available in Black with navy blue, black with green, and black with purple. For more information on the Stamp Store or any other Crop In Style products, visit their website at www.cropinstyle.com. The website will allow you to order directly from the manufacturer or will provide you with a listing of retailers in your area.

If you have any questions, write to me at Bhamilton@shopa-z.com

PLEASE NOTE: ACCESSORIES PICTURED ARE NOT INCLUDED WITH THE STAMP STORE.