Misplaced Rubber Stamps

I am annoyed today because I have misplaced a whole set of rubber stamps. How that could have happened I have no idea. I am very organized with my rubber stamps thanks to a local Freecycler having given me her two rolling carts with drawers. I promptly filled them with my rubber stamps, even divided into categories per drawer.

I was reading a book about artist trading cards and saw a cool bleach rubber stamp technique explained. I had tried the bleach method of rubber stamping once before and it did not work. I decided to give it another try.

I had signed up for a Science Fiction themed ATC swap. I have a set of stamps which is perfect for using on this swap.

I started the day with a plan to try the bleach technique on black cardstock and to color in the bleached out parts with a makeup sponge and rubber stamp ink.

However upon going to fetch the rubber stamps I found them missing!

Later when I had time I thought perhaps they got mixed up with my paints and my rubber stamp ink pads. I did a quick check, no, they were not there.

I then faced my little craft closet which had grown cluttered. I didn’t know if in the pre-holiday prep period I had accidentally shoved them in there, someplace where they didn’t belong. I then spent about 90 minutes putting my hands on every single art and craft supply that I have in that closet. In the process I reorganized some things to put like things with like things. I put all the beeswax collage equipment into one box and that will go to the basement. I put all the metal crafting supplies in one box and that will also go to the basement. I put all the crafts for kids in one box.

I found all kinds of supplies I had forgotten about that are crying out to be used.

And finally I have all my embossing powders in one place.

I also found my hand carved rubber stamps and my carving tools. Those were nicely put away in the closet but I had forgotten that is where I had put them!

One tube of gouache watercolor paint had a loose top and had dried up. That was a hint to get to using the rest of the colors before they dry out.

I then went to the dining room table which right now is covered with various art and craft supplies which I have been using in the last month. I sorted and reorganized and put stuff away.

I then checked the rubber stamp carts yet again, yes, again.

Then, my next stop was in the basement to go through ALL of my ephemera. I have about a dozen copy paper boxes full of stuff. Some are only books to cut up and use in art making. Some boxes are magazines. Four of the boxes are ephemera from my grandmother from the 1950s-1980s. The rest of the boxes are random papers that I’ve saved, anything from tourist brochures to snippets of gift wrap to maps to interesting pieces of junk mail. Only one box has store bought papers, amazingly enough. I get most of my papers for making artist trading cards through ephemera from my daily life. I still didn’t find the stamps (or any stamps for that matter).

I then rechecked those rubber stamp carts yet again. The light is low over there and so I thought maybe I missed them. Now that I think of it, I should have used the head lamp that we use when camping with the Cub Scouts!

The issue is not just me wanting the rubber stamps for this swap. I have a real pet peeve when I lose something. I then will spend hours and hours looking for it! I always find what I am looking for in the end.

While writing this one more idea came to me. I have a few boxes of craft supplies stashed in the basement that I did not check. I thought those were mostly various children’s craft kits but maybe I am wrong. After dinner I’ll have to go check those. Otherwise this will bug me and may even cause me to lose sleep or to dream about lost rubber stamps!

In case you are wondering what set I am looking for it is a set of stamps made by Mars/Toyko/Adorned Surface and is of vintage toys. Some of the stamps feature images of robot toys and ray guns. I really love that set (and others made by that company).