steampunk spinner

Hi everyone, today I am super excited to be sharing my new distress oxide ink storage solution on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts blog. I have been searching for a way to keep my inks organized and readily available while I am creating. Up to this point, they have been stacked along the back edge of my drafting table. This was a handy location, yet each time I wanted a specific color, I would have to unstack and re-stack all of the inks... needless to say, it was quite a task and, often resulted in a tumbling tower of ink pads. I noticed that Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts was making ink storage solutions for different brands of ink and mentioned the idea for Distress (square) ink pad storage. Wow, am I ever happy that I did!

The Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Square Ink Pad Storage (12 inks) is sold in sets that accommodate 12 ink pads. Four of those sets can be combined to create a tower, and with the addition of the Square Ink Pad Storage Base and Bin Add-on, the tower is raised off the surface with a base and spinner and the top becomes a bin for additional storage. There is also a kit (Square Ink Pad Short Stacks) that will add four sections of three additional slots. This can be placed atop the 12 slot pieces and thus accommodate the full Distress Ink or Distress Oxide palette. For this project I have used four Square Ink Pad Storage units as well as the Add-on. I am looking forward to adding the additional set so that I am able to store my full ink pad collection all together. 

To begin, I first paint all of the pieces with black spray paint. I choose spray paint because of the large number of pieces and I also thought that it would give a nice finish for the ink pads to slide in and out of their slots. The sturdy chipboard does not require painting; I wanted it to match some of the elements in my studio.

Next, I set about constructing the four basic storage "towers". A quick dry glue works great for this step. I begin with the back piece (the one with all of the slots) flat on my table and apply a thin line of glue to the edges of each "shelf." I then slip the shelf piece into the corresponding slot.

 Every shelf is inserted before I attach a side. When the side is in place and all shelf tabs are locked in, I attach the opposite side. The pieces fit securely and I did not even need to use any clamps to hold it together. Once the back, sides and shelves have dried, I attach the top and bottom pieces to each "tower".

Repeat this process four times for each storage "tower." When all of the tall rectangular storage towers are assembled, they are placed side by side, rotating each a quarter turn to form a tall "cube". 

Once they are each facing the correct direction, you can use glue to secure the sides that are adjacent to each other. This will further stabilize the unit. The storage base and bin add-on contains a square chipboard piece that will be adhered to the bottom of the unit and this is also where the spinner is attached. I used a strong adhesive to attach the spinner to the center of the base and set it aside to dry completely before attaching the combined piece to the base of the "tower cube". 

Beside each column of ink storage is a blank space, I thought it would be fun to make pieces of art for each of these sections. I cut strips of Bristol paper and use inks, stamps and stencils to create panels that correspond to each side, yet coordinate to create a unified look. When I am creating, I want to be able to quickly find the ink colors I am searching for. To make it easier to know which colors are located on each side, I ink the background for that particular side with the colors that will be located in that column.  

For example, if I am looking for one of my green ink pads, I can spin the unit to the side that has a background consisting primarily of green and then I will easily be able to find the color green I am looking for. As you can see in the following photos, each artwork represents the ink colors that are located on that side of the cube. The spinner at the base makes it easy to turn the unit until I have located my desired color palette.

Next, I assemble the bin for the top of the unit. This is a simple task of inserting the tabs into their corresponding slots with adhesive. The bin pieces can be painted before or after it is assembled. I chose to paint it first. I also created a strip of inked paper to coordinate with the inks that I will store in the bin until the 4 smaller sections are available. I stamped and stenciled this strip in a similar style and design to the ones that are located on the cube. 

I am so excited to have my inks organized in an easy to use storage solution that can be altered in any way that suits my fancy. I love the look of the steampunk designs; however, if I ever want to change it up, all I need to do is create some more strips of art and adhere them over the steampunk ones. 

If you have been searching for a storage solution for those square ink pads that is economical and can match any decor, I hope you will consider the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Square Ink Pad Storage (12 Inks) 

Thank you so much for stopping by today!
I really appreciate you taking the time and love reading the comments and am happy to answer any questions if you have them.
Have a creative day!
~Ann

I am entering my steampunk spinner in the following challenges:
SanDee & amelies's April 2019 Steampunk Challenge - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes (Tim Holtz)


Supplies used:
Archival ink: black soot
Bristol paper
Distress collage medium: matte
Distress Oxide inks
Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts:
Square Ink Pad Storage Base and Bin Add-on, Square Ink Pad Storage (12 Inks),
(not shown in this post: for storage of the full distress oxide palette add: Square Ink Pad Short Stacks)
Ranger embossing powder: clear
Scotch 3M quick dry multi-purpose adhesive
Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous stamps:
curious possibility, ladies & gentlemen, ornate trims, seamless experience, the impossible
Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous stencils:
mini stencils set 01, mini stencils set 36, mini stencils set 40 (shifters)