What are the best practices for archiving images that do not impact other albums?

What is the best method of archiving images that don’t impact copies in other albums.

More details of my current workflow...

I'm trying to adopt using lightroom cloud because of an ipad / desktop workflow. While travelling using an ipad, I start by exporting all images into a new album that is used for culling. As i cull and edit, i add images i want to keep in a separate albums represented as different ongoing projects and themes. The albums are usually titled date, title and finally exported when the theme is complete. 

Now that the cloud storage is getting full, it is time to remove some of the culling albums, but keep themed albums. I can do this with the archiving feature on the desktop; and i can browse the file in the 'locally stored' options on the desktop. 

The problem I am having is that when i archive the culling album to clear up cloud storage, it deletes all the images in the exporting album. I want to keep a copy of the exporting album to give me publishing options.

Im open to new workflow ideas.