Valentines with an oldie but goodie kit

I'm going to brag. I have a great track record making valentines for my daughter's class each year. I know she is only five, but every year I have had to provide valentines at daycare and now at preschool. When she was one, I make them all. Now that she is five, she gets to help me! And I love it. I love seeing her take that stamp in her hand, hold it like she owns it, ink it, and stamp an image on her paper. She knows "down and up." I also love to see her take what she has stamped and customize it to her liking.

Because of limited time and craft supplies this year (still moving into the craft room and not completely unpacked), we used a the Sweetheart Treat Bags kit from last year's Stampin' Up! Occasions Catalog. We put some candy hearts in the bag, stamped the banner, and stamped those suckers shut. I added the "Happy Valentine's Day" greeting on some scrap whisper white cardstock. This stamp is from the retired hostess set Good Greetings. It's one of those retired sets that I will probably forever hold on to because of its versatility of sentiments.

Kits are such a great way to make handcrafted items quickly and easily. Sometimes I tend to snub kits, but those days are disappearing as I latch onto their simplicity and fun. The Occasions Catalog has several great kits that you can use in the upcoming months as we approach the Easter and springs season.

Brighten up your Easter dinner table with a bouquet of paper flowers with the Build a Bouquet kit.

Or do you need to stock up on handmade birthday cards? Check out the Hooray It's Your Day Project Kit.

Have you tried any kits? What are your thoughts on them? I would love to know what you think.

Happy Stampin'
~Carmelita

Crafting in Chaos

My daughter and I are slowly resuming our regularly scheduled craft time, although I'm thinking that I may be jumping the gun a little bit since the craft room is not completely in order. The booger does not care, she is just happy to see her craft stuff unpacked and ready to use. So am I. So am I.

For the most part, the craft room is in crafting state. I have found my ink pads, my stamp sets, and my paper. What else do I really need to stamp? Ok, my Silhouette and Big Shot are also in their new homes. And I have found all the other exciting stamping tools and embellishments and have put them in their new homes. Basically, all my essential stamping tools are in their place, and after one crafting session with my daughter, our craft room is in a nice state of chaos. Just like "home". 

I have to admit that craft room organization is a little frustrating. I have some great craft supply organizers, such as my ink pad/marker/ribbon organizer (which by the way, I haven't found my ribbon....). But then there are some items that just don't work in our new house, such as my DVD racks from IKEA that held all my stamp sets. We are renting our house and can't drill holes into the walls, so I can't secure the DVD racks. I'm at a loss as to what to do as I loved these racks. You have any ideas?

My favorite craft organizer. 

My poor stamps. I do not like their home right now. 

Overall, the fact that crafting has resumed in our house is a sign that life is settling down. We are settling into our new place, and I am settling into our new town. I even think I figured out which way is east and which way is west...kinda. 

Here's my question to you. What is your favorite craft supply organizer? Where did you get it? How do you use it? I would love to see and hear your organizing stories. 

Happy Stampin' 

Carmelita