Hi, my name is Kelly, and I am a craft supply hoarder.  For years, I’ve been keeping scraps of paper, ribbons, paints, fabric and just about anything else you can think of. For rainy days that never seem to come.  Because I love stamps and can’t get enough of them.  And don’t get me started on stick-on-tattoos…

For years I’ve been saving these items for just the right time.  And it has never been the right time – UNTIL NOW!

A few weeks ago, my three-year old son, Dylan, was disappointed because he lost the tattoo he was given at a fair.  “Can’t we get another one?” he asked.  I was about to reply, “Sorry, but we can’t go back.  It’s gone,” when I realized something.  “Of course you can have a new one – when we get home!”  We were both thrilled when I opened up my box of tattoos (yes, a box of them, albeit smallish), and let him pick one (he could probably pick one every day for the rest of the year, but he doesn’t know that).

And, the other day, we were looking for something to stamp onto homemade wrapping paper for a friend’s birthday present… Wait!?  I have stamps!  Do I ever.  We got them all out, and had a blast.

Today, it was fabric.  We started sewing a bag for school supplies (as part of a charity project for Ten Thousand Villages – makes a great community giving activity for kids, by the way).  Dylan pushed the foot pedal, while I guided the fabric.  Before starting we went down to my handy-dandy (yes, I did say that) sewing box and picked a piece of fabric that was just right.

Some time last year, I read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.  In it she talks about spending out – or using up what you have, rather than hoarding.  I’ve been trying it with my craft supplies – and it turns out I love to share!

I can hardly wait for us to try out polaroid transfers, plaster photo frames, scrapbooking, and stickering (oh the stickers!) together.

I knew I was saving this stuff for something.  Any kindred spirits out there?