Wednesday, August 31, 2011

September SOTM Blog Hop!

Welcome to our CTMH Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! We will be featuring September's SOTM called Limited Edition, which is an elegant (and useful) set of 21 stamps. I told one of my teammates that this isn't one of those stamp sets that jumps out screaming "Buy me!!!", but the individual pieces are so versatile and useful, it's a welcome addition to my stamp stash for sure!

If you have come here from DAWN'S BLOG you are on the right path. If you get lost, you may want to go back to Helen's Blog to find the entire list of blog hoppers! This month we have over 60 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing beautifully crafted artistic creations using this month's SOTM and other great CTMH products on their blogs. Hopping is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

I've already done a few cards using this stamp set, but one of my favorite images in the set is this little distressed tag, and I knew what I wanted to do with it as soon as I got my paws on it. My oldest little guy is starting Kindergarten this year, and it's a big deal for him (and for me). While my little 20 month old could care less if I'm in the room and has no trouble wandering off from Mom, my 5 year old has always had a very solitary and stubborn must-be-with-Mommy streak. He is insistent that he is NOT going to kindergarten. We had the same problem with preschool, and his first year of preschool (he did 2) he didn't speak to the teach pretty much the whole year. He participated and played and pottied himself all silently without so much as a "Hi" until he'd been there for almost the entire year. So I made Gabe a little comfort/all about me book to take to kindergarten with him! I figure he can look at the pics when he's feeling lonely and sad, and it'll have some info about him on it to help the teacher with my little clamshell boy.

I made the tags rainbow colored, stamped with the SOTM tag. You can cut the tags out with the new Cricut machine, too! I stamped the index card in red for the front cover too, and scored the edges a bit to make a pocket that I could tuck some laminated photos of Gabe's favorite things this summer and his family to flip through when he's feeling especially nervous.
Each tag went onto a matching cardstock or B&T covered chipboard tag (because my boy loves colors). I cut the tags out of extra chipboard from packaging that I've been hoarding forever - do you find yourself unable to recycle nicer chipboard too? I added the little bicycle image from the SOTM to the front cover, since he loves riding his bike every single day. Everything was accented with glitter glitz gel around the edges and embellishments (don't know WHERE he got his insanely passionate love of glitter...anyone got any ideas?) I made one card for each family member plus one for Gabe himself, because what little kid doesn't enjoy starting at pics of himself?
On the backs I used the Index card again for each tag page.  On the cards I put info that Gabe himself gave me about his favorite things like colors/movie/books. On each family member's tag we put info about what he specifically likes to do with that family member. Some of them were so cute, like on Baby Max's card he noted he likes to eat lunch with Max because Max is so messy.

I finished off the tag ring with a rainbow of ribbons, plus some of his favorite perler beads, because he loves to sit and bead everyday. He's heavy into the patterning, so I did alternating black and purple beads, and made the ribbon long enough that he can slide them back and forth in case that repetition helps to calm him when he gets upset at school. I kept everything pretty simple so he could handle it as much as he wants. The SOTM tag was just the perfect size!

I did do a more traditional card with the bicycle and the same title you can find on my blog HERE. But this is the project that was "close to my heart" this month!
Now "Hop" on over to NICOLE'S BLOG to see what adorable thing she's conjured up! Be sure to visit all the Consultants in the hop to get some great crafty ideas for more fun projects! Remember, the September SOTM is only available until the last day of the month. Be sure to ask your CTMH Consultant how to get yours for just $5 or click here to shop now for this "Limited Edition" awesome basics stamp set.  

This post also added to the Heart 2 Heart Back to School Challenge.

13 comments:

Unknown said...

Absolutely fabulous project for your little guy! I love all the details and you can see how much love and thought that you put into the project!

mauihumv@gmail.com said...

Love love love your tag book!!!

Cindy said...

Great project...I love these tags!

Casandra Bennett said...

What a great idea! And you have darling boys, too. :)

Krista Ritskes said...

Wow, I absolutely love what you've made! I am amazed over and over by what we papercrafters can create for our families, but I'm floored by your gift to your little boy.

Priemer Family said...

Absolutely the sweetest thing I've ever seen a mother make for her son!! What a lucky little guy...no wonder he wants to spend all of his time with you, you rock!!

Haley D. said...

What a sweet- and wonderful- treasure for Gabe! I hope that he has a great year in kindergarten!!! (Are you familiar with the book "The Kissing Hand?" He might find great comfort in kissing hands, which my DDs and I still do each morning- and they're 10 & 13!)

Diana Soling said...

WOW!! Great idea! These are great!!

Annette Green said...

My gosh, this is the sweetest thing. I absolutely love this. Great project and great idea. Just wonderful!

Nalazoo said...

Very creative way to use these tags and an awesome reminder for your little one. I can totally see using these tags on a scrapbook layout later on! Hmmm...will have to play with that! Thanks for the inspiration.

Nalazoo said...

Very creative way to use these tags and an awesome reminder for your little one. I can totally see using these tags on a scrapbook layout later on! Hmmm...will have to play with that! Thanks for the inspiration.

Tamytha said...

Super cute and super sweet! Great idea!

Patti said...

I love your tag book and especially the purpose, what a wonderful idea. My little grandson is the same way, in preschool right now...won't play, won't eat, just stands there all day. I'm going to have to make him one of these. Thank you thank you thank you!

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