Tag It Tuesday Link Party

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

It's finally here!!  Our first Tag It Tuesday link party!

January's theme was new year/renewal/rebirth with a splash of gold and silver.  For some, that may conjure up pictures of the New Year's Eve ball dropping in Time Square.  For others, it may be something more personal in their journey in this life.  It might have undertones of Christianity for others.  My story behind my tag developed at a pace somewhat behind the actual tag.

I knew I wanted to dip my toe in a tiny bit of mixed media.  So I grabbed my tag, a couple of torn pieces of patterned card stock, some gold chevron and gold glitter washi tape and set to work.  Oh, and I had to make it look like I knew what I was doing, so I grabbed the gesso, gel medium and distress ink and a stencil to boot!  Man, do I look professional with all this stuff out on my crafting table.

I tore stuff.  I glued stuff.  I taped stuffed.  I stenciled stuff.  I gessoed stuff.  I drew stuff with a gold sharpie.  I made white dots with a pen.  I wiped stuff off with a baby wipe...yep, another important tool.  I punched and die cut stuff.  Whew....how much more can I throw at this poor tag?  Well, of course.....I spritzed it with my home made glitter mist (which doesn't show up very well).  Then to top it off, I added some seam binding that I had colored with my gold Color Bloom spray.  I think I'm done now...maybe...well....ok, yes, I'm done.

Am I happy with my tag?  No, not at all.  Especially when I realized, while taking my photographs, that where my glitter spray had sat and dried, it had obliterated my stenciling and created a puddle outline.  You can see it to the right of the gold leaves die cut.  I'll admit it...I said choice words when I noticed it.  Grrrrr.

Now about my story behind this tag.  As I was laying in bed trying to sleep (a common occurrence), I got to thinking about the vine stencil I had used and the gold leaf die cut I was going to add to the tag. Just what did I envision with rebirth or renewal?  Did it signify a literal birth?  Or a second birth through salvation?  Yes, it means all those things.  But then I thought of Spring.  Or more specifically, Spring blooming bulbs.


Being born and raised in the middle of these great United States, each Spring season signified a time when the ground would burst forth with sweet green foliage and beautiful colored flowers of Spring blooming bulbs.  It's quite a feat to think how they die back in the Fall, reserving all of their energy throughout the cold months of Winter, just so they can push up through the soil as it warms up to bloom and bring smiles to our winter-weary souls.  Now that I live in South Texas, I don't have the joy of witnessing this each Spring.  It simply doesn't get cold enough here for bulbs to "do their thing" during the winter and be able to bloom.  The first spring I lived in my current house, I was so excited to see a little patch of daffodils burst forth and bloom.  I thought maybe all was not lost for my gardening senses.  Ginger was even excited!

Alas, my springtime joy was short lived.  Although the little patch of daffodils did come up the next year, they have never bloomed since.  But even without physically witnessing this wonderful phenomenon each Spring, it still brings a smile to my face thinking of the first crocus, tulip, daffodil, hyacinth and iris making their way toward the sun through the cold, winter soil!

Now it's your turn.  I hope you all will link up your tag for this month.  Please visit and comment on each other's blogs as well.  Let's have fun getting to know each other!

Thanks for looking at my blog. I appreciate all the wonderful comments everyone leaves. Happy Crafting!