On the 4th tag of Christmas..

my inspiration tag...

Today's tag proved quite challenging...It didn't start out that way. When I awoke this morning, I immediately checked Tim's blog for the 4th tag... I loved it (is that really a surprise?) not just for the inspiration but that I had the dies he used (minus the 25...I used the wish die instead), the grungeboard, some of the inks, and of course trinkets and treasures abound in my studio. The few things that I didn't have (such as the distress stains) did not appear to be a big deal.., But then the process began...I painted my grungeboard before Church and set out a few things. When we came back after lunch and a quick errand, I headed for the studio. Here's where it began to be a challenge...I die cut my first snowman (yes this in snowman #2) then die cut the wish...fit perfectly... just backwards..So I began the painting over and began to work on my tag -I played around with the few stains I did have along with a little perfect pearls...it was progressing but then my ink pads were dry, my snowflakes smudged, the plastic snowflakes (see Tim's blog) didn't look right. Of course I had glued them in the wrong place..then when I went to give the snowman a little color- his color didn't go with the tag....What to do? Stop...Clean the studio for clarity and then help Savannah with her Character Analysis of Moll Flanders (have you ever read such stories of mistress and mayhem..I digress.) Well then it was time to get back to the tag. I looked at the clock-to my surprise it was 4:30, I was no where near done with my tag... When things don't go quite right in the studio, I scrap what I am doing and start over.

I liked my snowman and thought what does he need? A soft palette, some snow and of course some winter roses...and a little sparkle.

a close up of the roses

So where did my afternoon of challenges take me...Sometimes in life, we seem to be in the right place and the right time but something continues to get in the way or we just can't get the job done, the to do list finished, somewhere something just doesn't work, it goes wrong...We think "Is it me? What did I do?" I am reminded of a wonderful example from the Old testament of this very thing - the right place, the right time, the right job...but Joseph found himself in a pit, in a prison and then many days (years) later something wonderful happened - he found himself in a palace. Joseph didn't know that sometimes the right place, the right time and even the right decisions do not get us to the right destination. There are circumstances and choices others make that affect us and we have to start over, searching for clarity but never losing sight of what the Lord would have us do. Just as Joseph couldn't explain why things didn't work out the way he thought they would, He kept on doing the things he knew to do. And with the Lord directing his steps, his destination was so much grandeur that he could ever imagine - a Palace.

Where will his directing lead you? His destination will surpass our wildest dreams..

"The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps."

Proverbs 16:9