Friday, December 17, 2010

Advent Calendar ~ Ancestor Tags ~



I chose to use the "Grab Bag" day in the Advent Calender of Christmas Memories, for my handmade Ancestor tags, and share them with you here today. I have been working on them for several weeks now. Even though there are many more Ancestors to do, I am at a stopping point for this Christmas.


I have always had a little tree with a cute little burlap bottom for Christmas (purchased at my local craft store) on my kitchen counter for many years. I would adorn this little tree with Christmas cookie cutters and lights. Some of the Christmas shaped cookie cutters once belonged to mom and she had given them to me for the kids.

 I loved it and it always made my kitchen bright and sweet...the kids would smile when they saw it!   I plan on getting another little tree, continue my tradition and decorate the little tree with cookie cutters...giving me two sweet little trees in my kitchen.


Right after my maternal Uncle Adi passed away in 2004, I came up with the idea to put photos on tags of all my family members who have passed and would not be with us during Christmas. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do yet but I found paper photo tags at my local craft store and thought that they would work for the time being.


I didn't like the size or that "store bought look" but at least I could honor my loved ones on the tree right away.  I had always wanted to make my own tags and last year I had shared the idea with a fellow blogger, Tammy, over at Rosie Cotton. Tammy liked the idea then, so this year she contacted me asking if I had done them and to check hers out.   Tammy's came out beautiful and she motivated me to get started on mine.



It has been hard for me to get motivated this year because I now have to add my beautiful mom and Oma. I just couldn't get myself started but I knew I needed to. I got together with my neighbor Claire. . .she really helped  me to push myself and get the creative juices flowing!

Between Claire and Tammy, I finally did get my tags done and I am very happy with them. So...thank you Tammy and Claire for supporting me in a project that I have wanted to do for over a year now!



I decided to place my Ancestor tree in my family tree corner which is very near my kitchen and can be seen from just about every angle.  It's a perfect spot I must say.




The suggestion has been made to keep them up all year...I am tossing that idea around. I just need to come up with something to hold my tags and honor my Ancestors. Maybe a tree branch (finished and stained), I am not sure. If any of you come up with any ideas...let me know, I am open to suggestions! I think it's a great way to keep our loved ones who have passed, visually close to us all year.

Happy Holidays to all of my genea-friends and family! 

Photobucket

Thank you Thomas for hosting another great year of Christmas memories. 

8 comments:

Carol said...

Beautiful

I have several trees I leave up all year. I might have to think about this, and do something like this to add to one of those trees.

Merry Christmas

Kathy Reed said...

Gini,
I absolutely love your ancestor tags. What a great idea!

Carol Yates Wilkerson said...

How beautiful Gini! I think you did a marvelous job and it's a wonderful way to honor your family members. Merry Christmas my friend. Love and hugs!

Gini said...

Carol, Kathy and Carol...thank you all...it was a true labor of love and I really enjoyed making these. At first it was hard but keeping in mind that it was to honor them and surround myself with Ancestors passed...it became ok.

Carol, I may leave mine up even though it does have a Christmas appearance...I really don't mind!

Carol Yates Wilkerson...thank you for my friend and Merry Christmas to you and yours too.

Karen said...

It's a beautiful, sparkly tree and love just pours from it. I'd leave it up.

Lisa Wallen Logsdon said...

Gini...I can't bear to throw away my Christmas cards each year so I have hundreds of beautiful cards. I printed out some pictures of Mom taken 2 Christmases ago and started going thru those old cards to find something pretty to cut out and mount the photos on. It was very time consuming but I finally completed ONE ornament and ended up sending it to my brother in his Christmas card. I used parts from three cards to make it. Maybe I will do some more next year. Just a little twist on your wonderful idea!

I took a picture of the ornament hanging on my tree and I hope to do a little short blog about it next week.

A rootdigger said...

I love your trees. Especially the ancestor Tree. I also like that framed FAMILY.
Have a nice Christmas. Share the love.

Jenna said...

Love it, Love it, Love it!! You did a fantastic job on the tags!!