…and a Partridge in a Pear tree!

…and a Partridge in a Pear tree!

Monday’s blog is Trees and Flowers, so here’s one of my favourite treestamps. 
It is used here with our little and large Partridges. 
It’s a very easy project. All you need is 
The Pear Tree Stamp
The Large Partridge
The little Partridge
a Speedball Brayer
Theuva Card A5
Black, Denim and Juniper Adirondacks
Colouring pencils
Sakura Gel Pen for the leaves
White Ultra-fine pen for the snow
Black Micron Pen 01 for the frame
Pastel green Promarker for the edging
Make-up sponge for the shadows
Post-It moon mask
Here goes. 
Stamp the Tree in Black Adirondack on A6 Theuva Card.
Add the little bird…

Add the Post-It moon, 
tear a piece of copy paper to mask off the snowy land,
load your brayer with Juniper (I find a Splodgemat helps)
roll an undercoat of Juniper sky, loading from the top of the card.
Load the brayer with Denim and go back over the light Juniper, starting from the top of the card again.
Remove the mask.
Colour in the Leaves on the tree with the Sakura Crystal Gel Pen (It is beautiful)
Drag the chisel end of a Pastel Green Promarker around all 4 sides, and then make a fine black deckle line with a Micron Pen.
Colour in the Little Partridge with a blue colouring pencil or Promarker.

Lightly add some shadow under the bird and in the snow with a make-up sponge and Denim.
Add some snow in the sky with the white fine pen.
Mount on White Glitter Card.
Now for the little box with the large Partridge.
Stamp him in Black Adirondack and simply colour him in, either with blue Promarkers, or blue colouring pencils.
Mount the white box on a very dark green or blue card, and attach him to the art work.
And there you have it: a very simple, elegant Christmas card you’d be happy to send to anybody!
So I decided to look up the meaning, or the significance of the carol, The 12 Days of Christmas; apparently it’s actually very religious. Ready for this?
The Partridge in a Pear tree was Jesus,

Two Turtle Doves were the Old and New Testament,
Three French Hens stood for Faith, hope and love,
Four Colling Birds were the 4 Gospels of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John,
Five Golden Rings represented the Torah, or the first five books of the Old Testament,
The six geese a-laying stood for the 6 days of Creation,
Seven swans a-swimming represented the gifts of the Holy Spirit: Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership and Mercy,
The eight Maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control.
The ten Lords a-leaping were the 10 Commandments.
The eleven Pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples,
The twelve Drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostle’s creed.

So. There’s a little history lesson for today. Food for the soul – not food for the table! And there was me thinking the Partridge was the Bird for Christmas Dinner! Not much meat on them anyway…

In tomorrow’s blog, I thought we could go right back to when I could still fit into a pair of size 10 jeans. So that’s quite a long time ago….

28 thoughts on “…and a Partridge in a Pear tree!

  1. Lovely Barbara as always…..I get such pleasure reading your blog each day……and all the tips and inspiration…….and humour…….keep it up……pretty please 🙂

  2. I love the card..dont possess those stamps but its the process and technique I like which can be adapted to other stamps. I love googling meanings (or dougleing as we call it at work – due to one of my member of staffs mum who calls it Dougle rather than Google)…it broadens your knowledge and gives a better appreciation of things at times…and hey you just achieved that for me in the little history lesson…so thank you for the lesson(s)…looking forward to tomorrows blog!

  3. Thank you Barbara, that is so simple but effective. I have a similar stamp, and some Distress inks, and I think I will try this, it is stunning!

    I didn't know that about the song, amazing!

    Carol

  4. Love this card Barbara and thankyou for the history lesson!
    And as for size 10 jeans I don't EVER remember a time I could fit in them! Hugs xxx

  5. Thanks Barbara. Have these stamps so will definitely be one of my christmad cards this year. The meaning of 12 days was an adfitional bonus. Your blogs definitely hit the spot. Keep right on as you are please x

  6. Thanks Barbara. Have these stamps so will definitely be one of my christmad cards this year. The meaning of 12 days was an adfitional bonus. Your blogs definitely hit the spot. Keep right on as you are please x

  7. Good evening,
    Great card and very interesting data about the 12 days of Christmas. Sorry you have the flu, rest you deserve an easy day. Congrats on being the number 4 blog, wow, but you should be number 1. Thanks love this card

  8. Hi Barb, love the card, so simple but effective, glad that you are moving up the blog ratings, and thanks for the lesson about the 12 days of Christmas, very interesting. Bx

  9. Hi. Barbara
    Great card today. Really like concept of it and the step by step guides are great for people like me who can't remember the techniques used on tv – I think it's an age thing!! Great history lesson too – never knew the origins of the song.

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