The Cardinal Sprite by Aurora Wings

This little Cardinal Sprite is trudging through the snow with a precious stick he found for his lady. He is created for the Challenge #57 where we were to Crop a graphic.  I Cropped (well, I hid) one of his feet behind a snowbank, but cropped away his sprig of Holly, and used part of the cropped holly for the corner embellishment.  The rest of the holly sprig is on the inside of the card with the greeting. The sentiment will either say Merry Everything, or Home for Christmas, (or something else! on acetate on the bottom edge).  The sweet little Cardinal Sprite is colored in Prismacolor Pencils and accented with 3d Crystal Glaze on his beak.  Eyes are enamel dots.  The background is a soft winter scene created in Photoshop, over soft gray card base, and the snowdrifts are from the "Jingle all the Way" stamp and die set by SU The snow drifts are textured with  glitter snow that I have mixed a little very light grey reinker into, and then handpainted the texture onto the snowdrifts. 

Do you know the legends and meaning and symbolism of a cardinal?  The notions that cardinals are messengers of Spirit exists across many cultures.  The word is derived from Latin cardo (hinge or axis) Like a hinge on the door a cardinal is the hinge on the doorway between the Earthly world and the Spirit world, carrying messages back and forth.  The cardinal is associated with myths and traditions that surround renewal, good health, happy relationships, monogamy and protection.  Looking at the life of a cardinal, it's easy to see why good associations are connected to it.  Cardinals mate for life, they are non-migratory birds, so they stay in their same area all of their lives, protecting their turf.  After their eggs hatch both parents work together to assure the good health, welfare and security of their little family.  
Things with wings get our attention and some think things with wings (butterflies, owls, birds, dragonflies, storks, albatross, etc)  are messengers from Heaven.  So maybe seeing a cardinal means that your loved ones are around and that you are being heard and guidance you seek is forthcoming.  Fun history and meaning of the little Sprite Mitzi sighted and shared for us.!