The Jackdaw

I had some fun today creating this altered playing card, the theme this week at Wednesday Stamper. First, I had to tear through my studio searching for the card. I knew I had some large cards, about 7" tall, someplace, but where? Obviously, I had put them in a very safe place. Safe from me, that is. A couple of hours later, I found the card and set to work.

I knew I wanted to use birds in some way, and since my card was the jack of spades, I thought of the jackdaw. I love that word. I found this member of the crow family in a book about birds of England, and as I was working on some other pieces, I came across a poem, "The Jackdaw of Rheims" by Richard Harris Barham, 1788-1845.

THE JACKDAW sat on the Cardinal’s chair!
Bishop and abbot and prior were there;
        Many a monk, and many a friar,
        Many a knight, and many a squire,
With a great many more of lesser degree,—
In sooth, a goodly company;
And they serv’d the Lord Primate on bended knee.
        Never, I ween,
        Was a prouder seen,
Read of in books, or dreamt of in dreams,
Than the Cardinal Lord Archbishop of Rheims!

It's very amusing but a little long, but still well worth reading, so if you have time, click here to read the entire poem.

Stamps used are by Stampington & Co., Stamper's Anonymous and Memories.