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About Me
New to Digital Scrapbooking, just started in 2019, want to make a record of family stories before my mother passes away. My dad died in 2016. I currently live in Canada but was born and raised in New Zealand, and emigrated to Canada upon marrying my Canadian spouse. Home Country - lets see - New Zealand or Canada? Which to choose? Most of my photos will be from NZ, but any pics of my son will be from Canada. MY IP Address will say that I am in Canada which is fine. My mother and sister are still back in NZ so I will make my home country as NZ for now. For Facebook, I dont check it every day - I am not addicted to FB, and I use a different name for privacy. My image is myself as a child - aged about 2 or 3 years old
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Digital Scrapbook LayoutDescription
Apologies in advance but this description will be a LONG one!!
Leonardo Da Vinci painted 4 women's portraits in his life time.
The Lady with the Ermine was the second Portrait after Ginevra de Benci.
The Lady with an Ermine is believed to have been Cecilia Gallerani (c. 1473-1536) who was aged around 16 at the time this portrait was painted. But she was already the lover or mistress of the Prince of Milan - Ludovico Sforza. He was also Leonardo da Vinci's patron.
Lodovico Sforza was also known as the Ermellino Bianco (or white ermine). Possibly because he had joined the Order of the White Ermine. Because Ludovico was engaged to be married to Beatrice D'Este, Leonardo could not paint a portrait of Cecelia and Ludovico together. So he painted her holding and petting (or fondling) a White Ermine instead.
The Ermine was a traditional symbol of purity and moderation thanks to its clean white coat. (see Leonardo's quote)
You have heard of a mink coat, right? Well those are pelts of the animal known as the mink. Purchased by those in the Upper class.
An ermine coat or collar made of Ermine fur, comes from the pelts of the winter fur of the Mustela Erminea. Also only available to the Upper class.
The Latin name for the Stoat or Weasel is Mustela Erminea.
Stoats were introduced to New Zealand in the 1800s but very quickly became a destructive rodent. Especially when they attacked and ate those native birds who preferred to build their nests and lay their eggs on the ground rather than in trees. Stoats in New Zealand are now considered to be Rodents and are NOT on any endangered species list in New Zealand!! Also NZ does not get cold enough for stoats fur to change colour and become bushy and white.
So if anyone in NZ sees a stoat, they can kill it!! They are nothing more than rodents!!!!
The following story is my personal experience with a stoat!!!
Way way back in the early 1980s (when I was around 16 to 18 years old) my family spent one week camping in the rugged hills of Southland, New Zealand. Sadly, we chose a bad week. It rained and it poured for the entire week!! We ended up spending most our time reading and playing board games. Anyway, one night during this wet week of camping, a stoat found its way inside our tent, licked my sisters ear, scratched her nose and then after said sister yelled, said stoat took off to hide, by jumping into my bag. My sister did not see the stoat and we had no idea what we were looking for. But since we never found it at the time, we settled back down. The stoat died either by being smothered under all my clothes or it was hit by the torch (flashlight) when I threw that into my bag. We only found it a few days later after we packed up and went to stay with some friends in a proper house with a laundry room!! When I emptied the bag out to wash all my clothes, we were shocked to see a dead stoat fall out as well.
Supplies
Text source - Leonardo quote from his notebooks
https://medium.com/thinksheet/how-to-read-paintings-lady-with-an-ermine-by-leonardo-da-vinci-e7bd34bf6d91
Lady with an ermine (1489 - 1490) by Leonardo Da Vinci - National Museum - Krakow Poland
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoat
Cream Base Paper - Jessica Dunn - Today Mini Kit
https://www.digitalscrapbook.com/jessica-dunn/kits/today-mini-kit-time-green-blue-cream
Leonardo Hand Font - available for free here
https://www.dafont.com/leonardo-hand-f.font
Border by Jessica Dunn - Good Life Bundle Feb 2019
https://www.digitalscrapbook.com/collaborations/kits/the-good-life-february-2019-bundle-winter-valentines-day-spring-love-red-yellow
PS Stoat story previously mentioned on this Camping LO - Sept 2021 - https://www.digitalscrapbook.com/robynne-lozier/gallery/camping-out-layout-sept-2021-blog-train-challenge-new-zealand-campground
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- Uploaded Mon, 05/16/2022 - 14:02
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- 6 Comments
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Recent Comments
special story and special lo!
Great page again, Robynne and what a story about stoats!! Giving me some ideas here.
Sorry, your scrap is wonderful. i like medieval Design.
Very interesting history lesson, Robynne.
Your personal story is also exciting. I'm just surprised that the stoat in your pocket didn't move and wanted to get out again. Maybe it was in shock or maybe you threw the flashlight in early. Just good that no one has bitten it. Would have been necessary perhaps still a rabies vaccination?
I read the whole description! I have always loved this portrait and had no idea about the story behind it, thank you so much for all the info *heart*
Oh my gosh, what a funny story about your family encounter with a stout, well, not so funny when you encounter a dead animal with your clothes, but I could not help myself but to chuckle, I imagine the poor stout thinking after finding itself at the Gates of Heaven: "Well, I did not expected that! At least that bag was dry" :D
I like this vintage layout, This is very special!