Naked....

[Maiden]

...tree....gotcha's eh :p

Well it is a little naked isn't it, wanna help dress it up a little? :)

http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/4886/tennis8xq.jpg

[Dave]

Gotta have a fairy ....

[Redneck]

It needs a present under it also.

[Jaygre]

And a little tinsel :)

[Maiden]

Starting to look like it should :)

http://img287.imageshack.us/img287/8025/tennis8xq18wu.jpg

[ldg40]

This is a wonderful idea Maiden! I hung my snowman submission from last years Christmas contest. :) How'd ya make the garland Jaygre?

[Jaygre]

This is great fun! Less of a disaster than decorating a real tree :) Garland, I just made a brush, jittered the scatter, used color dynamics and reduced the count slightly. Voila :)

[ldg40]

There's those brushes again! ;) I must learn to utilize these buggers....

[Maiden]

[QUOTE=Jaygre]This is great fun! Less of a disaster than decorating a real tree :) Garland, I just made a brush, jittered the scatter, used color dynamics and reduced the count slightly. Voila :)[/QUOTE]

I was wondering the same myself it looks so great eh, ya lost me after you said: "I made a brush...." *puzzled* :)

[ldg40]

[QUOTE=Maiden]I was wondering the same myself it looks so great eh, ya lost me after you said: "I made a brush...." *puzzled* :)[/QUOTE]

Check out Jaygre's thread in, I think, the tut forum..closest anyone has ever come to making me understand how to create my own brush. :)

[Jaygre]

It was in this discussion. Instead of using a shape, use the pencil tool and draw squiggily lines, of differing thickness and direction. This one (http://www.pixeladdiction.com/bb/showthread.php?t=4216?do=markread)

[macwithfries]

Stuck some lights on...

[PixelMaker]

Here is what the tree would look like if you were to come down to the South. Would not be complete without Beer Cans, Shotgun shells and of course Ole Bubba the dog.

[Dave]

Must be one of those American lite beers :)

[D Rock]

hahaha budweiser, not my choice, but def the choice of the south

[Nizz]

Even though I'm not Christian, I'll add my little elf in there :D

http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/7620/xmas3zy.jpg

[Dave]

Aren't Christmas trees more to do with pagan rituals than christianity anyway? Hey what does it matter stick some Buddhist prayer wheels on it for all I care! :)

[Maiden]

Pagan traditions: Many Pagan cultures used to cut down evergreen trees in December, moved them into the home or temple and decorated them. Modern-day Pagans still do. This was to recognize the winter solstice, the time of the year that had the shortest daylight hours, and longest night of the year. This occurs annually sometime between DEC-20 to 23.

They noticed that the days were gradually getting shorter; many feared that the sun would eventually disappear forever, and everyone would freeze. But, even though deciduous trees, bushes, and crops died or hibernated for the winter, the evergreen trees remained green. They seemed to have magical powers that enabled them to withstand the rigors of winter.

Not having evergreen trees, the ancient Egyptians considered the palm tree to symbolize resurrection. They decorated their homes with its branches during the winter solstice.

"The first decorating of an evergreen tree began with the heathen Greeks and their worship of their god Adonia, who allegedly was brought back to life by the serpent Aessulapius after having been slain."

The ancient Pagan Romans decorated their "trees with bits of metal and replicas of their god, Bacchus [a fertility god]. They also placed 12 candles on the tree in honor of their sun god" Their mid-winter festival of Saturnalia started on DEC-17 and often lasted until a few days after the Solstice.

In Northern Europe, the ancient Druids tied fruit and attached candles to evergreen tree branches, in honor of their god Woden. Trees were viewed as symbolizing eternal life. This is the deity after which Wednesday was named. The trees joined holly, mistletoe, the wassail bowl and the Yule log as symbols of the season. All predated Christianity.

Christmas traditions: One Christmas tradition was that St. Boniface (675? - 755; a.k.a. Winfred) cut down a deciduous tree in the presence of some newly-baptized Christians. The tree was an oak -- once sacred to the former Pagans. It miraculously split into four pieces, revealing an evergreen tree growing from the center of the oak stump. This symbolized the death of Paganism and the establishment of Christianity.

Another is that Martin Luther (1483 - 1546) was so impressed by a forest scene that he cut down a small fir tree, took it home, and decorated it with lighted candles. This is probably a myth, because the earliest documented record of a Christmas tree in Germany is dated to almost 60 years after his death.

Thanx (http://www.religioustolerance.org/xmas_tree.htm)

And hey with all that said the tree is looking gr8, getting a personality of it own L0L :)

[YMS]

He has his stocking at the ready... :)

[ldg40]

Come, come now addicts? What will the neighbors say with such a bare tree?

[Jaygre]

A little sparkle :)

[Maiden]

Luvvin it, pretty tree we have :D

[burndog]

very nice guys!

[macwithfries]

That looks wonderful :) :)

[Redneck]

Fantastic background Jaygre. Hand painted ??