A Quote to Keep in Mind

I was killing time one morning this week waiting for the first caffiene rush to hit and I found this on a business blog I have begun following:

"When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt."
- Henry J. Kaiser

(Henry Kaiser was a 20th century American Industrialist and Shipbuilder)

The as soon as I read it I did not think of business, I thought of being an Apprentice. How often does our work get complements and then we reply "Thanks, but....and into an explanation of the nit picky faults we ourselves find in it.

A '12th century painted chest'

This is a project I finished this summer.

How to make a "12th century painted chest" for those folks who have no tools:
Take the Ikea APA toybox: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20078031

Start by staining the wooden rails. Then paint the panels with matte finish spray paints. Painters Touch Decorator colors work well. For the panels that are pre-assembled in the kit, mask the different areas with masking tape and paper.

This design is my interpretation of a Tree of Life pattern from the doorways of early medieval English churches.

Cut a stencil out of thin posterboard. Save the inner pieces to mask unpainted areas.

Paint the green vines first.

Pull the flower shapes away to then paint yellow.

Hold down the cardboard so mist does not get under the stencil.

When dry, pull stencils sway carefully. Your spray painting is done! Outline shapes with a black matte enamel paint (like Rust-o-leum). Assemble the rest of the chest according to directions.

I lined the inside with felt. The inner surface of the panels is a rough textured pulpwood, and I wanted to hide that.

Your chest is almost done!

Add handles to the sides.

I also added nail-in chair gliders to protect the bottom of the chest. The lid is left as a lift off type, hinges will not work because of the rail shape.

Embroidered Roses for Queen's Gift Baskets

A trio of embroidered roses contributed to the Queens Gift Baskets at this years Pennsic. They will be appliqued to handkerchiefs.


The first 2 have satin, stem, and seed stitch.

The last one is done in blackwork fill stiches outlined in stem stich. While I worked on the blackworked rose, I watched the first disk of the Tudors. Nicely appropriate.

6 Feet of Scroll Cases

Here is a picture from Crown Tourney back in May. Volunteers from Ayreton, Ravenslake, and Baile na Scolairi worked together during the winter and spring to donate supplies and assemble these scroll cases. The goal was to make a pile as tall as the thrones, and that day, we surpassed it! The cases were given to the Kingdom Signet.


Pictured are myself, Etienne des Roches from Grey Gargoyles, Philippa of Ottorbourne and Henry of Exeter of Rokkhealden.

Why Can't SCA Feasts Look Like This?

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Why Cant SCA Feasts Look Like This?

God, I amost cried at these pictures. Look at what I found.
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/562037783eeVSFY?start=0
12th night at recreated Saxon longhouse--Wychurst by Regia Anglorum.

Now that is when the Dream comes alive. I have been complaining for years that they dont turn the lights off at feasts anymore. Yeah, I know candles arent allowed at sites much, but try and turn off the lights!!!! Sitting in a gymnasium going blind is no fun and not mood enhancing. Often, when the main lights in the room are off, there is still enough ambient light from exit signs, side halls, doorways etc to see and yet keep the mood.

I still reminisce about one feast from the early 90's down at Shattered Crystal. Even though it was at a school, we still got to use candles. The main lights in the caefteria were turned off, but the side lights and stage lights provided enough light for the minstrels and dancers to be seen and the servers not to kill themselves, but it was still dim enough for period ambience.
Also it didnt hurt trading goo goo eyes with a suitor.....ah memories.

Comment from aelfreda123 Email aelfreda1236/16/08 7:51 AM

I was there...and it was fantastic...it was a cold night, being January, but we had a huge fire all the way down our fire box, with cauldrons over it to keep food warm. Six or seven courses. Outside real wolves were howling (ok, they were in a cage in the wildlife park next door but it sounded great). Everything smelt of smoke for weeks afterwards (no chimney of course) - but the atmosphere is amazing.

AOA scroll, January 19, 2008

AOA scroll January 19, 2008

I was in the mood to try something different so I was pleased to get this assignment for an Eastern Eurooean persona. I know the translation is not accurate or period, but I had fun doing it and think it looks snazzy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanization_of_Bulgarian
I used the above source a starting point for my "translation". I took liberties with what shape of letters I wanted to use, and what letters I thought were matching the phonetics or pronunciation. Wherever possible, I looked at the period text to copy letter shape.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrillic_numbers I used for the date numbers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetraevangelia_of_Ivan_Alexander At Pennsic, I bought a book copy of this. The K is pulled from the Mss, and I drew the lady in a style similar to the royal family portraits.

Purple Fret, All Souls 2007

Scroll for All Souls, 11-3-07

This is an award scroll for Vanished Wood's All Souls event held on 11/3/07.

Bristol, gouache, patent gold leaf on gum ammoniac size, home-made oak gall ink for outlines.

From the 1467 German Fechtbuch "Fight Book" by Hans Talhoffer.
Sorry the picture is sideways, I have the computer skills of a 7 year old.