What do you do when you have a short-notice scroll assignment? If it's a made on site "combat" scroll the recipient gets what you have in your head, or what you can pull from a brief satellite hook up. So ideas for what you can do if you're not able to do lengthy research.
You won’t believe this. The Revel was rained out again. It was suppose to happen in May to choose the next Cut and Thrust Champion. But it rained then. A rain date had been pre-selected for June 23rd. But that was rained out too. So Their Excellencies Augustin and Aleit turned the rain-date alternate site happening into a birthday party. […]
What's in manuscript illumination details? How do you create them? Find out how to increase your scribal detailing skills.
Kingdom of Calontir 2019 Lilies War Photos
There are so many art tool combinations possible. Every scribe has their favorites. I have a few to share.
Arts and Sciences in the Society for Creative Anachronism explained.
Whether you're new to calligraphy or have used cartridge pens for a time here are my info and tips to using them.
Scribal skill improvement comes with experience over time. There are ways to gain experience without a deadline.
Old calligrapherreminiscing on her pastbeautiful letters.Arthritis crippled fingerswarming in the summer sun. Tanka I composed March 7, 2019. Just getting around to posting it for you.
Making A Hebrew-English Scroll and what it took for me to create the Hebrew calligraphy.
I hadn’t planned to attend the Renaissance Faire this year. I’d planned to visit my brother in Minneapolis for his birthday. That didn’t happen for several reasons. But it meant I was able to help out with Lonely Tower‘s demo at the Renaissance Faire of Nebraska. I’m not going to give a lengthy tale about it. I’ll just share with you a few of the pictures I took. You can tell by the pictures how much fun a RenFaire is. If you haven’t attended one you should. So on to the pictures. So there are two parts to my pictures. First are pictures of Lonely Tower folk enjoying the day and telling RenFaire guests the fun we have all year long recreating things from before 1600. Of course we show off our arts and crafts. And visit with our friends and members from our neighboring Barony of Mag Mor, Lincoln, NE. This RenFaire is to awesome to keep to ourselves. And of course their are martial arts demonstrations. And some things like a Russian caring for a guest’s Chihuahua. You just never know what you’ll find. But there’s more to this wonderful Nebraska RenFaire than what we in the SCA do for it. So the following pictures are a few I took as I walked through out the faire. As I told you at first I hadn’t planned to attend this fascinating whimsical event. I wish I’d had more time […]
Thoughts on how we look at information today and how we research it. Knowing how to seek information with old school and new school methods broadens your possibility to recreate what you want.
Heraldic art is valuable for scroll creation and the best way to personalize an award scroll.
What's so important about May Day? In history, today or in the SCA?
Ahem. It’s that time of year. The time for decluttering. That itch hits me every spring. Do you get that feeling too? Spring is a time I feel compelled to purge and organize my craft supplies, SCA hobby materials, and tools. If I don’t act on it soon enough it gets lost in Lilies Prep time. Then each messes up the other and neither goes well. There are people who have a minimalist storage style like my friend Grace. Any closet or drawer of hers you open is neat, simple and systematically organized. That’s not me. I’m an unruly craft supply collector. But, this time I really did it. I switched my sewing station and a cube-shelf to the room’s other side and added a another cube thing near my painting station. The new one took only an hour or so to make. And I did it all by myself. After the cube was done and my sewing table was under the open-curtained window. I moved a few smaller items and began sorting my materials and supplies. I know there are benefits to organizing your creative space, whatever its size or use. The obvious is it’s easier to find what you seek. Over time I’ve learned there are other benies too. Going through your materials and tools cache unearths forgotten projects. Supply residuals remind me of forgotten finished projects. Things I since gave away or threw away. Unfinished projects call […]
How do you become an SCA
Laurel's apprentice? Are there specific steps you follow? In this post I give a look into the process.
If you’ve been around kids recently or were ever one yourself I know you’re familiar with scratch knife nibs. For kids they’re just called scratch art nibs because even small knives are considered dangerous. Scratch nibs are commonly used to scrape through one surface revealing a lower contrasting color layer. But did you know they weren’t intended to be a kid’s toy? The original intent for scratch nibs was to remove ink from animal skin supports. They looked like small bladed knives with paring-knife handles. Later, dip pen nib manufacturers made them to fit their common pen holders. Today scratch knife nibs are a curious commodity made for scratch board artists. But they are my go-to ink eraser. Scratch nibs easily scrape ink off the surface of pergamenata and vellum with little damage to its surface. You can even use them on paper if your ink purchases on its surface and isn’t absorbed. Its fine sharp blade gently scrapes ink mistakes away sometimes leaving the paper surface usable. Ampersand and Speedball make professional scratch art nibs that fit common type B dip pen holders. Royal and Lang make a less expensive nickel engraving foil set too. I prefer scratch nibs to a sharp knife or an x-acto for their smaller sharp blade. The teeny blades easily scrape away ink blobs within letters “a” “s” and others. They are inexpensive, and can be sharpened by a whetstone. The nibs come in […]
I have a birthday coming soon. 73. Not a decade or great milestone. I’ve simply lived thru another great year. When you’re 30 you think anyone my age would be sitting in their rocking chair with a lap-blanket warming their legs while watching soaps on TV. But my perception’s changed. In my mind I’m 53. But my body signals otherwise. Weird sleep patterns, achier hands and feet, thinning white hair, and less accommodating eye-sight. I’m fortunate people in my family live well into their 80’s. I hope to have a long journey yet to go. I do what I can to keep in shape. Tai Chi twice a week and walking miles at a nearby enclosed mall on the other days. I enjoy spirited visits with my extended family and friends. And have three crazy pets I love. I volunteer – sorta – keeping my mind active as Lonely Tower’s Social Media Officer and writing this blog. Occasionally I travel away from Lonely Tower and home. When I get a round “tuit” I have a project list to do. That’s all fun and good. Now I have an added annoyance. Clogged eye-lid ducts. My tears don’t have enough oil. It’s drying my eyes and fogging my vision. I can improve it with daily heat and eyelid washing using common baby shampoo. Thankfully it’s not a big deal. I’m up for the small challenge adjusting to my new eye-wash routine. I […]
Why should you care about color? You can ruin a good drawing by poor color choices or enhance a middling design by its careful use. ...
You find emojis, computer icons, road signs, logos, and emblems everywhere. They’re a useful eye-catching shorthand for small spaces. And were used in history the same way. Using these time-tested patterns on a scroll inspires the recipient or any viewer really. Symbols like eyes, hearts, hands, arrows, circles still evoke grand meaning. They add depth and detail for the viewer giving language to your art. It puts the zing in your art thing. But when you use a symbol on a scroll today you want to consider its many meanings. What it meant back then and what it means today. Even what it meant to the recipient’s persona and culture. Cute things like rabbits weren’t just furry animals they were fertility symbols. There’re other questions to answer, too. Does the symbol have a unique or specific meaning in the SCA? What message does it send intentionally or unintentionally? And -unfortunately – you also want to know whether that pattern has been taken up by any modern-day bad actors. Manesse Codex pages work well with symbols. In this one the fighter’s heraldic arms on the horse tell you Matthieu Chartrain is the one kneeling and swearing fealty. The red and black color of the lady’s cote hint she is related somehow to the Barony of the Lonely Tower. She is Honnoree de Saussay, famously known for loving peafowl. They’re even on her arms. Besides the peacock in the tree the other […]
Ignorantly flailing through historical clothing
Discovering the joy of art
Traveling Fashion Designers 🌼
Photography
Poetry, Positivity, and Connecting!
historical clothing, cosplay, and beautiful acts of whimsy
Cooking, Crafting, and Bad Ideas....
Shorts, Novels, and Other Things
History is Beautiful
Women's Lives in the European Middle Ages
Going Medieval At a Scholars Pace
ἀνθρώποισι πᾶσι μέτεστι γινώσκειν ἑωυτοὺς καὶ σωφρονεῖν.
Illuminating pastime pursuits.
Allergy warning: contains young-earth creationism and form poetry. Made in a place which processes Tolkien and Chesterton.
Illuminating pastime pursuits.
The thoughts and deeds of a writer, fighter and re-enactor
Learning the arts and sciences of the Middle Ages through research and practice
A tiny obsessive perfectionist sewing her way through history
Mostly costuming and project updates with some philosophy and autobiography for color.
A trip back in time to learn about all sorts of interesting things.
Illuminating pastime pursuits.
Join Me In The Adventure!
Sewing, Embroidery, and a Bit of SF/F Geekery
Marya Kargashina's Medieval Research
Musings on Daily Life in the Ancient and Early Medieval Mediterranean By Sarah E. Bond
SCA: Addressing Authenticity for a Gaulish Persona
Illuminating pastime pursuits.
Exploring the 16th Century and Beyond
Make All The Things!
Weaving, Recruitment and Other A&S Projects
Balancing the SCA and the Mundane
Where the Middle Ages Begin
a blog about medieval manuscripts, by Kate Thomas
Erik Kwakkel blogging about medieval manuscripts
News from Calontir
SCA Adventures in A&S
Illuminating pastime pursuits.
Illuminating pastime pursuits.
Illuminating pastime pursuits.
Illuminating pastime pursuits.
Eulalia Piebakere's adventures in recreational medievalism
My Life and Times, Here and There
Illuminating pastime pursuits.
An Itinerant Scribe 