Wordless Wednesday: Avery’s Shield

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Elen

Whitework Versal

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Elen

After seeing a series of amazing videos (but particularly parts 5a and 5b), I wanted to practice some whitework. One of the ways I do that is to make decorative borders and versals on small pieces of paper for my Baron and Baroness to use as note cards. I figure that sort of thing is always perfect for some in-persona correspondence.

For this particular card, I combed through my Calligraphy and Illumination Pinterest board and found a psalter from late 15th century England that fit the bill. I decided on this initial D, since that begins most letters.

I painted it with the period paints I bought from Lucas at the Scribal Workshop, as well as ones I mixed from pigments I got from Griffin Dyeworks. An actual post on those will be forthcoming. In the meantime, though, I’m really happy with the way it came out. And I got a scroll commission out of it!

Pelican Gift

Posted on September 6, 2013 by Elen

A friend of mine, Alden Drake, received his (very well deserved) Pelican at Laurel’s Prize Tourney. I had been planning on making him a gift of a cup cover with his badge on it, but since his badge is a half-white, half-black dragon (with teeth and claws and spines and wings) on a half-black, half-white background… Yeah, that didn’t end well.

I decided instead to make a cup cover with a pelican in her piety (ie: feeding her chicks with blood from her pierced breast), and a dedication around the outside.

The cover is a linen-rayon blend, embroidered with silk. The pelican and the outside of the nest are stitched in stem stitch, and the chicks and nest details are stitched in Holbein stitch. The blood is satin stitch, and the letters are a combination of straight and lazy-daisy stitches.

Here he is in his vigil tent, when I gave it to him. I think he liked it. These pictures were taken by my friend Liz.

Laurel’s Prize Tourney

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Elen

A week ago, I had the opportunity to attend what is probably my favorite event, Laurel’s Prize Tourney. It’s an Arts and Sciences event, but not a competition. Rather, it’s a body of work event, where artisans bring what they’ve been working on for the last year or so, and Laurels sign up to sit down with them and give advice or direction. It’s amazingly fun. I wish I had two of me, one to walk around and see what my fellow artisans are doing, and one to sit down and geek out with the people who come visit my table. I didn’t even make it all the way around the room I was in, let alone get out and take more pictures. I didn’t even get any photos of my own display.