Looking Forward

In my last post, I talked about what I had done during 2015. In this one, I want to take a moment and detail some of the things I’m working on for 2016. Both in an effort to be accountable for them, and also to psyche myself up to be super excited about them.

  1. For our Kingdom-wide Arts competition in February, I will be making a version of one of the Sion Reliquary bags. I’m dyeing my own silk, and knitting it on very smaaaalllll needles.
  2. I will be working on another Achievement of Arms scroll for a dear friend, Andreas, in the style of a German roll of arms.
  3. I will be adding a commission page to the blog. I have been using my Trello board (and still plan to, as a way to keep a dialogue open between myself and my clients), but I would like something a little more static and intuitive to be the forward-facing page for my commissions.
  4. I plan to blog twice a week. Expect some shorter update posts instead of just a bunch of longer, more intensive completed project posts. Those will still be here, but they’ll be interspersed with update posts and philosophy of reenactment posts, and more tutorials. So if there are things that I do that you would like to know, dear readers, please let me know.

I have some other things in the pipeline as well: a grey wool dress inspired by Isis’ beige one, another pink Roman dress, a supportive Elizabethan kirtle, and a few other things for myself, as well as more commission items and scrolls. But I want to leave those fairly nebulous so they feel less like obligations and more like fun plans. What are you guys planning on making in 2016?

2015 Wrap Up

It’s a new year! While I am usually overwhelmed by possibility and eager to start the new year’s projects, this past year has ended on a difficult note for me, personally. I am having a hard time being excited about 2016 and what it will bring. I want to take a minute or two to look back at my finished projects for 2015.

Head CLoth

Embroidered Head Cloth for Dena:  A quick and sweet little embroidery/handsewing project for a friend, with elements of her heraldry on the back.

Sabina's Court Barony Scroll

Court Barony Scroll for Sabina: A tongue in cheek, fun scroll for a friend’s Court Barony. My first real scribal commission. The first time I’ve ever deliberately defaced my scribal work.

Prick and pounce tutorial, for Opuselenae.com

Prick and Pounce Tutorial: I’m counting this as a project because I feel strongly about the roll of tutorials and sharing knowledge in educating people. Still my favorite way to transfer patterns.

Rabbit's Lion Scroll

Rabbit’s Lion Scroll: First time really experimenting with pigments treated in a period manner, first (semi-successful) gilding on a scroll.

Red Crow Cup Cover

Badge Cup Cover: My heraldry passed, and now I want to put my badge on ALL THE THINGS. Starting with this cup cover, that attaches to my goblet stem so I don’t lose it.

Dragon Pouch

Dragon Pouch Collaboration: A fun little thing I did with my friend Lia to sponsor a fighter in a tournament where the buy-in was an item made by an artisan (or two!).

invites

Queen’s Champion Invitations: Last minute call to make pretty invites for an event.

The embroidered pouches are all finished!

Cantigas de Santa Maria Pouches (and part two): An artisan trade with a friend, based on two pouches from a medieval manuscript.

C&T

Cut and Thrust Championship Scroll: A kingdom-level award scroll based on a renaissance fencing manual plate.

These aren’t all the projects I’ve don’t this year, but they are all the ones I’ve blogged about.

Sewing Red Hose

I blogged about these red hose in progress, but I need to do a completed project post for them and the ginger version.

roman

I made myself a beautiful Roman outfit.

achievement The write up for this ridiculous scroll is coming. I promise. It may be two or three entries long. It was a monster.

My maiolica plate, finally fired. Only a year after I painted it! Fingers crossed that this one won't break; third times the charm, right?

Finally managed to fire this plate (third time’s the charm, right?) It lives on a shelf high up and away from danger.

poem

Calligraphed a poem for a very dear friend.

heraldry

Worked hard on learning to be a proper heraldic artist.

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Wrote out the calligraphy for the invitations to our Baronial fall event.


collar

Finished this monstrous endeavor. It ended up being shorter than I thought it needed to be initially, which made me cry, but it turned out okay in the end. Write up coming.

veil

Made a 14th century frilled veil. That I kind of hate and want to remake.

kintsugi

Practiced the Japanese art of Kintsugi.

garter

Made a pair of garters for my friend Cecilie.

callig

Calligraphed this award, which is not for the SCA (but still looks amaze!)

All in all, it’s been a productive year. I think I’ve missed a couple things, actually. Next up will be discussion of some projects I’m hoping to accomplish this coming year, and some changes I’ll be making to the site. Happy New Year, everyone!

Wait, it’s been how long?

Uh, so. It turns out that even when you’re super busy with projects and creating things, they don’t actually end up blogging themselves. I have a million things to share (some of which are huge surprises that not even the Facebook page has seen yet).

The most exciting recent thing that happened was that I was awarded the Iris of Merit, a grant-level A&S award (it’s the rainbow ribbon on my shoulder). I was completely not expecting it even a little bit, as you might be able to tell from the shocked, glazed grin. For the rest? It’s coming soon, and more regularly. I promise.

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Giveaway cup cover

Remember how I said that we were on Facebook now? Well, it’s getting so close to the 50-like giveaway deadline that I started the cup cover I’ll be giving away. Here’s a sneak peek of the design. If you’re interested in winning a hand-made cup cover, head over to the page and ‘like’ it. In fact, you might want to do it anyway; there’s content there that doesn’t always make the blog.

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Dychwelyd

It’s time for another Welsh lesson. Today’s word is “dychwelyd,” and it means return. As in: I’m back! I didn’t mean to take such a long break, and it hasn’t been because I haven’t been making things or going places. Rather it’s been because I’ve been too busy making and going to actually take the time out to blog!

I want to let everyone know that you can now find Opus Elenae on Facebook. I’ve gotten a lot of positive traffic there, and finally feel like i’m connecting to some kind of audience. I want to encourage any blog readers who may not yet have “liked” Opus Elenae on Facebook to do so. There is content there that doesn’t make it to the blog: quick updates and progress pictures.

When Opus Elenae gets 50 “likes” (at 29, we’re more than halfway there!), I’m going to hold a cup-cover giveaway through the Facebook page. The sooner it hits 50, the sooner you have a chance to own a hand-crafted cup cover, just like these, made by me!