Been a long, long time

 It's been quite awhile since I posted. Since last time I have done some glass bead work quite a few vigils desserts and had a baby - now 3yrs old. 

So this blog may switch up a little since I know have a child, it may include SCA kids things and my projects. 

I think I will also post my past two vigil pictures.

Oh p.s. I became Baroness of my Barony 2 years ago as well!

Calligraphy for Runnemede Invites!

So Barony of Carillion hosted the Baron & Baroness Runnemede dinner this year at Pennsic XLI. We decided to send out invitations, once at Pennsic

I did the writing on 14 invitations. Lady Lilly made 8, Baroness Katrina made 4 and I made 2, total of 14.

Here are examples of Lilly's and Katrina's they both did such awesome jobs!

This Baroness Katrina's with my calligraphy

 

This is an exampl of Lady Lilly's work

 

This is my first attempt at cadell's it is an amaturish attempt but i was keeping it simple for the invites.

here was my second attempt at the bottom swishy ;)

 

I obviously have a lot of practice I still need to do...as soon as grad school is over! So I need to do more callighraphy, cadells, herbs and sugar paste, sigh I need to win the lottery so I can have more time!

 

 

Scrolls

Well I was asked to do the callighraphy on a scroll for a household memeber, I was really nervous. Turned out ok!I think it looks good, another person did the illumination. Callighraphy at least I can pick up and put down easier then many other things. It felt good to be creative!

I may teach a class at SRWC on early medicinal practices...since that is my masters thesis! We will see if I have enough time.

Molding Sweetness

So for Christmas/Chanukah's I received a cookie mold of a Pelican in Piety. I was very excited, now I could make this beautiful cookie mold for friends who are on vigil for a the Pelican award (SCA award), because I love subtleties.

So are wood carved cookie molds period? ABSOLUTELY!

There are simple molding forms that date back to 3000 BC (older than the 1st documentation of massage therapy, which is 2000 BC). The oldest evidence of sweet cakes (cookies) was found in the Indus Valley dating back to 2500 BC.

Molds were made form clay, wood, wax.

The Roman Empire helped spread much of the arts and food sources, the ginger, sugar and other spices all came from the Far East. The most artistic bakers of Old Europe were those of Italy, Germany, Prussia, Bohemia, Czechoslovkia, and France.

The molds could tell stories for those that could not read (most of the populace) So the Royalty made great use out of the mold carvers and the Bakers, who were baking Gingerbread. The depiction during the Middle Ages were often religious.

Gingerbread bakers, first mentioned in 1335, had their own guild by 1415. In 1419, Prague had 18 gingerbread bakers, the wealthiest inheritance papers had over 500 gingerbread molds! the wood carvers established their own guild in the 15th century. The Gingerbread bakers were often families, fathers teaching sons the trades.

SO having learned all these wonderful details about gingerbread and woodmolds, I am happy to have made gingerbread pelican cookies. Now I have yet to determine if the particular mold I have has any historical meaning. I know the Pelican-in-her-Piety is an allegorical depiction of Jesus Christ an image of self sacrifice, from the 13th Century onwards.

But in the reference of using subtleties to tell stories, or to honor someone and the way we use the pelican in her piety today, my cookie mold is very appropriate.

I have only begun to look for a "period" gingerbread recipe. Although I do not believe that my ingredients would be very far off. They most likely did not use refined wheat flour as we do today.

Gingerbread - Pelican in Piety mold

Chocolate Shortbread - Thistle Mold

Subtle Indecisions...

So I had every of intention of creating a sublty for Mudthaw, but as I will not be able to attend I am reconsidering.
What is a Sugar Subtlies?
Sugar subtlies were often served in between course, they were recreations of just about anything, if it was a feast day it may reflect that, perhaps a subtle joke from the Lord of the House. However the bigger more elaborate subtley you recieved the higher honor you were receiving.

So I am tryign to decide if i will have the time to do one since I will not be attending.

we shall see keep ya posted!

Updates to Bellringers!

So my dayboard went over very well. I was very pleased both with it's reception and the ease of turning out that day. I had help with Diana, Gemma and Ty which was extremely convenient!

Now that the awards are given out I can share one I couldn't post earlier. Lady Amy Webbe's scroll. She did the most amazing blackwork coif, "motifs are tranferred from the 1632 edition of Richard Shorlayker's "A Schole-House for the Needle", except for the spider webs and spiders, which are a creation of the artist" that is from her blog, so I incorporated all that into her scroll.

Welcome Lady Amy Webbe to the order of the sable bell!

Calligraphy

A quick follow up to my previous post. I need to work my calligraphy, I am out of practice. I also need to get a C5 & C6 nibs as they are what works best for me. I have a C4 but it's on the larger size, that I don't like. Until the ones I want come into the store (sold out) I am using a calligraphy pen, where as the pen is nice because you do not have to dip and it is easy for almost any user, it lacks crispness.

There is also something fundamentally zen about dipping the nib into an ink well and blotting. You can almost feel a connection through the years to a monk or nun that was also sitting and dipping their pens into their ink wells.

That is all I have on calligraphy for now :)