What now?

Okay, So I've finished the embroidery design, but don't know what to do with it. The final size is 3" in diameter. This is going to be a Valentine's Day present for my mom, but I don't know what to do with it, such as make a badge, sew onto a pouch, etc.

Any Ideas?

Current Projects

Okay, so out of boredom I started two new projects this week. One is an illuminated piece that I have no idea what I want to do with it when I'm done, maybe I'll give it to the barony to do with as they please. The other is an embroidered celtic knot I'm giving to my mother for Valentine's Day.

 Only partly finished: Need to complete the knot work on the side and keep painting:

A closeup of the figures:

This Dream of Mine

Every dream, every masterpiece, has a beginning.

Here begins mine. 

My dream is to become a Laurel. A mistress of the arts. 

According to Corpora:

Members of the Order of the Laurel may choose to swear fealty, but are not required to do so. The candidate must have attained the standard of excellence in skill and/or knowledge equal to that of his or her prospective peers in some area of the Arts or Sciences. The candidate must have applied this skill and/or knowledge for the instruction of members and service to the kingdom to an extent above and beyond that normally expected of members of the Society.

The duties of the members of the order are as follows:

▪                To set an example of courtesy and chivalrous conduct.

▪                To respect the Crown of the kingdom; to support and uphold the laws of the kingdom and Corpora.

▪                If in fealty, to support and uphold the Crown of his or her kingdom.

▪                To enrich the kingdom by sharing his or her knowledge and skills.

▪                To advise the Crown on the advancement of candidates for the Laurel.

It is said that becoming a Laurel (or any type of peer) takes at least ten years of dedicated work. As I have just started my path I plan for it take a little longer than that. At present, I am barely twenty years old and have much time before me to hone my skills. It would be any amazing achievement if I could be a Laurel near my thirtieth summer, but only time can tell. There are many gifted artisans in the society who never make the status of Laurel, whether that be by their own decision, life getting in the way, or other factors I shall never know. 

Many people who I have talked to pat me gently on the back and sigh when I explain my dream of being a laurel, or more specifically my time frame in becoming one. But by setting my sights so high and in so short a time, it drives me to work my hardest and be as proactive as possible in achieving it. Even if I never make it, I shall still have all the knowledge and connections I accumulated in the mean time. Whether the Order deems me worthy of joining their ranks or not isn't actually the important part. What's important is that I will have gained so much knowledge and passed it onto to people who wish to learn, and I will have made so many more friends then I ever could have imagined.


This blog is the start of that dream. Getting my info out there so that other people can kinda sorta see into my brain. Mostly it's to keep me on track with my various projects and allow me to do so in a logical way.


Just remember, every body has a dream. You just have to search for it......

So It Begins...

Many a year has passed since first I began my journey into the Knowne World. As a mere child the glistening knights and the decorative ladies brought forth my imagination and encouraged my love of the arcane. As I grew, so to did my knowledge and appreciation of the society I had become a part of. No longer did I airily claim to be a princess in satin dresses running through the camp, instead a need to participate and make my mark made itself known. 

The path of the fearless fighter striding into battle was not for me, neither was that of the craftsmen who works with wood, metal, and other materials. The self-sacrificing pelican, while a part of the way I was raised, was too hidden for my tastes as was. Instead, my talents lay in the ancient art of the scrivener. 

Traditionally, a scrivener (or scribe) was one of the few persons able to read and write. As such they were often employed by nobles or members of the clergy to record their histories, dictate letters, keep business records, etc. A professional copyist, it was often a scrivener who would use their skill in calligraphy and illumination to create the beautiful manuscripts that survive to this day.

As all must do in a new trade, I began at the bottom of the tier. My first forays into the art of the scrivener were nothing more than penning letters in various scripts and learning the art of calligraphy. After several years my penmanship was adequate enough to begin the next step of my trade, illumination. Illumination is the medieval art of book and page decoration to enhance the text of a manuscript in the form of initials, borders, and miniatures. Often done by the use of paint and gold leaf applied to the pages. 

Traditionally illumination was done in plant dyes and other natural pigments, in modern times we must substitute these with gouache, a water-based paint as close to the original consistency as possible. 

In the Kingdom of Calontir an illuminator begins their foray into the trade with the basic AOA. I completed roughly a dozen of these basic scrolls before I became bored with the monotony and simplicity of these pre made scrolls.

I was now ready to begin the third tier of my trade, original manuscripts. The work that goes into an original piece far exceeds anything done previously in the trade. It requires hours of research into period sources, countless attempts at recreation, and the patience to complete it correctly and as accurate as possible. But this was the challenge I needed, the extra nudge to test myself and prove what I could do.

And so my journey begins........