Concordia Champion Prize

One of my last duties as Concordia's A&S Champion was to organize and run the competition at this year's Wars of the Roses. It is customary for the outgoing Champion to make the prize for the winner of the competition. I immediately decided to make a leather blackjack.

I began by drawing up a measured blueprint of the body of the mug on a piece of waxed parchment paper. I have discovered this to be superior to regular paper, because the wax helps it repel water when it comes time to trace the pattern onto the wet leather, thereby preventing rips and tears in the pattern. The measurements I used were based on a mug I had previously completed, which was assembled from a pattern provided by Lord Geoffrey de Cardeville during an eight-week workshop he taught in the Barony of Lochmere (Atlantia) in 2011.

Once the blueprint was drawn up, I wet down a side of ten-ounce, vegetable-tanned cow leather and traced the pattern into it. Then, using an Xacto knife, I cut the body of the blackjack from the side of leather. Since I did not intend to tool any designs into this project, I moved on immediately to the seams. Using a seam marker and a four-hole punch marker, I marked the seams into the leather. Then, using an awl, I bored the sewing holes. This is a long, miserable process, and it always makes me appreciate our modern tools all the more. When the holes were complete, I stitched the jack together using brown waxed linen thread and two needles.

Once the body of the mug was sewn, it was time to measure and cut the bottom insert. This time, I used a thinner 5-6oz. leather, which was MUCH easier to insert and sew in than the thicker leather I've used in the past. Once the bottom was sewn in, I soaked the blackjack in cool water for around five minutes. Then I carefully inserted an empty plastic bottle with the desired diameter into the mouth of the mug (one of these days I will make a proper wooden mould, but for now I use what tools I have). Once it was stretched fully around the bottle, I set it aside to dry for several days.

When it was dry, I pulled the bottle out of the mug. I then sealed the outside of the vessel with wax and the inside with a completely modern epoxy called EnvirotexLite.

 The first step in sealing the mug was to heat the leather at two hundred degrees Fahrenheit for several minutes (preheating the leather causes it to absorb the wax better) and then thoroughly coat the outside of the vessel with liquid wax. Care needed to be taken to not drip wax on the rim or inside the mug, however, as it will cause the interior sealant to not bond properly with the leather.

After the wax was applied and allowed to cool, I applied a second, thick coating of wax along the stitched seams. This prevents the interior sealant from seeping out. I used a pastry brush in both wax applications.

First coat.

Once the leather was completely cool, it was time to pour the interior sealant. For the first application, I prepared six teaspoons of the EnvirotexLite, which I poured directly into the mug. Then, by tilting it this way and that to spread the sealant, I coated the entire interior surface. Using a spoon, I carefully applied the sealant around the rim as well.

The sealant requires twenty four hours to fully set. After the first coat, the interior of the mug and the rim were very rough. I sanded it down with a fine-grit sandpaper, and then prepared a second application. It only required four teaspoons, because the leather absorbs far less on subsequent applications.

Second coat.

Twenty four hours after the second coat, the interior was much smoother. However, the interior handle seam needed some attention. This seam has proven problematic to seal in the past, because the EnvirotexLite flows with gravity, and it's really difficult to find the perfect balance that will keep the sealant in that seam until it hardens.

I created a dam with several pieces of scotch tape (a first-time experiment for this project) and, after pouring the sealant into the mug, balanced it carefully on a dolphin candle holder in my living room. I watched it for about half an hour, and it seemed to be correctly balanced. So I left it to harden and went to bed.

Whoops!

And I woke up to … well … this.

The mug tipped forward during the night, and a lot of the sealant flowed out. Fortunately, enough remained inside to sufficiently seal the seam. Fortunately as well, it didn't stick to the surface of my bookcase, nor to the waxed top of the mug handle! I was able to cut off the solidified overflow and easily remove the tape dam.

 I applied one final, small coat of the sealant, mostly to smooth over a few rough edges. When that last coat was set, I again placed the mug inside my oven at 200 degrees to melt off the excess wax from the surface and exterior seams. Then, while the leather was still warm, I used a soft cloth to buff the waxed surfaces.

When the mug again cooled, I filled it with water and let it sit for an hour to test for watertightness. It passed the test, showing no signs of seepage or leaks. This mug will hold twelve ounces of hot or cold liquid.

I displayed it in the open display at Roses. Then it was awarded to Lady Astrid, who won the Populace Choice competition with her lovely embroidery!

Champion Challenge

When Their Excellencies Concordia selected me as their A&S Champion, I set a number of goals for my tenure in that role. I wanted to continue to grow and learn as an artisan. I wanted to inspire and encourage other artisans. And I wanted to build a network with my fellow artisans--people I could talk to, people who shared my interests or inspired me to try something new.

One of the ways I decided to go about accomplishing all that was to visit A&S displays and interact with the artisans showing their work. I set myself a high goal--500 displays and performances. I had special cards made to leave with tokens at these displays.

My first chance to begin working on this goal came at Pennsic XLV. On Sunday of War Week, I visited the Pennsic A&S Display where artisans from across the Knowne Worlde showed their work. There is SO much talent and knowledge in the SCA--it's really an amazing thing to behold. I've always been impressed with the work of our artisans and enjoyed looking at their displays. This time, though, I noticed a distinct difference: I wasn't just an observer. I was able to engage in intelligent, knowledgeable discourse with so many different people about techniques, materials and research.  I set out to appreciate and encourage others; I wound up inspiring myself all over again.

A handful of the displays at Pennsic, showing a variety of skills and crafts.

There were a few artisans with whom I spent a large amount of time "talking shop"--in particular, two different leather workers and one Viking chain weaver. The was also one artisan from the West--a truly lovely lady who had pottery on display--who was so delighted with the small token I left that she gave me a piece of her pottery in return!

I learned a lot from Brendan about
period leather dying techniques!

This Laurel diadem is gilded leather.
It was so amazingly light and thin!

I also attended the Knowne World Choir and Friends concert on Thursday of War Week, and presented the director of each group with a card and token as well. There really is nothing that compares with live music--it flows into you and through you and moves you in ways that a recording simply never can.

In September, I traveled to South Dakota for the coronation of the SCA's first same-gendered monarchs, Yehudah & Hrodir. There I got to experience a "Sweet and Sour Tastery and Temptorium" as well as enjoy a phenomenal display of the artisans of the Kingdom of Northshield.  There were gorgeous gowns, stunning embroidery, intricately knotted hair nets, delicate ceramics, beautiful woven trim, and of course, Posaments, which I was particularly excited to see again since I took Eithni's class at Pennsic. I was hoping for the chance to geek out with her over my first attempts, but alas I never ran into her at the event.

Posaments on display at the Coronation of Yehudah and Hrodir.

In February, I attended King and Queen's A&S and Bardic Championships in the East Kingdom, where I had the opportunity to speak at length with many artisans about their entries.  I learned about kilns and beads and Italian coats and Tudor toothpaste. I saw how vibrant colors could be achieved with period dyes, disabusing my previously held notion that medieval garments were often pale or faded. I tasted food that had been preserved with salt distilled from the sea. I chatted about how historical events led to the differences in modern Christian denominations. I learned that enamel comes out different depending on what fuel you use to heat it. All of the artisans were SO knowledgeable about their topics, and so very willing to share that knowledge! It really touched me, too, how many of them appreciated my small tokens--one artisan immediately plucked the ring from the card and put it on his finger; another emailed me right after the event to tell me how he had enjoyed speaking with me and thanking me for my support. It was very humbling.

And after I visited the artisans, I had the immense pleasure of listening to the final round of the Bardic competition. A challenge was issued to for performers: they were to prepare a performance (based on their resume) on a theme selected by Their Majesties. They had only thirty minutes from the time they learned their them until the time they performed--I can't even imagine that kind of pressure! All four of them were *amazing*.

A middle eastern umbrella that remains
 parallel to the ground,
regardless of the angle of the stick holding it!

In March, I traveled to the Barony of Nottinghill Coill in Atlantia to attend the Kingdom A&S Festival. I set up my own display, and then spent a considerable amount of time being amazed by the talent and knowledge of others. From hand-embroidered Elizabethan garments (WHERE do they find the patience for that?!) to a period umbrella that may make retainers' lives a whole lot easier to delicious baked treats, the displays were inspiring.

I was especially happy to see Lord Ihone's leatherwork display -- in particular, I noted that he had done a leather "scroll", which is an idea I have tossed around for my protege sister for *years* but wasn't sure how to tackle. I didn't get a chance to chat with him, sadly, but I was delighted when he was named as Atlantia's new A&S Champion!

Ihone's leatherwork display.

In April, I attended Night of the Tartan in the Barony of Lochmere in Atlantia. There were several A&S competitions, an open display, and a competition to select the official Baronial Beverage (which drew twelve entries!). One of the competitions had a Celtic knotwork theme, and the other was a "new-to-you" theme. There were scrolls and trim, and a wooden Viking chair and a hat and a poncho. I also had the pleasure of listening to Laydes Fayre and the Lochmere Vocal Music Guild perform several period pieces.

May brought me full-circle back to Wars of the Roses, where I was in charge of running the competition to choose my successor. The challenge was to create an item that would have been owned or used by any of the "major players" throughout the Wars of the Roses. We had five entrants in the competition, exhibiting excellent craftsmanship. I was personally drawn to Lord John Kelton's leather costrel--I am so excited to know there's another leatherworker in the local group!



Lord John's leather costrel -- winner of the Baronial Champion competition.

Lady Astrid's display -- winner of the Populace Choice competition.

Roses also had close to a dozen entries in the Brewing competition. While I wasn't able to indulge in the taste-testing (I had to drive), I was inspired by the entries and have found new motivation to take the plunge into brewing myself -- a project I have long wanted to tackle but keep putting off for various reasons. No more! Perhaps next year, a bottle of my brew will stand beside the other entrants at Roses?

Turning in my sash and medallion at evening court was bittersweet. I am honored and humbled to have represented Their Excellencies for the past year, and I am eternally grateful both for the faith They placed in me and the opportunity They offered me. I am inspired to strive onward in my arts, to continue learning and growing. I will also carry with me all that I have learned over the course of this quest I set for myself--both the increased knowledge I gained about various arts, and a new approach and purpose as I visit displays and interact with other artisans in the future.

Atlantia KASF 2017

In years past, I have displayed at Atlantia's KASF as part of a group--the first time with my household, and the second time with the Barony of Lochmere. This year, I displayed by myself, as the A&S Champion for the Barony of Concordia of the Snows. Because I'm a champion of the East and not Atlantia, I did not participate in the Inter-Baronial Champions' Competition. Rather, I entered the open display. I received some delightful feedback about my work, particularly from the Baron of Nottinghill Coill (who was also astounded when he learned I had traveled from upstate NY to attend the event!).

Documentation text:

Comparing Copper and Silver as Used in Viking Wire Weave

A few years ago at Pennsic, an old friend sat down with me beneath our baronial pavilion and taught me to make Viking Wire Weave chains (sometimes also called Viking Knit or Trichinopoly). I took to it almost immediately, and began entering pieces in A&S competitions and displays shortly thereafter.

In one such competition at the Feast for St. Brigit in the Barony of Lochmere, I entered two necklaces. These were woven of what had become my go-to material: 26-gauge, dead soft, enameled copper wire. I like that it was inexpensive but still easy to work with – less prone to kinks and tangles than cheaper options at my local Michael's. I also like the array of color options available, because I could achieve a period look (most extant examples are woven of silver wire) or a less-period, heraldic chain, as desired.

Copper was a solid and reasonable substitute for silver, with valid reasons for its selection. On a molecular level, copper is very similar to silver and behaves in much the same way when worked. Additionally, as stated above, it was available in a silver-colored enamel. And, of course, it was far less expensive than actual silver wire.

In her judge's feedback that day, Mistress Mary Isabel of Heatherstone suggested I try working in real silver, even if only once, so that I could gain a deeper understanding of how it differs from copper by actually feeling it as I work, rather than just reading about the differences.

It has taken me two years to work up the courage, make the investment, and take that plunge. I have to admit that I was skeptical before I started. How different could it actually be, anyway? By this point, I had worked with copper in gauges ranging from 20 to 28 and in tempers from dead soft to half hard. I expected this experiment to demonstrate only which temper produced a similar feel, and perhaps to reveal a slight difference in the silver color of the chains.

Boy, was I in for a surprise.

For the purposes of this experiment, I selected 28-gauge, dead soft wire in enameled copper and sterling silver. I used the same mandrel, and wove identical chains of six-loop, double-weave knit. I began with the copper chain.

From the moment I began to weave with the silver, I could feel a difference. Though it was the same gauge as the copper, it felt more substantial in my fingers. More stable, perhaps. It was certainly less prone to kinking as I worked with it. It was somehow smoother, too. It made me think of satin. I was somewhat confounded as I continued to work. How could something be sturdier and softer, at the same time?

Unlike with the enameled copper, I didn't have to worry about friction with the silver as I wove. With the copper, there's a risk that the scraping will damage the enamel finish, causing the color to flake off.

Containing the loose ends of each piece of wire seemed easier with the silver as well. In running my hands along the woven chain, there are noticeably fewer “poky bits” protruding from the silver than from the copper (You are welcome to try that on these pieces, but please slide your fingers lightly and slowly! I wouldn't want you to injure yourself).

For this display, I left the chains incomplete (when finished, they will be necklaces). I drew them through a wooden drawplate for about half of their length, so that I would have examples of the chains both drawn and undrawn.

The finished pieces are all enameled copper, displayed to show the variety of weaves and designs possible with Viking Wire Weave.

I look forward to working more in silver (as finances allow) in the future – it was a true pleasure to work with!

Being Champion

I've been doing a lot of thinking since Sunday evening. I spent so much time and worked so hard to earn the title of Baronial A&S Champion...but what does it actually MEAN to me to be the Champion?

The way I see it is simple: my role is two-fold. On one hand, I am a representative of Their Excellencies and the Populace of Concordia. It is on my shoulders to carry that responsibility with grace and dignity, and to always conduct myself honorably.

My second role is to promote and encourage the Arts and Sciences and those who pursue them, whatever form they may take. I should teach. I should host A&S nights. I should sponsor competitions and provide feedback to artisans who enter. I should do things  that don't even occur to me now because, really, as far as A&S goes, I'm just as much a newcomer as anyone.

One simple thing I can do is thank artisans for sharing their work. Putting something you've poured your heart and soul into creating out on a table or a stand for all the world to see and judge is terrifying. I know it well. I also know the rush of excitement and the feeling of accomplishment an artisan experiences when someone appreciates their work. It's amazing, what a simple token left beside your display can do for your confidence.

I've built up my stockpile of wire-wrapped rings again, but I had to design a new card to use for the next year. This is what I've come up with:

Baronial Champion

This weekend was the Wars of the Roses event in the East Kingdom. It is a huge event hosted every year by my local barony, Concordia of the Snows. At this event, Their Excellencies Concordia select several champions: Rapier, Heavy, Brewing, and A&S.

The requirements for this year's A&S competition were as follows:

This year's challenge is to present something you have learned since Roses last year, that is completely new for you. 

I want you to learn about something that is outside your current skillset, the greater removed the better. For example, I write Italian poetry and paint illuminations for scrolls. For this competition, I might go to Mistress Ose (or someone similar) and ask her to teach me nallbinding, or I might take a class at an event about how to make glass beads. 

Along with a sample of your work, you must also provide a BRIEF (no more than 2 pages) writeup that documents what you have learned as period/relevant to the SCA, why you chose it as your new art or science of choice, and what the learning process was like (how did you learn about it - did you take a class, talk to a peer, read a book, etc? Was it hard to learn how to do? What specific examples of this new skill have you acquired? And so forth). Entries will be scored based on quality of work and documentation, with heavy consideration towards how new and different the subject is to you.

As you may know, I have recently taken up calligraphy. I decided to look a little deeper, and see what my duties would be if I won the competition:

To compete to be a Baronial Champion you must:

Consider yourself a Concordian, either by living within the geographic boundaries of the barony OR by identifying yourself as a Concordian through allegiance.

Declare your intent to be a Baronial Champion at the tournament or by entering the competition.

A Baronial Champion is expected to: 

Be willing to commit to the duties of the baronial champion, and must have no duties or fealties which would conflict with these duties.

Attend the majority of Concordian events and participate in any Baronial Court held at those events.

Attend the Baron and Baroness at some out of Barony events, including Pennsic if possible.

Wear the regalia of your position.

Organize next year’s Baronial Champion tourney/competition to choose your successor.

Lead the Concordian units in battle if the Baron or Baroness is unable to do so.

Well ... I could do all that. I double-checked with Mistress Arianna, just to be sure the duties and requirements would not conflict with my Oath as her protege--she gave me the go-ahead, and I was off!

I decided to do a scroll blank for the East Kingdom's new AoA-level archery award, the Order of Apollo's Arrow. It went through several iterations before I settled on the final design.

I did not expect to win. I haven't been very active here in the East--indeed, most of the hundreds of people who were at Roses this weekend don't know me from Adam. In fact, Sunday morning I even debated not going back for the second day, because while the first day had been pleasant, the fact remained that I don't really know anyone and I expected to be rather lonely. Luke was having none of that! He came with me to the event on Sunday, sacrificing his sleep even though he had to work that night.

As court began Sunday evening, Their Excellencies called forth their current Champions and reclaimed the regalia to be passed on. Then They called forth Their new Heavy Champion, followed by Their new Rapier Champion. In each instance, I heard Them say to the person, "As we discussed earlier..." and then I knew for sure I hadn't won, because I had had no conversation with Them prior to court.

Which is why I was more than a little confused when They next called for "Shannon." I looked around--no one else was standing. Uncertainly, I got to my feet and asked, "Me?" to which there were many nods. Flustered, I scurried down out of the stands--thank goodness Luke was there to escort me, because I was a trifle unsteady!

Their Excellencies spoke about my entry and my documentation as I continued to stand there in complete shock. Before I really grasped what was happening, They were hanging a medallion around my neck and helping me slip into the blue and gold Champion baldric!

Her Excellency had said that it was my documentation which really made my entry stand out--She said She was really able to get a sense of the process I went through in learning my new art form. Here is that documentation:

Historic Basis

Artificial Uncial is directly descended from Uncial, which was the foremost script of the Church and therefore arguably the most important script from the fourth to sixth centuries. Artificial Uncial differs from its predecessor in that the nib of the pen is rotated horizontally. This pen position greatly increased the impact of letters by giving vertical strokes the full width of the nib while simultaneously creating the thinnest-possible horizontals. The technique first appeared in the sixth century, and gained full acceptance and recognition in the seventh.

As it gained in popularity, Artificial Uncial evolved from a speedy, functional script to an ever-increasingly embellished and intricate one. As its complexity grew, it became a script reserved for special works or for short, important points in longer texts.

The script fell out of favor and general usage by the tenth century, a victim of its own popularity and the resulting embellishment it endured.

Examples of Artificial Uncial can be found in such manuscripts as the Vespian Psalter, which was penned in England in the first quarter of the eighth century. Another example, also from England in the early eighth century, is the Rule of St. Benedict maunscript.

References

"Cotton MS Vespasian A I." Digitised Manuscripts. British Library. Web. 09 May 2016.

Drogin, Marc. Medieval Calligraphy, Its History and Technique. Montclair, NJ: Allanheld & Schram, 1980. Print.

"MS Hatton 48." Rule of St. Benedict. Bodleian Library, Oxford. Web. 27 May 2016. 

Inspiration and How I Made It

I have wanted to learn calligraphy since 1996. Fourteen-year-old me had a pen-pal in Norway who sent cards and letters embellished with the most beautiful writing, and my own script--though neat and legible--was rather drab in comparison. I ran out to the store and bought calligraphy pens and a how-to book on "Old English" lettering, but I very quickly became frustrated when the letters that flowed from my nib were awkward and uneven rather than elegant and beautiful.

Since then, I've dabbled around with my own handwriting, changing the way I form letters and practicing a "fancy" version. But I never really sat down and learned the mechanics and theories of calligraphy.

Fast-forward May 2, 2016. I was working the closing shift at work, and there was a five-hour gap between flights every night. I had been passing the time making Viking chains and fingerloop braid cords, but I began to itch for something different. Most of my leatherwork projects weren't even an option--the TSA gets a little jumpy if you bring things like Xacto knives to the airport. I thought about spinning wool, but decided that while it would keep my hands occupied, it wouldn't keep my mind busy. Then a friend at work suggested calligraphy, and it reawakened that old yearning from twenty years ago.

Somewhere along the way, I had already obtained a copy of Medieval Calligraphy: Its History and Technique by Marc Drogin. I stopped at Michael's on my way to work and picked up an assortment of calligraphy pens in various nib sizes, and also a pad of graph paper.

I decided if I was going to do this, I was going to do it right. I read all the instructions on how to hold the pen, how to angle the paper. Medieval Calligraphy has a section on practicing pen strokes--I started with that. It took me a while to get the pen to glide smoothly and evenly through the strokes--as I understand it, part of that difficulty is because I am left-handed. I did an entire page of each basic stroke. Horizontal lines in particular gave me fits, but I persevered.

It didn't take long for me to grow REALLY bored with stroke practice. So, in typical me fashion, I leaped on ahead to trying to master a hand. I chose 'Artificial Uncial' simply because I thought it was pretty. I really struggled with keeping the pen angle consistent, and with the flicks and flourishes that begin or end so many strokes in the letters. For several days I struggled to match the exemplar exactly, and grew more and more disheartened as the texts I produced continued to be legible but certainly not anything approaching beautiful.

Then as I sat down one day, about a week into this adventure, I decided to reread some of the introduction and explanations in the book. Something he wrote in his preface immediately grabbed the attention of my frustrated mind:

I think you will find, as I did, once you learn something of the history of medieval scripts...

that enormous creativity was involved in their birth and that you can express as much

creativity in working within them.

As I continued reading, I noticed that Drogin emphasizes over and over that basic alphabets existed, but individual scribes took liberties within these forms and each calligrapher's hand was uniquely his own. With that in mind, I began making minor adjustments to my problem letters, trying to find a form that worked for me while maintaining the proper feel of the overall script. I moved away from the overly-embellished exemplars and worked with the simple, base forms of the letters.

And it clicked.

I began producing pages upon pages of text that I was proud to say I had written. I used the text from various award scrolls, song lyrics, and even just random thoughts in my head, and I wrote. The more I wrote, the more naturally the letters flowed. They became more uniform in height. As I gained confidence, I began experimenting with spacing and layout in hopes of someday actually producing scrolls for Baronial and Kingdom awards.

For my entry, I decided on the East Kingdom's new AoA-level award for archery, the Order of Apollo's Arrow. Because the skill I am entering for consideration is the calligraphy itself, I have not yet illuminated the scroll (a daunting prospect in and of itself—I'm no more experienced in illumination than I am in calligraphy). The idea that it may someday hang proudly on a fellow archer's wall is exhilarating and incredibly humbling.

This scroll is produced on 100lb vellum-finish Bristol using a Pigma Calligrapher pen with a 1mm nib. I chose this pen because the nib is hard plastic as opposed to felt, which better mimics writing with a steel-nibbed pen. The blue capitals are lettered with a Recollections calligraphy marker with a 2mm nib. I chose this pen for the capitals after practicing both with it and with the ElegantWriter pen because I find it writes more smoothly and provides crisper edges. I chose blue to complement the colors of the badge.

The layout of the text is intended to fit within a Celtic knotwork border I developed as a rough draft for a baronial A&S award (included for reference in the Appendix). The badge of the Order will be rendered at the base of the scroll, below the signatures of the King and Queen.

Along with the documentation, I included an Appendix which consisted of several of my practice pages, showing the progression of my lettering from day one to day twenty five.

I'm still in shock, I think.

I'll need to find out when EK court is at Pennsic, though, because I'll be attending Their Excellencies there, and at many events to come!

I want to thank Their Excellencies for the faith They have placed in me--I am humbled to stand behind Them as Their champion. I shall strive to bring honor to Concordia over the coming year, to grow my own skills as an artisan, and to encourage others to explore and fulfill their artistic passions and potential.