SCA: Bits and Pieces For An Upcoming Event

 We have an Italian Carnival themed event coming up in October, and I’ve been refitting a couple of old Florentine dresses to wear to it. I realized the other day that I needed some jewelry and a mask for the event, too, so I dug out these old pieces: 

I made each of those necklaces about ten years ago, to go with Italian ren and gothic ensembles. I cleaned them up a bit, but since they’re made with brass and pewter (the pearls and garnets are real), I couldn’t get them really shiny and silver again.  Oh, well. They’re still pretty. 

I had a mask already made, but it was broken, having been crushed in a fabric box in storage.  I’ve actually made three masks, but something always happens to prevent me from wearing them, including a freaking TORNADO.  

Not to worry. I glued the mask back together and put the feathers back on it, and voila: 

There! Now I just have to get the actual dresses together. More on that later. 

Gulf Wars!

Only four days left before Gulf Wars, you guys!  And guess what?  I finally got to quit my night job!!!  *DANCES AROUND IN CIRCLES**   I've had time to actually get all of my chores and prep for war done on time, and I'll be taking commissions again once we all get home.  YAY!  So excited.  (In case you couldn't tell).

Completed in the last two weeks:

1.  A man's Viking tunic, embroidered.  There are pants and cloth winingas to go with it;  I'll have pics of the finished outfit after war.

2.  A new Caerleon company surcote, which I made from a black linen cotehardie that I made back in 2012 (I don't have pics of it, sorry).  I closed up the front and cut out the sides, over-dyed the whole thing with a fresh coat of black to spruce up the color; then added the gold binding at the top (cut from some lightweight damask from my scrap pile), the white faux-fur on the sides, and three appliqué'd lions down the front of the skirt.

3.  HOLY CRAP I FIT INTO THIS DRESS FROM 2012 AGAIN:

4.  Seven new flags for the Caerleon campsite ropeline (five pictured) and a new canvas banner/flag to hang outside of my tent (that's the big one on the left):

5.  More canvas bags, this time made from a blue, heavy cotton with a decorative weave and stitch, from which I removed a TON of orange thread in January:

L-R:  finished bag; fabric before thread removal; fabric after

6.  Fixed up this mask for the  Known World Party next Friday night - this year's theme is that of a Venetian-style masque:

L: finished, painted with teal/black nail polish, with dark flowers, star-shaped
spangles, and "raven" feathers (dyed turkey feathers from the craft store);
R:  The mask as purchased in NOLA before Gulf Wars (aside from a bit of nail
polish on the nose - I almost forgot to take a "before" picture), where a few of
us spent a day before heading to the war last year.

I've also done a million small alterations on my older cotehardies; the green Burgundian dress which I made last summer and then never wore; re-painted a small wooden chest I made last that had a horrible finish on it; and completed a Sekrit!Projekt! about which I'll post after I'm back from war.

I'll have pics of everything when I'm back. This week I've got to run a thousand errands, and finish packing - which just seems a Danaidean task, at this point, but I'll get there - and then I'm on the road Friday afternoon. Whee!

TO WAR!   

Another Mask

Another $2 plastic mask, in fact, for the masked ball Wednesday night at Gulf War:

The black and gold floral design is the way it came from the store;  I filled in around the designs with gold nail polish on the gold side, and highlighted the black curls in a deep red polish;  then did the same on the black side with teal sparkle nail polish, lol.   Glued some rhinestones here and there (blue on the black side and red on the gold side), and then a forest green ribbon all the way around (during which process I proceeded to get hot glue EVERYWHERE and burn nearly all of my fingertips), and a green ribbon to tie it around my head.

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*peek*

Yup, still here.  I'm been up to my ears in mundane holiday junk, family stuff, and preparations for Candlemas - for other people - so I haven't had much to post.  But today I do!

Actually, this is an ongoing Thing....two ongoing Things, actually.


1.   Crown Tournament is this coming Saturday.  Normally that's not something I'd be very excited over - as much as I think that event should be a big deal to the entire populace, it's ...just a tournament.  Whackings and smackings happen, and then everyone goes home.  But this time, they're making a day-long shindig out of it!  During the day there are classes and A&S workshops, a luncheon, the tournament itself, a potluck dinner, court after, and then a masked ball!

I only had a few days to throw this together (yes, I've had over a month to prepare, why do you ask?), and hardly any funds at all.  Except for the mask base itself, everything else that went into this project I already had lying around.

Exhibit A. 

$2.99, yo.

• plastic football fan mask (??), three bucks
• plain white craft glue - for the raised relief vines and leaves
• Gold metallic spray paint
• Liquid Leaf gold leafing paint
• Red nail polish (the left eye, and the wee pomegranate in the design on the left (gold) side)

no shit: glue

• Lightweight gold drapery fabric scraps, left over from another project, for the ruffle
• Gold metallic braid, also left over from another project
• Hot glue
• broken plastic button as a centerpiece
• ribbon for the sides, to tie around the back of my head

Here's the one I made for Vasilii - muuuuuch simpler!  It looks a bit luchador to me, but the border design was actually inspired by a Russian shield (for which I have no documentation, but hey, it's a plastic football mask)!  A sharpie marker, a gold paint pen, and some spray-clear.  

For some reason, I've had songs from Phantom of the Opera stuck in my head all week. 

ANYWAY.   I will have pictures from the event and the ball!  I'll even try to get them up the next day, but if I don't, it'll be over a week until I do, because...

2.   I'm going on my cruise next week!  EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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