Overdue Update

I have just realised how long it has been since I have updated my blog - especially as I have left it with the face cane project hanging.

On the next attempt, I made a face I was quite happy with, and managed to pull enough cane to go on and make 3 different versions, with a range of 'hairstyles' and colours backgrounds. After a battle with cutting the cane into slices (thank you to Nat in Sydney for sending me her cutters), I was able to make a selection of beads in the style of Roman Face Beads. I also updated my bead timeline, and finally presented it in a way I was happy with - as avisual display sewn onto a piece of black wool. Full documentation for both projects can be found on my website....

Making Progress - Step 2

While I made time to torch shortly after my last post, and had another try at the face cane, I have been so busy getting ready for school to go back and starting a new job, that I haven't had time to post the results. The next day, I remade the nose cane, adding some length to help the overall proportions of the face. I re-used the other components I had, although I still think they are probably too small. But assembly is a difficult skill in itself, so I may as well use the pieces I have to practice.

I am much happier with this second effort. It is recognisably a face, and although his eyes are a bit beady and he has a serious monobrow happening (one eyebrow was actually the aim, but not perhaps so pronounced as this :) ). I decided to forgo the coloured background this time. It wasn't always used in the examples I am working from, and I'd like to concentrate on the face at this stage ( and not waste more colours while I am practicing). The images show the ends of 2 different pulls of the cane. There are some bubbles in one - I'll have to make sure I don't allow any trapped air when encasing each component.

My next step will be to remake all the components from scratch and try again. I will not draw the components out so small - particularly the eyes.

Glass Projects

I have found blogging regularly when I'm not travelling has been a bit of a hardship in the last year - I'm either too busy to write, or so quiet there is nothing of interest happening to write about :). But I've been working pretty steadily on a number of glass projects for SCA Arts & Science competitions lately. I hadn't entered any Kingdom level competitions for ages, but luckily the topics recently have lent themselves to glass work. First there was the Rosary project, which I mentioned in my blog a few months ago. The documentation and photos are also up on my website. Then there was a viking jewellery category, and this weekend a competition for board games. Thanks to an SCA friend on Facebook, who drew the Viking Tafl games to my attention, I produced the game pieces pictured below.

I also have some plans for new projects, hopefully to be finished before Festival at Easter. I took the first steps on a major project today. I have planned for some time to work on making face cane for Roman portrait beads. I spent 4 hours today making components, eyes, nose etc and made my first Roman style face. I will post some pictures tomorrow. I'm not happy with the final result, but I can see some areas where I need to do things differently - I have some ideas to try tomorrow, but it's not a bad first effort I suppose. I thought I might blog along the learning curve I'll be undertaking as I attempt to master this new technique.

Contradiction: Time honoured crafts meet cyberspace

The wonderful world of the Internet presents frequent contradictions. As a member of the SCA, a Medieval recreation society, I have long felt it ironic that a very large part of society life unfolds online. Every SCA group seems to have active email lists, forums abound, a wonderful depth of research is available online, and almost any manner of medieval products can be purchased online. The way the Internet has made the world smaller enriches how we play the game on many levels.

I also find it interesting how many people have managed to turn skills in producing handmade items into a self funding hobby, cottage industry or fully fledged career, often largely in part to benefits provided by the Internet. Inexpensive, high quality 'advertising' through websites, an International audience, easy payment methods like Paypal, the opportunity to educate a wide audience, access to high quality materials and supplies... the list goes on.

One of the venues online that caters specifically to handmade crafts is Etsy. I set myself up with an etsy store yesterday, Solar Flare Creations. For the moment, I will h, ave the same items up as I have on my webpage, as there is a ready made, interested audience at Etsy. Its just a trial to begin with. There are all sorts of intricacies about the system I don't know yet - its also a Social Networking site of sorts, with messaging, 'friends' etc, and they have a system of 'Treasuries'. I don't really understand the ins and outs yet, but I do know I was lucky enough to get myself entered into two treasuries on my first day, so apparently that's a good thing. :)