From: owner-scribes@castle.org (scribes digest) To: scribes-digest@castle.org Subject: scribes digest V7 #17 Reply-To: Sender: owner-scribes@castle.org Errors-To: owner-scribes@castle.org Precedence: bulk scribes digest Tuesday, October 2 2001 Volume 07 : Number 017 ======================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with unsubscribe scribes-digets in the body of the message. Leave the subject line blank. Do not include any additional text. Re: [scribes]: Hello all ye gentles. RE: [scribes]: gold leaf help please [scribes]: Lukas Paints RE: [scribes]: gold leaf help please Re: [scribes]: My Cats are getting turned into Fur Coats! Re: [scribes]: My Cats are getting turned into Fur Coats! Re: [scribes]: My Cats are getting turned into Fur Coats! Re: [scribes]: gold leaf help please Re: [scribes]: gold leaf help please Re: [scribes]: My Cats are getting turned into Fur Coats! Re: [scribes]: My Cats are getting turned into Fur Coats! RE: [scribes]: gold leaf help please [scribes]: other art lists Re: [scribes]: My Cats are getting turned into Fur Coats! Re: [scribes]: My Cats are getting turned into Fur Coats! Re: [scribes]: My Head Hurts. [scribes]: Simple Carrier Re: [scribes]: Burnout & Teaching (formerly 'Head Hurts') [scribes]: cat-proofing ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 17:13:33 EDT From: BRNDALSTON@aol.com Subject: Re: [scribes]: Hello all ye gentles. - --part1_168.1c85a71.28eb87fd_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 9/30/2001 10:46:14 AM Eastern Daylight Time, mercie96@potsdam.edu writes: > I am a poor college student with limited funds, but I definately want to > start to make the switch. I had given thought to trying the paints I use > for modeling, but I didn't think those would work too well. You are right. I started out using my acrylic paints from Ral Partha and Polly. They worked ok, but did not look right. Plus they tended to leave a bit of an oil smear around the edges after they had been on the bristol board for several months. They do not look like the period pigments as far as brightness and color shades. Do not use the oil based Testors paints that come in the little glass bottles. They will really mess up a scroll. I agree with the others about the Windsor and Newton guache. They are the best. Reeves are a great inexpensive alternative and you should be able to find them in Paul's Arts and Crafts, Michaels Floral Warehouse or any good art supply store. I even saw them in the craft section at Wal-mart last year around this time. The come in a box set (usually hanging up on a hook in the stores). Cotman quache is also much cheaper than Windsor Newton and I have had no problems with the few tubes of guache I have. The Cotman water colors in the tubes are great too (and you can even mix the water colors with the guache!) Hope this helps some. Brandy - --part1_168.1c85a71.28eb87fd_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 9/30/2001 10:46:14 AM Eastern Daylight Time, mercie96@potsdam.edu writes:


I am a poor college student with limited funds, but I definately want to start to make the switch.  I had given thought to trying the paints I use for modeling, but I didn't think those would work too well.  
You are right. I started out using my acrylic paints from Ral Partha and Polly. They worked ok, but did not look right. Plus they tended to leave a bit of an oil smear around the edges after they had been on the bristol board for several months. They do not look like the period pigments as far as brightness and color shades. Do not use the oil based Testors paints that come in the little glass bottles. They will really mess up a scroll.

I agree with the others about the Windsor and Newton guache. They are the best. Reeves are a great inexpensive alternative and you should be able to find them in Paul's Arts and Crafts, Michaels Floral Warehouse or any good art supply store. I even saw them in the craft section at Wal-mart last year around this time. The come in a box set (usually hanging up on a hook in the stores). Cotman quache is also much cheaper than Windsor Newton and I have had no problems with the few tubes of guache I have. The Cotman water colors in the tubes are great too (and you can even mix the water colors with the guache!)

Hope this helps some.
Brandy - --part1_168.1c85a71.28eb87fd_boundary-- =================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with a blank Subject: line and unsubscribe scribes in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in the body. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 02 Oct 2001 17:01:01 -0500 From: Gwendoline Rosamond Subject: RE: [scribes]: gold leaf help please Greetings, What is a gilding pad, and a gilders knife? Where can one get said tools? Cheers, Gwendoline At 10:44 AM 10/2/2001 -0700, Ken Stoner wrote: >Working with loose-leaf gold takes practice, but I feel it is worth the >effort. >I no longer even use patent-gold at all, to be honest. I have a lot more >luck getting the gold to stick when it is loose, than I have ever had >with Patent. > >I use a gilding pad and a gilders knife to cut the loose leaf into about >16 small pieces. Instead of using a guilders tip, which I think are >clumsy and useless for most small work, I just use a pair of electronics >tweezers to move my gold off the pad and into position. > >The results after burnishing are worth every second of hassle. > >just keep at it, keep practicing. > Cystennin =================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with a blank Subject: line and unsubscribe scribes in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in the body. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 17:31:58 -0500 From: "Helen Schultz" Subject: [scribes]: Lukas Paints Greetings all. I just got my ASW (Art Supply Warehouse) catalog and they are offering Lukas Gouaches at $2.99 a tube (20ml tubes)... best price I've ever seen for gouaches. Does anyone have experience with this brand?? Just wondering. Might be something for fledgling scribes to try. ASW also has the best prices I've ever seen for Windsor & Newton gouaches ($4.78 for what is normally $7.35 elsewhere). They can also be reached on-line at http://www.aswexpress.com give them a try. They offer the W&N 10-tube introductory box for $46.87 (retails at $69.95 they say). Meisterin Katarina Helene von Schoenborn, OL Shire of Narrental (Peru, Indiana) Middle Kingdom http://ww1.comteck.com/~meisterin =================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with a blank Subject: line and unsubscribe scribes in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in the body. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 15:28:14 -0700 From: Carolyn_Richardson@prosystemfx.com Subject: RE: [scribes]: gold leaf help please A gilder's pad is a pad covered in leather that is used for laying the gold leaf on so you can cut it with a gilder's knife. A gilder's knife is a very thin, long bladed knife shaped something like a letter opener. You use it to cut leaf into managable chunks when you aren't using the entire leaf. Easy Leaf sells both, but you can easily make a gilder's pad yourself. And a single edge razor or exacto knife can be used for cutting gold leaf. To make a gilder's pad, get a piece of wood (any kind of wood will do as long as it's about 1/2 inch thick), about 8"x12" - mine is made from a piece of scrap oak board which was 1"x8' - this is only the leftover piece which is about 12 inches long. Any convenient size will work but you don't want it too huge. Get some poly batting, large enough to cover the board on one side, and a chamois or piece of nice suede (I got the chamois in the auto dept at Target) also large enough to cover one side with enough to overlap it over the bottom. Get board, put batting on it (trim to edges if needed), then cover with chamois and pull it tight around the back, stapling or tacking it to the back side. Alternate the sides and ends as you staple so that the chamois is even and tight. Trim the excess chamois. Voila, one gilder's pad. Tetchubah of Greenlake, Caid Cry "Bother" and let loose the Poohs of War... =================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with a blank Subject: line and unsubscribe scribes in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in the body. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 18:50:59 -0400 (EDT) From: "Lyle H. Gray" Subject: Re: [scribes]: My Cats are getting turned into Fur Coats! The long guard hairs can be used as bristles for a paint brush... We always hide the water dish, on the off chance that one of the cats might get thirsty (never mind that they have running water in their water dish...) =================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with a blank Subject: line and unsubscribe scribes in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in the body. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 19:38:11 -0300 From: "Martin Higgins" Subject: Re: [scribes]: My Cats are getting turned into Fur Coats! I feel for you.... it seems every scribe is doomed to have a cat and with that..misshaps. Griet =================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with a blank Subject: line and unsubscribe scribes in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in the body. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 02 Oct 2001 16:28:46 -0600 From: Catie Helm-Clark Subject: Re: [scribes]: My Cats are getting turned into Fur Coats! > They are doomed. There name is MUD. They will be lucky if I > don't pick the flesh off their bones with a fondue fork, after their > little stunt last night! I am not even going to feel guilty about taking > to the VET next week for their flea dipping. In fact, I am going to make > fun of them, all the way there and back! > One of them decided that my mix-water jar offended him, and > knocked it over... right onto the scroll I was working on. It is, > needless to say, completely RUINED. *sigh* yeah - my orange tabby decided to be affectionate a few months back, right across the still wet paint of the very first scroll I did for Artemisia... yep, cat skin coat sounds about right... I learned an important thing from the draughtsmen I used to work with at the shipyard in my hometown, years ago. No fluids whatsoever were allowed on the drawing tables. Inks, correction fluid, coffee cups, anything that could spill were set up on little side tables next to the drawing tables where you could easily reach and yet, if you spilled, the chances of the spill ruining on a drawing were VASTLY reduced. I set up my painting space the same way - the spillables are all on a little side table. And I put all the jars and paints away immediately after I'm done working too, so curious kitties can't get to them ever. It took my orange tabby jumping up onto the drafting table to screw up a scroll... I've never had a spill yet that got a scroll - just a cat... ttfn, Therasia =================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with a blank Subject: line and unsubscribe scribes in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in the body. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 18:16:11 EDT From: BRNDALSTON@aol.com Subject: Re: [scribes]: gold leaf help please - --part1_15c.1e91a51.28eb96ab_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 10/2/2001 1:49:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time, kenstone@microsoft.com writes: > I use a gilding pad and a gilders knife to cut the loose leaf into about > 16 small pieces In case you are wondering, you can make a gilding cushion relatively easily. Take a piece of plywood (3/4" thick by 5" wide x 7" long is what we used). Cut a piece of suade leather (the really soft leather with a lot of knap to it) that will fit over the top and around the sides and just onto the back side all the way around. You can use Wood Glue to glue the leather onto the plywood. We also took some tacks and pushed them into the sides to help hold it on. Then we took leftover trim from our tunics and put (Glued it on) it all around the edge to make it spiffy. Some people also put a thin layer of quilt batting on the top side between the wood and the leather to act as a cushion before glueing the leather on. The gold lays on the suade and doesn't blow around, but it doesn't stick to it when you want to pull it off with the tweezers. This keeps it from wrinkling up while you cut it to size with a gilding or x-acto knife. (Thanks Dame Margaret for showing us in Marinus how to make the cushions! They are wonderful!) Brandy - --part1_15c.1e91a51.28eb96ab_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 10/2/2001 1:49:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time, kenstone@microsoft.com writes:


I use a gilding pad and a gilders knife to cut the loose leaf into about
16 small pieces
In case you are wondering, you can make a gilding cushion relatively easily. Take a piece of plywood (3/4" thick by 5" wide x 7" long is what we used). Cut a piece of suade leather (the really soft leather with a lot of knap to it) that will fit over the top and around the sides and just onto the back side all the way around. You can use Wood Glue to glue the leather onto the plywood. We also took some tacks and pushed them into the sides to help hold it on. Then we took leftover trim from our tunics and put (Glued it on) it all around the edge to make it spiffy. Some people also put a thin layer of quilt batting on the top side between the wood and the leather to act as a cushion before glueing the leather on.

The gold lays on the suade and doesn't blow around, but it doesn't stick to it when you want to pull it off with the tweezers. This keeps it from wrinkling up while you cut it to size with a gilding or x-acto knife.

(Thanks Dame Margaret for showing us in Marinus how to make the cushions! They are wonderful!)
Brandy - --part1_15c.1e91a51.28eb96ab_boundary-- =================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with a blank Subject: line and unsubscribe scribes in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in the body. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 02 Oct 2001 19:29:19 -0400 From: Randy Asplund Subject: Re: [scribes]: gold leaf help please Download the Middle Kingdom Scribes' Handbook PDF version from my scribe page on my website RandyAsplund.com and read the section on gilding. There is a drawing and explanation there. Also see my article with photographic illustrations called The Making of an illuminated page: A Lesson. Both are at: http://randyasplund.com/browse/scribepg/scribe.html RanthulfR Gwendoline Rosamond wrote: > > Greetings, > > What is a gilding pad, and a gilders knife? Where can one get said tools? > > Cheers, > Gwendoline > - -- VISIT RandyAsplund.com To see a Universe of art ranging from Magic: The Gathering to Star Trek and Medieval Manuscripts Randy Asplund (734) 663-0954 Science Fiction and Fantasy Illustration 2101 S. Circle Dr., Ann Arbor, MI. 48103 =================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with a blank Subject: line and unsubscribe scribes in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in the body. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 14:00:21 -0700 From: "Eva Mehlhose" Subject: Re: [scribes]: My Cats are getting turned into Fur Coats! > Yes, > They are doomed. There name is MUD. Mine got renamed to be known as Coyote Bait. Funny thing is, she listens to that name now....go figure. Once I get the scan, I show you what I had to do to save 90 hours of work. Not really pretty anymore , but fully usable. The recipient was throroughly pleased. Alex Barony of SunDragon, Aten =================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with a blank Subject: line and unsubscribe scribes in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in the body. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 14:03:06 -0700 From: "Eva Mehlhose" Subject: Re: [scribes]: My Cats are getting turned into Fur Coats! > I feel for you.... it seems every scribe is doomed to have a cat and with > that..misshaps. those are not mishaps.... they are mere style adjustments alex =================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with a blank Subject: line and unsubscribe scribes in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in the body. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 16:16:32 -0700 From: "Ken Stoner" Subject: RE: [scribes]: gold leaf help please These are "specialized tools" for cutting loose gold leaf... You can by them from Daniel Smith, or from John Neal booksellers. But if this is too much of a hassle, you can easily make your own. A gilders cushion is merely a block of wood, to which a piece of stuffed suede as been attached: Take a 5x5 piece of 1/2 inch plywood and a slightly larger piece of suede. Sandwitch a bunch of cotton batting between the suede and the wood and tightly fasten the suede to the edges of the board with some upholstery nails or brads. The amount of stuffing varies, but I would start out with enough batting that the suede is raised about 1/2 over the top of the wood block. For a gilders knife, go to a Five&Dime store and find a longish butter knife with a long straight edge. A knife with 6-8" blade should work fine. Ideally the knife should be about 2" longer than your leaf is wide. Grind the edge of the butter knife until it has a decent edge, but not too sharp! If the knife is too sharp it will cut the suede as well as the gold, and ruin your gilders pad. Remove ANY and ALL serration to the edge with a grinder or file. Make sure as your grinding that the edge remains as close to straight as possible. Remove any burrs along this edge, as they will cause the leaf to tear when you are trying to "cut" it. I lay the leaf down by "peeling" back about half of the book of gold, leaving the "target" leaf hanging down. I then lightly "swipe" the leaf edge thus exposed backwards over the gilders pad, letting the rest of the leaf go from between the papers of the book. If the leaf does not lay down mostly flat on the pad, I use the back of my gilders knife to lightly straighten it out. To cut the leaf, I lay the knife down across the leaf and draw backwards, putting down just enough pressure to hold the leaf in place on the cushion, and cut at the same time, but not so much that it causes the leaf to tear itself apart. I generally make 4 or 5 cuts on one axis, then 4 or 5 cuts along the other, making between 16 and 25 small squares of gold. These small squares (about 1.5 x 1.5 cm) are just about the perfect size for manuscript gilding. For larger areas I work in sections. - -----Original Message----- From: Gwendoline Rosamond [mailto:dameg@mediaone.net] Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2001 3:01 PM To: scribes@castle.org Subject: RE: [scribes]: gold leaf help please Greetings, What is a gilding pad, and a gilders knife? Where can one get said tools? Cheers, Gwendoline At 10:44 AM 10/2/2001 -0700, Ken Stoner wrote: >Working with loose-leaf gold takes practice, but I feel it is worth the >effort. >I no longer even use patent-gold at all, to be honest. I have a lot more >luck getting the gold to stick when it is loose, than I have ever had >with Patent. > >I use a gilding pad and a gilders knife to cut the loose leaf into about >16 small pieces. Instead of using a guilders tip, which I think are >clumsy and useless for most small work, I just use a pair of electronics >tweezers to move my gold off the pad and into position. > >The results after burnishing are worth every second of hassle. > >just keep at it, keep practicing. > Cystennin =================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with a blank Subject: line and unsubscribe scribes in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in the body. =================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with a blank Subject: line and unsubscribe scribes in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in the body. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 17:42:39 -0700 (PDT) From: Hillary Greenslade Subject: [scribes]: other art lists Someone mentioned on an earlier post about a bookbinders list. I would be interested to find out about that. And while I'm at it, is there a list for period stain glass or jewelry/metalsmithing? Thanks, Hillary, Ansteorra __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Listen to your Yahoo! Mail messages from any phone. http://phone.yahoo.com =================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with a blank Subject: line and unsubscribe scribes in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in the body. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2001 20:23:05 -0400 From: "Kelley" Subject: Re: [scribes]: My Cats are getting turned into Fur Coats! This is a multi-part message in MIME format. - ------=_NextPart_000_0034_01C14C49.35493BC0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I haven't started illuminating yet, so far just practicing = calligraphy, but my feline seems to think that the pen is specifically = to scratch her - I'm glad she matches the ink that she feels obliged to = walk through. Hmmm maybe I can turn her little pawprints into flowers = when I start painting. :) Leah of Newcastle - ------=_NextPart_000_0034_01C14C49.35493BC0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
I = haven't=20 started illuminating yet, so far just practicing calligraphy, but my = feline=20 seems to think that the pen is specifically to scratch her - I'm glad = she=20 matches the ink that she feels obliged to walk through. Hmmm = maybe I can=20 turn her little pawprints into flowers when I start painting. =20 :)
 
Leah of=20 Newcastle
- ------=_NextPart_000_0034_01C14C49.35493BC0-- =================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with a blank Subject: line and unsubscribe scribes in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in the body. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 21:59:43 -0300 From: "Martin Higgins" Subject: Re: [scribes]: My Cats are getting turned into Fur Coats! > > I feel for you.... it seems every scribe is doomed to have a cat and with > > that..misshaps. > those are not mishaps.... they are mere style adjustments > alex LOLOL... I like that one Griet =================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with a blank Subject: line and unsubscribe scribes in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in the body. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 18:45:28 EDT From: BRNDALSTON@aol.com Subject: Re: [scribes]: My Head Hurts. - --part1_163.1cc2c58.28eb9d88_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 10/2/2001 9:03:48 AM Eastern Daylight Time, margareta@skraeling.sca.org writes: > Here's my advice, for what it's worth: teach, baby, teach! It's work in > the short run but in the long run, you can clone yourself and then say > things like, "I know one of my competent new scribes would just LOVE to do > this scroll, I will ask them". > That is very good advice. Start a scriptorium if you do not have one in your group. Even if you do not have any other people right now, find a time (like once a month) that is good for you and a place (your house, or somewhere else) and put it in your local newsletter. Talk it up, find out who has been kicking around the idea and entice them to come. Then teach them how to make scrolls. If your group has A&S meetings, advertise that you will be teaching scribey things at a particular one. I spent a brief time of taking an assignment every time I was asked, and failed miserably in following through and getting them done. I had too much interferrance from life outside the SCA. So I learned to say no (Didn't I Rebecca and Genevieve?) and have even turned down a couple of Queens, a Duchess and a Countess here and there when they did not give me enough warning, or I had school work to do. Don't feel guilty about it. Just explain calmly and politely that you would like to do the scroll, but you simply cannot squeeze in the time to work on it in the foreseeable future. Most people will understand. This is a courteos society afterall. If they try to coerce you into taking it on, then definately don't do it. Too many people take advantage of the scribes and have no concept of how long it takes to work on a scroll. Sometimes they just need to be reminded about that every once in a while. You are doing them a favor, not the other way around, so there is nothing to feel guilty about. Another way to possibly avoid doing a scroll when someone asks, is to ask them what they would like to pay as a commission for that scroll. Most of the time they will change their mind and ask someone else, so they can get it for free. However, this has backlashed on me two times when they offered to pay for me to do the scroll, or give something in trade. I was then forced to do the scrolls in good faith, so be careful with this technique. Hope this helps some. Brandy - --part1_163.1cc2c58.28eb9d88_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 10/2/2001 9:03:48 AM Eastern Daylight Time, margareta@skraeling.sca.org writes:


Here's my advice, for what it's worth:  teach, baby, teach!  It's work in
the short run but in the long run, you can clone yourself and then say
things like, "I know one of my competent new scribes would just LOVE to do
this scroll, I will ask them".


That is very good advice. Start a scriptorium if you do not have one in your group. Even if you do not have any other people right now, find a time (like once a month) that is good for you and a place (your house, or somewhere else) and put it in your local newsletter. Talk it up, find out who has been kicking around the idea and entice them to come. Then teach them how to make scrolls. If your group has A&S meetings, advertise that you will be teaching scribey things at a particular one.

I spent a brief time of taking an assignment every time I was asked, and failed miserably in following through and getting them done. I had too much interferrance from life outside the SCA. So I learned to say no (Didn't I Rebecca and Genevieve?) and have even turned down a couple of Queens, a Duchess and a Countess here and there when they did not give me enough warning, or I had school work to do. Don't feel guilty about it. Just explain calmly and politely that you would like to do the scroll, but you simply cannot squeeze in the time to work on it in the foreseeable future. Most people will understand. This is a courteos society afterall. If they try to coerce you into taking it on, then definately don't do it. Too many people take advantage of the scribes and have no concept of how long it takes to work on a scroll. Sometimes they just need to be reminded about that every once in a while. You are doing them a favor, not the other way around, so there is nothing to feel guilty about.

Another way to possibly avoid doing a scroll when someone asks, is to ask them what they would like to pay as a commission for that scroll. Most of the time they will change their mind and ask someone else, so they can get it for free. However, this has backlashed on me two times when they offered to pay for me to do the scroll, or give something in trade. I was then forced to do the scrolls in good faith, so be careful with this technique.

Hope this helps some.
Brandy
- --part1_163.1cc2c58.28eb9d88_boundary-- =================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with a blank Subject: line and unsubscribe scribes in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in the body. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 21:14:24 -0700 From: "Nicholas Mercier" Subject: [scribes]: Simple Carrier This is a multi-part message in MIME format. - ------=_NextPart_000_0086_01C14B87.367A7DF0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I've been wondering what you people use to transport scrolls? I've = taken to making little cases out of cardboard lined with acid free = paper. This way I don't mind giving it away with the scroll. I almost = wept and accosted someone when I saw a scroll being lovingly placed = between the pages of a book for storage. Granted I've had photocopies = I've made of scrolls suffer that fate, but still. I was wondering if = anyone had any ideas for a nicer looking carrying method that is = inexpensive, especially for gifts and the like. Nikolia - ------=_NextPart_000_0086_01C14B87.367A7DF0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
I've been wondering what you people use = to=20 transport scrolls?  I've taken to making little cases out of = cardboard=20 lined with acid free paper.  This way I don't mind giving it away = with the=20 scroll.  I almost wept and accosted someone when I saw a scroll = being=20 lovingly placed between the pages of a book for storage.  Granted = I've had=20 photocopies I've made of scrolls suffer that fate, but still.  I = was=20 wondering if anyone had any ideas for a nicer looking carrying method = that is=20 inexpensive, especially for gifts and the like.
 
Nikolia
- ------=_NextPart_000_0086_01C14B87.367A7DF0-- =================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with a blank Subject: line and unsubscribe scribes in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in the body. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 20:18:19 EDT From: KMcWhyte@aol.com Subject: Re: [scribes]: Burnout & Teaching (formerly 'Head Hurts') Thank you everyone for the numerous replies.... With regard to the suggestion about teaching, actually, I did mention in there that there was a newcomer coming in to learn callig. I think I may have omitted the fact that I'm the person who runs the calligraphy portion of the meeting, and was planning on teaching the newcomer last night (but she didn't show...). I presented the Barony with the suggestion of having a guild or scriptorium/meeting back in April this past year. The idea was met with enthusiasm -- almost too much so. The (outgoing) baroness liked it, and invited me to the business meetings, and the (also outgoing) baron even went so far as to suggest that we (collectively meaning we scribes attending) could also do scrolls for baronial awards, in a rather cheerful tone.... ("Warning! Danger Will Robinson!") I immediately replied that while I may not have the time necessarily to do such a thing, perhaps someone else in the group could. End result: Meetings are thus far 1x a month (1st Monday) at a location 1 hr east of my home here on Long Island (I live on the western border of the barony, closer to Ostgardr). Last night it was also brought to my attention that another site may be offered in Smithtown, somewhat closer (40 minutes instead of 60) to my home, for a possibility of 2 meetings a month. What was originally supposed to be a scriptorium is merged with the A&S meetings due to low attendance; local politics being what they are has pushed some people away, while silly people like me just had to learn for ourselves what the problems were, firsthand, if any. Plus the location of the first meeting isn't quite so near to any largely populated area out in the 'burbs. With regard to the actual requests for the 4 scrolls... I decided to 'cma' (cover my butt) and contact the Signet, Duchess Mistress Katherine (aka Katherine) regarding the issue, with a cc: to Mistress Bryn to check on those "backlog" Tygers Combatant. You see, when I asked the seneschal if he knew who issued those 'backlog' awards, when they were awarded, and where, he simply did not know. The moment he brought those two up, I had stated that I had not seen it on the backlog page, and his reply was that they may be too old to be up there... I have faith that Mistress Bryn or someone will dig up any evidence of it, if it was indeed awarded... I don't suspect anyone, and still believe the seneschal to be good-willed, but it still wouldn't hurt to authenticate the matter. LOOPHOLE: As for the two minor scrolls.... after thinking about it, I *could* make them small. There was nothing mentioned about size or materials, which is good (else I really would have lost my composure). A few lines of script on a 5"x7" or smaller shouldn't be too hard. But it still doesn't place in the order of importance.... I still need a break, and will eventually get to it... I don't want to think about the fact that there's 4 presented, but at the same time, I distinctly remember the way the whole conversation went. I walked away last night feeling like I had just walked through a room full of rocking chairs and longtail cats with the lights off. I especially like M.Eibhlin's idea, regarding the appointment book (private suggestion). Despite the 3 week lead time I ask for from her Grace (Katherine), she understands that I have familial and mundane obligations to fit in there, and rarely gives me anything less than 3 weeks. The exception was during the reign of Isabella and Andreas where I did one or two with a week's lead, immediately after finishing an assignment (before I knew better than to shut up and relax *grin). Don't get me wrong. I love doing this, but I don't love having work piled at my doorstep, especially when it's not even from Katherine (who knows better, and has more respect for scribes, imho). As for other activities, like archery... I've been getting better, since I stopped pressuring myself. I think (I'm not sure on this one) I may have broken into the rank of Master Bowman... If the scoring system goes by top 3 scores submitted sequentially, then I'm still doing fine, just not in the next ranking yet. Either way, it gets me outside and in the company of friends, away from mundane and scribal problems. Come the baronial meeting on Thursday, I'm sure someone will bring up the subject of the scrolls. If so, I may stop showing up to the business meetings, and become a recluse again... I shouldn't feel guilty about 'playing in someone else's backyard' (Dragonship Haven) and understand the need to get more people involved out here, but at the same time, I hope that it should never have to come down to a matter of having to repeatedly make more scrolls than I have/want to, as in this particular case. Heaven forbid I have to live up to my nickname as a mercenary scribe, and start charging people a healthy fee of beer and taxes for any work not related to the Signet Office. Again thanks, and sorry for the rambling. - --Lady Kayleigh McWhyte, Mercenary Scribe (East) E.Frank, Long Island NY "Friends don't let friends scribe drunk. Don't drink and scribe." --KMcW. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The SCA Scribes Webring: http://nav.webring.yahoo.com/hub?ring=thescascribesweb ICQ uin#: 40730792 AOL: kmcwhyte =================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with a blank Subject: line and unsubscribe scribes in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in the body. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 03 Oct 2001 11:49:53 +1000 From: "Annette Wilson" Subject: [scribes]: cat-proofing Cystennin, Don't do it!, remember the love they give (and the cat hairs in the ink, the live presents - mice and fleas, the scratches...) :-) Seriously however, I attach a large piece of bluetack to the base of my ink bottle and wattle bottle to attach them firmly to the desk. Not so much to cat-proof them as to save them from my clumsiness, but it will work for cats (and children and spouses) as well. Also, I work on a slope when doing calligraphy, so the bluetack lets me put the ink bottle right where I need it and I don't have to reach across the work to dip my pen. Gloat at them all the way to the vet's flea-bath, however. They should get at least as wet as the scroll did :-). And maybe you could line their carry box with wet paper :-) I wish I could use the vet as a threat to my two cats, but they seem to like the vet, and don't make much fuss about the indignities to which he subjects them. Leonie de Grey (Lochac - West Kingdom) =================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list, send email to with a blank Subject: line and unsubscribe scribes in the body of the message. Do not include any additional text in the body. ------------------------------ End of scribes digest V7 #17 ****************************