Badge Update

This is going slower than I had expected. I am learning how to do this beading, mostly making it up as I go. This is a little smaller than the original, but I think this size will be better. I may end up putting this on a livery collar, which is my current plan. I started backing it today and hope to finish tomorrow.

Well it took 4 coats of paint but my banner is now correct for my registered Arms!!!

I was so convinced that my first change of my Arms would go through that I had a Banner made. I should have known better, but I was positive it would pass. First it was lost and then when it was resubmitted it did not pass. It was too close to a couple other designs.

After it failed, I made a list of all the possible permutations of the device I had originally submitted and double checked every possible conflict. As I found conflicts, I crossed them off the list. When I was finished I had a small a very small list left over. After looking at them for a couple weeks I picked the one I though looked best and resubmitted it.

This time the work paid off and the device was passed. I now have to repaint part of the original Banner. After two coats of paint the blue is still coming through so it looks like it will take several more. I will try to finish tonight, if the paint will dry fast enough.

Well I won’t go into all the details but I have been semi retired from the SCA for most of 2011. I was able to keep up with the paperwork for the Regional Seneschal job but only ended up attending a handful of events. I think I have only been in armor twice this year.

In August I was able to hand off the office to Baroness Giovanni from Cynnabar. I am glad the office will be going to someone who can devote the time needed for it. I was really a little two pinched for time for the last few months of the job.
It’s been getting slowly better since October, I have had some time to look over my SCA kit and start making improvements. I should be able to get back in the swing of things with the new year.

One noteworthy item from this fall, the design for changing my Coat of Arms passed the College of Heralds and my old arms were released. I kept my old badge but now my Arms are: Quarterly Argent and Gules, A mullet quarterly Azure and Or.

Since I am not a great artist, this will be far easier to paint on my shield and make clothes with my Arms on them than the old one. Since I retained the Panther as a Fieldless Badge, I can still use it when I want.

Heraldic Event

Well my friends have been yelling at me to either cancel my blog or update it. I think I will work on the updating part.

I attended the Canton of Weldlake’s Herald Pointe and Scribal Collegium today. It was a nice event and they were very helpful in looking over my proposed device change. My last attempt had failed in that I had forgotten that a 5 pointed Star and a 6 pointed Star would conflict from a Heraldic perspective. So it was time to try again.

Duncan Cameron the Fenris Herald and Master Kondrad Mailander the Rouge Scarpe Herald along with the Event Steward Lord Aindle ODiarmada all helped with one aspect or another of looking up some possible ideas. In the end it appears that counterchanging the Star should be clear of conflict. I will make examples of both Gules and Argent and Azure and Or and see if either grows on me.

The drive home was quite nasty with several cars off the road on US-23. I hope everyone else from the event made it home fine.

Well it’s been a pretty slow week. I should be finishing the Mail aventail today or Friday and will attach it to the loaner helm this weekend. This should make the Helm SCA legal and let me get Robert authorized for heavy weapons.

I liked the Banner and Pennons so much that now I think it’s time to get a Standard. Someone on the Armor Archive makes beautiful Standards and I think I will give them a try. I still need to design the Standard and will work on that this weekend.

Since I seem to be planning out my weekend I might as well look at further out to fill up more weekends. Looking at upcoming events my short list will be:
Havoc in Hastings (Hastings, MI August 30-31 )
Rain of Arrows (New Lothrup, MI Sept. 13 )
Vikings Come Home (Kalkaska, MI Sept 19-21)
If possible I would also like to attend: (not sure if work will co-operate)
Harvest Days & Chivalry Tourney (Camden, OH Sept 5-7 )

This makes for a pretty busy September. I may have to skip at least one of these events between real life and work. I am duty bound to Pentamere and feel I should give preference to events in Michigan so if anything has to slip it will be the Chivalry Tourney.

New Gonfalon and Pennons arrive!!!

About a month ago I ordered a Gonfalon and Pennons from The House of Dirk and Arrow. Examples of their work can be found at http://dirkandarrow.com/.

I had come across their work on the Armor Archive and was impressed. Since I have the artistic talent of a Walrus, I thought I would give them a try. I received the finished product last week and they are outstanding in quality and construction. I recommend them for anyone who needs beautiful and durable heraldic display. I am particularly impressed by the Panther Pennon. This only took a couple weeks total so that was also impressive.

I am going to save up my shekels and order a Gonfalon of my wife’s arms in September and also a couple more Pennons.

The Armor Archive can be found here. http://www.armourarchive.org/

Resubmitted my Coat of Arms change

Well I have resubmitted the change to my registered arms!! I received the needed signed permission to conflict from THL Adela de Warren from Northshield. Thank you Lady Adela!!!!! I had the packet of material ready and after making a couple copies I sent off the submission. Now I get to cross my fingers and wait about 8 months or so to get an answer from Laurel.

New Forester!!!

My good friend Erevon fitzGerald as inducted into the Order of the Greenwood Company during court!!!! It came as a complete surprise to him and I must admit myself. About a year ago several of us had suggested him for the award but it had not come to pass at that time. But better late than Never!!!!

Congratulations to the Honorable Lord Erevon!!

Progress with my new Coat of Arms

Catch up time for my Blog….Work has been tremendously busy and I am once again a couple weeks behind in my updates.

Where to start… I have wanted to change my Coat of Arms to a simpler one to draw (since I am not an artist). In January I submitted a new design and I received word from the Middle Kingdom Heralds that it would probably conflict with the armory of THL Adela de Warren. Having spent a lot of time researching an early heraldic design (that I thought was clear of conflict) I thought I would seek permission to conflict. It took a bit of searching but I was able to get an e-mail to her and she has most graciously allowed me to conflict with her Arms!!!

If I understand correctly the next step is to resubmit my change of Arms and include her permission to conflict. Several months later I should hear if it passes Laurel level.

Changing my Coat of Arms (I hope)

I have always liked my coat of arms but have a terrible time trying to recreate it. I am not a great artist and the panther is fairly complicated to draw. I thought I would try to change to a more geometric design, so I have submitted a new device. The blazon of this new device would be Quarterly Argent and Gules a Mullet Azure. I have submitted this and will release my old arms if this one passes. I will keep the Panther badge.

Professional Heraldry!!!

Thanks to Baron Edward of Effingham, I now have professional looking heraldry for use on web pages or as avatars for e-mail forums. You too can have spiffy looking artwork. Follow this link and you will not be disappointed!! http://www.sengokudaimyo.com/avatarbiz.html

Well that’s the end of my commercial plug for Baron Edwards site. I was very happy with the results!!!