challenge successfully met

in which our plucky heroine takes on an interesting job...

Circlets are a type of regalia headgear, similar to but different from crowns and coronets (and tiaras), and are worn as a formal indicator of having been given certain honors within the organization. The Order of the Laurel recognises excellence in the arts and sciences; the Order of the Pelican for high and ongoing service to the group.

A friend wanted to update her SCA circlet to reflect her current rank. It was originally made for her by a different artist, with a wide band of metal Laurel leaves, and a central medallion of her heraldry set in a Laurel leaf border. As she has also been a Pelican for many years, she wanted me fit symbols of that order into the already completed circlet. Challenge accepted!

(The challenge being complicated by my desire to have my additions done in a way that was complimentary to and congruent with the original artists work...)

I first did a sketch, based on her description and a photo of her circlet, fitting a pelican and chick into what looked like the right amount of space on either side of the central medallion.

However, when she brought the circlet to my studio, measurements proved that there was less space available, and so we decided to change the design to just the Pelican head with the iconic "drop of blood" being represented by these beautiful garnet cabochons. I also realised that the pelican heads could be anchored securely in place with just three rivets, and the neck could be neatly tucked underneath the open ends of the leafy Laurel wreath...

I slid paper into place between the central medallion and tucked under the leaves, carefully marked the available space, and drew facing pelican heads to fill the space. They were then cut from sheet silver, filed, polished, and the details stamped and engraved...

the bird heads are less than 1" tall

The next step was to make bezels for the garnets, and then solder the Pelican heads and bezels in the correct orientation to a backing of thin copper, to form a single unit...

Once the pieces are soldered, the edges of copper are mostly trimmed away, leaving a very narrow edge, both pelican heads are blackened and re-polished, curved to match the circlet curve. and then drilled in three places to be riveted to the circlet band. This was my first opportunity to use the riveting system acquired last year, and most useful it turned out to be...

Once the bird heads were both riveted in place, and the garnets set into their bezels, a bit more polishing was all that was needed to make the circlet ready to be worn...

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February SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	one pelican head	restrung grey beads	paper recycling
2	second pelican head	dial tone regained	frontyard prunings
3	x	bra elastics renewed	bag to Goodwill
4	x	Arlys circlet	-
5	x	An Tir pennant	-
6	x	x	-
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - I am grateful for work to do that suits my skill