To the undiscovered country!

‘A long time ago’ I created some stamps for a course in university; the theme was “Canada” so I based mine on the L’Anse aux Meadows site in Newfoundland. It was inspired by viking-era word carvings, and targeted towards children.  Seeing as the 50th anniversary of the discovery of this site was recently celebrated, I decided to upload a stamp. Yes, the boat is going east instead of west, but that’s to give an impression of movement (when you put the stamp on a letter, it’s like the ship is going to sail off of the envelope oooOOooh).

The stamp is badly dated. And begs to be redone. The typeface, the alignment, the drawing…all makes me cringe a bit. There’s a reason why the design part of my gallery is so bare. I’ll have to redo my stamp series  – I must! I think I’ve grown since this project, and I’d really like to revisit it. Along with a lot of my past work.

I’ll just add it to the list of stuff that needs a reboot. Like this site :S

A Young Tatterhood

I cannot believe how busy I have been in the past few months – and I expect to be even busier in the months to come. I am still alive, just working. Working on many, many things. There appears to always be so much to do on ‘the list’, and yet I never seem to get any closer to finishing. Thankfully, I am young, so while the image above may be but a peak into a story in the works that will not be completed until a few years down the road, I do have the time to put it on the bottom of the list, as much as I hate to (though I will always be working on it here and there).  Tatterhood can wait.

Aha, just kidding *ahem*

7: Something Norse

Ringpin by Wareham Forge

Need a Thor’s Hammer? Ringpin? The ever fashionable earspoon? Nothing says “I love you” more than a custom made pattern welded blade. Visit the Wareham Forge for all your Viking needs!

Seax Knife That I Commissioned from the Wareham Forge

8: Hats!

Musketeer Hat (from The Three Musketeers: The Game)

Who doesn’t love a good hat? Top hat, fedora, bowler, pillbox, tricorn, viking-rus style, cavalier – those are just some of the types that I own! Hats can be found all around, but do drop by to Edie Hats if you’re in the area – you’re bound to find the perfect hat gift there.

9: Socks

*imagine a picture of my feet in some really cool socks*

I have always, always enjoyed getting socks for the holidays. I always need them, and the kinds I get are always awesome – notable the ones bought by my Da (grandfather). Give that special someone a special gift for their feet – find some sweet socks at Sock It To Me.

It is a very busy, stressful and downright depressing time of year. It’s cold, it’s wet, and it gets very dark very early. Luckily there are numerous celebrations that take place this month, reminding us that the days are going to get brighter. Whether you’re religious or not, you should go out and celebrate – celebrate family, friends and community. Be merry, be thoughtful, and help those who are not as fortunate as yourself. And maybe give a gift to someone you care about.

Gift-giving can be a source of stress (the pressure, the expectations, the advertisements) so I thought I’d compile a little list over the next 12 days (hey, why not?) of some gift ideas – some are unique, some are fun and some you can make yourself. But remember, at the end of the day, it’s not about what you brought home from the mall.

So, idea number one!

Gosworth Belt Design

The folks at Green Man Leather are not only a pleasure to work with, they also make some fantastic products. Like Viking-inspired belts. A little time back I was on the hunt for a belt with a viking motif, but was unable to find anything I liked. So I designed my own, based on actual Viking artifacts, and presented the design to Green Man Leather. They were able to take my design and make a belt out of it – and I made a few more designs for them to use too! I also have a few bracers made by them, using the design seen above. It’s based on carvings found on the Gosforth cross in Cumbria, England. These items are of high quality, are truly unique, and are perfect for any Viking fan. (But they also do a bunch of other stuff too! Check ‘em out!)