Replies to questions previously posted on the Cyber-scriptorium.

**December 1997... question and replies for those who might have missed it**

In keeping with the Holiday Season....Help me make up a wish list to help those who are not scribes, but want to buy a scribally inclined friend a nice gift.

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Eibhlin (AEthelmearc) writes:

• A book on a new technique (period pigments, gold leafing, working with vellum, etc)
  and some of the supplies to attempt it
• Calendars or datebooks that double as both a useful gift and a scribal exemplar
• Gift certificates to bookstores or art supply stores

Phillipa Seton (AEthelmearc) writes:
I'm in the process of setting up my own "scribal box" and here's what I hope Father Christmas leaves me:

• LOTS ot 140# hot press water color paper
• A really good cartridge pen with changable nibs
• a dip pen
• a book showing lots of cool examples of period calligraphy styles
• cool colored ink

Merouda Pendray (Middle Kingdom) writes:
What do I want? What would I suggest?

• dry pigments--to make my own paint
• real gold leaf
• gum ammoniac
• gift certificate from paper & inks books
• vellum
• more, better brushes
• a two-month, all expenses paid, trip to the British Library and permission to work in the collection and to follow Janet Backhouse around (hey, this is a WISH list! )
• books I don't already have

I'd like any gifts I receive to be of things I can't easily obtain, or of things I could always use more of. Truly, though, anyone who wants to give me a scribal gift could just give me cash with a card that says something along the lines of "To help you replenish your supplies", as we all know that this can be a costly hobby. :)

From Genna an Fhroaigh (West Kingdom):
There are many things I could suggest but I think the two things that I would appreciate the most would be a good source Book with full color picture. Illuminated Manuscripts byGuilia Bologna or my second would be Good Paper like the Vegetable Parchment Pergamanata which is reasonably cheap and almost as good as real parchment to work on. The latest Illuminated Manuscript calendar is a good one as well.

Elisabeth de Gerdeston (Middle Kingdom)writes:
While a tad impersonal, a gift certificate for a local art store would probably be greatly appreciated.

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Great Gift Ideas for Scribes

by Mistress Alicia Langland AEthelmearc's Sylvan Signet
with suggestions from Mistress Cori Ghora

(Note: Prices may have changed since this article was written.)
(Leave copies of this article lying around in strategic places for maximum effect!)

Have you been racking your brain trying to think of suitable gifts for all your scribal friends? Maybe it's a birthday present, an anniversay present, or even a "thank you" present for your favorite scribe .... Well, suffer no longer!

An easy way to find out what your favorite scribe needs/wants is to leave catalogs of scribal stuff lying around your home. Clipping a pen to the front will encourage marking of desired items, thereby reducing your worries about "What if she doesn't need that?" Of course, gift certificates are always goof-proof.

Good mail-order sources for scribal supplies include Paper & Ink Books (800-736-7772 http://geocities.datacellar.net/Eureka/Park/7680/) and Pendragon (1-800-775-7367). An excellent source for scribal books is John Neal Bookseller (800-369-9598). I have dealt with all three companies and have found them to be fast and courteous. In these catalogs, you can find essential supplies for less than $5 (great stocking stuffers!), as well as high-ticket luxury items like gold leafing supplies (about $40 for book of 25 sheets), a portable drawing board ($78), a light table ($77), and beautiful manuscript facsimiles.

Check out local art supply stores for addditional ideas, as well. Little gifts like Brause pen nibs, clear plastic rulers, white plastic erasers, and circle templates will always be appreciated.

Your local department store might also carry items useful to a scribe. A plastic tackle box with various-sized compartments comes in handy for toting supplies. A good desk lamp with high wattage and a flexible neck would prevent eye strain, as would a crafter's lamp with a magnifying lens. A nice bookshelf, to hold the precious scribal library, might be a welcome addition to your scribe's work area. A large picture frame (big enough to accommodate an 11" x 14" scroll plus a mat) would be useful when your scribe enters A&S competitions. (Pieces look better when they're in frames they're also protected this way.)

For the scribe on the go, an artist's portfolio or presentation case would be very much appreciated. Look for one that's easy to carry and closes securely. OfficeMax (1-800-788-8080) carries ones with side pockets and vinyl sheet protectors. A 17" x 14" case (style 15222) lists for aboutt $40.00 in their catalog.

Many large museums sell items to tempt any scribe. Notecards and stationery with designs from period manuscripts make great, inexpensive gifts. The Medieval Woman calendar is less than $10 and would help your scribe keep track of all those scroll assignments.

Or how about a CD of period music, which your scribe can listen to while working on that next scroll. There's nothing like Gregorian chant to recreate the feel of a medieval scriptorium!

Show your scribe how much you care. A good pair of winter gloves, high quality hand cream, or craftsmen's gloves (to help cut down on carpal tunnel) would protect your scribe's most precious tools: her hands.

If you don't have a lot of funds, watch your scribe at work and use your imagination. Scribes can always use clean baby food jars and baby Tylenol eyedropper bottles for inks and paints. Handcrafted items such as a leather portfolio, a wooden box for carrying supplies, or a light table would please any scribe.

Be nice to your scribal friends (after all, they may eventually do a scroll for YOU!), and have fun looking for that perfect gift!

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