...It's so beautiful.

Thank you =D

How do you work out the detail so well? It's looks so very authentic! Do you use computer programs or is this all hand done? Either way I'd like to learn to do it, honest!

It's all hand done :) And that's real gold on there as well ;)

I look up ancient manuscripts online (The British Library is FULL of them!) and use them for reference, or to base my illuminations off of. Some things I can improvise, but other times, I like a particular illumination so much, I use that instead :)

I'm a scribe in the SCA, so this is what I do in my spare time, they're usually given away as award scrolls :) If you'd like to learn how to do this, there's some tutorials online (although you'll have to dig them up a little), or if you have an SCA group in your area, you can contact some of the scribes there, and they can tell you what you need to get started :)

Ooh! Thanks for the advise! I'll see what I can find and do with what I can dig up, thanks again! :3

Ooh, you misspelled 'except' in the second to last line >w<

Oh noes! O.O How in the world did I miss that?? O.o

Ah well, I can't correct it now XD

Yeah, still, it's a small error. The piece is beautiful. :D

Love it :3

Thanks :)

Very Lovely!

What's this about panthers having sweet morning breath?

Oh, I didn't get the chance to put it in, but in the original manuscripts, but the Panther was also mentioned to be a GENTLE creature ;) Yeah, let's go pet a panther, cuz they're nice and GENTLE! XD

That is superb. I'm assuming the text is derived from the Bodleian manuscript or a similar source? If so, can you please, please, please do the entry about barnacles...

I've looked up a few bestiary translated, and I just came up with my own based from those ones :) I don't think I came across the one from Bodleian, or at least not one with a translation or anyting :)

There's a translation by Richard Barber if you're interested, it's simply titled "Bestiary".

Oh, yes please! If you've got the link handy, I'd like to take a look at it :)

I don't think it's available as a free online resource unfortunately, but:
http://www.amazon.com/Bestiary-English-Version-Bodleian-Library/dp/085115753X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267467649&sr=8-1

Oh! Ok I know of that book, I've seen it once or twice when I was checking out different books and stuff :) And now it's going on my wishlist XD

very nice

I like how the dragon on the bottom of the page seems so growly at the panthers.

This is so SO SOOOO beautiful in person. I was blown away by this and we'll be hanging it on the wall later today now that it's framed.
I still can't get over all the tiny details you put in, and the panther in the upper corner is just amazing!

Thank you so much for such a wonderful birthday present!

It was soooo fun to see your expression when you saw it for the first time =D I had a fun time doing this one, and it was a good way to test out calligraphy as well :) I'm so glad you like it! =D

very lovely work

that dragon.... wait, what? O.o

Awesome work Holly, that's what you call true oldschool =P

These pieces of yours are quite remarkable! It's quite painstaking to do that kind of calligraphy, and the colors are beautiful.

Thank you! :)

*nods* From what I've been told, Gothic is one of the harder scripts to learn. And, of course I just happen to like it and it's one of my favourite styles of calligraphies out there! XD I just couldn't have chosen an easy one XD

The only thing that could possibly be missing is that 700 years of aging and dust look.

This is ASTONISHING!! It perfectly recreates the Olde English style :)

Extremely beautiful and very well done! Great great work!