[Sca-cooks] Atlantian Coronation Sea shell sotelie

[Olwen the Odd]

>What were the seaweed and the sand? The sand looked like a sugar.

I asked and am pasting in here the question I posed and the response.
Sounds wonderful.  Can't wait to get the pictures!
Olwen

>Someone from the sca-cooks list saw the display and
asked for descriptions of the sand and seaweed.  Can
you tell me what they were made from?  Did you do it
or your wife?  If her, what, please, is her name so I
can mention it. >

The seaweed/grass was candied rosemary, which I did.
I bought some gum paste (used for cake decorating),
diluted it with water, dunked the rosemary in it, then
rolled it in crushed pieces of clear rock candy and
laid it out to dry.  I know someone in Atlantia has
redacted this from a period source {Mistress Helen
perhaps?}. The combination of the weight of the candy
and being crammed together in a ziplock bag made the
sprigs curl over, which was an unanticipated
decorative touch.

The overall layout was done by my wife, Dame Anne le
Coeur, since she has a much better eye for artistic
detail.  First, we made a thick glue from the gum
paste mix.  She inverted a plate onto the pie tray and
applied the glue to seal around the rim of the plate
and hold it in place.  The rosemary sprigs were
pressed onto the plate using bits of brown modeling
clay.  The rest of the plate was covered with the
glue, then sprinkled with Turbinado sugar.  Finally,
the shells, etc. were arranged on top of the sand.
So, we wound up with a sand dune with several clumps
of grass and about a dozen assorted shells scattered
about.

Thanks again for all your help.

John le Burguillun



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