• Step 1, come up with some ideas. Look through the Herald's book for some things you might like. You can also look around online at the website.  Names here, armory for devices here.
  I "scanned them into computer" by taking some little phone pics that I put in the computer to work with.
• Have no idea where to start? Chat with your group's Herald first and foremost! They're there to help you with this, after all.
• Step 2, flip through the Heraldic primer to see how your ideas might work up. Think on how to put them together in a way that you find visually appealing.
  I went through several variations as I worked out what I might want.
• Step 3, draw it on paper. See how it looks.
  Or do it digitally in the computer if you can and want; I enjoyed doing mine that way.
• Step 4, Now talk to your local herald or other friends who are interested and able to see what might be right or wrong needing adjusting. Names and Devices must not break certain rules.
  Friends who have gone through the process before, especially those who have previously or are interested in the future in holding the Herald's position are good go-to folks for this in addition of course to your group's own current Herald, never instead of. ;) But it can help your Herald out if you have some ideas thought up and worked out a bit, once you get ready to start moving forward in a submission process.
• You will need to have the right proof for names, and the right emblazon or wording written out for your device.
• Search your device and name online, once you have the wording down, to be sure there are no conflicts.
• When you are ready, fill out the submission papers! Your group's Herald will help you with this. If you want you can print off the submission forms from online.

I learned to play Tarot from Darcy on one of our Medieval game nights. I enjoyed it and wanted a set of my own! I liked how Darcy took a deck and scanned/printed them off to use for class and it helped me think of a way to get my hands on a set for cheap. I just took a book about tarot cards that explains them and portrays one card per sheet of paper, and was in color, and then I cut them out of the book!
Voila!  Well, not quite. I didn't want writing from the book on the back of the cards, plus I wanted them to be stronger like a real deck would be. And what deck doesn't have something on the back so you can tell up from down, and just make them look cooler?

So I made use of the nifty tree paper stamper which I had found and also bought when Adelaide had pointed out the awesome raven one to me at Jo-Ann's.

Today I have taken the plantain herbs I picked, cleaned, and placed into oil, out of their oil. Now the oil is infused with all the wonderful properties of the plant. The benefit of this is not only providing a means through which to use the plant other than edible, but also to preserve it in a way that provides year-round useage.

In Medieval days, we would know through our instincts and basic knowledge of observation that soon now the Winter will be upon us. The days are still mild and fair but this will not last for long. While during the Spring and the Summer and even on into the Fall, fresh plants may be picked and prepared anytime they are needed, this is just not so during the Winter. Some plants are also best used at certain seasonal intervals so preservation is crucial for extending the usage of these, as well.

I should know how messy this will be before beginning; I open the two pint jars and they smell strong, somewhat like pepperoni. So I know it's going as it should, haha.  I pour the jars over into a muslin cloth over a container to catch the oil and gently squeeze all the oil through from the plants. Now I can place this into a nice sealed jar to use!