Blade and Swords

21/04/2026

Experimenting with medieval fencing rabbits. First pages of a new visual idea 🐇⚔️

26/03/2025

Future thoughts: 🐰
I started Blade and Swords in 2018 to paint, illustrate, design shirts, and create projects for the HEMA community. After a year or two, I reached a point where I was getting commissions, besides working on the biggest project I’ve ever done, the book project Ultima Custodia. The feedback and reviews we receivedwere incredible, and far beyond expectation. 💚
It has always been a non-profit project, though, meaning four years of work purely out of passion for the community. Facing some personal struggles, we weren’t able to move forward with the next project. Then, when AI started to take over the art world, things changed.
I don’t want to sound whiny, but I do want to show the reality for independent artists who suddenly find themselves up against a technology that is replacing certain types of work. And to be honest, many people simply don’t care that much whether a logo is perfect, as long as they can get it for free. Even though some artists claim AI doesn’t affect their work, and some people say AI won’t replace artists, I personally stopped receiving commissions almost entirely, especially when it came to logos and digital heraldic art. I work alone, and my clients are individuals who reach out to me online or know me personally for my art. I don’t have big companies backing me, nor do I have a strong marketing machine behind my work. To be honest, this has been quite demotivating.
I originally planned to move more into illustration and digital painting, but in the meantime, last October, I began training in classical Renaissance painting in Florence.
At this point, I see more of a future in traditional craftsmanship. Apart from my involvement in Stone Age reenactment, I’m currently focusing on pursuing a more craft-based artistic path. That doesn’t mean I won’t create new designs or that I won’t do digital painting, book projects or be open to commissions!
I’m still here, I’m just in the middle of my new path.
I still will create Art for the HEMA scene, but in a slightly different way. And to do that, I need to learn a lot. Thank you to everyone who appreciates my work and for all the kind words over the years.
Yours,
Betty 🐰❤️

27/09/2024

Created a new shirt design today, inspired by Daniel Burger's stunning armor. Thank you, Daniel, for letting me use you as a model. 😊

This design will soon be available on Amazon and in my Spreadshirt shops.🙃

17/07/2024

Dieses kleine Projekt entstand aus der Notwendigkeit einer Deutschen Übersetzung des Fior di Battaglia für unser Training. Dazu verwenden wir die Getty Version des Fior di Battaglia. Es ist nicht als jahrelanges Buchprojekt wie Ultima Custodia zu verstehen (ein größeres Projekt wird es in Zukunft aber definitiv geben). Es wird kein Artbook, da es eine reine Übersetzung ist, aber vermutlich ist irgendwo dann doch ein kleiner Hase zu finden. 😅
Wir kaufen keine Lizenzen der Getty Version und möchten das Ganze einfach anderen Interessenten zu Druck/Versandkosten zur Verfügung stellen. Es wird ein farbiger Hardcoverdruck werden, Design von Blade and Swords, am Projekt sind bisher beteiligt Michael Lammer, Markus Mayerwieser, Jacopo Pierucci und Bettina Miriam Sehner.
🐰 Da es kein kommerziell vertriebenes Buch ist, gibt es für Interessierte dann auch nur einmal die Möglichkeit sich ein Exemplar mitdrucken zu lassen. Es wird ausserdem auch eine Online Version geben.

07/07/2024

This small non-profit project is currently in progress. Stay tuned about further information. ⚔️⚔️⚔️

10/12/2023

Well ... i hope i will be an old weirdo with a home studio then xD

Ope!

It’s true I have a workroom and it’s messy but also an organized mess meaning I know where everything is hehe

10/12/2023

Happy December 🐰🐰🐰

08/12/2023

We've recognized the considerable shipping expenses for non-EU countries, particularly with Ultima Custodia weighing around 2kg. The shipping rates, ranging from 46 to 50 EUR, are quite high, and while we can't alter them, we've devised an alternative solution.

🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇🐇

Our primary objective for this project was to contribute to the HEMA community by creating a comprehensive book on the Towerfechtbuch. Ultima Custodia is a combination of a new translation of the Ms. 1.33 Towerfechtbuch from latin to German or English, an Interpretation of the techniques and the content and an Artbook. Despite the challenges posed by steep shipping costs, we are committed to making the book accessible to you.

In our efforts, we've managed to cap the shipping costs for non-EU countries at no more than 35 EUR.
When you make a purchase through my website (www.bladenswords.com), the current shipping costs are as follows:

Austria: 10 EUR
EU Countries: 15 EUR
Non-EU Countries:
not exceeding 35 EUR

Information and Purchase: www.bladenswords.com

With best wishes, Betty (Blade & Swords) and Michi
🐰❤️

02/12/2023

It's this time of the year again!!!! Happy 1st Advent or if you don't celebrate that, a nice weekend ⭐️❄️☃️☃️☃️☃️🐰🐰🐰

20/11/2023

-Belgian Buckler Sponsors-

A word from our sponsor.

We would like to thank Blade and Swords for their contribution to our event. They were willing to offer us and send us one of their new books "Ultima Custodia" for our book corner. More about the book corner in the following days. Stay tuned.

Thank you very much for our generous contribution.