The next Æthelmearc merchant in our ongoing series is THLady Meredyth Maskmaker from the Barony of the Rhydderich Hael.

What’s the name of your shop?
Merimask…it’s a combination of my SCA name “Meredith” and my speciality which is leather masks.

How long have you been in business (online or at events)?
I’ve been selling at SCA events since 1990. I was a mainstay in the Pennsic merchant bazaars until 2009. I created my first website in 1999, and switched completely to online sales in 2009.

What website do you use, and what is the web address? What do you like/dislike about selling through that venue?
My shop is at Etsy. merimask.etsy.com Etsy is a great venue for me…I’ve been there since 2007 and just recently made my 5,000th sale.

I also have a personal website at Merimask.com , which serves as a hub for all my social media accounts and my shop, and has a bio and an extensive gallery.

What kinds of goods are you selling?
Leather masks are my specialty, though I do branch out into other forms of leather art. Lately I’ve begun to make biker-style leather face masks with filter inserts, which are a lot of fun.

What are your most popular products?
I think my most popular designs are the Japanese kitsune masks. I’m also well known for my Egyptian pantheon. I’ve made Anubis and Bast masks for Katy Perry, the Metropolitan Opera, and TV series “The Librarians” and “Lucifer”.

Are you also the artisan as well as the seller?
All items are hand made by me alone.

Do you offer any kinds of discounts or special offers? If so, what?
At my Etsy shop, there is always free shipping within the United States.

How has business been since the pandemic, and has the pandemic made it harder or easier to make items to sell?
Business has actually been uncommonly brisk for me during the pandemic. There was a scary time in March and April where everything ground to a halt but it’s picked up since then. I think it’s because lots of people are doing searches for the word “mask” and my site pops onto their radar…even if the masks I specialize in are costume masks (although I am branching into decorative filtered masks which have been well received and sell out immediately).

Is there anything else you’d like prospective customers to know?
I have built my reputation on decades of making wearable art. I take pride in my designs and craftsmanship, and have thousands of five star reviews from happy clients. I do custom designs on occasion.

Are you an SCA merchant from Æthelmearc? If you would like to be featured in a future SCA Shop Talk post, please email us at aethgazette@gmail.com.