Flogging, dragon tail and impact play workshops for 2014

Every year I tend to get many requests to do workshops where I teach people safety and techniques on various styles of BDSM play.

I do not charge anyone for doing a workshop. All I ask is that my fuel/travel expenses are covered and that I am allowed a Kabunza trade stand at the event in question.

Having a trade stand at a workshop/event allows me to earn the money for my time separately as well as allowing me to share safe knowledge as freely as possible. Essentially minimising what an event needs to charge people for having the good sense to actually do the research and learning in their BDSM interests.

My events page has been updated to include all events that I will definitely be attending in 2014.

This year seems to be filling up unusually fast and I still have several requests to consider, so I thought it might be best to publish a blog post reminding people to get their requests for workshops in as quickly as possible.

My contact details can be found: Here.

Don’t delay if you want me for a specific date or event. Once I place an event on my blog page, it is pretty much set in stone unless the event itself is cancelled.

Product review: UberKinky Kink Industries Intense Impact Cane

The first item of the year sent to me by Uberkinky for a blog review ended up being a Kink Industries Intense Impact Cane.

To date, I have only ever needed one cane due to the fact that “Sasha” is incredibly awesome. However, I thought that the Kink Industries Intense Impact Cane appeared marginally different to the canes I have been accustomed to and decided to see just how different the styles can be in comparison.

The first thing I noticed when unwrapping it from its packaging was the size and weight. This cane was incredibly lighter than what I would normally use and just over half the length of Sasha. It is also made from synthetic materials which, while being light and durable, gives a very unique and smooth sensation. Immediately I could see huge differences in its style.

I decided to go for the all black option. Naturally. However, there are other colour options available.

The shorter length and lighter weight makes it perfect for bedroom BDSM where the room to swing such an implement is limited. The sound it makes as it cuts through the air is very light and I can see this toy causing a considerable sting when used correctly. Additionally, bending this cane back to cause a stinging and pinpoint accurate flick poses less problems than attempts to do so with a smoked dragon cane would (you can damage a smoked dragon cane by doing this kind of thing, but being as this cane is made from synthetics, it poses significantly less problems). Personally, I think one of the best things about this cane is the handle; a leather wrist loop, indentations for your fingers along with a matt finish rubber coating guarantee a very comfortable and brilliantly steadfast grip.

I have had a lot of experience with canes and their use. In my opinion, The Kink Industries Intense Impact Cane is a perfect starter cane for people new to BDSM and wanting to experiment with something that is easy to handle, difficult to cause long-term damage with, hard to break through proper use and not overly intimidating.

Kabunza: Leatherwear

Since my last Kabunza post, I have created two more impact play sets: Relentless Midnight and Purple Haze. Both of which can be seen and read about on the Kabunza Blog.

However, this post is about all those leftover, fiddly, excess bits of leather that I end up with after producing a run of the aforementioned floggers. The parts that are just too small to make anything ‘hitty’ from. Sometimes these leather off-cuts are used in bracers or to embellish other historical reenactment armour, sometimes it is used in a custom or unique creation, sometimes it is used in my own pet projects or sometimes I just store it away in a box (because you never know when a specific bit of leather will come in handy). But I have never ventured into a permanent use for it because I have always been so preoccupied with our main ‘Metalwear‘, ‘Daywear‘ and Impact toys.

Last month, I  decided to have a little play with some, and I came up with a few new collar and restraint designs.

(Naturally including a tiny touch of our trademark Kabunza chainmail).

The latest range of collars and restraints: ‘Leatherwear‘ by Kabunza!

Because the amount of metalwork involved in making these newest of items is significantly less, they will be a lovely cheaper option for those who would like a stepping stone before moving on to one of our ‘Metalwear’ Collars.

I plan on creating many different styles and combinations, but here is a little peek at the examples that I have made to date:

A Velvet Thought – Mistresses Musings: An overdue update

As some of you may have noticed; My blog has been lacking in posts this month. There have been several reasons for this and I am going to attempt something of an explanation before rebooting my regular posting.

If you look back over what I have written here this past couple of years, you will see the changes in my writing. When I started my blog it was primarily from a professional Dominatrix point of view; Ergo, it comes across as such. As time progressed, I started to include more and more personal experiences and opinions. I started to include more of my lifestyle and less of the profession. But I have never really posted anything more than things that borderline on ‘feelings’. This is because I closely guard and control those aspects. People will only ever see what I allow them to see, only know what I allow them to know, and I let only a precious few people see the whole picture.

This past few months I have been in deep reflection and meditation. Cracks in my usually steel-like exterior have been apparent to me, comments and actions from people closest to me and unfortunate circumstances of play space or funds have been heavily influential and I have been asking myself questions. Many of which I still do not have answers for. I have been questioning things like my self worth, skill, dynamic, orientation, profession; the list is rather extensive and I have been frustrated and confused by a lot of what has been popping into my head. To say this process is causing me stress is quite an understatement. Hence the silence of my blog.

Inevitably, I have reached an impasse and I am still trying to decide my next direction.

One direction leads down a road that would mean virtually giving up professional Domination, concentrating on Kabunza and on my own BDSM whims and desires. Part of my conflict is that I am feeling a desire to relinquish being the dominant and playing on the other side of the fence (if only for a while). It takes two to play and one of the conundrums is that I am not sure which side I would prefer to play on at the moment. My mindset has apparently reflected this (hence the reasoning for some of the aforementioned questioning). Activities where I have been taking a dominant role have been lacking coordination, despite a complete confidence in myself that I am doing nothing differently. I have experienced similar in the past and have noticed a recurrence of these ‘feelings’ every 3-4 years; I have found that taking a break to get it out of my system by switching helps somewhat (before my Dominant instincts kick back in with a vengeance). Trust me when I say: this is not an easy thing for me to explain, especially on my blog.

The other direction is to do what I do best: Bottle up my emotions, swallow hard, give myself a slap on the face and shout to the heavens “What am I thinking!”, before crushing said whims and forcing myself back into doing what I have always enjoyed; hurting people (with skill, flair and style). Cold to the feelings currently raging, probably fracturing a few heart strings, reverting back to the evil bitch that seems to be known, loved and desired, and basically caring little about the opinions of others because “I am the Mistress and I bloody well know what I am doing!”

Of course, I am unaccustomed to venting randomly or ‘sharing’ thoughts of this nature. I am summing all of this up as simply as possible in order to put it into a blog post. There are hundreds of factors and nuances which I am not going into or which I refuse to share because they are personal or would take too long to explain; But I hope I am portraying a decent enough idea of my current meanderings.

Regardless of what I decide to do; my blog will be undergoing some alterations. I plan on putting a section in here which is dedicated to Kabunza, compressing my galleries back into a single collection of photos, drastically reducing the amount of information in my ‘bookings & sessions‘ section in order to make things incredibly simple for those requiring it (because for some reason the people who go to that section cannot seem to read past my phone number) as well as numerous other changes which I will elaborate on as the decisions are made.

For the moment; We will resume our regular broadcasting schedule…

Music review: Victor Sierra

I love nearly all forms of music, from classical to heavy punk rock, from new age to apocalyptic industrial; for me, it is usually a case of having a simple preference over their content and overall atmosphere.

In my opinion, music should play a large part of decent BDSM play. It is by no means mandatory, but it can spark emotion, mood and can heavily effect the direction of a scenario or of play as a whole.

My first of what will hopefully be many music reviews pertains to a Steampunk band hailing from Paris, France.

Victor Sierra:

It was late one evening when my partner handed to me a copy of Victor Sierra‘s album ‘Yesterday’s Tomorrow‘ and said “This would be good to flog to. You should write a review on them.”

She was right. A pleasant mix of Steampunk and Dieselpunk with a bass that will keep your strikes going at length; Victor Sierra has quickly become one of my current favourites for multiple forms of BDSM play; primarily flogging.

While the music is multilingual, including English, French, Spanish and even Yiddish, the style and aesthetics of each musical masterpiece is more than enough to keep you listening and moving to the beat regardless of understanding the lyrics.

Of course, it goes without saying that, for me, the fact that they are a distinctly Steampunk/Dieselpunk style band is an excellent added bonus. They have delicious ‘WWII era’ undertones and atmosphere.

There is one song which I particularly enjoy: ‘Imbéciles’ (Track number 9). However it is vocalised in french, so here are the original lyrics along with a rough translation into English (because I am helpful like that).

It does lose a few details in the translation, however I am going to attempt to do it anyway:

Original Lyrics:

IMBECILES

Le sourire géné de l’indésirable
se crispe et se fige en équilibre instable
Venus des palais et des caniveaux
les hyenes se déchainent et se font écho.

Aux premieres loges, observant la détresse,
le lampiste en blouse temporise et paresse.

Les meneurs menent et font hurler la foule
Alors que les coups pleuvent et que le sang coule
se forme le cercle des eternels cretins
aux carrieres naissantes, au potentiel certain.

Imbéciles… Un jour
Imbéciles… Le sont ils pour toujours?

L’indésirable au sourire effacé
se releve et rassemble son univers brisé
se débat seul contre l’effet de masse
sous les quolibets recherchant sa place

Avec le temps les carrieres s’épanouissent
se cultivent se transmettent de peres en fils

Translation into English:

IMBECILES

The uneasy smile of the undesirable
becomes nervous and fixes into a fragile balance
Hailing from palaces and slums alike
The hyenas rage, their howls echoing each other

on the front seat, observing the distress
the blouse wearing lampist plays for time and lazes around

the leaders lead and make the crowd roar
while blows rain down and blood is shed
the circle of the eternal idiots closes
with new born careers and certain futures

imbeciles… one day
imbeciles…are they like this forever?

the undesirable with a faded smile
gets up and gathers his broken universe
fighting alone under the influence of the masses
under the mockeries, seeking his place

with time, careers blossom
cultivated and transmitted from fathers to sons

To be honest I think my translation lacks a certain ‘cachet’ when compared to the French original.

Their latest album is available for purchase at http://victorsierra.bandcamp.com/ and you can check out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Victor.Sierra.band

This is a great band to listen to and one that I highly recommend as an accompaniment to your BDSM activities; especially any impact play.

All media posted with permission of Victor Sierra.
All media Copyright © 2013 VictorSierra. All Rights Reserved.

Concept & Design: Demonic cloven hoof / knee-high boot hybrid

One of the skills required to be a successful Dominatrix is imagination. Without being able to dream up scenarios, tortures, temptations and other sinful activities, a Dominant would not get very far at all. A moderate to high level of wit is a prerequisite to be competent in this kind of lifestyle or profession.

Even with my business: Kabunza, I dream up concepts and creation ideas on a daily basis to be crafted in our workshop.

Back in 2009, I came up with a design for creating a demonic cloven hoof/knee-high boot hybrid. My aim was to add to my already demonic looking persona by extending these features into my clothing. The majority of my clothing was already custom created and I have always preferred deviating as far from the mundane as possible, so this kind of eccentricity in clothing did not seem odd to me at all. I would still wear these if I could ever find someone to make them for me. I also realise the possible ponyplay applications of such footwear, but that is beside the point.

In 2010 one of my very talented artist friends came to live with me for a while, and it was during the course of her stay that we managed to sit down in front of her computer to create a visual representation of my concept. Her name is Linda Jones (formerly Linda Pitman) of www.sheblackdragon.com.

One night, after many glasses of a rather vulgar sweet brandy, we had the basic concept sketches saved to file (which managed to take up about 6 hours of an evening because of the alcohol fueled, sidetracking anecdotes and titllating conversation). We unsteadily motioned to bed at around 4 in the morning with vows to finish up the artwork on the following day, and sure enough, as expected, the next morning we spent a further 3 hours in front of the computer screen finishing up the design art; such is the pace at which we meandered during the course of the 6 month period that she lived with me.

So, because I have recently stumbled across the design amongst my archived files and photos, and because a lot of heart went into the artwork and concept (as well as a lot of expensive brandy), I have decided to publish the design to blog in the hope that one day someone skilled enough might build me a pair.

I will explain in detail each part of the concept: fitting, materials, design etc. But please be aware that I have never been a shoemaker or cobbler, so while I am fairly certain that the design would work and work well, it may still need tweaking in the material options or physical creation side of things.

The images have been watermarked for copyright but they should not get in the way of showing off the design.

Let us start at the base and work our way up to the finished concept. These two images below show the hoof cast part of the construction. The first is what the hoof cast would look like as the foot is slipped inside it and the second is a cut section showing where the foot fits inside the cast.

Basically what is needed is the base of a standard high heel boot (or shoe) with the heel removed and any material from the ankle upwards removed (an inner shoe). The hoof would be cast around this using acrylics or resin. Support is given to the heel using the same materials and would also create the main bulk of the hoof. The space between the outer hoof and the inner shoe would be filled tightly.

The outer hoof needs to be made from a hard material, but a softer and more comfortable material would be better for filling the gap between the outer hoof and the inner shoe. A silicone rubber or something similar would probably be optimal. It needs to be softer but also durable, heavy and quite solid to avoid the foot moving or rubbing on the inside the hoof. The space between the inner shoe and hoof would need to be filled completely and would likely need to be a tight fitting.

The base of the hoof would need a rubber plate or grip to make sure that when walking on a smooth surface such as concrete or hardwood floor, the wearer would keep their footing. Without any grip a person would end up slipping and tripping all over the place (please see the last image in this blog for a diagram of underneath the hoof and what the grip should look like in my opinion).

As you can see from the cut section image, the hoof resin would support the heel quite solidly when combined with the sole of a high heel. However, should more support be needed then a thin metal plate could be shaped and placed between the hoof resin and inner shoe for a stronger support.

Next we look at the leather sleeve.

The leather sleeve is essentially the upper part (from ankle to knee) of a standard pair of knee high boots with added leather to accommodate the ankles, the heel and to overlap a small portion of the hooves. This upper boot is sewn/attached directly to the foot opening of the hoof resin, roughly where you can see the dashes in the image signifying stitching. A small overlap of leather is then left to flap over the hoof so that the stitching is hidden. This gives the appearance of the hoof being more realistic.

Like any pair of knee high boots there will be a zip on the inside of the leg for ease of wearing and removing. The laces and buckles have a purely aesthetic value and would have nothing to do with the functioning of the finished item.

In this last image we see the design from a slight angle as well as the underside of the hoof to show off the grip.

If anyone can help me in the construction of this item, please let me know as I would be very eager to see my design made real. If you wish to use an image or create this design for your own purposes, in part or in whole, please ask. We will most likely be happy to condone it as long as we are fully aware of where and why.

Design and Concept ©2010 Aemilia Hawk. All rights reserved.
Artwork ©2010 Linda M Jones. All rights reserved.

Everything I touch.

Skin as delicate as satin. Warm and smooth. Slick with sweat. A blank canvas ready for colour.

Muscles bulge and strain against the bonds. But you will not be going anywhere. Even if leather and steel were to fail; I would not.

The scent; A drug. Hot and begging. Speaking volumes without saying anything. A taste of divine emotion and base instinct.

Haggard breaths. A pulse of discordant melodies. The drum beat echos in my ears so sweetly.

You wait in anticipation for that touch. My touch. A caress to put the devil to shame. A rapture stronger than ecstasy.

A gentle raking of the skin to begin, but intensity will increase. Talons poising to maul.

Then pointed teeth pressing into exposed flesh. A bite sharper than a thousand blades.

By tooth and by claw, blood will flow. The hunger must be sated.

For despite casual appearance; I am built to savage.

And everything I touch turns to red.

Swamping the market

The Chrismas and New Year has brought about a lot of resolutions (of a sort) for me and mine, some of which pertain to my little business: Kabunza.

Sunday 13th January brings with it the reopening of SWAMP (South West Alternative Market & Party) in Bristol, where I will be attending and hosting a Kabunza trade stand (sort of hosting, as I have no doubt I will wander off to socialise while my partner runs the stand for me).

This blog post is basically an invitation to come along and view our current wares as well as a little teaser for our latest creations:

As many of you will know, I have incredibly high standards; Ergo, when something is created for my business, it needs to be perfect.

The latest of our Kabunza products have been created with the Dominants in mind: Chainmail jewellery (which can have pendants etc added on request) to match the collars and restraints worn by their submissives or play partners.

While there are three materials from which we normally create our collars and cuffs (Stainless steel, Brass and Bronze), the most popular is what we call ‘302 stainless steel’. Using this material tends to make our BDSM creations extremely tough, ductile and corrosion resistant; Meaning you can lock on a collar and it will never need to come off, even in the bath or shower.

Recently we have acquired a softer form of stainless steel, and while it is still quite tough and still corrosion resistant, it would not stand up to some of the violent pressures that I would expect one of our BDSM creations to stand up to.

To this end we decided to create some jewellery sets for the discerning Dominant who would like a matching accessory to their play partners collar (or for someone who would just like to wear some really nice looking bling).

To date, we have only created 4 sets. However, if you have a specific type of chainmail weave in mind, feel free to contact me to enquire about having your own custom creation, or you can come along and browse our stall in Bristol on the 13th. I look forward to meeting people there.

You can view the Kabunza blog post, which details the 4 sets and has links to our online shop: Here.

Introductions: Scylla & Charybdis

Given my insatiable passion for hitting things with other things, it seemed appropriate for my loving submissive Benjamin to purchase me a pair of new floggers for my birthday.

Granted, my birthday is not for another month (28th October to be exact), but he had given them to me early because it had been arranged for them to be picked up from their creator at a recent event; and he could not resist my beguiling charm to use them at the same event (purely to make sure they functioned correctly, of course). Naturally, once they were in my hands, he could not take them back.

Due to the circumstance to which they were attained, as well as the humorous aspects pertaining to anyone who might feel their falls, they have been given the names Scylla and Charybdis. If you know your Greek mythology, you will know what I mean, but for those who do not, a helpful link has been provided (the ignorant will remain blissfully so).

Similar to Sasha, Tempest and Angele, only the most special of my items get given names and I will explain why these floggers are particularly special:

This pair of floggers have been custom made and designed according to my preferred specifications and intended as a gift for my birthday from my submissive (this should make them special enough, but there is more). The ball-handles (not to be confused with normal handles as they are used completely differently) have been made out of the same wood (dymond wood) that the handles of Sasha and Tempest had been made from, keeping to the uniform of the most special items in my continuing collection. Each have a 20 inch fall of soft black suede leather (this is a longer fall than normal, but my personal preference) and matching belt clips (made from the same leather) were also included.
During construction several hitches in the design were hit. One of which was the wood itself: Apparently dymond wood is quite fragile when compared to the woods normally used in the creation of flogger handles and because of this the ball-handle design needed to be changed. The creator (Jack’s floggers) came up with the unique design of adding steel pins through the core of the handles to make them strong enough to sustain through the inevitable beatings they will dish out.
The design proved so fiddly and annoying to complete that once the floggers were finished, the creator decided to abandon the idea of crafting any more; making these floggers the only pair currently in existence and highly unlikely to be reproduced without being incredibly expensive.

I have always been a flogger enthusiast and I have never seen a pair so beautifully made or better suited for me.

I love them.

And yes, before anyone asks, I know which is which and I can easily differentiate the two.

Thankyou Benjamin for my beautiful birthday twins.

All images are Copyright © 2012 AemiliaHawk. All Rights Reserved.

Feeling the eyes.

Whump, whump, whump, whump.

Time tends to slow down when you are in the moment. Everything seems to be in high definition and the only things that matter are the sensations. The sound and wind created by the dual floggers cutting through the air, the scent of sweat and leather, the feel of every impact sending vibrations through the body and the burn that penetrates every muscle from the exertion.

You can feel the eyes on you. The excitement in the air is like a drug. Addictive for an extrovert like myself.

With the beat of the music pumping through the club and influencing motion and impact, it swiftly turns into a dance. Erotic and sensual. This in turn attracts more eyes and the play becomes heavier. More visual. A performance to feed the spectators who are in turn feeding the extroverted desires.

By this point, the only way to stop the cycle is for the music to end. I am having too much fun.

Whump, whump, whump, whump.

With his arms raised and restrained to a Shibari ring that dangled from the ceiling, his back and shoulders are taking the majority of the beatings. Florentine style to be exact. Rash reddened and sore, he will bruise. But he too is being emotionally fed. Everyone is.

He raises his index fingers to the sky. Our prearranged signal that I am pushing beyond his threshold. I am oblivious to it. I know him and what he can take. The music had not stopped yet. He could endure. He ‘would’ endure. Limits are always best when at their extremities.

Now the thuds are louder than the music.

Whump… whump… whump… whump…

As the beat slows, so do the impacts. Breath is heavy. Sweat sheens the skin. The heat is comfortably uncomfortable as the world around phases back.

And then the music ends. I twirl the floggers to untangle them before clipping them to my waist. A spinning motion like a carousel. An elegant way to end. Aesthetically pleasing.

With a sure foot and gentle hip sway, I close the distance towards him to inspect the damage more closely. The skin looks tender. Tempting. Inviting. I gently run my claws down his neck and back. He shivers and groans at the sensation. A perfect finale.

With a short motion, I unclip his wrists and he slumps forward slightly. Drained. He turns, rests his head on my breast and I gently stroke the back of his neck. He had taken more punishment than originally intended. He deserved my gentler touch and aftercare. He had done exceedingly well.

Nothing needed to be said. Actions always speak far louder than any word. He attentively kissed my cheek. A “thank you”.

After a cigarette and a drink, maybe we would go at it again with a new song.

I do so love an audience.