Before I tell you about my upcoming workshop, I feel the need to share my guilt and apologize to those who follow me (although I well-know that pointing out the negative is generally frowned upon). It was my best intention … Continue reading
Happily I can report that jet-lag was barely discernible, but it may be due to the fact that I have been placed with an absolutely wonderful family who have made sure that I have all the comforts of home … including some delightful pets!
As it is winter here, most of the days have included rain, but Saturday morning was glorious, so I had a chance to take a nice long walk ’round the neighbourhood. Although I was told that I could catch a glimpse of Melbourne from the local park, they did not say it would be spectacular, as you can see from the picture here.
Today we will go to a local art store and the Vic Market, and then on to the University to set up the classroom for Copperplate 101, as Summer School in Winter starts tomorrow!
Fabulous A380 Photo by Grégoire DELATTE
It is a fact. I am in a dream-like state. Those of you who know of my journey through the past 15 years will understand, and for those of you who are not familiar with the details behind how I got into business, let’s just say it is still a bit surreal to think that in just a few short hours
I will be embarking on a journey of 7,968 miles from Los Angeles to Melbourne, to teach at the Summer School in Winter calligraphy conference (my first conference). To say that I am eager with anticipation would be an understatement to say the least, and I am filled with gratitude for this opportunity.
The process of preparing for international travel, to teach two classes over five days at a conference, in addition to juggling my daily work, jobs and life – all jam-packed into a mere 3 months – has been incredible to say the least. Oh … and the part where I didn’t receive my passport until last Friday (barely 5 days before the plane leaves, despite proper planning) made my hair catch fire for sure! But I am happy to say that the bags are virtually packed full with art supplies and winter wear (I adore the rain and cool weather!), and I am looking forward to the experience.
Feel free to stop by regularly over the next few weeks (or subscribe to the blog by clicking the button over there on the right 
) to see what’s happening … because if I keep my fingers crossed and my hair parted just right, all will go as planned and I’ll be posting lots about my adventure! xoxo
A girl couldn’t be more excited to finally get to post about being invited to teach in Australia! You can’t believe how hard it has been to keep this under wraps until I was finally cleared to tell you about … Continue reading
What fun it was to letter this menu!
A couple of weekends ago I had the pleasure of teaching for Kaligrafos, the calligraphy guild in Dallas. What a great group of people! It was a wonderful experience
and I enjoyed nearly every minute of my stay (except for the part where I hurt my toe – but it’s almost better
now {yay!}).
Anyway, Debi Sementelli was my hostess with the mostest and, if you don’t already know, she’s the artist behind the terrific Belluccia font. Outside of class, we had a great time talking about lettering and fonts and as many other alphabetically related things as possible.
Debi was kind enough to write a lovely review of the workshop so if you have a minute, hop on over and read all about it!
While this may not be the sexiest post ever ; ) the topic of Set-Up Fees came up while I was recently in Dallas to teach a workshop (more on that to come, so stay tuned), and I thought that posting my list of what is included in my [relatively] small charge might be a good idea. Not only is it important for my clients to understand why the fee is requested, but I feel that it is necessary for calligraphers recognize as well.
When someone asks, “How much do you charge to address an envelope?” I respond with a price for lettering a simple script, in black ink on an envelope by Crane & Co., or equivalent, which is based on the time it takes to do the lettering, and I go on to add that a there is also a Set-Up Fee which helps defray the cost of other activities and supplies associated with addressing those envelopes.
Without further ado, here is my list….
Of course, there are additional charges for extra flourishing, lettering on difficult paper, mixing an “exact” ink colour, writing in gold or pastel inks, etc., etc., but again, all of these (and more) are based on the time it takes to do the work.
So, now you know!
This year began in a whirlwind! While my resolution to post more frequently was truly authentic, too many great projects got in the way, but I hope to rectify my neglect with the next few posts. ; )
March saw the end of a six-month Copperplate continued studies program in Murrieta, California. All I can say is how wonderful it was to have an opportunity to teach such a lovely group of wonderfully dedicated letter lovers.
Our first few classes began by going over the basic strokes and letterforms, with the rest of each day devoted to individual instruction from me and practice, practice, practice. The following classes saw more one-on-one attention and much practice, with definite improvement seen along the way.
Studio tips were offered throughout the time and included an opportunity to experiment with writing on black with gold and pastel colours, and writing using a phantom liner.
Finally, we explored how to make subtle changes to the look of the lettering while keeping true to the Copperplate style, and each student made their own small book with the various examples to use as a reference. To round it all off, the last two sessions extended the class in order to do some flourishing work. Phew!
And last but not least …. a heaping huge note of THANKS to Dots n Doodles for kindly sending some great samples of wonderful products to the students!
What a great experience I had with my first extended studies class … I certainly hope to have the occasion to do this again soon!
Being one who works with calligraphy and design, pretty much day in and day out, one would think that I would produce the most gorgeous valentine for my love. However, I shamefully must admit that over the last few years I have been so busy that my wonderful husband has received a purchased card.
However, this year I broke out of the rut and made him a valentine! It is simple and sweet, so it was a surprise to realize that taking a photograph of three paper hearts suspended on golden thread is not as easy as I had imagined … and I certainly didn’t expect the drama involved of keeping still all those moving parts. ; )
So, whether you celebrate with your family, a loved one, or just do something loving for yourself, my wish is that you have a wonderful day!
Once again this year I was delighted to be able to help with Assistance League© Glendale‘s annual “Festival of Trees” fundraising event by providing layout and design for the Save The Date, Invitation and Program. The fun part this year was that I was invited to create the artwork for the event! Apparently it was quite a hit so I have decided to share it by creating a few products in my Zazzle Store (with a few more to come in the next few days).
Thank You to those who have been following my blog for the past couple of years. Hopefully next year I will be a bit more prolific in the posting department. ; )
Whatever you celebrate at this time of year I hope your festivities are warm and memorable, and your new year brings all the best things your heart desires!
