16
Open Flourish | General Discussion / Re: Blooming Landscaping
« on: April 29, 2024, 04:42:24 PM »
Oh they’re SOO PRETTY!!! I am going to try to paint those!
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17
Open Flourish | General Discussion / Re: Blooming Landscaping
« on: April 29, 2024, 12:38:21 PM »
Oh sooo gorgeous @AnasaziWrites ! Are those Eden roses? So pretty! We have a climbing rose bush we planted last year that is going up the water spout in the front of the house and it is full of buds but only one rose has bloomed so far. I can’t wait to see it in full bloom.
Those white fluffy peonies! I bet your backyard looks spectacular!
Those white fluffy peonies! I bet your backyard looks spectacular!
18
Open Flourish | General Discussion / Re: Blooming Landscaping
« on: April 28, 2024, 09:12:49 PM »
Thanks @TeresaS ! Daffodils are so happy! Wonderful to hear you’re enjoying some beautiful spring buds, too! 
19
Open Flourish | General Discussion / Blooming Landscaping
« on: April 28, 2024, 03:07:06 PM »
I have never been much of a Gardner. I love flowers and plants but somehow forget to take care of them. We planted new landscaping over a year ago and this is the first time it is blooming. It’s so exciting to see the new blossoms! And it’s almost care free! Anyone else have lots blossoming?
20
Tools & Supplies / Re: My Favorite Nibs for Pointed Pen
« on: April 28, 2024, 02:06:00 PM »
Nice! I have never seen this nib before. A similar thing happened to me. I was rummaging around in my nib drawers and found a random silver Esterbrook that I had never used and had no idea where it came from. So I threw it in my pen and lo and behold, it was not only a GREAT nib with excellent balance between shades, hairlines, and control, but also seemed to last FOREVER! Sadly, it got thrown away before I could find out the number on it. 
21
Broad Edge Pen Calligraphy / Re: Recipe for a long life
« on: April 27, 2024, 11:04:45 AM »
This is my creed. 
22
Spencerian Script / Re: Spencerian letter
« on: April 27, 2024, 11:04:22 AM »
Love it! And so true, right? Sometimes there isn’t anything that could pull me away from my calligraphy table. And other days, I have to make myself practice a bit. 
23
Show & Tell / Re: Phone doodles
« on: April 25, 2024, 11:53:03 AM »
So lovely! You can feel the movement. Thank you for sharing!
24
Copperplate, Engrosser's Script, Roundhand Calligraphy / Re: Engrossed Diploma from 1912
« on: April 22, 2024, 05:35:27 PM »25
Spencerian Script / Re: Slanted versus vertical writing
« on: April 22, 2024, 05:33:33 PM »
Dash is one of my favorite words and the reason I called my calligraphy magazine, Dasherie.
26
Copperplate, Engrosser's Script, Roundhand Calligraphy / Engrossed Diploma from 1912
« on: April 17, 2024, 09:35:37 PM »
I was at a restaurant in Naples, Florida waiting for a table when this caught my eye in the lobby. A real live engrossed diploma from 1912 in the wild!!!
I was absolutely thrilled and glad the wait for our table turned into a fabulous 15 minutes. Wish I could have taken better pictures but it was very dark in there and people (including my family) were looking at me like I was nuts.
I was absolutely thrilled and glad the wait for our table turned into a fabulous 15 minutes. Wish I could have taken better pictures but it was very dark in there and people (including my family) were looking at me like I was nuts.
27
The Library / “Learn American Calligraphy: The Complete Book of Lettering, History, and Design
« on: April 17, 2024, 09:18:30 PM »
Learn American Calligraphy: The Complete Book of Lettering, History, and Design
by Margaret Shepherd
Anyone who started calligraphy back in the 1980s and 90s will certainly be familiar with calligrapher Margaret Shepherd. Her books were some of the only ones on the library shelves and she introduced many, many learners to Italic, Gothic, and Celtic hands to name just a few. Lucky for us, Margaret has just released a new book called Learn American Calligraphy - an eclectic mix of the history of calligraphy and lettering in America, exemplars, and instruction. It is delightfully different than most calligraphy books with a unique and fascinating perspective on the history of calligraphy in America.
She begins with an enthralling account of lettering from the first Native Americans, including a Cherokee alphabet or Syllabary with guidelines. Pictures show letters, symbols, and artwork of the Lakota tribes, Southwestern Mogollon people, Apache, Pacific Northwestern Native American artists and others. Next is the story of how Gothic made its way from Spain with the conquistadores in Christian scriptures and imperial decrees to the West Coast of the Americas in the early 1530s and its five revivals throughout the centuries. An honest assessment of the deterioration of Gothic’s letterforms by the mid 1800s and into the next century, is absolutely fascinating in its tale of Gothic’s journey and experience between east and west coasts of America. Even more colorful is how Gothic metamorphosed into Goth in yet another revival, exemplified by the Monster logo of this generation’s popular energy drinks.
Jumping forward to modern day, the section on American Graffiti covers three main categories, thick and thin; variable monoline; and outlined. It includes three really fun, energetic hands to inspire the ambitious lettering artist. The more traditional hands of Copperplate, Spencerian, Palmer, Cursive, and Italic follow with a delicate and lovely Copperlate exemplar as well as exemplars for Spencerian, Palmer, Manuscript (ball and stick), and Italic. (Guidelines are included as well.) While brief in narrative, it gives just enough to understand how these hands moved us through history and does so in a familiar yet engaging way.
Margaret offers in depth first aid for improving your handwriting and a passionate, informative treatise on ten reasons handwriting still matters. (Hear, hear!) A short section on the lettering used for embroidery, quilting, mosaics, weaving, and other American crafts offers endearing insight into how Americans have used lettering in ways not usually given much attention.
The Roman Capitals revival begins with Arts & Crafts, Art Noveau, and Art Deco exemplars. A delicious monoline exemplar called “Prairie School” offers a fun, simple alphabet that can be used in so many different projects. Several other distinctive and interesting hands are included as well and then Fraktur, block letters, and a plethora of other really fun, relevant lettering styles.
Not only are there many new styles to learn, but fascinating tidbits and history which tantalize you to read more. This is a truly charming book that will keep you coming back to read, study, and practice from over and over.
by Margaret Shepherd
Anyone who started calligraphy back in the 1980s and 90s will certainly be familiar with calligrapher Margaret Shepherd. Her books were some of the only ones on the library shelves and she introduced many, many learners to Italic, Gothic, and Celtic hands to name just a few. Lucky for us, Margaret has just released a new book called Learn American Calligraphy - an eclectic mix of the history of calligraphy and lettering in America, exemplars, and instruction. It is delightfully different than most calligraphy books with a unique and fascinating perspective on the history of calligraphy in America.
She begins with an enthralling account of lettering from the first Native Americans, including a Cherokee alphabet or Syllabary with guidelines. Pictures show letters, symbols, and artwork of the Lakota tribes, Southwestern Mogollon people, Apache, Pacific Northwestern Native American artists and others. Next is the story of how Gothic made its way from Spain with the conquistadores in Christian scriptures and imperial decrees to the West Coast of the Americas in the early 1530s and its five revivals throughout the centuries. An honest assessment of the deterioration of Gothic’s letterforms by the mid 1800s and into the next century, is absolutely fascinating in its tale of Gothic’s journey and experience between east and west coasts of America. Even more colorful is how Gothic metamorphosed into Goth in yet another revival, exemplified by the Monster logo of this generation’s popular energy drinks.
Jumping forward to modern day, the section on American Graffiti covers three main categories, thick and thin; variable monoline; and outlined. It includes three really fun, energetic hands to inspire the ambitious lettering artist. The more traditional hands of Copperplate, Spencerian, Palmer, Cursive, and Italic follow with a delicate and lovely Copperlate exemplar as well as exemplars for Spencerian, Palmer, Manuscript (ball and stick), and Italic. (Guidelines are included as well.) While brief in narrative, it gives just enough to understand how these hands moved us through history and does so in a familiar yet engaging way.
Margaret offers in depth first aid for improving your handwriting and a passionate, informative treatise on ten reasons handwriting still matters. (Hear, hear!) A short section on the lettering used for embroidery, quilting, mosaics, weaving, and other American crafts offers endearing insight into how Americans have used lettering in ways not usually given much attention.
The Roman Capitals revival begins with Arts & Crafts, Art Noveau, and Art Deco exemplars. A delicious monoline exemplar called “Prairie School” offers a fun, simple alphabet that can be used in so many different projects. Several other distinctive and interesting hands are included as well and then Fraktur, block letters, and a plethora of other really fun, relevant lettering styles.
Not only are there many new styles to learn, but fascinating tidbits and history which tantalize you to read more. This is a truly charming book that will keep you coming back to read, study, and practice from over and over.
28
Tools & Supplies / Re: Curv-E Holder - New Oblique Pen Holder
« on: April 15, 2024, 10:35:18 PM »
Absolutely! Adam loves creating and crafting these pens and we aim to please! So if anyone wanted something custom, he could work within their budget.
29
Tools & Supplies / Re: Curv-E Holder - New Oblique Pen Holder
« on: April 15, 2024, 06:08:01 PM »
Yay!
30
Broad Edge Pen Calligraphy / Re: Written in Elicit
« on: April 13, 2024, 11:55:51 AM »
Oh this is sooooo beautiful!!